FCSB has certainly achieved one of the biggest victories for Romanian football in recent years. Because the success with PAOK Thessaloniki, the champion of Greece, in the 2nd stage of the Europa League is a result that is worth a lot! Both sportingly and financially, as The Truth explained here.
Gigi Becali. PHOTO: The Truth Archive
Unfortunately, the joy of success was spoiled, immediately after the match, by the terrible news that the boss of the red-blues, Gigi Becali, announced during a telephone intervention, at Digi Sport. Being in Thessaloniki, with the team, the landowner from Pipera said that defender Mihai Lixandru (23 years old), seriously injured in extra time of the first part, will be absent from the field for 6 months!
What did Gigi Becali say after PAOK Thessaloniki – FCSB?
*Lixandru is serious. He has something with the external ligament, so 6 months (no, he doesn’t play anymore)… We can’t combine pain with joy. Let’s rejoice. That’s the situation when you have this job. We are not talking about Lixandru’s injury now. We still have four players there. Anyway, we’re playing with a closer. Why do you remind me of Lixandru? Aren’t you happy too?
*We no longer hoped! (no – after Olaru’s elimination). I played 40 minutes with a man down. They had some chances, but not extraordinary ones. It’s the biggest result. What to play with Manchester? This is the best result!
*To beat PAOK in 10 men and with a hostile referee… It was not the second yellow card for Olaru. It was foul before. And 10 minutes of extra time… After Olaru took the red pot, everything was perfect. If Olaru was on the field, maybe they would beat us. That’s what God wanted!
*I won, I beat Răzvan Lucescu and proved that Ferguson (no – how Gigi Becali nicknamed himself, after the famous Sir Alex Ferguson) is stronger than him. Everything was perfect. The changes I made, I made them for power. The changes were made. It happened with Lixandru, but he was replaced at halftime anyway. Never in my life have I had such conviction that we will win. When Olaru got red, I was afraid. Only then did I have emotions.
*It was incredible. We only hoped for God to perform a miracle, so that we could remain with the score 1-0. That’s what happened. That’s the biggest result, beating PAOK with ten men.
The red-blue schedule in the Europa League
September 26: FCSB – FK RFS 4-1
October 3: PAOK Thessaloniki – FCSB 0-1
October 24: Rangers – FCSB (10 p.m.)
7 November: FCSB – Midtjylland (19.45)
November 28: FCSB – Olympiakos (10 p.m.)
December 12: Hoffenheim – FCSB (19.45)
January 23: Qarabag – FCSB (19.45)
January 30: FCSB – Manchester United (10 p.m.)
Europa League standings after the 2nd stage
*At the end of the group stage, the top eight placed will advance directly to the round of 16. Occupants of places 9-24, so 16 groups, will duel in the play-off of the 16th, round-trip. The teams in places 25-36 will leave this season of the European cups.
