When you are a boss and coach, like Gheorghe Hagi (59 years old) at Farul, the good part is that no one can hold you accountable for poor results. And not for uninspired changes! The confirmation of this situation is what happened on Monday, in the confrontation that ended the stage with number 9, the penultimate one in the play-off. In the match Farul – Universitatea Craiova, the hosts had 3-0 in the 76th minute. However, the game ended in a draw: 3-3!
George Hagi. PHOTO: The Truth Archive
During the meeting, the commentator of Digi Sport, Ionuț Angheluță, said, repeatedly, how the changes made by Hagi spoiled the game of Farului and made it possible for Olten to return to the game. The Dobrogean manager took out Sîrbu, Louis Munteanu (he had scored two goals), Grigoryan, Ganea and Andronache, introducing Dănulesă, Rivaldinho, Dussaut, Nicolas Popescu (Gică Popescu's son) and Dragoș Nedelcu. The result of these changes? Alex Mitriță scored three times for Craiova, in the 77th, 89th and 90+7 minutes. The last success came after the conversion of a penalty caused by Nedelcu.
This explains the fact that, at the conference after the match, Hagi crushed the 27-year-old defensive midfielder. Nedelcu belongs to the category “football scraps” which the Future / Lighthouse gave them! In 2017, Hagi sold him to FCSB for 2.1 million euros, from where the player, a disappointment, was loaned to Fortuna Düsseldorf. As he was not confirmed here and the FCSB did not want him anymore, Nedelcu returned to Farul in 2022.
Now, however, Hagi announced that Nedelcu is fired because this season he was a big disappointment for the seaside group.
What did Hagi say about Nedelcu after the Lighthouse – Craiova?
*Unfortunately… difficult. Only with presence. You have no choice. Last year, he played, you know Nedelcu's potential. I'm sorry for Nedelcu, I'm sorry to say publicly. I'm sorry, but it can't be like that. We expected him to be No. 1. Last year, he came in after two years of not playing and he played. This year, he sat more than played.
*I'm sorry because he's the highest paid player on the team. He is paid well, he is at the level of the first two teams in the championship, not at the level of Farul. That's a lot of money. I paid for two years but had the player for one year. With that I think I'll end the conference because it doesn't have… I'm sorry. The player must be strong, especially him. He has to reflect on what is happening to him. He has to think seriously, but with us, next year, he can't anymore, even if he has one year left on his contract. I think we're going to break up.
33
of matches Dragoș Nedelcu played for Farul this season, accumulating 1,718 minutes on the pitch. He scored a goal.
Play-off, 9th stage (penultimate)
Friday
Sepsis – Rapid 3-2
Saturday
FCSB – CFR Cluj 0-1
Months
Farul – University of Craiova 3-3
Ranking
1. FCSB 49 points
2. CFR Cluj 43p*
3. University of Craiova 41p*
4. Constanta Lighthouse 36p*
5. Sepsis 34p*
6. Fast 29p*
*teams that benefited from rounding up the score.
**The 1st place in the play-off participates in the Champions League, and the 2nd and 3rd place in the play-off in the Europa Conference League. The 3rd place in the play-off will play a tie with Oțelul (if the Galatasarays lose the cup final) for a place in the Europa Conference League. However, if Oțelul takes the cup, the 3rd place in the play-off goes to the Conference League preliminaries.
