At the Lighthouse, it's already a tradition. When the team loses, it is usually followed by an explosive conference by manager Gheorghe Hagi (59 years old). In which it starts from the match that was played and reaches completely different topics.
Gheorghe Hagi, technical manager Constanța Lighthouse
This is exactly what happened after Cluj University – Constanța Lighthouse (1-0). A conference of more than 29 minutes followed, in which the game in stage number 28 was discussed, worth a few minutes. Then Hagi, in his characteristic style, moved on to others. And, as usual, he mixed the good ideas, coming from a man who suffers for Romania, with those that have nothing to do with the reality of the times we live in.
A concrete example is the involvement of status in performance sports! That is, an anomaly that has already shown its consequences in the decay of handball financed by public money. And for which Hagi insists in football too! Nowhere in the West does state participation in performance sport mean funding as the main source of income for clubs. Performance sport is financed in Europe by the private sector. The state has a smaller contribution, where this contribution exists.
Conversely, in the West, the state supports youth and grassroots sports. That is, what does not happen here, given that, in most disciplines, the base of the pyramid is left empty. And when it comes to table sports, we are in a catastrophic situation, occupying the last places in most European hierarchies!
Unfortunately, Gheorghe Hagi holds his own: the state should finance performance sports! Like during communism. He repeated this idea even now, after the match Universitatea Cluj – Farul (1-0), in a conference with screams. Usual!
What did Gheorghe Hagi say?
*There is no national project. No project! About how to develop the sport. In our time, sport was a priority. That's why we ended up fighting any team in the world. Because sport, like other social segments, I mean health and education, was a national priority. When you don't have this, it can't be done.
*Ok! Private is private, but a national project is needed. And he needs to be funded. Qatar brings in, Arabia brings in, the English bring in billions… And here? He shuts up. Projects are made for ten years. We haven't seen anything like that here. From a ten-year project, Romania can then benefit for a hundred years.
*When we played in '90, we had the same budget as Real Madrid! More or less. I had everything. It was a national project and that's why we went and beat them. On Real Madrid, on Barcelona. They had a budget of 60-80 million then. From 60-80 million, as much as they had and bought the best players, they also took me in the bracket…
*After that, they developed, and the Revolution came to us. We wanted it, we wanted to be free and we went down. In the head! We went to the head. And they went to a billion! Turnover, like a club! And excuse me, here it is. Everything is here! Because after that you have the power to buy players. You produce one, two, but then you have to go somewhere bigger.
*I cannot accept that the Romanian can no longer do it (no – in sports). I can't think of that! Diversion, manipulation! Sure! We have! We must believe in our own. Gentlemen, really? Don't we wake up?! You want big players, the state to put in money! I'm bored as many times as I've said it!
SEE GHEORGHE HAGI'S LECTURE
Superliga 2023-2024, 28th stage
Tuesday
FC U Craiova 1948 – Poli Iasi 1-1
Dinamo – Hermannstadt 1-0
Oțelul Galati – CFR Cluj 2-2
Wednesday
Cluj University – Farul 1-0
Fast – UTA 4-1
Thursday
Botoșani – Sepsi 16.15
Petrolul – University of Craiova 18.30
Volunteers – FCSB 21.00
Ranking
1. FCSB 27 17 7 3 50-23 58
2. Fast 28 14 9 5 50-31 51
3. CFR Cluj 28 14 7 7 52-28 49
4. University of Craiova 27 11 9 7 41-34 42
5. Constanta Lighthouse 28 11 8 9 36-37 41
6. Cluj University 28 9 11 8 34-38 38
7. Hermannstadt 28 8 13 7 32-29 37
8. UTA 28 9 10 9 33-40 37
9. Oil 27 7 14 6 26-26 35
10. Sepsis 27 9 7 11 35-32 34
11. Galati Steel 28 6 15 7 29-31 33
12. FC U Craiova 1948 28 9 4 15 40-45 31
13. Poli Iasi 28 7 10 11 32-43 31
14. Volunteers 27 6 9 12 30-43 27
15. Dynamo 28 7 4 17 21-41 25
16. Botoșani 27 3 11 13 29-49 20
*Places 1-6 enter the play-off (round-trip, 10 stages in total).
*Places 7-16 will continue in the play-out (single leg, 9 stages in total).
*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 play-off with the winner of the play-off between the 1st and 2nd places in the play-out for a place in the Europa Conference League.
*The 9th and 10th places in the play-out are directly relegated. The relegable places 7/8 in the play-out play a play-off with the places 3/4 in League 2.
