In order for the national football team to go to the World Cup again, the selector Mircea Lucescu, 79 years old, is copying the method with which Anghel Iodănescu, 74 years old, made waves at the World Cup in the USA in 1994, namely files with data like those from the secret services .
“Il Luce” asked the federation to make posters with the faces of all the summoned players, in order to learn them faster and to be able to address them using their first names.
“In the office at FRF, I asked the collaborators to make a picture of all the players on an entire wall. Big photo and name on it, so that I can see them daily, learn them and arrive so that at the first summons I can recognize everyone and address them by their small name“, Mircea Lucescu told TVR.
In 1994, Anghel Iordănescu made files for the tricolors with the players they were going to face. Those cards had not only the faces of the opponents, but also the characteristics of each one. The reply of the late Didi Prodan, who had a duel with the Colombian Faustino Asprilla, remains memorable.
“The team that will play was known 5-6 days before. Before Colombia, nea Puiu sent us to the board in the locker room, to see what the marking pairs are. Next to Prodan appeared Asprilla! And in Asprilla’s right, the characteristics of his game. Speed – very good, Right – very good; Left – very good; Aerial game – very good; Relaxation – very good; Technique – very good; And besides all this, he remarked – Left-right, head-chest! Under these, to Defects – None! Everything was very good, the other opponents also had a defect. I go to Mrs. Puiu’s room and she asks me: “Didi, have you looked at the file?”. Shyly, I answer: «Yes, but I saw that it has no defects»! And nea Puiu encourages me: “Didi has a defect! It’s scary! That’s his flaw, he’s sneaky! You go to him and it’s done!”. Then my heart grew! That’s what I did, I “charged” Asprilla from the first minutes, from the first ball! I was thrusting into him, it hurt me! However, Batistuta was stronger. The Argentinian was running with me behind! But a beating like the one received on the field from Ian Rush I haven’t received from my father in 20 years! He elbowed the Welshman when the referee didn’t see anything to scare him!“, said Didi.
