The coach of the men’s handball team SCM Politehnica Timișoara, George Buricea, was suspended six games and fined 5,000 lei by the disciplinary commission of the Romanian Handball Federation, reunited on Tuesday, for a player. Buricea is also the coach of the male national of Romania.
George Buricea, during the period when he was an active player
“In connection with the additional report of the observer delegated to the game within the Competition National Liga – Male, Stage 5, between CSM Vaslui – SCM Politehnica Timișoara, from 04.10.2025, from Vaslui, the commission, analyzing the documents presented, establishes: the sanction of Mr. Buricea George Ionuț Handball for 6 (six) games, starting with 08.10.2025 and pecuniary penalty in the amount of 5,000 (five thousand) lei, payment limit 06.11.2025 for the abrupt player, according to art. 45.4 letter. b) point 1 and 2, in conjunction with art. 45.5 with the application of art. 36.1 Lit. k) of the Disciplinary Regulation of the FRH, the competition season 2025-2026 (another deviation committed on 11.02.2025)”, It is shown in the statement published by FRH on its official website.
In the match between CSM Vaslui and Poli Timișoara, won with 28-27 hosts, at one point the guest coach, George Buricea, suddenly played the player Zoran Nikolic, during a discussion between the two.
“Handball is about passion and desire for victory. In the tension of the match in Vaslui, I had a heated discussion with Nikolic and pushed him (attention, I didn’t hit him) to sit on the bench.
This gesture was misinterpreted as a blow, and the best proof that it was not the fact that Nikolic played after another 15 minutes.
The phase has been revised several times by the game observer and it has been shown that there was no fist blow, as it was wrong in the press. I am a volcanic man, but I am not a violent man.
It was a more tense moment and I should have managed it more calmly. No one hit anyone!“, George Buricea said after the match, in a statement sent by the club.
