Romania lost 1-0 away to Türkiye in the FIFA 2026 World Cup European Qualification Play-Off Semi-Final match. At the press conference held after this match, Romania Coach Mircea Lucescu made a statement. Stating that he rejuvenated the Turkish National Football Team during his time, Lucescu said, “Of course, I built this team. Not only Hakan Çalhanoğlu, but also players such as Merih Demiral, Zeki Çelik and Kaan Ayhan came during my time. Maybe I could not get results at that time, but this team started to get results. I am trying to do the same in Romania, I am trying to rejuvenate it. I hope Romania will get these results in the future and they will remember the contribution I gave them.”
‘THE DEFENDER’S CAREFUL CHANGED THE RESULT’
Stating that the carelessness of the defense changed the result, the experienced coach said, “It was a very balanced match. The carelessness of the defense changed the result. I like Türkiye very much and they have a good coach. We tried to stop Türkiye. We suffered a defeat that we did not deserve.”
Mircea Lucescu continued his words with the following statements:
“I apologize for losing the match. Ratiu had a very strong opponent like Kenan Yıldız. Turkey scored when he made a mistake. We also had a position that hit the post. Hagi could have scored a goal if he had carefully shot with the inside of his foot. We suffered a defeat that we did not deserve.”
‘TURKISH FOOTBALL IS GOING THROUGH A GOOD PERIOD’
Stating that Turkish football is going through a good period, Lucescu said, “Some mistakes were made in Romanian football, that’s why we are in this situation. Turkish football is going through a good period. The reason is that very good investments were made and very good foreign football players were brought in. Those players set an example for Turkish football players. Turkish football made significant gains. Romanian football players also played in important teams in Türkiye. Romania does not make investments, but they have talented players. They can return to their former situation.”
