Romania - Gaz Metan vs CFR Cluj

Gaz Metan Medias

Coach Cristian Pustai has declared that, until now, he hasn’t received any offers to renew his contract with Gaz Metan, adding that Medias remains his first option: “For the moment I don’t have any renewal offer from Gaz Metan. To remain here I first need to be wanted. Nevertheless, we have decided to have talks after the Steaua game. I have had some talks, not necessarily offers, but I have stipulated that my first option is Gaz Metan. Meanwhile, I can’t talk about a new contract if I am not offered one”, Pustai declared.

“Gazul remains my first option, have to see how we end the championship. Probably Friday night, after the CFR Cluj match, we’ll know more, since our main objective would be achieved mathematically with the 3 points, and we’ll talk after”, the coach added.

Asked if his players really want to qualify for Europa League, meaning that it would shorten their holidays, Pustai has declared: “I think everyone wants to qualify for Europa League, because for us it would be a great performance and I don’t think there’s a player from our team not wanting this to happen.”

Gaz officials have cancelled, by common grounds, the contracts with the Bosniac Admir Aganovici and the Slovakian Michal Kubala. “Both players were at the end of their contracts and we have agreed to close the deals earlier, on friendly grounds”, Ioan Horoba, director general of Medias, has confirmed. The relationship has been on a downfall between the players and the club since the winter. Right after their comeback from their training camp in Antalya, Admir Aganovici has been sent to the second squad for unsportman behavior towards his colleagues. The Bosniac has abused of harsh tackles during trainings and has introduced a negative mood into the locker room. The forward will return to Switzerland, to Neuchatel Xamax, the team from where he has been borrowed, Medias not wanting to activate the buy option valid until the end of April. Michal Kubala has also been sent to the second team during the winter season, when he didn’t accept to renew his contract, finishing at the end of April. Forced by the means, coach Cristi Pustai was forced to recall to the first team the Slovakian midfielder and to have him in the first team 4 legs from this second part of the championship, from which only two he has ended on the pitch.

Gaz Metan has played 100 matches in League 1 since 2009. Ovidiu Hoban has played in 93 of them. He has changed teammates, objectives and leagues, but he remained. He never complained when coach Pustai has asked him to play defender or midfielder, center or on the flanks. “I can’t remember my post. I love to play midfielder and I have Zidane as my idol. I followed each one of his moves”, Hoban remembers, who during his match against Steaua became the leader in presences of the championship of the past 3 seasons. For the moment, he shares the first place with Spadacio, but this will probably change since the Brazilian Spadacio has decided to leave Rapid. “I am delighted of this achievement and I hope to go even further. I won’t stop here”, Hoban said, who knows what has determined coach Pustai to consider him an indispensible asset in his first team.

Probable team: Plesca – R. Zaharia, Fl. Lazar, Khubutia (Trtovac), Buzean – Al. Muntean, Bozesan, hoban, Parvulescu – Bawab, Eric de Oliveira; Coach: Cristian Pustai; Injured: Buchta, Z. Markovic; Suspended: Todea; Absentees: Kubala, Aganovic (cancelled their deals); Reserves: Vatca, Vukadinovici, Dudita, D. Roman, Litu, Fl. Bratu.

 Candidates program which fight with Gazul for a place in UEL:

Gaz Metan will place play tomorrow with CFR, and in the last round of the championship with Universitatea Craiova (away).

Steaua Bucuresti will still have to play with FCM Targu-Mures (home) and CFR 1907 Cluj (away).

Dinamo Bucuresti will play Victoria Branesti (home) and FC Timisoara (away).

Rapid Bucuresti still has to play with Universitatea Cluj (away) and FC Brasov (home).

Gaz Metan has not achieved to defeat Steaua in their match at Medias, this one ending in a draw, 0-0. Unfortunately, Gaz was not very insipired and, although they had the biggest occasion of the match (Eric, alone with the goalkeeper, shot directly in Tatarusanu), they had to accept a single point. Even if they win both of their remaining matches of this season, Gaz depends on the other results for a place in Europa League. With two more rounds to go, Gaz Metan is 4 points away from Rapid and Dinamo and 2 points from Steaua, meaning that their chance for a place in European cup is mince. The players will have to do their best to end the year with 55 points and hope that Steaua will trip (in their last leg they have a difficult game against CFR away at Cluj!) and that Dinamo wins the Romanian Cup.

CFR 1907 Cluj

Striker Cristian Bud said that he doesn`t intends to leave the team Cluj in the summer, but waits for the management decision in this regard. The striker admitted that he would like at some point to return to Gaz Metan Medias, the team that started in League 1, but says that he does`nt want for the moment to leave the team from Gruia. “ I had a good year at Medias, where I scored many goals. I have to admit that it is the team which has launched my into real football and maybe sometime I’ll get to play there again. I don`t know nothing about any offer for me, I don`t want to leave but it depends only on those from the leadership”, said Bud. He signed with CFR in autumn 2009 and came to Gruia in 2009 autumn in second leg. He scored 10 goals in the official Gruia parties. Champion of Romanian league paid 800.000 for him, and the player is currently ranked at 700.000 euros by transfermarket.

At the game against Gloria, Italian Roberto De Zerbi came straight from Munchen, who was recovering from injury he suffered in Buzau in the first match of 2011 with Branesti team. I returned from Germany from the clinic where I did the first part of recovery. I am leaving Wednesday at Bologna, for another treatment, I will not be fit for the team until mid-june”, De Zerbi explained.

Bastos has paid again for his obscene gestures towards the fans during the match against Otelul.   “ He will catch the team when he will prepare seriously, not like he is doing now! He has a wrong attitude, I am not letting him in. He will play in the last two games if he will improve training”, Minteuan pointed out firmly .

Probable team: Minca - Panin, Cadu, Rada, Leo Veloso - E.Dica, Peralta, Muresan, Nicoara- Bud, S.Bus; Coach: Alin Minteuan; Injured: Maftei, Edimar, Kapetanos, De Zerbi; Suspended: -; Reserves: Nuno Claro, Nuno Diogo, E.Kone, Sare, Bastos, Kivuvu, Hora, Piccolo

After two years from the previous adventure in Romania, Jose Ignacio Casanave (20 years) returned to CFR to give tryouts, this time under Alin Minteuan eyes. Along with him, another Argentinian, midfielder Risca (20 years) also prepared. The two have great chances to play in the summer in CFR`s second team which will enable in the third league.

Last game (CFR 1907 Cluj - Gloria Bistrita 2-2)
Au marcat: 0-1 Adrian Nalati (10), 0-2 Alexandru Tudose (45), 1-2 Cristian Bud (61), 2-2 Gabriel Muresan (73)
CFR Cluj: 32. Minca - 4. Panin, 55. Nuno Diogo, 13. Piccolo, 23. Veloso - 6. G. Muresan - 7. E. Dica, 18. Peralta (22. Hora '46), 5. Sare (11. Nicoara '36) - 29. Batin, 25. Bus (85. Bud '46). Coach: Alin Minteuan.
Gloria Bistrita: 22. Albut - 14. Achim, 4. V. Nastase, 6. Corallo, 5. Velcovici (20. Costache '66) - 3. Tudose, 15. Nalati - 21. Keita, 30. Bajenaru, 23. Mandea (2. C. Petre '66) - 19. Curtuius (16. R. Msrginean '90+2). Antrenor: Nicolae Manea.
Cartonase galbene: Nicoara '82, Panin '83 - Curtuius '5, Corallo '66.

CFR was led at halftime by Gloria Bistrita 2-0, but managed to come back and tie. Minteuan`s team had to settle for only a draw against Gloria, as the team was more motivated having the knife to the bone. After the victory against Dinamo, CFR`s fans were expecting that their favorites would win, but they didn`t have the strength to do it. This year, CFR was the team that ruined many players bets because when the team was favourite they lost or made equal, and when he proceed with the second chance(Vaslui, Dinamo) they won. In the match from Medias, CFR aim to make a draw as for them would be more important to meet with Steaua in the last round, because they would have the chance to remove the team from the fight for the Champions League.

BettingRRS recommends a bet on Gaz Metan which is the team with more motivation in front of this important game.