Huge conflict between Dan Petrescu and Louis Munteanu. CFR Cluj could not get more than a draw, 0-0, in the trip to Ploiesti, where the hosts knew how to close all the lanes of Dan Petrescu’s team and missed the biggest opportunity of the game, through defender Paui Papp. Dan Petrescu started the match without the fittest Romanian player of the moment, striker Louis Munteanu.
This was the most important element of the youth national team, which qualified for the final tournament of EURO 2025, managing to score three times in the victory in Montenegro and then provide as many decisive assists in the decisive success against Switzerland, 3-1. Dan Petrescu praised his student in the press conference in Ploiești, but said that he will analyze whether he will send him on the field from the beginning or enter along the way.
“In my opinion, Louis Munteanu was a real captain in both matches. In the first he gave three goals and in the second three assists. I mean, he proved that he deserves to be captain. He ran over 12 kilometers, I don’t know if he is ready for this upcoming match.
He didn’t train with us until today, he was very tired. Morale is very good. But I as a coach have to make a decision if he can start the match.
It’s clear that he’s on a roll, but at the same time I shouldn’t make a mistake like I did with Ilie, when he played for three days and broke and stayed for 45 days. We have to see what decision we make until the game. It’s good that he’s healthy and it’s good that he’s happy.
He proved that he is a real captain… you rarely see number 9 strikers who are team captains. Only Inter has Lautaro Martinez. In general, they are defenders, goalkeepers, midfielders. But if he is the team captain, it means he deserves it”.
The player, however, wanted to play from the first minute, claiming that he did not feel tired, but he would only be sent on the field in the second half.
“I am ready, I have recovered these days, I feel good, I say that I have recovered and I am ready for a new match. I still have marks after the foul from the match with Switzerland, good thing he didn’t hit me in the face, I’m fine, I have no problems.
It was a bad entrance, like I said, I’m glad it didn’t hit me in the face, it could have been worse. My head is here at CFR, at the national team, I’m only thinking about football. I don’t give a damn about anything written in the press.”
Petrescu put Munteanu into the game only in the second half and the player entered extremely irritated. He argued with everyone, regardless of the team he was fighting with, and fed up with Bursucul’s antics, he decided to teach him a lesson, replacing him in the 90th minute with Artean.
Munteanu was stunned by the coach’s decision, which he then passed by like lightning, and even the fact that Petrescu came to him to defuse the tense situation was not helpful, he refused to appear at interviews and was ready to argue with anyone would have said something to him.
An obviously high-profile attitude that certainly doesn’t do the young, extremely talented player any favors, but he’s shown that his clubbing nights and attitude are things that could seriously set him back at this point to great performance.
Source: www.cotidianul.ro
