Politehnica Timisoara is looking for the perfect start to the championship tomorrow with a win against Unirea Constanta, a team that has also gone through a transformation process this summer. Head coach Bogdan Andone and the “decar” of the white-violet Cosmin Bîrnoi previewed the match of the first stage of the new season.

“We know very well, the first game of the season is difficult all the time, regardless of the opponent. That’s why we have to prepare mentally for this game very well. Let’s get to the game time tomorrow well prepared from all points of view, because it’s mandatory to start with a win”, said Bogdan Andone, head coach of Politehnica Timisoara.

The coach believes that this restart with him on the bench of the white-violet is similar to the beginning of his first period at Politehnica. “It’s pretty much the same situation from a sporting point of view, from the club’s point of view, although there have been changes at the administrative level in certain things, but as a team, there were changes of players during that period as well – many new players coming in. It was pretty much the same situation, with trials at the beginning, to find players, to try to fit into a certain budget. It’s a similar situation now, with quite a lot of new players coming in. That’s why I’m also looking forward to the start of the season, to see exactly what level we are at, as a team and as a game, but again, my expectations are high, I think also the supporters’. That’s why it’s very important to repeat the good start of the season five years ago, with a win that is”, Andone stressed.

Politehnica announced yesterday the transfers of Matteo Kucich and Oliver Brynéus, but for now it is not sure whether the latter will be eligible for tomorrow’s match. “It’s hard to believe, we still don’t know what the situation is with the green card, whether it has arrived or not. It was quite late in the move, so we are waiting today to see if we will be able to have them for tomorrow’s match or not,” said the “principal” of the blue and white.

“It’s a team with quality players. A team largely based on young players, from FCSB’s academy, but also with some players, for example Horșia, with more than 50 matches in League I. Very good quality players, I think four or five of them participated in the European Under 19 Championship, where Denis Radu was also, so a quality team, which wants to play football, to grow in individual value probably, and then make the step to the big FCSB team”, said Bogdan Andone about Unirea Constanta.

Asked if there are any fears about the homogeneity of his own team, Andone replied, “I hope not, that’s why we tried in training and in the camp in Slovenia, to stay together as much as possible, also during training, as game structures, as teams formed, as absolutely everything. And in our free time we went out a few times with the guys – for a meal, for a walk, just to spend more time together and talk to each other. And I hope that the experience of the players will be a plus for us and help us, this homogenization will be much faster for the team, for the group.”

On the possibility of further transfers, he concluded that “for the most part the squad, 95% is formed. I want the injured players to come back as soon as possible, including Huminic, to come back with us and the group as soon as possible. As for transfers, we’ll see if we’ll make more or not or if we’ll stay with this group until winter”.

Our team is not immune to medical problems in the beginning of the season. Thus, Huminic, Bocșan (expected to resume training on Monday), Moțiu, Benzar (fibrillary micro rupture, will miss two or three weeks) and Zaluschi are unavailable due to various injuries. The latter “has a contracture, he hasn’t trained in the last few days, we’ll see today if he can recover, the doctor said he needs four to five days, he felt something from Saturday’s match, a knock, which turned into something else”.

For the first time in an official game, Cosmin Bîrnoi will wear the captain’s armband tomorrow. “He was captain in the friendly games. He will be one of the team captains. We will establish three team captains and depending on who will play in that match, I will decide who will be the captain. Right now and for tomorrow’s match he will be the team captain. He trained very well, he had a very good attitude, he worked for the team and defensively. Something to be appreciated for a player with offensive qualities and that’s why we decided to make him one of the team captains”, concluded Bogdan Andone.

Cosmin Bîrnoi: “I hope to get as high as possible”
“It’s a complicated situation with Unirea Constanta, with everything they did there. I just know that they have a very good team, with very very young players who have quality and want to play football. But I have confidence in myself and in my team, in all the players who have come in and I am convinced that tomorrow we will give 100% and we will win. It is a great honour for me and I am very grateful to Mister for choosing me to be one of the team captains and I hope I will not disappoint and that it will be a very good year, both for me and for the team”, said Cosmin Bîrnoi, captain of Politehnica for the game against Unirea.

Bîrnoi hopes that the team will reward the supporters for their support in the new season: “Naturally, we try to go into every match 100%, to play for us, but also for the supporters who have always been with us. They came to every possible away game, Brașov, Brașov, everywhere last year, and I’m sure they will do the same this year. And we hope that this year we will show them that this is our new face, not what happened last year, when we fought relegation, and I hope we will get as high as possible!”.

The match Politehnica Timișoara – Unirea Constanta will be played tomorrow, Saturday, August 6, at 18.00, at the “Știința” stadium, in the first round of League 2, edition 2022-23. Last season, in the only direct meeting, the white-violet team won 2-0 in Techirghiol (the opponent’s location for home games at the time).

Tickets for this game cost 20 lei (general admission) and can be purchased online HERE. Admission is free for children under 14 and juniors from Academia Politehnica. Tickets will also be available on match day at the stadium starting one hour before kick-off time. The match is not televised, but will be streamed live on the club’s YouTube page. Before the actual start of the match there will be a moment of silence for the late great Polist supporter Dragoslav “Draghi” Cercel.

“I gave an example, the arrival of Mircea Lucescu at Rapid in 1997, when practically a whole generation changed at Rapid in that period and practically a whole team changed. There were only 3-4 players left from the old squad, young players like Pancu, Iencsi, me, Bogdan Lobonț if he hadn’t come that summer, Nae Stanciu, all the players who came, new players came, Dulca, Nanu, Șumi, L. Marinescu, Rednic, Sabău, Lupu, it was basically the same situation. There was a transition period at the beginning of the season, then we lost the championship in the last round. Basically, a five-year cycle ended for the club, for some of the players, and some of the players I brought in five years ago, and that’s why a five-year cycle is quite long, it’s a limit, that’s why we stayed with the younger players from the old squad and tried to bring in experienced players, players from our academy, young players who train with us, to come with a new spirit, with a different mentality, with a winning mentality, a fighting mentality. And with a well-established objective, we know exactly where we are, we know exactly where we want to be in two years time, if we don’t succeed in this first year”, Bogdan Andone, head coach of Politehnica Timisoara.

“From everything we learn, I hope we don’t repeat last year’s mistake and be more focused, I think that’s what we lacked last year, because last year we had a good team, quality players, with a lot of experience, but I think we weren’t a family enough and we weren’t focused. And the players that have come in are very good players, with quality, character and that’s what they’ve shown these days since they’ve been here. We are trying to make a group as united as possible to have a good championship”, Cosmin Bîrnoi, Politehnica Timișoara