Politehnica Timisoara meets again after less than three months with Fotbal Club Brasov, the team they lost the relegation play-off against at the end of the 2021-22 season. The white-violet will also want to make up for the severe defeat in the last round (0-4 in Rm. Valcea, against CSC Șelimbăr), a match after which coach Bogdan Andone expects a different approach from his students.

“It’s a new championship game, an important game, all of them are very important, but given our last result – which was a shameful one – tomorrow’s game becomes all the more important. Because we have to have a different attitude, we have to be much more determined, much more aggressive and much more aware to be the players of the club and the team they play for!”, said Bogdan Andone, head coach of Politehnica.

“It has been a delicate week, an important week, naturally, because after the results of the last round there is a certain pressure and it is normal to be like that. Once again I say, the players have to realise what team they are with, what club they are with, the demands I and the club have. And that’s why I expect a different approach from them tomorrow, a different determination. And with those who we will see in the next match, in the next matches, that they don’t understand what we want, what they have to do, we will probably end up in a serious discussion and maybe even in a farewell. Even at the risk of not having the time or budget to bring in, whoever does not understand what he has to do and what the expectations are of him, unfortunately there will be no other solution,” the blue-and-white coach stressed.

Asked if tomorrow’s match will have a psychological charge given that the opposing team has a former coach of Politehnica at the head of the technical bench, Andone answered: “We can say this too, because Dan Alexa knows the club, the team, the city very well, he is also a very good coach. Brașov, the team that played the play-off in spring, is also coming. It’s normal that the match will have a special charge compared to a normal championship match. But as I’ve always told the boys: we must always be concentrated and focused on what we have to do. On what we want and what we prepare in training. And even if tomorrow, from my point of view, we start with the second chance, because of the last direct results between the two teams, we have to be ready and aware, to fight for victory”.

Unfortunately, Politehnica will be without the players who were absent for medical reasons in the previous match. Moreover, Cătălin Oanea is suspended after being sent off in the match against Rm. Vâlcea. “There are old absences, I don’t want to list them. The same absences, absolutely no one has returned… we still have one, two or three players even, with various problems, unfortunately there are too many and for various reasons. I hope that, and we must, the remaining players will do their job, because all the players who are in the club, even the two or three kids from 2006 who train with us, must be ready and understand that if we need them they will have to play and play to their maximum capacity to win the game,” added Bogdan Andone.

“As Mister said, we want to win every single game, to score as many points as possible and to take Poli where it belongs. We shouldn’t have results like last week in Valcea, it’s a shame to concede four goals. I hope it doesn’t happen again. Let’s have a different attitude and let’s all want to win games together until the last round,” said Dan Pureca, a player born in 2004 from the Politehnica Academy who made his debut in the first team this season.

“I’ve played several positions, I feel best in midfield, central midfielder, but I play where I’m needed, there’s no problem,” said the young blue and white about his versatility. He added that the atmosphere in the dressing room is “relatively good, after the last match, I hope we don’t have a slump, we sleep on one ear, and play a good game”. About the transition from juniors to seniors, Pureca concluded, “It’s not as hard as I expected, but it’s a different level, a different speed of play, a different pace, I’m used to it”.

The match Politehnica Timisoara – FC Brasov will be played tomorrow, Saturday, August 20, from 11.00 am (televised Digi Sport 1, Orange Sport 1, Prima Sport 2), at the Știința Stadium, in the third round of League 2. Tickets for this game can be purchased online HERE. The price of one is 20 lei, general access. Tickets can also be bought in physical format at the stadium from one hour before kick-off. Children under 14 years old and Politehnica Academy juniors have free entry.

The referee of the match will be Marius Chioran (Florești, CJ), assisted on both sides by Ovidiu Timar (Oradea) and Alexandru Mihăilă (Rm. Vâlcea). The reserve referee is Tudor Jurcă (Arad). Game delegate: Horațiu Stănescu (Craiova). Referee observer: Cristina Babadac (Alexandria).