FCSB owner Gigi Becali criticizes referee Iulian Călin after loss to U Cluj

U Cluj defeated FCSB 1-0 in a Liga 1 match on November 2, 2026. Jovo Lukic scored the only goal of the game in the 76th minute. During the first half, Alexandru Stoian had a goal disallowed for offside.

Iulian Călin served as the referee for the match. Following the defeat, FCSB owner Gigi Becali verbally insulted Călin during a live broadcast on Prima Sport. Becali accused the referee of bias and called him a crook. He also alleged that Călin is a Rapid fan who acts with enmity against FCSB.

Becali claimed that Călin made several incorrect decisions during the game. He stated that the referee showed a yellow card to Muhar for a challenge on Mendy. Becali also claimed that Denis Drăguș was fouled in the penalty area but received a yellow card for simulation instead of a penalty. He further criticized Călin for adding only five minutes of stoppage time to the match and questioned the offside call against Stoian, claiming the player had taken a step forward.

FCSB coach Laurențiu Reghecampf also highlighted controversial refereeing decisions in the match against U Cluj. Becali dismissed potential disciplinary complaints from the Central Commission regarding his comments about the officiating. He additionally questioned why referee Istvan Kovacs does not make similar mistakes when officiating Champions League matches, noting that he had stated two months prior that Kovacs had dementia following a match against Dinamo.

Before the November 2 fixture, FCSB had a strong record in matches officiated by Călin. The referee had overseen 23 Liga 1 matches involving FCSB, resulting in 14 wins, 7 draws, and 2 defeats. The team remained undefeated in over 90 percent of their matches when Călin was the referee. Prior to this game, FCSB had lost only once with Călin in charge, a 0-1 defeat to CSU Craiova six years earlier.

The November 2 defeat marked the first time FCSB lost an away Liga 1 match refereed by Călin. Before this result, the team held a record of 5 wins and 4 draws in away matches with him as the official. Călin previously refereed a 2-2 draw between FCSB and Petrolul earlier in the season.

Călin is the second referee this season to officiate two FCSB matches, following Horațiu Feșnic. Feșnic refereed the 0-5 match between FCSB and Craiova, as well as a 4-1 match against Rapid. FCSB also lost an away match against Dinamo with a score of 1-2 on September 5, 2026.