FC Botoșani owner considers Portuguese coach after defeat to Petrolul

FC Botoșani owner Valeriu Iftime is considering hiring a Portuguese coach for the club in the near future. This potential shift in management comes after the team suffered a 1-3 defeat to Petrolul in the SuperLigă. Iftime indicated that the club might first hire a Portuguese executive before bringing in a coach from the same nation.

The loss to Petrolul ended FC Botoșani's seven-month unbeaten home run in the league. The result leaves the club in 11th place following two consecutive defeats. Iftime expressed concern that FC Botoșani could become the second or third candidate for relegation if current trends continue.

Iftime assigned low performance grades to key figures after the match. He gave head coach Marius Croitoru a grade of 3 and goalkeeper Anestis a grade of 4. The rest of the squad received a grade of 4.5. Reports indicate Iftime is considering replacing Croitoru with a Portuguese model, though this remains uncertain.

The owner also criticized specific players for their recent form. Iftime stated that Hervin Ongenda has been ineffective for several rounds. Regarding Jovan Markovic, Iftime suggested his chapter at FC Botoșani might be closed, noting he may not continue at the club after the winter.

Petrolul secured the victory with goals from Martins and Ioniță. Martins scored in the 27th and 54th minutes, while Ioniță added a goal in the 39th minute to make it 2-0. Dumiter scored for FC Botoșani in the 65th minute, reaching seven goals in the current SuperLigă season. Narcis Ilaș was sent off in the 83rd minute.

There are currently four Portuguese coaches active in the Superliga. Filipe Coelho coaches Universitatea Craiova, Nuno Campos coaches Dinamo, Ricardo Sousa coaches Petrolul, and Rui Duarte coaches Oțelul Galați. Iftime commented on the quality of these coaches, stating they are good.