Gigi Becali says he would have fired Rapid coach Daniel Pancu over Andrei Șucu dispute

Rapid București defeated Csikszereda 2-0 in a recent match. Coach Daniel Pancu started 17-year-old Andrei Șucu but substituted the teenager at halftime. Andrei is the son of Dan Șucu, the majority shareholder of Rapid. The substitution and subsequent comments from the coach caused a stir at the club.

Following the match, Pancu explained his decision regarding the young player. He stated that Andrei Șucu needs many games to be ready for the SuperLiga. Pancu noted that the teenager was suffocating during the first half against Csikszereda and implied that he lacks the maturity to understand game automatisms. The coach also claimed that he had been trying to bring the player on for about three matchdays.

Pancu attributed dissatisfaction regarding playing time directly to Andrei Șucu. He claimed the teenager showed great dissatisfaction and does not yet understand professional football. The coach explained that he told the player's parent he is protecting him by avoiding playing him when the match situation is tight. Reports differ on the player's exact age, with one outlet listing him as 17 and another as 18.

The public remarks led to a distant dialogue on social media between Pancu and Diana Șucu, the wife of Dan Șucu. Rapid's majority shareholder has not reacted publicly to the situation. Andrei Șucu previously scored a goal during his debut for Rapid in Giulești against FC Argeș.

Gigi Becali, the owner of rival club FCSB, intervened in the Rapid scandal. Speaking at Fanatik Superliga, Becali stated that he would have fired Daniel Pancu immediately if he were in Dan Șucu's position. He claimed he would have dismissed the coach in three seconds for publicly criticizing the owner's son. Becali argued that a coach should resign rather than publicly criticize an owner's decision to field their child. He also added that he would not have insisted on playing his own child if a coach objected.

At the time of the report, Rapid București are second in the SuperLiga with 30 points. They are level on points with league leaders Dinamo, who have a game in hand.