Lucescu: We suffered a defeat we didn't deserve

Romania was defeated 1-0 by Turkey in the 2026 FIFA World Cup European qualifiers play-off semi-final match played at Beşiktaş Park. Romania National Team Head Coach Mircea Lucescu made statements at the press conference held after the match.

Stating that he rejuvenated the A National Football Team during his tenure, Lucescu said, "I brought in not only Hakan, but also Merih, Zeki, Kaan, and other players. I couldn't get some results at that time. This team started getting results 10 years later. I am currently trying to do this for Romania. I hope that in the future, Romania will also get these results and remember the contribution I made to them."

Expressing that it was a balanced match, the experienced coach said, "There was a lapse in concentration by the defense on the goal. I like Turkey very much; they also have a good coach like Montella. We tried to defend against Turkey. That mistake perhaps caused a defeat we didn't deserve."

"We suffered a defeat we didn't deserve"

Stating that they were sad because they lost, Mircea Lucescu said, "We also had chances. It hit the post, and in one position, if Hagi had been a little more careful, he could have scored. It was a balanced match. We suffered a defeat we didn't deserve."

Stating that some mistakes have been made in Romanian football recently, Lucescu said, "That's why it fell into these situations. Turkish football has made good investments. It brought in very good foreign players. Those players became examples for Turkish players. That's why Turkish football has made great gains. Turkey is getting 70 million players, that's the difference. Hagi and Popescu contributed a lot to Turkish football, and Romanian players played in good teams. They provided good contributions to Turkish football. Romania must make investments financially. They have talented players. They can slowly return to their former state," he concluded.