Football without performance
Football is considered king of sports. It is the most popular and spectacular sport in the world. There is much money circulating in the professional football. The transfer of a football player costs now more than 100.000 Euro per day! The most valuable football players are paid almost 100.000 Euro daily! One second of advertising during international matches costs up to 5.000 Euro!
I am also a football fan. I love it since childhood. I haven’t become a professional, but I have been playing during school, university and with my work colleagues. Even now, I try to play with them weekly and I use to watch the matches of Moldova’s national team and their friendly games, too. So I went to Moldova-Andorra, which ended 1:1.
Our national team stagnates
The national team prepares for the match with England. The results are predictable – we are going to lose. But one can lose honorably. I did not understand why Andorra was chosen as sparring partner for the recent friendly match, they are the worst team in the world! Because their tricolor flag is similar to ours? To play honorably with the Great Britain, we must play on the defensive. What are the objectives of the coaches? What tactical schemes have been tested with Andorra?
The coach has chosen a young team for this game, different from that which plays in official matches. These guys made their best, but technical deficiencies, the lack of a clear tactical scheme, of a playing style and especially of commitment, professionalism and patriotism have sabotaged the whole show. After two or three passes, they were losing the ball; they tried to hit up three or four times, in both halves, but they failed; penalty and corner kicks have not been fructified.
The game of those who entered on the field in the second half was really disappointing. Except Doros, who is no longer a young player, the rest of them had a formal presence. For instance, the young and talented Catalin Carp (recently recruited by Dinamo Kiev), who entered in the last 15 minutes, lost most of his duels with the adversaries and kept closed positions, as he was running away from the ball.
Andorra came with a team of amateurs, apparently reunited for the game with Moldova. Andorra’s results „impress” – they are the 205th (out of 207) in an international top of national football teams, having only one point in the last five years and one goal in the last three years! In the game with our team, they hit more our players than the ball, they provoked discussions and scandals, trying to create confusion and to play out time. It is really surprising that this team is even accepted in international competitions.
It was really embarrassing. That wasn’t a show, that was mockery of football and public.
„These are not Dacians, these are some blockheads!”
The quality of a national team depends on the quality of the national championship. Moldova’s national division is formed from 12 teams. The championship is poor, the result is predictable - since 2001, we have only one champion - Sheriff Tiraspol. The exception of 2011 – when Dacia Chisinau won the championship – proves the rule. Most of the teams are in Chisinau and Tiraspol. Last year, two regional formations were terminated - Iskra Rabnita and Nistru Otaci.
Teams are created through public organizations. Their official budget does not exceed a few hundred thousand per year, but it is actually hundreds of times larger. Each club is generally patronized or sponsored by a businessman. But their contributions are not public, which makes us think that they fall foul of the law. The clubs practice double accounting. Transfers are made under the counter. Arbitration is corrupted.
In 2006, a few players from Dacia Chisinau came to me with their captain and coach and asked me to help them find an investor. They told me that the founder of the team, son of a prosperous businessman, was no longer interested in funding the club. Their salaries were delayed for months. All the players were from Moldova. They had good results – they had played in the final and were in the top of the national championship, aiming to participate to European Cup. I used to be a municipal councilor at that time and I thought that Chisinau Municipal Council could support them. I had all the documents – the feasibility study and CMC’s decision project. CMC was going to buy 50% of the total share and be responsible for the funding of FC Dacia. The founder was going to invest only in transfers. CMC could have afforded this project – the yearly budget was 5 million lei. The benefits were obvious – they could’ve supported our sportsmen, use the urban sports infrastructure in performance football, promote Chisinau at global level. There were many examples from abroad - Barcelona, Manchester City, Politehnica Iasi, Poli Timişoara. There are examples in Moldova, too, like Olimpia Balti.
Still, it wasn't meant to be. After several negotiations and two debates, CMC – where the communists had the majority – has not supported the project. I remember that one great man, who was at that meeting, said after the voting: „These are not Dacians, these are some blockheads!”
Why we need the Ministry of Youth and Sports
When the democrats came to power, a new ministry has been created - the Ministry of Youth and Sports. Their intention - to support performance sports and projects for young people - was noble. The stake was important – to promote our country abroad. But with a budget of 80 million lei few things can be done. Money never suffices. Unfortunately, the minister had other priorities than sports. A few medals from international competitions, several sports buildings, built in rural areas with the financial support of international donors, were poor results for three years. The appointment of a professional minister was a good move, but it was a short-term solution, as he held this position for several months, during the political crisis.
Sports became a place of scandals, betrayals and even criminal acts. Private interests are high, while the state seems to forget about it. Though we have the necessary institutional framework, including the ministry, the National Olympic Committee, sports federations, national championships, clubs and so on, we must say that we don’t achieve performance due to our political class’ negligence and indifference, to the lack of a clear vision and national policies in this sphere. This would be extremely important for the health of our nation and our national image.
Mihai Roscovan