Athlete of the Week
Footballer Andrei Coubiș
Florin Orban, 27.10.2026, 13:45
Head coach Gheorghe Hagi has announced a draft list of the Romanian players based abroad whom he is considering for the final official matches of 2026. The list includes the defender Andrei Coubiș, who plays for the English second-tier club Lincoln City. He is currently enjoying a strong run at his club, as noted by the British media. Over the weekend, in a match against Burnley that Lincoln won 4-1, Coubiș delivered a throw-in that enabled his teammate Ben House to score an equalizer before halftime. His strong performance earned him a 7.6 rating on Sofascore, and the “Athlete of the Week” nomination by Radio Romania International.
The assist in the match against Burnley is Andrei Coubiș’s second this season, after the one in the match against Preston on September 12, also via a throw-in. In the previous Championship round, during a 2-2 draw against Millwall, Coubiș scored a superb goal. Although he plays as a central defender in the team’s setup, he is capable of offensive contributions that often prove decisive.
Andrei Coubiș was born in Milan on September 29, 2003, after his parents, originally from Suceava, settled in Italy. As a youth player, he spent time at AC Milan. At senior level, he made his debut for the Milanese club in a friendly match against the German side FC Cologne in 2022. He was a reserve player at Milan before being sent on loan to Sampdoria. Early this year, the Genoa-based club took over his contract, subsequently loaning him out to Universitatea Cluj in Romania. His performances in Romania’s SuperLiga caught the attention of the Romanian national team’s management. He made his senior international debut on March 31 this year, in a friendly match against Slovakia, which ended in a 0–2 defeat. He was called up for Romania’s autumn Nations League fixtures, all of which lost by Romania thus far. While he did not play poorly, the team’s poor record and the 13 goals conceded did little to strengthen his reputation as a solid defence player. (AMP)
