Same leader at the helm of the Romanian Football Federation
After Wednesdays elections, Răzvan Burleanu continues to be the president of the Romanian Football Federation.
Florin Orban, 19.04.2018, 13:23
Răzvan Burleanu will continue to be the president of the Romanian Football Federation in the following four years. The current president of the federation, who took office in 2014, Burleanu got a new mandate on Wednesday. He won the votes of 168 of the 254 affiliated members. His main contender, former football player Ionuţ Lupescu, got only 78 of the cast votes. Marcel Puşcaş, former president of FC Steaua Bucureşti, got 8 votes, whereas the fourth candidate, Ilie Drăgan, former lecturer at the Federal Coach Training School didn’t get any vote.
Răzvan Burleanu’s decisive victory came as a big surprise to many. Ionuţ Lupescu, a former football player of Romania’s Golden Generation in the 1990s, seemed to be the favourite in the competition. He enjoyed the support of many successful football personalities, such as Romania’s most famous coach, Mircea Lucescu or outstanding footballers like Cristian Chivu.
Burleanu counted however only on those with the right to vote, namely the clubs’ representatives, whom he convinced with his activity report: “The Romanian Football Federation is, as of today, a football management institution and not a simple administrator of competitions, resources, or a simple collector of taxes, subscriptions and contributions. We have a vision, we have a plan and a very good team, to carry on.”
Răzvan Burleanu secured victory thanks to the support of representatives of smaller, lower league clubs, of Romanian women’s football or indoor football. According to the media, only two First League clubs endorsed Burleanu: CFR Cluj and FC Botoşani, the rest choosing to support Lupescu.
It mattered more that all throughout his term in office, since 2014 onward, Burleanu has clearly committed himself to supporting lower league clubs: “We are responsible for the thousands of children, boys and girls, who are playing football today in the competitions we have initiated. We owe them a future, the future of Romanian football. We should also show responsibility towards the second and third leagues, competitions that we try to build and promote, competitions that others would throw into the darkness of anonymity, because they do not bring in much money. The Romanian Football Federation, as its name suggests it, should federate, that is to join in a federation, the will and interests of each echelon”.
The poor results at international level, such as the national football team’s failing to qualify for the World Cup, a competition that Romania last participated in in 1998 didn’t matter most in the elections, but Burleanu touched upon this issue, without however making any promises: “We can’t guarantee that we will qualify for final tours and tournaments. We all want to achieve this, but nobody can guarantee such a thing. Neither the players and coaches, nor those in the administration can make such a promise… But I guarantee, together with my team, that the implementation of all these projects will create the best framework to secure future qualifications”.
Răzvan Burleanu’s new mandate as president of the Romanian Football Federation expires in 2022.
