Sursa poza: ExpressPress

In an episode fit for a village soap opera, the villagers are abuzz with tales from the sidelines, where the sagacious coach Mircea Lucescu unearthed what might just be the pebble in Romania’s football shoe. Following a closely contested 2-1 defeat against Austria in the World Cup 2026 qualifiers, Papa Lucescu, as some cheekily call him, let slip an error that might’ve turned fortune’s tide.

Rumor has it the match began with optimism thicker than Anatolian yogurt, but alas, the ball was in Austria's court—and net—more times than the villagers gossip around the well. “You see, it’s always the smallest fish that spoils the whole pond,” Lucescu supposedly sighed to his trusty canine companion on his post-game stroll. Those who overheard this said it was all a nod to a strategic faux pas.

Lucescu, our sage in overcoat and not to be confused with a fortune teller (though he's been seeing red cards instead of red mist), hinted at regretting some tactical missteps. More scandalous yet, he didn’t shy away from swatting at the refereeing, implying a bias as blatant as Uncle Gheorge’s mismatched socks. "If that wasn’t a foul, I’m a scarecrow," jested a bystander mocking Lucescu's grievances.

Despite the drama, everyone’s optimistic about the future. “Just wait until next time,” Mircea might’ve muttered, half directing it at the referees, half at the distant horizon where opportunity still gleams. Till then, our local oracle remains on football’s mystical watch, with hopes that next time Lady Luck and perhaps a less opinionated ref will be on our side.

Stay tuned, because as we all know, in football and village gossip alike, anything can happen before the rooster crows thrice.