Petrolul fuelled by new signings
Tuesday, March 5, 2002
Article summary
FC Petrolul Ploiesti have been busy in the transfer market in a bid to avoid relegation.
Article body
Romania’s Divizia A resumes this weekend following the winter break and, after a dismal run of form at the end of last year, FC Petrolul Ploiesti have been busy in the transfer market in a bid to stave off the threat of relegation.
New recruits
On Monday Petrolul recruited four talented Divizia A players. Dorin Semeghin, a 23-year-old midfielder, was signed on loan until the end of the season from FC Dinamo Bucuresti and Ionut Dragomir and Marius Suleap both joined from Universitatea Craiova on three-and-a-half-year contracts. Petrolul also signed the 22-year-old striker Miroslav Giuchici from bottom-of-the-table UM Timisoara. Financial details of the transfers are not known.
Troubled time
Dragomir is a left-sided defender who has been a key member of Universitatea’s side over the last three years but had become disillusioned at the club. The 22-year-old Suleap has had a troubled time at Universitatea following the death of his team-mate, Cristian Neamtu, from head injuries after the pair collided in training. Suleap was exonerated of any guilt following the accident but in the interests of all concerned it was decided that he should move on
Sacrifices made
In order to bring new faces in, however, Petrolul have had to make sacrifices. Nine players have been sold, loaned to other clubs or demoted to the reserves. The 22-year-old goalkeeper Ionut Irimia has been sent for a spell with the club’s second string, as has experienced 27-year-old defender Gheorghe Rohat. Midfielders Daniel Pancovici and Dumitru Costache, both with over 50 Divizia A appearances each, have been sold to the second division club FC Bihor.
Shocking form
Petrolul were in shocking form prior to the winter break, losing three and drawing one of their last four matches to leave them with just 13 points from 15 games and hovering above the relegation zone on goal difference. At the end of the season the bottom two clubs are automatically relegated while those that finish 13th and 14th play-off against the runners-up in Romania’s two second divisions.
