Marius Baciu Opens Fcsb Vs Botoșani With Conference League Stakes

Marius Baciu opened his FCSB reign in fcsb vs botoșani on 24 May 2026, the first match of the Conference League playoff at Stadionul Steaua in Ghencea. The winner was set to move on toward Dinamo and a place in the Conference League preliminaries.

The match kicked off at 20:30, with the two clubs arriving there from very different playoff positions. FCSB finished second in the play-out with 37 points, while FC Botoșani ended 10th with 33.

Marius Baciu at Stadionul Steaua

Baciu’s first game on the FCSB bench came with the pressure of a straight knockout path in front of him. He said, “Am niște discuții, pentru meciul ăsta vreau să mă susțină toată lumea, vreau ajutor de la toți.”

He added, “Acum am nevoie de toată lumea, inclusiv și de Mirel Rădoi, poate îl apelez.” Baciu also said, “Eu o să mă adaptez la cum va fi meciul respectiv, o să fiu și foarte defensiv, și foarte ofensiv,” and, “O să pregătim ambele faze.”

That approach fit the format. Baciu described the playoff as a qualifying semifinal because it did not send a team directly into the Conference League, and he said the match could be settled in 90 minutes, 120 minutes, or on penalties.

FCSB and FC Botoșani meetings

The clubs had already met three times during the season before this playoff. FC Botoșani won two of those games, 3-1 and 3-2, while FCSB took one, 2-1.

That record gave the match a sharper edge than the table alone suggested. Botoșani entered with the better head-to-head results, even though FCSB finished higher in the play-out.

Dinamo waits on 29 May

Organizers expected 15,000 supporters, and the FCSB delegation arrived at the stadium at 19:00. FC Botoșani arrived with coach Marius Croitoru, along with players including Ongenda, and referee Istvan Kovacs was part of the match setup.

For the winner, the next stop was clear: Dinamo on 29 May. The team that got through that final playoff match would advance toward the Conference League preliminaries, which made Baciu’s debut more than a first day on the job.