FCSB’s last match of round 5 against FC Botoșani arrived with a clear sense of pressure and possibility. On 17 August 2026, the unbeaten league leaders-in-waiting could have moved to 11 points and first place with a win, while Botoșani had the chance to climb to 8 points and eighth place.
The game at Arcul de Triumf also carried an immediate tactical hook. For the first time this season, Gigi Becali had set FCSB up with three centre-backs, with Marius Baciu explaining before kickoff that the shape was designed to deal better with transitions rather than simply sit deeper.
Baciu: the shape is about control, not retreat
Baciu’s message was straightforward. “Today we’re trying to play with three central defenders, that does not mean we will defend,” he said. “In the previous matches we lost the ball too often, and in the opponent’s transition we struggled a bit.”
That is the heart of the discussion around FCSB’s first three-centre-back setup of the season. The system is not automatically defensive. In this case, it was presented as a way to protect the team when possession was lost and to reduce the space opponents could attack.
FCSB arrived at the match after two draws and as the only unbeaten side in the campaign. FC Botoșani, by contrast, came in without a win. That makes the contest more than just a routine league fixture: it was a test of whether FCSB could turn unbeaten status into authority, and whether Botoșani could finally convert competitive performances into points.
Why the table context mattered
The standings before kickoff gave the match extra weight. FCSB sat on 8 points after four matches and in 4th place, while Botoșani were 14th. A home win would have taken FCSB to the top of the table on 11 points. For Botoșani, victory would have lifted them to 8 points and 8th place.
Baciu also pointed to the encouragement of FCSB’s most recent direct meeting with Botoșani, even though it took extra time to settle. “Important is that we still have not lost in the league,” he said. “It is clear that we are helped by the fact that we won the last direct match, even if it was after extra time. We had good moments, but also mistakes then. Today it is clearly a different game, it is in the league, not a play-off.”
That distinction matters. Cup or knockout pressure is one thing; a league race is another. FCSB’s task was to show that the new structure could help them stay stable under different conditions, especially on a pitch at Arcul de Triumf that was reported to be in poor condition before kickoff.
The timing of the build-up underlined how closely watched the game was. FCSB’s team bus arrived at around 20:10, Valeriu Argăseală arrived about two hours before kickoff, and FC Botoșani reached the stadium roughly one hour and 45 minutes before the 21:30 start.
What comes next depends on whether the new shape gives FCSB more control in open play and fewer problems in transition. If it works, the first three-centre-back experiment of the season could become a useful reference point. If it does not, the debate over balance will quickly return.
