There was no hiding from this one: Valentin Crețu was back in the FCSB squad and straight into the starting lineup for Dinamo București Vs Fcsb. In a derby that already carried enough tension, that is the sort of selection call that tells you the dressing room story matters just as much as the tactical one.
Crețu had been out of the squad after a conflict with Mihai Stoica, so his return is not a minor note. It is a statement. FCSB did not just decide to move on; they decided the first derby of the Superliga season was the moment to do it. That is a big call, and it immediately shifts attention away from the usual pre-match noise and toward the question of how much control the club really has over its own internal drama.
A derby selection with real edge
The timing makes the decision feel even sharper. This was the first derby of the Superliga season, and one hour before kickoff the picture around FCSB was already taking shape. Risto Radunovic was back in the squad after missing the previous two matches, and Eddy Gnahore was again named as a reserve. That is a reminder that the lineup was not just about form; it was about choices, status and trust.
And Gnahore’s situation is hard to ignore. He joined FCSB in the summer after leaving Dinamo, but before this match he was still stuck on the bench again. That does not automatically mean the move has failed, but it does underline a simple reality: reputation does not buy you a starting role in a derby. If anything, it makes the omission look even louder when the team sheet lands.
Crețu’s reinstatement matters because it sends a message on two levels. First, FCSB clearly felt the defender was ready to be trusted again. Second, they were prepared to do that in the most emotionally loaded match on the calendar. That is not cautious management. That is a side deciding that the derby demands its strongest, most settled, or at least most usable version of itself.
For Dinamo, that means one thing: the opponent’s internal storyline is now part of the contest. The derby is rarely just about shape or form, and this one was no different. With Crețu back, Radunovic restored, and Gnahore left among the reserves, FCSB’s lineup told a story before a ball had even been kicked. And in a fixture like this, that is often the point.
