Spring preview: Dinamo and Steaua meet in Super Cup

Romanian domestic football gets back underway on Saturday with the Super Cup pitching together two historic Bucharest rivals in the National Stadium.

Three wins for Steaua
FC Steaua Bucuresti, 2000/01 first division champions, play FRF Cup holders FC Dinamo Bucuresti in only the fifth Super Cup match to be played. Officially the 2001 competition, postponed from pre-season, the last Super Cup match in 1999 saw Steaua humbled by FC Rapid Bucuresti having won three of the four previous editions.

Focus on league
If Dinamo were to win they would be the first FRF Cup winners to lift the Super Cup - but their main focus, like that of their opponents, remains the first division title itself, in which fixtures resume on 9 March.

Two-point lead for Dinamo
Dinamo have high hopes of wresting the league title from their rivals, holding a two-point lead at the top of the table after the 15 pre-winter break matches. FC National Bucuresti in second are a further two points ahead of Steaua, who in turn hold a similar advantage over Rapid, completing a capital city clean sweep of the top four places.

Marin would prefer friendlies
In fact, Dimano coach Ion Marin would rather not be in the Super Cup, saying: "This game disturbs our preparations, because, before the championship re-started we wanted to play two friendlies, but now we'll have to play this Super Cup. All games versus Steaua mean tradition and ambition, but both sides will have to be very careful not to have injured or suspended players for the re-start of the championship. It would be a nonsense, but, at the end, it's a trophy, which must be won."

Trophy important to Steaua coach
Steaua coach Victor Piturca - who has hinted he may step down to become club general manager at the end of the season - is more upbeat about the match, declaring: "This trophy is very important for us, because a win would mean a lot for the morale of the players before the restart of the championship, especially because it's about a game versus our biggest rivals, Dinamo"

Three in dispute
During the winter, Steaua shed three influential players - defender Valeriu Bordeanu and striker Ionel Danciulescu, both transfer-listed, and defender Iulian Miu, sent to the reserve squad, all as punishment for signing with a players' agency disapproved of by the club.

Injury crisis
In their place they signed midfield player Silvian Cristescu, from FC Extensiv Craiova, with defender Cristian Schiopu, from second division FC Foresta Suceava, likely to follow. Their arrival is timely, with defenders Florentin Dumitru and Dumitru Mitrita, midfield player Silvian Cristescu, striker Marius Luca and reserve goalkeeper Eugen Nae all injured.

Duo go to Italy
Pace-setting Dinamo also had a difficult winter, with defender Valentin Nastase and striker Adrian Mihalcea both joining Italian club Genoa 1893. Nevertheless, the leaders have a fully-fit squad augmented by former FC Ceahlaul Piatra Neamt midfield player Costel Ilie.