Sportul pay for Steaua debt

CF Sportul Studentesc have been docked two points because of outstanding debts.

Player debt
The Romanian Professional League (LPF) announced the sanction today, deducting two points because of the €150,000 debt owed to fellow Divizia A side FC Steaua Bucuresti for the transfer of Under-21 international defender Florin Maxim.

FRF ruling
Sportul were charged under the terms of a ruling made by the executive committee of the Romanian Football Association (FRF) on 20 December last year. It was decided then that any club owing money to another would be deducted one point for every week that the debt was outstanding.

March deadline
The club had been given until 18 March to settle their debt with Steaua, but after failing to do so, have been handed a two-point penalty with the promise of further sanctions should they fail to cover their costs.

'An old problem'
"This is an old problem," said Sportul sports director Romeo Chihaia. "Why did the LPF take these points away just now, in the middle of the championship, and why did they even let us begin the championship?"

Terrible blow
It is a serious blow for a team who are struggling against relegation and seemed to have turned the corner, having lost only one of their four games in the second half of the championship. The deduction sees Sportul slip back from 13th place - a relegation play-off place - into 15th place and the relegation zone.

Relegation place
Sportul now have 20 points, three more than 16th-placed UTA Arad, the bottom team in Romania's top flight, but only a point adrift of 14th-placed FC Universitatea Craiova, who lie in the second relegation play-off place.