Europa League Round of 32 - Second Leg
KAA Gent vs FCSB
Ghelamco Arena, Belgium
February 23rd, 2017
The flight to Belgium was Andrei's first time leaving Romania as a professional footballer. FCSB traveled business class—a luxury that still felt surreal. He sat beside Florin Tănase, who'd been through this before.
"Gent will come at us from the first minute," Tănase explained, looking out at the clouds. "Two-goal deficit at home? They'll be desperate. But that creates space for us."
Andrei studied the tactical notes Reghecampf had distributed. Gent's home form was impressive—they'd only lost twice all season at the Ghelamco Arena.
Gent's Home Record 2016-17:
Belgian First Division: 8 wins, 3 draws, 2 losses
Europa League: 3 wins, 2 draws, 0 losses
Dangerous opposition.
Elena had stayed in Bucharest—she couldn't justify the expense to her editor for a match FCSB was expected to manage. But she'd texted that morning: Play smart. Don't be a hero. Just see it through.
Sound advice.
The Ghelamco Arena was modern, intimidating. Twenty thousand Belgian fans created a hostile atmosphere, but nothing like the Stadionul Național. Andrei could handle this.
FCSB Starting XI (4-2-3-1) - Defensive approach:
GK: Andrei Vlad
DEF (RB): Romario Benzar
CB: Joyskim Dawa
CB: Ionuț Panțîru
DEF (LB): Risto Radunović
CDM: Mihai Pintilii
CDM: Filipe Teixeira
RW: Florinel Coman
CAM: Constantin Budescu
LW/CAM: Andrei Luca
ST: Denis Alibec (replacing injured Gnohere)
Denis Alibec was more mobile than Gnohere, better suited for counter-attacking football. The plan was clear—absorb pressure, hit them on the break.
Gent Starting XI (4-3-3) - All-out attack:
GK: Lovre Kalinić
DEF (RB): Nana Asare
CB: Stefan Mitrović
CB: Rami Gershon
DEF (LB): Brecht Dejaegere
CDM: Samuel Gigot
CM: Moses Simon
CM: Renato Neto
RW: Kalifa Coulibaly
ST: Laurent Depoitre
LW: Anderson Esiti
From kickoff, Gent attacked with fury. Wave after wave crashed against FCSB's defense. In the 8th minute, Depoitre headed just over from a corner. In the 12th, Moses Simon's shot was deflected wide.
FCSB couldn't get out of their own half.
System Analysis:
Possession: Gent 73% - FCSB 27%
Shots: Gent 8 - FCSB 0
Pressure level: Extreme
Andrei spent most of the half tracking back, helping Radunović deal with the constant overloads down Gent's right side. This wasn't glamorous football—it was survival.
In the 34th minute, Gent finally broke through. A corner kick caused chaos, and in the scramble, Depoitre managed to force the ball over the line. 1-0 Gent.
Aggregate: 2-1 FCSB. Still ahead, but the cushion was gone.
"Stay calm!" Pintilii shouted, organizing the defense. "We're still winning!"
Halftime came as relief. In the away dressing room, Reghecampf was pragmatic.
"They need two more goals. We need to stay organized and take our chances when they come. Andrei, Denis—when we win the ball, make them run back. Stretch them."
The second half began the same way—Gent attacking, FCSB defending. But cracks appeared in the Belgian side. Desperation crept in. Their fullbacks pushed higher, leaving space in behind.
In the 59th minute, opportunity struck.
Momčilović intercepted a pass and immediately looked forward. Andrei was already moving—he'd seen the space before the ball was won. The pass came, long and direct.
Andrei controlled it on his chest, Gershon closing fast. He could turn and take him on, but Alibec was making a run down the center, faster than the center-back.
Decision point:
Option A: Individual dribble (45% success)
Option B: Through ball to Alibec (65% success)
The old Andrei might have tried to be the hero. The new Andrei played smart.
He slipped the ball through with his right foot, perfectly weighted. Alibec was clear, one-on-one with Kalinić. The goalkeeper rushed out—Alibec calmly chipped him.
GOAL. Gent 1-0 FCSB.
Aggregate: 3-1 FCSB.
The away fans—maybe 500 who'd made the journey—erupted. Andrei sprinted to celebrate with Alibec, relief flooding through him.
Assist recorded
Composure: +0.2 (chose correct option under pressure)
Vision: +0.1
Now Gent needed three goals. Possible, but unlikely.
They pushed even harder, throwing caution entirely to the wind. Their right-back Asare was practically playing as a winger. That left space.
In the 77th minute, it happened again. Teixeira won the ball and drove forward. This time, Andrei was wide left, Coman wide right, Alibec central. Three against three.
Teixeira played it left to Andrei. Two defenders immediately closed on him—they couldn't let him turn. But that meant Coman was isolated one-on-one.
Andrei didn't even try to control it. First-time pass across the pitch, forty yards, switching the play.
The ball found Coman in space. The winger drove at his defender, cut inside onto his left foot, and curled it into the far corner.
GOAL. Gent 1-0 FCSB (2-0 on the night).
Aggregate: 4-1 FCSB.
Game over.
Another assist
Passing: +0.2 (excellent long-range distribution)
Overall Rating: 70.1 → 70.8
The final whistle was pure joy. FCSB had reached the Round of 16—the knockout stages of European competition. The players celebrated on the pitch, the small contingent of traveling fans singing themselves hoarse.
In the tunnel afterward, a man in an expensive suit approached Andrei. Italian accent, business card already extended.
"Impressive performance. Giuseppe Marotta, General Director of FC Internazionale Milano. We should talk soon."
Before Andrei could respond, the man was gone, absorbed into the crowd of officials and journalists.
Cătălin Sarmale, his agent, appeared at his elbow. "That was Inter Milan's sporting director. This is happening, Andrei. Faster than I expected."
On the flight home, Andrei couldn't sleep. He stared at his phone, at the business card he'd photographed, at the reality of what was unfolding.
New Development: Concrete interest from Inter Milan
Transfer value estimate: €3-5 million
Contract situation: 2 years remaining with FCSB
Decision timeline: Summer 2017
Elena met him at the airport despite the late hour. She took one look at his face and knew.
"It's real, isn't it? They're actually coming for you."
"Inter Milan's sporting director spoke to me. Gave me his card."
She was quiet for a long moment. "How do you feel?"
"Terrified. Excited. Guilty."
"Guilty?"
"I'm eighteen. I've played half a season of professional football. I don't deserve this."
Elena grabbed his face, forcing him to look at her. "Three assists in two European matches. Goals in crucial games. You're earning this, Andrei. Stop diminishing yourself."
They went to her apartment. Made love slowly, both of them acutely aware that their time in this simple bubble was finite. The world was coming for them, ready or not.