The Romanian football is rotten from one side to another. The press, the sports people, everybody. Or, OK, most of them. In principle, if you are decent you don’t appear more than a couple of times / year at the television. And I am generous. I am not referring to football players here or important officials. Not even close. Though, the ones who are judging every intense move of Cristian Săpunaru, are small people, that grab his image just to climb a bit on top of a pile of garbage. The subject should have been why some tramps entered the locker rooms, at a football match in Ligue 1 and attacked football players. Of course, if a player like Săpunaru reacts to protect himself, to protect his colleagues, even though he DIDN’T HIT ANYONE as a false impression was projected everywhere. We are talking about 10th of September 2022, an unfortunate date where the player became the bad guy, for nothing.

Cristi Săpunaru acted like a true leader, when his team was in jeopardy

It is not an accident that I used only the full name in the title. This is what represents truly the purpose of my writing. Cristi Săpunaru offered security, leadership and protection, something who only a few can. He explained it briefly, without being nervous, without stumbling. Just being genuine and clear. For those who can understand. In fact, his composure brought him being fit to play on his road to 39 years and, most important, winning the UEFA Cup in 2011. The achievements off all that talk about him, as an aggressor, put together don’t represent 1% of what he did. And he start from scratch, he wasn’t born with a silver spoon in his hand or mouth. Now, some might say that I am one of his advocates, which is not true. I am aware that we wasn’t the calmest guy, that he had some mistakes. The suspension from Porto was the summit, maybe. OK, but he paid for all of them. And that is that.

What do you say about Cantona then?

Still, I remember when he turn his back against Victor Pițurcă, when the guy talked bad about him, without understanding his problems. Săpunaru always spoke his thoughts, did what he wanted. He wasn’t disciplined? Is he… “crazy”? Well… let us see… How many direct red cards did this “dangerous guy” received in 21 years of career? – I’ll spoil your research: one! How many legs did he broke? How many football player’s career he has destroyed? You can’t make any connection of the kind, right? Well, exactly. But he is crazy… He has mental problems… Well, in a world where people are accustomed to talk only online and to put their head down and endure, in the real world, it makes more sense than you imagine. It was a lesson, I am reinforcing it. If Săpunaru is viewed as dangerous, then it means that Patrice Evra, Eric Cantona or Zlatan Ibrahimovic should have been put to prison.

The distortion is monstrous, but… normal, given the world we leave in

It is not an exaggeration, we are talking about geniuses that went more far comparing to what people think about Cristi Săpunaru. People… a kind of people. Guys, Săpunaru is the exact person that protects his loved ones and, I am pretty sure, he might throw himself to save a weaker person that has to suffer. OK, of that I cannot be sure, but this is my impression and I have strong impressions, generated by strong gut feelings. In a world where we are hearing by guys robbed by hookers or that always say exactly the opposite of what they think, Cristi Săpunaru is considered the bad guy. Even though he is the one attacked from behind – I mean hit – by a tramp. Images emerged, no need to say more. Is Cristi Săpunaru really the “criminal”? Then let us see the images when he actually HITS somebody. Not push, I mean literally punch. They don’t exist? Well, ya. This is the difference between him and the no-brainers.