What happened so far is now in the past. A completely new competition begins: the Superliga play-out starts for FK Csíkszereda. The points have been halved, the gaps have narrowed, and the objective is clear: avoid the relegation places and, if possible, even the relegation play-off spots.
What happened so far is now in the past. A completely new competition begins: the Superliga play-out starts for FK Csíkszereda. The points have been halved, the gaps have narrowed, and the objective is clear: avoid the relegation places and, if possible, even the relegation play-off spots.
Before the first round of the play-out, a ten-team table was formed in which the difference between the leaders FCSB and the bottom side Metaloglobus is 17 points. As far as we are concerned, we are currently only four points away from ninth place, which means direct relegation, and level on points with sixth place, which guarantees survival without a play-off. At the same time, we are only seven points away from first place. Therefore, it is extremely important to collect as many points as possible in the two rounds remaining before the international break, as that would provide calm and security for the rest of the play-out.
The first challenge will be this weekend’s match in Galați. The league managed to set the kickoff time only on the third attempt: Saturday at 18:15. Initially we were supposed to play on Friday at 17:30, and for a short time the match was even scheduled for Sunday at 15:00. The reason for these sudden changes is hard to explain, but one thing is certain: this kind of confusion benefits no one, and such uncertainty is hardly ideal for any team’s preparation.
It remains to be seen who will cope better with the situation. FK Csíkszereda have shown increasingly balanced performances recently. In 2026 no team has managed to take a single point from Miercurea Ciuc, where we recorded four home victories, and we also collected important points away from home. In fact, the period following the winter training camp has been so successful that if we looked only at the 2026 results of the regular season, we would stand in a convincing sixth place — a play-off position — level on points with FC Argeș and separated only by goal difference.
Public opinion in the Szeklerland sporting community has also noticed this improvement in form. For instance, in an online poll conducted by the Székely Sport portal, about 90 percent of respondents at the time of publication believe that FK Csíkszereda will manage to remain in the top division, and 54 percent think the team will even avoid the relegation play-offs.
However, these positive signs must be converted into points on the pitch. Head coach Róbert Ilyés knows this very well. At the press conference ahead of the Galați match he pointed out that a new competition truly begins now, where every game is about three points, which is why the team travels to Galați aiming for victory.
“The last match between the two teams (we lost 0–3 in Galați on January 26 — ed.) is already in the past, and I believe the players on the pitch will not be the same this time. They have some problems within their squad, while several of our players have recovered since then, so the team looks much better now. The points and results we have achieved recently give us hope, so we want to play a very good match in Galați. Almost all our players are healthy; only Csürös is unavailable due to four yellow cards. The others trained at full intensity and it is clear in every aspect that the team is motivated. All week the players have encouraged each other, and honestly I haven’t seen the team this motivated for a long time. I hope this attitude will also show on the pitch and that we can play a good match in Galați,” said the head coach.
Speaking more generally about the play-out matches ahead, the coach said the tempo of the games will be different from what teams have been used to so far.
“The matches will be much more tense because everyone knows that a defeat can easily push you down the table, while a victory can move you up. Therefore, I expect balanced and tough games both at home and away. It will be very important not to give chances to the opponent and not to make mistakes. At this level, if you concede a goal, it is very difficult to come back into the match. That is why we will need one hundred percent concentration in order to achieve positive results,” said Róbert Ilyés.
“We know that every match in the play-out is very difficult. Every three points gained has huge importance, and we expect a tough battle against every team, especially away from home. Accordingly, we are preparing for the continuation of the competition,” said our midfielder Soufiane Jebari.
Our other playmaker, Brazilian Anderson Ceará, who has already scored five goals this year, added that although the first part of the season started very difficultly for the team, the side is performing much better now.
“We are preparing very well and working hard in training. We are not focusing only on the next match but also on the play-out games, which will be very difficult. We must improve day by day and match by match. I believe we are ready for the Galați match and for the play-out battles as well. I was very pleasantly surprised by the level of the Romanian Superliga. It is a very good and extremely competitive championship with strong teams. I am happy to play here and I am pleased with the team’s performances as well. I hope I can remain in this league and that we will succeed in securing our place in the top division,” said the Brazilian player.
Attila Rédai
Photo: Zoltán Pál