Petrescu bets his players they won't win another point

Published on Tuesday 3 November 2009 21:50

HIS mind games having worked a treat in Glasgow two weeks ago, it was no surprise to find Dan Petrescu indulging in some mischievous amateur psychology again in Bucharest yesterday.

Before his Unirea Urziceni side's stunning 4-1 win at Ibrox, Petrescu made the observation that all of the pressure was on Rangers in a match where defeat would represent "a big disaster" for Walter Smith's side.

That calamity having duly ensued for the Scottish champions, Petrescu has switched his attention to his own players by placing a wager with them which is clearly designed to try and motivate a repeat performance in the Steaua Stadium tonight.

"I don't remember the last time a Romanian team won consecutive Champions League games," said the Unirea coach. "So I made a bet with the players after Ibrox, that they will not win another point in this group. I made the bet because I fear for the mentality of Romanian players. They don't believe they can win two consecutive games at this level. But I hope they win the bet and take the money. It is the first bet in my life that I want to lose.

"Winning would obviously be a miracle for Unirea. Teams from Eastern Europe just don't win two consecutive Champions League games. Maybe Shakhtar Donetsk are the only ones to do it in recent times.

"Anyone who believes this is an easy game for us, because of what happened in Glasgow, is not right in the head. We actually didn't play that well at Ibrox. We scored from three free-kicks, but we did not play well in open play. I have also not been happy with our performances in the league since then.

"We know we will have a completely different game than in Glasgow. Rangers won't treat us the way they did in that game. They will treat the game differently and better here.

"I know Rangers were hurt after that match. I know they will come here for revenge. They will be more aggressive and offensive than they were in Glasgow. At the start of the game, they will not attack much, but in the end they will have to take risks."

While a draw would technically keep Rangers in the hunt for a place in the knockout stage of the tournament, Petrescu is adamant anything less than three points will eliminate Smith's men from the equation.

"If Rangers don't win tomorrow, then they are out," added the former Chelsea player. "I don't think a draw is good enough for Rangers. But if we draw, then we have a 90 per cent chance of at least qualifying for the Europa League. I have to be realistic about tomorrow night. Our first goal is to qualify for the Europa League. Only after that can we think about anything else.

"This is the most important game in my coaching career. I was never thinking that on matchday four we would have such an important game. I was just hoping to be going into matchday six still with a chance of achieving something in the group."

Petrescu is regarded as something of a coaching Messiah by the Romanian media for his work at Unirea, having taken them from domestic obscurity to the highest profile club competition in the world after fewer than three years in charge.

A pragmatic and intensely focused individual, Petrescu demands certain standards from his players, which even includes advice on what colour of boots they should wear.

"I prefer black boots only, the way it was when I was a player," he revealed yesterday. "I don't like players to wear bright coloured boots.

"It is the players who must take the credit for what Unirea has achieved. The only thing I do is motivate them. I gave everything as a player and I now give everything as a coach. I expect the same from them."

Unirea midfielder Serban Varga, who is confident he and his team-mates will cash in on their bet with Petrescu, is preparing himself to face motivated opponents tonight.

"We all know it is a life or death match, especially for Rangers," said Varga. "They are coming here with their last chance of qualifying. So we know they will come here to play the game of their lives.

"It will be more difficult than it was in Glasgow, because Rangers are coming here not just for the points, but also for their morale and pride. That's why we believe it is going to be more difficult.

"We have not been playing as well in our domestic games since Ibrox, but winning this game would be massive for our confidence. All of the players are aware that no Romanian team has won consecutive games in the Champions League for 13 years.

"We had that bet with the coach because he said after Ibrox that we would not win any more points in the Champions League. The players say we will and we look forward to taking the money from him."