Tavi Popescu, a forward playing for FCSB, surprised fans with his reaction upon learning that Gica Hagi, the new Romanian national team coach, did not include him in the preliminary squad for the 2026 friendly matches. Hagi, 61, unveiled a list of 33 players he plans to consider for the upcoming friendlies against Georgia and Wales. Tavi Popescu, 23, who has struggled this season, was notably omitted from the squad.

Tavi Popescu's Response

The young player, showing a mix of amusement and frustration, shared the squad list with emojis indicating he was laughing at his omission. He quickly deleted the post, however. This reaction has sparked a lot of discussion on social media.

Gica Hagi's First Matches

Hagi, the new coach, is set to debut with two friendly matches in June. The first match will be against Georgia on June 2, 2026, at 8:00 PM local time in Tbilisi. The second match will be a home game in Ghencea on June 6, 2026, also at 8:00 PM.

The complete list of 33 players was announced, including many new faces from the Superliga. Tavi Popescu, who made his national team debut in March 2022, has only played seven matches for Romania and has not been selected since March 2023.

This season, Popescu has faced significant challenges, losing his position as a starter at FCSB. His performance has been declining since 2023, and he is now also ineligible due to the Under-21 rule.

Anamaria Prodan, a former Romanian international, advised Gigi Becali, the FCSB owner, to transfer Popescu as soon as possible. She argued that the player risks ruining his career and that the club should not hesitate to make a move.

“Tavi Popescu must leave FCSB urgently! It is essential for both the club to make some money and for Tavi to gain new opportunities. If not, his career will be over!”, Prodan declared in an interview with ProSport on the show "Exclusiv FCSB."