POETRY In MOTION

The boss who bested Tuchel in his first European outing is a quirky character...

Thomas Tuchel’s first European match as a manager came in 2011, when he faced Romanian minnows Gaz Metan Medias with Mainz in the Europa’s League third qualifying round. It didn’t go well, either – Gaz Metan triumphed on penalties after a pair of 1- 1 draws.

Tuchel might have recovered from the disappointment pretty quickly, but his managerial rival of 10 years ago didn’t quite use that match to launch his own career. Cristi Pustai has just left his job at Romanian second- tier side Dunarea Calarasi following their failure to get promoted. The 53- year- old went unpaid for several months, as were his players.

But he won’t be unemployed for long. If Pustai ever decides to give up football, sick of the various problems in Romanian football, he could simply turn to his other job as a maths teacher. That, however, is only one among a string of curiosities about the man who put Tuchel to the sword in 2011.

When he’s not playing with numbers on a sheet of paper, Pustai learns poetry and listens to folk music. He used to organise a folk festival in his hometown of Medias, and after many of the games he was involved in, recited famous odes instead of commenting on controversial moments or referees.

While thinking of Tuchel today, Pustai smiles. “Back in 2011, we surprised him with a very aggressive style,” he recalls. “We fought so hard and went through. I was Tuchel’s fan when Chelsea came to play in Bucharest last season, against Atletico Madrid in the Champions League. I wanted him to have a nice memory from Romania as well, not just the bad one against Medias. I don’t think he’s forgotten that one!”