If you’re not familiar with the works (by which we mean mainly strange quotes) of Gigi Becali, then you’re in for a treat, as we profile the world’s most bizarre football club owner.
Georghe “Gigi” Becali is a Romanian businessman, politician and he also owns Steaua Bucharest, which is what we mainly know him for here at JOE. That said, he’s actually an MEP too, which is just a tiny bit mad.
He’s what you could safely describe as eccentric, given that he owns a picture of himself painted to resemble Jesus and has it hanging proudly in his house.
Pic via The Guardian
Becali began his life in a place called Braila in Romania, where he made his fortune in land deal with the Army, a deal that was later investigated by the Romanian government.
That aside, he used that money to but some shares in Steaua and became part of the board of shareholders, and by 2003, he was the main man in charge, which is when he started to gain some recognition for being a little bit strange.
In 2008, Becali hit the headlines for calling the head of the Romanian Football League, Dumitru Dragomir “a tramp” and then claiming that the two of them had a fist fight.
In 2011 just around Easter, Becali was forced to apologise to Steaua’s own fans after insulting them, and in typical Gigi style he gave a unique apology, saying “I’m sorry for offending them. Apart from the ones who called for me to die just before Easter. They are possessed by Satan”.
More recently when his club were making good progress in the Europa League, he had some choice words for both the Ajax chairman Hennie Henrichs, saying that he wouldn’t sit at his table because “his shoes are worth €200, mine are worth €4,000”.
Not to be left out, he also had a bit of a go at Roman Abramovich just last week when his side met Chelsea, when he said, according to The Guardian “Let Abramovich compare his clothes with mine then we can see whose suits are really expensive”.
Becali is also known for interfering with the managers of the club, and there have been 16 managers in and out since he took over just under a decade ago, with a few even coming back for a second stint in charge.
Even the great legend of Romanian football and football in general Georghe Hagi was once in the hot seat but left after just three months in charge because of the interference from Becali, and also saying he was hugely stressed. Another manager, Victor Piturca also resigned after 59 days, saying it was Becali’s “failing to shut up” that forced him out.
He also has a lot more controversial views which JOE definitely does not agree with or endorse in any way, so we definitely recommend that you don’t try this at home, as they say.
Want to prove that you’re a space cadet but don’t want to be like Gigi? Then sign up to Lynx Space Academy at lynxapollo.com and get involved to see if you have what it takes to become the first Irishman in space.
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