Sorin Corpodean was degraded two times by UEFA, but FRF kept him on the list of FIFA

Corpodean in cuffs. This was the news and the image presented yesterday in the Romanian football. The referee whom it is said that was the most talented after Crăciunescu and Porumboiu’s generation spent the night in the arrest of IPJ Piteşti. At a distance of exactly 14 years from the moment when he refereed the first match in League 1, Corpodean was arrested. He is accused that he took bribe of 15.000 dollars for the match FC Vaslui - FC Argeș 0-1. Since 2001, he had been involved very often in big scandals, being accused that he corrupted.  FRF has always took up his cause.:O

Mircea Sandu revealed that he had been called by the presidents of the clubs (video)

1. Controlled by Jean Pădureanu Cooperative
Gigi Becali has made an incredible with respect to Corpodean’s past. "In 2002, when I was a beginner, I was told that I have to pay if I don’t want to be robbed. I have paid 5.000 dollars for Corpodean, through an intermediate, this was the procedure to resist", said Becali, the intermediate being Jean Pădureanu, the one accused that he founded and ruled the Cooperative in the Romanian football.

2. Dissembled by FRF with good marks
Corpodean’s breakdown started at the end of 2001. In November he refereed FC Braşov - Rapid 1-0. He refereed the match being pro-hosts and he refused a clear penalty to the guests in minute 90, Rapid drawing off from the ground. He received a pass. Then followed one of the biggest scandals: Astra - FC Naţional 3-2, in the autumn of 2002. He didn’t give two penalties to the guests; he didn’t give two eliminations to the hosts. He received a 7 from Gheorghe Constantin and he was not suspended. ;) Mircea Sandu went out in public and he said: "He is a top referee, he is appreciated at UEFA".

3. Degraded by UEFA, appreciated by Mircea Sandu
The Court from Nyon criticized Corpodean and in 2003 they degraded him from First Class in Second Class. After another two years, another category degraded him again. Volker Roth, the chief of the referees from UEFA, transmitted to Gheorghe Constantin: "Our recommendation is to clear out Corpodean from FIFA list and promote another referee because he has no perspective anymore". But Sandu and Lupescu didn’t agree and kept him, although he received no more than one-two international matches per year.

"I hope that the proved of those involved are better than those of the Public prosecutor’s office, in order to prove their innocence"
Mircea Sandu, the president of FRF

 
4. Appreciated because he was against-Gică Popescu
Corpodean won Mircea Sandu on his side for good when, from the position of president of AJF Alba, he managed to arrange more votes for Mircea Sandu at the elections for the head of FRF in the autumn of 2005.

5. He was almost appointed the president ofCCA
Just because he was good friend with Mircea Sandu and Lupescu, Corpodean was about to become last summer the president of CCA. Gheorghe Constantin planned to retire, but he gave up, explaining later: "They want to appoint Corpodean. I didn’t even retire. Well, I won’t leave, the fact that they want to appoint Sorin thing annoyed me. They shall discharge me if they want this change; I won’t leave of my own will". :X Costică "Vîlcea" was not dismissed, but Corpodean was ready to replace him at the first opportunity.

"Corpodean has a very good image at UEFA and I want the president from CCA to be a person who has big chances to enter in the commission of referees from UEFA"
Ionuţ Lupescu, in the summer of 2008

6. Delegated in order to surpass Rainea
Without having received any derby for almost 3 years, just because he didn’t present trust anymore at CCA, Corpodean had another facilities on the axis FRF-observers-Gheorghe Constantin. In this return, although he made a lot of serious mistakes at Poli Iaşi - Craiova 1-0, he continued to be delegated lap after lap. Why? To surpass Nicolae Rainea in the top of the referees who ruled the most matches in Division A. he managed to rule 268 matches, with one more than the legendary Rainea.;)

7. He made his duty towards Pădureanu even at the last match
The match which he smashed Rainea’s record was the last one refereed in League 1. Where? At Gloria Bistriţa - Farul 1-0, a decisive match for the struggle for demoting. How did he referee? He invented the penalty which made Jean Pădureanu’s team to win, and at the end of the match he took two incredible decisions. When Farul dominated copiously, he asked a break for hydration, although outside there weren’t more than 17-18 degrees, then he gave  ayellow card to Tătăruşanu and he stopped the game for more than one minute to  put down the admonition, because he didn’t find his pen. Immediately he whistled the end of the match.

"It is known what kind of pressures had been for me not to delegate referees. Look what happened after they moved to CCA. Everything is ruined"
Ionuţ Lupescu, manager at the international department of FRF

20.000 euro received Corpodean exclusively from the scales of the matches from League 1 which he refereed this season, during august 2008-march 2009

On Monday he should have been present at the course organized by UEFA
Corpodean received few days ago the invitation from UEFA to participate at the beginning of next week at the "centrals" course from second category. He even had been booked the round-trip plane tickets, but if the Trial Court from Argeş decides today that he must be remanded in custody and issues a mandate for 29 days, Corpodean won’t be able to arrive at Nyon.

Rising and breakdown

1990 – he enters in arbitration
1995 – he is promoted in Division A
1997 – he receives the FIFA badge
2001 – he is promoted by UEFA in First Class, the anteroom of the highest group as value of the European authority
2001 – he referees the penult derby, Rapid - Dinamo 2-2
2002 – he referees the first and the last match from Champions League, Auxerre - Borussia Dortmund 1-0

2001-2002 – he is involved in a lot of scandals, being accused that he influenced on purpose the results of some matches
2003 – he is degraded by UEFA from First Class in Second Class
2004 – he comes to loggerheads with Ion Crăciunescu, whom he reproaches that he was not delegated in the final of Romanian Cup, Dinamo - FC Naţional 1-0
2004 - Crăciunescu changes him from an international match, Legia Varşovia - Dinamo Tbilisi, because he is not in a good shape
2005 – he is degraded again by UEFA from Second Class in the fourth group as value, the penult
2006 – he is directly accused by Gigi Becali that he had taken money to help Steaua in different matches
2007 – almost half of the teams from League 1 accuses him
2009 – he is arrested by DNA and accused of taking bribe