“La începutul anilor 80, am ajuns la Bucureşti, am semnat cu Steaua şi, în scurt timp, am pătruns în cercurile mondene ale Capitalei. Mihai Alexandrescu, băiatul preşedintelui din Ghencea, nea Ion Alexandrescu, m-a introdus şi pe mine în gaşca lui, din care, printre alţii, făceau parte Olimpia Panciu şi Mircea Baniciu. Sâmbăta, ne strângeam la ceaiuri, cum ziceam noi.
Ieşeau nişte petreceri de pomină. Aşa l-am cunoscut şi pe Irinel Columbeanu”, rememorează Gabi Balint, în prezent comentator sportiv. “ţin minte că era un puşti de bani gata, dar liniştit, fără figuri în cap.
Aducea whisky şi ţigări la chefuri
El aducea la chefuri whisky şi ţigări. Era băiatul cu aprovizionarea. Când apărea în uşă, mereu îl chestiona Olimpia Panciu: «Ai adus copilu? ». «Copilu» era sticla de whisky!”, se amuză Balint, amintindu- şi de chefurile din tinereţe.
«N-are treabă cu fotbalul»
Acum, Gabi Balint (46 de ani) se întâlneşte mai rar cu Irinel Columbeanu şi doar ocazional. “Stăm de vorbă când dăm nas în nas, normal. Dar dialogurile nu sunt prea lungi, mai ales că Irinel n-are nici o treabă cu fotbalul. Şi nici cu sportul în general, din câte ştiu eu”, ne-a declarat Balint.
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| Irinel şi-a păstrat până astăzi obiceiul de a căra plasele pline |
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