STEAUA BUCHAREST have sensationally banned their VACCINATED players – because their anti-vax owner claims the Covid jab weakens them.

Romanian businessman and politician Gigi Becali reckons players become ‘powerless’ if they get the doses and even bizarrely suggested people who have been jabbed are more likely to die than the unvaxxed – despite clear evidence to the contrary.

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The Steaua chief also blamed problems at rivals CFR Cluj and Rapid Bucuresti on players taking the vaccine, including Cluj winger Ciprian Deac.

As reported by Romanian journalist Emanuel Rosu, Becali said: “You’re going to laugh, but I might be right. Those vaccinated lose their strength. That’s something scientific.

“Haven’t you seen it at CFR? With Rapid, the players seemed to be fainting. They slept on the ground.

“All vaccinated people lose their strength!

“I also see mine, the vaccinated ones. It doesn’t affect some, but it does affect those who are older.

“Haven’t you seen Deac? There is no more storm.”

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Becali recently said his team’s striker Claudiu Keseru, who rejoined the club in August, is unable to compete at the highest level due to getting the jabs.

Becali said via sport.ro: “I gave him the money, I had a contract with him, he was a football player, I was the owner.

“I said, ‘You can’t go to this level anymore. You can play in Romania, but not at FCSB (Steaua Bucharest) and CFR!’ 

“He said he would show me, but he has nothing to show me. It can’t be at this level anymore.

“It’s possible because of the vaccine. I say what I think. I don’t want to offend him.”

However, the Romanian government hit back at Becali’s most recent claims in a damning statement.

RO Vaccinare, the official Facebook page of the government’s national information platform on vaccination, said: “Vaccinated footballers do NOT lose their strength after being vaccinated against Covid-19!

“From a medical and scientific point of view, there are no studies that would support a singularity like the one recently promoted on Facebook accounts in Romania.

“Vaccination against Covid-19 does not affect the performance of football players.

“In contrast, there are enough studies showing that going through SARS CoV-2 infection leaves long-term sequelae (Long COVID), and these can influence athletes’ performance.

‘TRUST SCIENCE’

“The bottom line is simple: to stay healthy, to enjoy football, to look at those who trust science and medicine. Please inform yourself ONLY from credible, official sources!”

Romania’s vaccination rate is less than 60 per cent, with only Bulgaria – among EU countries – having a worse rate than the 86.52 doses per 100 population.

The leader of Romania’s vaccination campaign confirmed earlier in February nearly one million doses of the AstraZeneca vaccine had expired and would therefore be destroyed.

The best way to protect yourself and the ones you love from Covid-19 is by getting jabbed.

A string of Covid vaccine studies have shown how effective the jab is to slow the spread of the deadly virus.

It’s vital to get your life-saving jabs and be fully protected – after the latest research from Pfizer found three doses “neutralises” the mutant variant.

And just one Covid jab offers two-thirds protection against the virus.

BECALI BELIEFS

Becali has been a controversial figure in football and politics throughout the 21st century.

In his failed presidential campaigns of 2004 and 2009, he vowed to ‘finish off all homosexuals in the country’.

As Steaua Bucharest owner since 2003, he refused to sign ex-Liverpool ace Florent Sinama-Pongolle because he is black and also promised never to sign a gay footballer.

Four years ago, he refused to consider having a Steaua Bucharest women’s team.

He said: “How can a woman play football? She isn’t built for playing football.

“Her body isn’t made for football. It’s dangerous. The female was created to be beautiful, to attract the opposite sex.”

And in 2020 he blamed a poor run of form on his players having too much sex.

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