Monday’s press is all about football and politics, foe teams and allied parties. Some of the dailies manage to interconnect the two fields, reducing sports to politics. Hence, one could say that the week opens with political scandals, conflicts, silent attacks and upfront duels.

On one hand, there is a continuous match between the two governing ally-parties – the Liberals (PNL) and the Democrats (PD), while the opposition parties make efforts to ally and overthrow the government.

On the other hand, the violent football match between UEFA semi-finalist Steaua Bucharest and modest Gloria Bistrita, concluded with the latter’s victory and some suicidal Steaua players injuring themselves, is linked to the referee’s political partisanship that allegedly disadvantaged Steaua in favour of Rapid Bucharest in the national championship.

Evenimentul Zilei elaborates on a pamphlet wrote and read by the renowned writer Mircea Dinescu at a Liberals assembly that mocks the Romanian president Traian Basescu, a former Democrat member. The irony sparked criticism from the governing alliance fellows, the Democrats that voiced disappointment.

One of the Democrats, former counsellor of president Traian Basescu, and a controversial women politician, accused Dinescu of being paid by oil group Rompetrol head Dinu Patriciu. Patriciu and Dinescu hold together the media group Satirikon and also have a good personal relationship.

However, Dinescu denied of being paid by anyone to write what he thought and said that president Basescu and Udrea had mafia style thinking.

Adevarul writes about a "crisis with no solution" that characterizes the Liberal-Democratic alliance, where the two parties strike each other with fiery statements under the vigilant eye of president Traian Basescu, who has recently expressed his regret of appointing Calin Popescu Tariceanu, the leader of the liberals, as prime minister.

Moreover, the Democrats seem to have signed a secret collaboration with the opposition party –the Social Democrats, in the view of a potential motion that would overthrow the Liberals –led government.

On the other side, the Liberals reconvened in Timisoara, have all enjoyed the pamphlet by Dinescu that mocked the president’s mundane habits and his support shown for maverick politican Gigi Becali, owner of football club Steaua Bucharest.

And there is again another link between politics and football.

Gandul expresses the Liberals’ fears of being sabotaged by their party Democrats fellows. The national convention of the Liberal youth was the perfect location where Liberal leaders expressed their fears of the governing alliance falling apart, a happening that might place the Liberals in opposition with a government led by Democrats.

The experienced party members encouraged the Liberal youth to prepare for such overturn and to work towards a cleaner 2009 government, when, fortunately, the new president will have no communist background.

The daily justifies PNL fears with the war of declarations within the last two weeks between the two allied parties, and by an alleged deal between PD and the Social Democrats (PSD), which materialized in PD’s giving up the national ombudsman position to PSD.

Cotidianul eyes another alliance recently announced between the opposition parties, the nationalist Greater Romania (PRM) and the Social Democrats (PSD). Top figures within PSD disagree with this move and complain of having found out about this plan from the media.

Spokesperson Cristian Diaconescu claimed he had not known about this collaboration between Vadim Tudor’s PRM and PSD leader Mircea Geoana. So had Vasile Dancu, Euro-observer and former minister of Information, who asserted that a protocol between the two parties would be a big mistake, a trap, a blank check for Vadim Tudor. The PSD leadership reconvenes today and this pact is on the talks agenda.

The move disappoints the European Socialists who find such alliance with a nationalist rightist party as "unacceptable" and "incomprehensible,"

Adevarul writes. The European Socialists (PES) vice-president Hannes Swoboda seemed surprised to find out about this protocol, and promised not to offer political support to PSD leader Mircea Geoana if such collaboration project with PRM was to be implemented.

Gardianul writes about Steaua’s rage after losing to Gloria Bistrita 0-1. Blaming the referees, the Steaua players went mad. Two of them, the captain Mirel Radoi and striker Victoras Iacob, were rushed into hospitals after breaking two windows and cutting their veins.

Radoi will not be available for three weeks, while Iacob is banned for the following match due to red card.

The match on Saturday was under extreme pressure given the stake – the fight for the national championship title – and the slow recovery of Steaua after losing to Middlesbrough in UEFA semi-final Cup 2-4.

Adevarul criticizes Steaua' general manager, Mihai Stoica after almost beating up the chief of Gendarmes in Bistrita, and threatening Gloria’s owner Jean Padureanu. In the context of increasing violence on the football stadiums, Steaua’s management cannot set an example for the million of fans.

The daily also slashes on the measures taken against the violent fans for not being applied to top management hooligans.

Gandul dedicates an editorial to the violent outburst by Steaua players and managers and blames owner Gigi Becali for mistakenly motivating the team only with financial rewards and failing to provide a psychologist for the under pressure players.

The violent outburst comes at an anniversary moment, when Steaua celebrates 20 years after winning the European Champions Cup in Sevilla in ‘86.

In a sports TV show on Sunday night at Antena 1, Stoica accused the referees of political partisanship with the Conservative Party, which nominated the Rapid Bucharest owner George Copos as vice-premier. Copos has quit his government position but remains a top Conservative figure.

And there is again another link between politics and football.