Gigi Becali, the flamboyant owner of Bucharest football club FCSB, formerly known as Steaua Bucharest, thinks he knows what is to blame for his team's recent poor run in the Romanian league: too much sex.

The 1986 European Cup winners, Romania's most successful club with 26 league titles, have failed to win their last three games, and Becali said after FCSB's 1-1 home draw against lowly Chindia Targoviste: "My players are making love with their girlfriends too often, that's why they aren't playing football so well lately."

The result left them fourth in the table, eight points behind leaders CFR Cluj.

Becali, who made his fortune in real estate after the fall of communism in 1989 and served as a member of the European Parliament, praised CFR Cluj coach Dan Petrescu, a former Chelsea and Southampton right-back, for restoring discipline at the club.

"Look at Dan Petrescu," Becali said. "CFR players have sex only once a week. They meet with women only once a week."

CFR officials could not be reached for comment.

"If [FCSB striker] Florinel Coman would have rested too ... but he is doing other things," Becali added.