Romania - Euro 2008 Team Profile

Sean o'Conor reports...

Romania Copyright © Soccerphile

Road to Switzerland / Austria

Romania were Group G winners, with the Netherlands qualifying second.

While beating the Dutch 1-0 in Bucharest was an impressive scoreline, the Tricolorii were also beaten away from home by Belarus and Bulgaria. Cynics may argue that with Albania, Luxembourg and Slovenia making up the numbers, their group was not the hardest to negotiate, but then England finished third in a similarly 'easy' group, while Romania came first in theirs.

Analysis

Perhaps the most skilful European team of the 1990s, Romania have been missing in action since failing to qualify for the 2002 World Cup.

The days of Ilie Dumitrescu, Gheorghe Hagi and Florin Raducioiu, when Romania were a feared opponent, are long gone.

A glance at the provenance of the current players implies the team are now real underdogs. Beyond Cristian Chivu and Adrian Mutu, none of their players are well known across the continent.

Former Ajax goalie Bogdan Lobont is a decent, if sometimes erratic custodian, but in front of him Romania has solid experience at the back with Inter's Chivu, fiery ex-Milan fullback Contra and tall, strong centre-backs Dorin Goian and Razvan Rat, or Auxerre's Gabriel Tamas.

Chivu has often slotted into midfield, where Razvan Cocis and Mirel Radoi are unlikely to set the tournament alight. But like wide men Nicolae Dica, Florentin Petre and the speedy Laurentiu Rosu, Romania's midfielders are hard-working and well-organised, compensating for any shortcomings.

Up front, the team looks more of a match for their opponents. If the midfield can feed Mutu any scraps, then he has the talent to take them. Ciprian Marica is a useful foil, a strong runner who attacks the middle and lets Mutu drift in from the left. The pair scored 11 between them in the qualifiers and should the Tricolorii win free kicks around the box, expect Mutu to be the man to convert them.

Romania scored 26 goals in 12 games in qualifying – only Croatia, the Czech Republic and Germany scored more. While most observers have written off the Tricolorii from the Group of Death, they said the same about Greece in Euro 2004, and would do well to recall Romania has one of Europe's best strikers in their team.

A former goal-getter himself, coach Victor Piturka knows his prime assets are up front, but has concentrated on building a solid backline and rather defensive-minded midfield, instead of encouraging his players to pile into attack in support of his strikers. Piturka is cannily mindful of how the Greeks shocked the soccer world four years ago, by making up for individual shortcomings with solid teamwork.

Romania have shown they can do the same in topping Holland to qualify. Now it is up to them to prove they can do more than just qualify, against three of Europe's top guns.

Key player: Adrian Mutu

Romania's best-known player has turned 29, and playing some of the best football of his career for current club Fiorentina. Still one of the continent's best strikers, Mutu's ability in front of goal is priceless for Romania, who are expected to concede at the other end with the talents of France, Italy and Holland up against them.

Fleet of foot and a dead ball specialist, Mutu is lethal in the box and devours what scraps are thrown his way. The former Chelsea man is playing at his fifth Italian club in Fiorentina, for whom he has netted 30 times in 53 attempts, earning him the nickname 'The Phenomenon.'

Mutu will spearhead the Romanian attack in the Alps, though can if needed drop back into midfield, where Fabio Capello used him at Juventus.

One to watch: Banel Nicolita

The right midifielder has been one of the brighter young lights in the Romanian team. A busy bee in the middle with an eye for goal, Nicolita exploded onto the stage when he won the title and reached the UEFA Cup semi-final with Steaua in 2005.

In their European adventure, Nicolita scored two crucial goals to help his club beat Real Betis to reach the last eight, and another goal in the quarter final against local rivals Rapid.
Aged 23, the Steaua Bucharest midfielder has the opportunity this summer to step up and join the short list of Romanian players coveted by Europe's big clubs.

Coach

Victor Piturka is, along with Anghel Iordanescu, the top coach in Romanian soccer.

A prolific striker as a player, Piturka netted a whopping 165 goals in 175 games for Steaua Bucharest, and was there as part of Romanian football's finest hour -Steaua's 1986 European Cup triumph against Barcelona.

Piturka was one of Steaua's senior coaches by 1992, and had a brief spell in charge of his country in 1998-'99, achieving qualification for Euro 2000. But before he could coach Romania in the finals, he was sacked after falling out with the untouchable Gheorghe Hagi, Gica Popescu and the president of the Romanian football association.

Piturka went back to Steaua as coach and won them the 2000-'01 championship, but found himself again unemployed three years later after arguing with his chairman about a particular player's contract.

The 51 year-old was reappointed Romania coach in 2005 and has hauled his country to a second European Championship finals as coach.

Despite the bookies' ratings, Piturka is staying confident of upsetting the odds: "We have our chances and anything is possible," he said recently. "We can achieve our dream, to play the final, and even to win it."

Recent Previous Tournaments

The 1990s was Romania's golden age, coinciding with the heyday of 'the Maradona of the Carpathians' and one of the world's best players, Hagi. At the 1994 World Cup, a skilful eleven reached the last eight before losing on penalties to Sweden. At France '98, Croatia dismissed them in the second round.

Hagi's retirement brought less success to his nation, who have failed to qualify for the last two World Cups. They did make it to Euro 2000, where they beat England but lost to Italy in the quarter-finals, yet failed to make it to Euro 2004, losing 5-2 at home to Denmark in the process.

Having qualified for Euro 2008, Romania are back in a major tournament for the first time in eight years.

Soccerphile says .....

Romania look odds-on for a swift elimination. Although Chivu and Mutu are top-drawer talents, the team does not have the factory of talents it had in the 1990s.
It is said there are no easy games, but can you imagine a taller task than having to overcome France, Italy and the Netherlands to reach the knockout stages?
If we are looking for scraps of hope, it is in Belgium reaching the Euro '80 final, the Czechs reaching the Euro '96 final and Greece's rise from nowhere to win Euro 2004.
The Greeks' wholly unexpected triumph should remain the benchmark for not underestimating apparent minnows like Romania, especially if they have won their qualifying group and possess one of Europe's most lethal finishers.

Euro 2008 Squad

Bet on Euro 2008

Goalkeepers Bogdan Lobont (Dinamo Bucharest), Eduard Stanciou (CFR 1907 Cluj), Marius Popa (FCU Politehnica Timisoara)
Defenders Cristian Chivu (Inter), Cosmin Contra (Getafe), Gabriel Tamas (Auxerre), Stefan Radu (Lazio), Razvan Rat (Shakhtar Donetsk), Cristian Sapunaru (Rapid Bucharest), Dorin Goian (Steaua Bucharest), Sorin Ghionea (Steaua Bucharest), Mirel Radoi (Steaua Bucharest), Cosmin Moti (Dinamo Bucharest)
Midfielders Paul Codrea (Siena), Florentin Petre (CSKA Sofia), Razvan Cocis (Lokomotiv Moscow), Banel Nicolita (Steaua Bucharest), Adrian Cristea (Dinamo Bucharest)
Forwards Nicolae Dica (Steaua Bucharest), Ciprian Marica (Stuttgart), Adrian Mutu (Fiorentina), Daniel Niculae (Auxerre), Marius Nicolae (Inverness CT)

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