Romania national football team
Encyclopedia
The Romania national football team is the national football
team of Romania
and is controlled by the Romanian Football Federation
.
Romania is one of only four national teams, the other three being Brazil
, France
, and Belgium, that took part in the first three World Cups
.
However, after that performance, they only qualified for the 1970
, 1990
, 1994
and 1998
editions. Their finest hour came at the 1994 World Cup
where Romania, led by playmaker Gheorghe Hagi
, reached the quarterfinals by defeating South American powerhouse Argentina
before losing to Sweden
on a penalty shootout.
At the Euros
, Romania's best performance was in 2000 when they advanced to quarterfinals from a group with Germany
, Portugal
and England
before falling to eventual runners-up Italy
.
Romania also played at Euro 1984, Euro 1996, Euro 2000 and Euro 2008.
in Belgrade
, coached by Teofil Moraru.
Several temporary coaches were employed, before Moraru resumed control in August 1924, managing the side for nearly four years. Romania enjoyed some success during the 1930s; manager Costel Rădulescu
took them to the first three FIFA World Cup
tournaments, a feat matched only by Brazil
, Belgium and France
.
, Romania won their first match against Peru
, 3–1, with goals from Adalbert Desu
, Constantin Stanciu
and Nicolae Kovács
, before being thrashed 4–0 by hosts and eventual winners Uruguay
.
Romania qualified for the next World Cup in 1934
after beating Yugoslavia
2–1 in a repeat of their first international. At the finals, Romania played only one game in a new knock-out format, losing 2–1 to Czechoslovakia
in Trieste
, Italy, with Ştefan Dobay
scoring their only goal of the tournament.
Romania qualified by default for the 1938 World Cup
after their qualifying playoff opponents Egypt withdrew. They suffered a shock defeat in the finals in France, losing to minnows Cuba
, who, like Romania, had only qualified due to the withdrawal of their qualifying opponents, USA
. The first match at the Stade Chapou in Toulouse
ended 3–3 after extra time, but Cuba won the replay four days later 2–1.
in Mexico, although qualification came on the back of a 3–0 thrashing by Portugal
in Lisbon
and two unconvincing draws against unfancied Greece
. Angelo Niculescu
's promising side were given the toughest of draws, in Group 3 with holders England
, giants Brazil
and Czechoslovakia
.
A Geoff Hurst
goal gave England a narrow victory in Romania's first match at the Estadio Jalisco
in Guadalajara
. Chances were improved with a 2–1 win over the Czechs. Despite going behind early to a Ladislav Petráš
goal, Romania turned it around after half-time with Alexandru Neagu
and Florea Dumitrache
scoring to give them two vital points. Even then, only a win over the excellent Brazilians would take them into the Quarter Finals.
There were rumours before the match that Brazil might prefer Romania to progress than World Champions England; Despite beating them 1–0 in their previous match in Guadalajara, the South American giants still viewed England as one of their biggest obstacles to tournament victory. But Brazil played some of the best football of the competition, with Pelé
scoring twice and a Jairzinho
goal in between. Romania battled bravely; Dumitrache
pulled the score back to 2–1 before the break and a late Emerich Dembrowski goal made it 3–2, but they were out.
, Romania suffered a significant defeat to East Germany
in Leipzig
. The East Germans won 2–0 to effectively seal their first ever qualification for the World Cup, which would be held over the border
in West Germany
. With East Germany scoring a predictable 4–1 win in Albania
, Romania were out, despite a huge 9–0 win over Finland
in Bucharest
.
Romania continued to suffer poor form in the UEFA European Championship. In their qualifying group for the 1976 European Football Championship, they were out-qualified by Spain
, despite an impressive 1–1 draw in the away match. Romania failed to win matches, drawing twice with Scotland
and Spain
and dropping points in Denmark
with a dismal goalless draw.
Romania were again beat by Spain
for a place in the 1978 World Cup
in Argentina
. Despite a 1–0 win in Bucharest
, Romania lost a bizarre match at home to Yugoslavia
6–4 having led 3–2 at half time. Spain
won 1–0 in Belgrade
to seal passage to South America.
, holders West Germany and dark horses Portugal
. Under head coach Mircea Lucescu
, an encouraging opening game in Saint-Étienne
saw them draw with the Spanish. Francisco José Carrasco
opened the scoring from the penalty spot but Romania equalized before half time with a goal from Laszlo Bölöni.
Against the Germans in Lens
, Marcel Coraş
scored an equalizer in the first minute of the second half in response to Rudi Völler
's opener, but Völler would score a winning goal. Their last match in Nantes
was a must-win match, but Nené
's late winner meant Portugal
progressed with Spain
, who netted a dramatic late winner against West Germany at the Parc des Princes
in Paris.
Romania stuttered throughout the rest of the decade, but a stronger squad at the end of the decade saw them qualify for their fifth World Cup at Italia 90. A win over Denmark
in their last match took Emerich Jenei
's side to the finals for the first time in twenty years.
, striker Florin Răducioiu
and genius playmaker Gheorghe Hagi
, then of Steaua Bucharest, were in the squad, but it was forward Gavril Balint
who would prove the hero in the first round.
With World Champions Argentina
stunned by Cameroon
in the tournament's opening match, Romania did their chances no harm with a convincing win over the USSR at the San Nicola in Bari
, with Marius Lăcătuş
scoring in either half. The result was all the more impressive given the absence of Hagi. There was controversy, however, as Lăcătus's second was a penalty given for a handball by Vagiz Khidiatullin that television replays clearly showed to be some way outside the penalty area.
Romania were the next victims of Cameroon
in Bari. Cult hero Roger Milla
, 38 years of age, came on as a substitute for Emmanuel Maboang Kessack and scored twice, before Balint
pulled one back. Romania needed a point in their last match against improving Argentina
at the San Paolo
in Naples
. Pedro Monzón
gave Argentina the lead after an hour, but Balint quickly equalized and Romania held on to reach Round 2.
Against Jack Charlton
's Ireland
side in Genoa
, Romania didn't have the quality to break down a defensive opposition. Daniel Timofte
was the only player to miss in the penalty shoot-out – his kick saved by Packie Bonner
– and Romania were out.
qualified after Romania drew a must-win last match in Sofia
against Bulgaria
, with Nasko Sirakov
's equalizer sealing their fate.
They were successful, though, in reaching another World Cup
in the United States in 1994. Despite losing in Belgium and suffering a heavy 5–2 defeat in Czechoslovakia
, Romania went into their last match at Cardiff Arms Park
with Wales
needing a win to pip them to a place in the finals. Goals from Gheorghe Hagi
and Dean Saunders
meant the game was finely balanced, before Wales were awarded a penalty. Paul Bodin
of Swindon Town stepped up but hit the woodwork and Romania went on to win 2–1, Răducioiu
's late goal proving unnecessary as Czechoslovakia
dropped a point in Belgium and were knocked out.
At the finals, Romania were one of the most entertaining teams in the early stages with Hagi
, Răducioiu
and Dumitrescu
on form. Romania beat Colombia
– dark horses and Pelé
's tip for the tournament – at the Pasadena
Rose Bowl
in Los Angeles 3–1. Răducioiu opened the scoring before Hagi scored a spectacular second from wide on the left touchline. Adolfo Valencia
shredded their nerves with a headed goal just before half-time, but Romania held on and Răducioiu sealed the win with a late third.
In Detroit's Pontiac Silverdome
, the temperature soared due to the greenhouse effect in the indoor arena. Switzerland
, acclimatized after having already played the hosts there, outran Romania in the second half and turned a 1–1 half time score into a surprising 4–1 win. Romania responded by beating the hosts 1–0 in Pasadena with an early Dan Petrescu
goal.
In Round 2 they faced Argentina
, who were shorn of Diego Maradona
who was thrown out of the tournament for taking drugs. Răducioiu, suspended, was hardly missed, as coach Anghel Iordănescu
pushed Dumitrescu forward to play as a striker and the player responded by scoring twice in the first twenty minutes, one a superbly subtle left foot flick from a right-wing Hagi cross slotted between the Argentine defenders. In between, Gabriel Batistuta
scored a penalty, but after half-time Romania netted a superb third on the counter attack, with Hagi beating goalkeeper Luis Islas
. Abel Balbo pulled one back, but Romania held on for a shock win.
Romania would suffer penalty heartbreak again, in the Quarter Final against Sweden
. With just thirteen minutes to go, a tight match opened up as Sweden's Thomas Brolin scored from a clever free-kick move, the ball passed outside the Romanian wall by Håkan Mild
for Brolin to smash in. Iordănescu threw caution to the wind and the returning Răducioiu found a late equalizer, again from a free-kick move but this time down to a deflection and a failure of the Swedes to clear. In extra time Răducioiu scored again after a mistake by Patrik Andersson, but Sweden then scored their own late equalizer as giant striker Kennet Andersson
climbed above goalkeeper Florin Prunea to head home a long ball. Prunea had come in after two matches to replace Bogdan Stelea
, whose confidence was shattered by the 4–1 loss to the Swiss. In the shoot-out, Dan Petrescu
and Miodrag Belodedici
had their kicks saved by Thomas Ravelli
and Sweden went through.
in Newcastle
. Against France
, they lost to a Christophe Dugarry header reminiscent of Kennet Andersson
's two years earlier, beating the goalkeeper to a lofted through ball. A brilliant early solo goal by Hristo Stoichkov
saw Bulgaria
knock out their neighbours, although Romania claimed they should have had a goal awarded when the ball struck the bar and bounced behind the goal-line. They finally scored in their last game, Florin Răducioiu
equalizing an early goal by Spain
's Javier Manjarín. Spain
had to win to qualify with France
at the expense of Bulgaria
and did so when Guillermo Amor
stooped to head a late winner. Romania exited in total shame, with no points and tons of regrets of what could have been.
and were seeded
for the final tournament of the 1998 World Cup
thanks to their strong USA 94
showing. Despite being drawn in a group with England
, getting through it was perceived to be easy work with a waning Colombia
and minnows Tunisia
.
Adrian Ilie
scored the only goal with a fine chip in their first match against Colombia
at Lyon
's Stade Gerland
.
In Toulouse
, they met an England
side starting with prodigal striker Michael Owen
on the bench, with Teddy Sheringham
preferred alongside Alan Shearer
. A mistake by Tony Adams
was punished by Viorel Moldovan
, who played for Coventry City, before Owen came on to claim an equalizer. But Romania won with a wonderful late goal from Dan Petrescu
, also playing in England with Chelsea
, fighting off his club mate Graeme le Saux
and nutmegging
goalkeeper David Seaman
.
The next match was against Tunisia
. Romania decided to bleach their hair before the match. Despite England
v Colombia
being the more decisive game, the Stade de France
in Paris was an 80,000 sell out and the crowd were nearly rewarded with a shock as Skander Souayah
scored an early penalty to give the north Africans the lead.
Romania needed a point to win the group and, crucially, avoid Argentina
in Round 2, and got it when Moldovan volleyed a late equalizer. It did them little good, however, as in the Round of 16 match at Bordeaux
against the Croatian team, Davor Šuker
scored a twice-taken penalty in a poor match and Romania were out.
, England
and Germany
. Hagi's powers were waning, Dumitrescu and Rǎducioiu were no longer on the scene and hopes were pinned on young Internazionale forward Adrian Mutu
. Romania started brightly against the Germans
in Liège
, with Moldovan
scoring from close range. A long-range Mehmet Scholl
equalizer meant they had to be content with a point and their position looked shaky after Costinha
headed a last minute winner for Portugal
in their second match.
Emerich Jenei
, back as coach, threw caution to the wind in the last match in Charleroi
against England
, a match which Romania had to win. Defender Cristian Chivu
's cross went in off the post in the 22nd minute but, despite Romania dominating, England led at half-time through an Alan Shearer
penalty and a late Michael Owen
goal after he rounded Bogdan Stelea
to score a tap-in, both in the last five minutes of the half. Romania attacked after the break and were quickly rewarded; Dorinel Munteanu
punishing a poor punch from Nigel Martyn
, a late replacement for the injured Seaman
to equalize three minutes after the re-start. England
cracked under the pressure. Unable to retain possession or pose an attacking threat, they fell deep and late on Phil Neville, playing out of position at left-back, conceded a penalty scored by Ioan Ganea in the 89th minute.
Romania's relief was tempered by tough opposition in the last eight, and Italy
, who would end up seconds from being crowned European champions in an agonizing final, comfortably saw them off 2–0 in Brussels
. Francesco Totti
and Filippo Inzaghi
scoring towards the end of the first half. In the 35th minute Hagi, in his final international tournament, hit the woodwork with goalkeeper Francesco Toldo stranded off his line and, after the break, was sent off for diving. Romania's tournament was over and Jenei
left his job as coach again.
, who had been surprise qualifiers for Euro 2000 in a playoff for a place in the 2002 World Cup
in South Korea
and Japan. A narrow 2–1 deficit – having led through a Marius Niculae
goal – after the first leg in Ljubljana
was not irretrievable. With fans' hero Gheorghe Hagi
now coaching the side they were confident of getting the win they needed in Bucharest
against the Balkan upstarts, but Slovenia
took the lead before the hour through Mladen Rudonja
. Right wing-back Cosmin Contra
quickly equalized but Romania could not find the goal they needed to force extra time and Slovenia
, with maverick manager Srečko Katanec
, were in a major tournament again.
, Norway
, Bosnia-Herzegovina and minnows Luxembourg
,with Anghel Iordanescu back as their coach. Despite a good start – a 3–0 win away to Bosnia in Sarajevo
, Romania stuttered. Steffen Iversen
's late goal gave Norway
a surprise win in Bucharest
and they were stunned at home by the Danes, 5–2, with Thomas Gravesen
scoring a spectacular goal from around fifty yards out, despite leading twice. They recovered slightly, completing a double over the Bosnians and getting a point in Oslo
, but conceded a cutting injury time equalizer in Denmark to draw 2–2. It was decisive, as they now required Norway to fail to win at home to Luxembourg
to stand any realistic chance of qualifying. Eventually, the Danes got a point in Bosnia to scrape through a tight group, with Norway going to a play-off with Spain
.
in Germany. The Netherlands
and Czech Republic
were favourite to qualify, then ranked first and second in Europe. Early wins over Finland
and Macedonia
were unconvincing, and they were some way behind the two leaders by the time they earned a good 2–0 home win over the Czechs. They finished third behind the Dutch and the Czechs and missed out on another major tournament.
and tough opponents Bulgaria
for the UEFA Euro 2008 Qualifying. However, on 17 October 2007, Romania became the fourth team to qualify for Euro 2008. This was the team's first big championships since Euro 2000, eight years before. Victor Piturca
also qualified Romania for Euro 2000, only to sit back and let Emerich Jenei
coach the team in the final tournament. This time, however, he stayed. It was the first time he coached a national team in the final stages of a tournament.
They were drawn in the so-called "Group of Death" with their old "friends" the Netherlands
(they played each other both in the Euro 2008 qualifying group and in the 2006 World Cup qualifying group), Italy
, the 2006 FIFA World Cup winners and France
, runners-up in the 2006 FIFA World Cup. They started with a 0–0 draw against a luckstre France while world champions Italy was soundly beaten by the Netherlands, 3–0. In their next game against Italy, Adrian Mutu
, playing for Italian club ACF Fiorentina
, opened the scoring early in the second half. Their lead was a very short one, as Christian Panucci
scored a minute later, with the aid of a corner kick. Nearing the end of the match, Daniel Niculae obtained a penalty for his team, but Gianluigi Buffon
saved the shot from Mutu, leaving Romania with two points and needing a win against the Netherlands, who eradicated France 4–1 on the same evening. The Netherlands beat Romania 2–0 in the final game of the group, which meant that Italy joined the Netherlands in the quarter finals and Romania finished 3rd, ahead of France.
stadium in capital Bucharest
and will host the 2012 UEFA Europa League Final
, as it was announced by UEFA
at Nyon
on January 29, 2009.
The former national stadium Lia Manoliu which held 60,120 places was completely demolished at the end of 2007. The last football match played was a 6–1 win against Albania
on 21 November 2007.
Stadionul Naţional
was completed in May 2011.
games
Match Date: 15 November 2011
Opposition:
Caps as of 15 November 2011
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INJ = Injured for next match
RET = Retired from national team
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
team of Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
and is controlled by the Romanian Football Federation
Romanian Football Federation
The Romanian Football Federation is the governing body of football in Romania. It organizes the Romania national football team and most of the Romanian football competitions. It is based in the Romanian capital city of Bucharest...
.
Romania is one of only four national teams, the other three being Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
, France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
, and Belgium, that took part in the first three World Cups
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
.
However, after that performance, they only qualified for the 1970
1970 FIFA World Cup
The 1970 FIFA World Cup, the ninth staging of the World Cup, was held in Mexico, from 31 May to 21 June. The 1970 tournament was the first World Cup hosted in North America, and the first held outside South America and Europe. In a match-up of two-time World Cup champions, the final was won by...
, 1990
1990 FIFA World Cup
The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event twice. Teams representing 116 national football associations from all six populated...
, 1994
1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
and 1998
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
editions. Their finest hour came at the 1994 World Cup
1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
where Romania, led by playmaker Gheorghe Hagi
Gheorghe Hagi
Gheorghe Hagi is a former Romanian footballer. He was famous for his passing, close control, long shots and was regarded as one of the best attacking midfielders in Europe during the 1980s and 1990s and is considered the greatest Romanian footballer of all time...
, reached the quarterfinals by defeating South American powerhouse Argentina
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
before losing to Sweden
Sweden national football team
The Swedish national football team represents Sweden in association football and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association, the governing body for Football in Sweden. Sweden's home ground is Råsunda Stadium in Stockholms län and their head coach is Erik Hamrén. Sweden made their first...
on a penalty shootout.
At the Euros
UEFA European Football Championship
The UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current...
, Romania's best performance was in 2000 when they advanced to quarterfinals from a group with Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
, Portugal
Portugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
and England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
before falling to eventual runners-up Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
.
Romania also played at Euro 1984, Euro 1996, Euro 2000 and Euro 2008.
Beginnings
Romania played their first international match on 8 June 1922, a 2–1 win over YugoslaviaYugoslavia national football team
The Yugoslavia national football team represented the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in association football. It enjoyed a modicum of success in international competition. In 1992, during the Yugoslav wars, the team was suspended from international...
in Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
, coached by Teofil Moraru.
Several temporary coaches were employed, before Moraru resumed control in August 1924, managing the side for nearly four years. Romania enjoyed some success during the 1930s; manager Costel Rădulescu
Costel Radulescu
Constantin 'Costel' Rădulescu was a footballer and manager from Romania who rose to prominence in the 1920s and 1930s...
took them to the first three FIFA World Cup
FIFA World Cup
The FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
tournaments, a feat matched only by Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
, Belgium and France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
.
World Cups in the 1930s
At the 1930 World Cup1930 FIFA World Cup
The 1930 FIFA World Cup was the inaugural FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in Uruguay from 13 July to 30 July 1930...
, Romania won their first match against Peru
Peru national football team
The Peru national football team, known as 'el equipo inca', represents Peru in international football competition and is managed by the Peruvian Football Federation . The team competes against the other nine members of FIFA's CONMEBOL conference, which encompasses the countries of South America...
, 3–1, with goals from Adalbert Desu
Adalbert Desu
Adalbert Deşu , Austria-Hungary — died 6 June 1937 in Timişoara) was a Romanian football striker. He was a member of Romania national football team which competed at the 1930 FIFA World Cup in Uruguay...
, Constantin Stanciu
Constantin Stanciu
Constantin Stanciu was a Romanian football Forward.- Career :During his career he has made eight appearances and four goal for the Romanian national team....
and Nicolae Kovács
Nicolae Kovacs
Nicolae Covaci was a Romanian-Hungarian football player and coach. He was a dual international footballer and played both for Romania and Hungary....
, before being thrashed 4–0 by hosts and eventual winners Uruguay
Uruguay national football team
The Uruguayan national football team represents Uruguay in international association football and is controlled by the Uruguayan Football Association, the governing body for football in Uruguay. The current head coach is Óscar Tabárez...
.
Romania qualified for the next World Cup in 1934
1934 FIFA World Cup
The 1934 FIFA World Cup was the second FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in Italy from 27 May to 10 June 1934....
after beating Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia national football team
The Yugoslavia national football team represented the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in association football. It enjoyed a modicum of success in international competition. In 1992, during the Yugoslav wars, the team was suspended from international...
2–1 in a repeat of their first international. At the finals, Romania played only one game in a new knock-out format, losing 2–1 to Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia national football team
The Czechoslovakia national football team was the national association football team of Czechoslovakia from 1922 to 1993. At the dissolution of Czechoslovakia at the end of 1992, the team was participating in UEFA qualifying Group 4 for the 1994 World Cup; it completed this campaign under the name...
in Trieste
Trieste
Trieste is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is situated towards the end of a narrow strip of land lying between the Adriatic Sea and Italy's border with Slovenia, which lies almost immediately south and east of the city...
, Italy, with Ştefan Dobay
Stefan Dobay
Ștefan Dobay , native name István Dobay, was a Austrian-Hungarian native Romanian footballer.He played for Ripensia Timișoara and the Romania national football team for whom he got 41 caps, scored 20 goals and he appeared at the 1934 and 1938 World Cups as a forward and scoring a goal in each...
scoring their only goal of the tournament.
Romania qualified by default for the 1938 World Cup
1938 FIFA World Cup
The 1938 FIFA World Cup was the third staging of the World Cup, and was held in France from 4 June to 19 June. Italy retained the championship, beating Hungary 4–2 in the final.-Host selection:...
after their qualifying playoff opponents Egypt withdrew. They suffered a shock defeat in the finals in France, losing to minnows Cuba
Cuba national football team
The Cuba national football team is the national team of Cuba and is controlled by the Asociación de Fútbol de Cuba. They are affiliated to the Caribbean Football Union of CONCACAF....
, who, like Romania, had only qualified due to the withdrawal of their qualifying opponents, USA
United States men's national soccer team
The United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international association football competitions. It is controlled by the United States Soccer Federation and competes in CONCACAF...
. The first match at the Stade Chapou in Toulouse
Toulouse
Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...
ended 3–3 after extra time, but Cuba won the replay four days later 2–1.
Years in the international wilderness
Between 1938 and 1970 Romania failed to qualify for any major international tournaments.1970 World Cup
Participation in the World Cup was finally achieved once again in 19701970 FIFA World Cup
The 1970 FIFA World Cup, the ninth staging of the World Cup, was held in Mexico, from 31 May to 21 June. The 1970 tournament was the first World Cup hosted in North America, and the first held outside South America and Europe. In a match-up of two-time World Cup champions, the final was won by...
in Mexico, although qualification came on the back of a 3–0 thrashing by Portugal
Portugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
in Lisbon
Lisbon
Lisbon is the capital city and largest city of Portugal with a population of 545,245 within its administrative limits on a land area of . The urban area of Lisbon extends beyond the administrative city limits with a population of 3 million on an area of , making it the 9th most populous urban...
and two unconvincing draws against unfancied Greece
Greece national football team
The Greece national football team represents Greece in association football and is controlled by the Hellenic Football Federation, the governing body for football in Greece. Greece's home ground is Karaiskakis Stadium in Piraeus and their head coach is Fernando Santos...
. Angelo Niculescu
Angelo Niculescu
Angelo Niculescu is a former Romanian football manager. He was the coach of the Romania national football team during the 1970 FIFA World Cup.-External links:*...
's promising side were given the toughest of draws, in Group 3 with holders England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
, giants Brazil
Brazil national football team
The Brazil national football team represents Brazil in international men's football and is controlled by the Brazilian Football Confederation , the governing body for football in Brazil. They are a member of the International Federation of Association Football since 1923 and also a member of the...
and Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia national football team
The Czechoslovakia national football team was the national association football team of Czechoslovakia from 1922 to 1993. At the dissolution of Czechoslovakia at the end of 1992, the team was participating in UEFA qualifying Group 4 for the 1994 World Cup; it completed this campaign under the name...
.
A Geoff Hurst
Geoff Hurst
Sir Geoffrey Charles Hurst MBE is a retired England footballer best remembered for his years with West Ham. He made his mark in World Cup history as the only player to have scored a hat-trick in a World Cup final. His three goals came in the 1966 final for England in their 4–2 win over West...
goal gave England a narrow victory in Romania's first match at the Estadio Jalisco
Estadio Jalisco
The Estadio Jalisco is a football stadium located in Guadalajara, Mexico. It is the third largest Mexican football stadium behind Estadio Azteca and Estadio Olimpico Universitario...
in Guadalajara
Guadalajara, Jalisco
Guadalajara is the capital of the Mexican state of Jalisco, and the seat of the municipality of Guadalajara. The city is located in the central region of Jalisco in the western-pacific area of Mexico. With a population of 1,564,514 it is Mexico's second most populous municipality...
. Chances were improved with a 2–1 win over the Czechs. Despite going behind early to a Ladislav Petráš
Ladislav Petráš
Ladislav Petráš is a former Slovak football player. Born in Necpaly, he played for Czechoslovakia national team in 19 matches and scored 6 goals....
goal, Romania turned it around after half-time with Alexandru Neagu
Alexandru Neagu
Alexandru "Sandu" Neagu was a Romanian footballer.-Career:He made his debut in 1965 and two years later he won the national championship . He won the Romanian Cup twice in 1972 and 1975...
and Florea Dumitrache
Florea Dumitrache
Florea Dumitrache was a Romanian football striker. He was considered one of the best Romanian strikers of all time.-Career:...
scoring to give them two vital points. Even then, only a win over the excellent Brazilians would take them into the Quarter Finals.
There were rumours before the match that Brazil might prefer Romania to progress than World Champions England; Despite beating them 1–0 in their previous match in Guadalajara, the South American giants still viewed England as one of their biggest obstacles to tournament victory. But Brazil played some of the best football of the competition, with Pelé
Pelé
However, Pelé has always maintained that those are mistakes, that he was actually named Edson and that he was born on 23 October 1940.), best known by his nickname Pelé , is a retired Brazilian footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time...
scoring twice and a Jairzinho
Jairzinho
Jair Ventura Filho, better known as Jairzinho , is a former association footballer. A quick, powerful forward or winger, he was a member of the legendary Brazilian national team that won the 1970 FIFA World Cup, during which he scored in every game Brazil played...
goal in between. Romania battled bravely; Dumitrache
Florea Dumitrache
Florea Dumitrache was a Romanian football striker. He was considered one of the best Romanian strikers of all time.-Career:...
pulled the score back to 2–1 before the break and a late Emerich Dembrowski goal made it 3–2, but they were out.
1970s
On 26 September 1973, under new coach Valentin StanescuValentin Stanescu
Valentin Stănescu Was the manager of the football team Rapid Bucureşti.-Manager career:*1959-1963: Metalul Târgovişte *1963-1968: CFR Bucureşti...
, Romania suffered a significant defeat to East Germany
East Germany national football team
The East Germany national football team was from 1952 to 1990 the football team of East Germany, playing as one of three post-war German teams, along with Saarland and West Germany....
in Leipzig
Leipzig
Leipzig Leipzig has always been a trade city, situated during the time of the Holy Roman Empire at the intersection of the Via Regia and Via Imperii, two important trade routes. At one time, Leipzig was one of the major European centres of learning and culture in fields such as music and publishing...
. The East Germans won 2–0 to effectively seal their first ever qualification for the World Cup, which would be held over the border
1974 FIFA World Cup
The 1974 FIFA World Cup, the tenth staging of the World Cup, was held in West Germany from 13 June to 7 July. The tournament marked the first time that the current trophy, the FIFA World Cup Trophy, created by the Italian sculptor Silvio Gazzaniga, was awarded...
in West Germany
West Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
. With East Germany scoring a predictable 4–1 win in Albania
Albania national football team
The Albania national association football team is the national association football team of Albania and is controlled by the Football Association of Albania...
, Romania were out, despite a huge 9–0 win over Finland
Finland national football team
The Finland national football team represents Finland in international football competitions and is controlled by the Football Association of Finland....
in Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
.
Romania continued to suffer poor form in the UEFA European Championship. In their qualifying group for the 1976 European Football Championship, they were out-qualified by Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
, despite an impressive 1–1 draw in the away match. Romania failed to win matches, drawing twice with Scotland
Scotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
and Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
and dropping points in Denmark
Denmark national football team
The Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU...
with a dismal goalless draw.
Romania were again beat by Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
for a place in the 1978 World Cup
1978 FIFA World Cup
The 1978 FIFA World Cup, the 11th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Argentina between 1 June and 25 June. The 1978 World Cup was won by Argentina who beat the Netherlands 3–1 after extra time in the final. This win was the first World Cup title for Argentina, who became the fifth...
in Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
. Despite a 1–0 win in Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
, Romania lost a bizarre match at home to Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia national football team
The Yugoslavia national football team represented the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in association football. It enjoyed a modicum of success in international competition. In 1992, during the Yugoslav wars, the team was suspended from international...
6–4 having led 3–2 at half time. Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
won 1–0 in Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
to seal passage to South America.
1980s
Romania's sole successful qualifying campaign was for the European Championships in 1984 in France. At the finals, Romania were drawn with regular rivals SpainSpain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
, holders West Germany and dark horses Portugal
Portugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
. Under head coach Mircea Lucescu
Mircea Lucescu
Mircea Lucescu is a Romanian former football player and current coach, and one of the most successful Romanian football managers. He is also the father of Rapid Bucharest coach, Răzvan Lucescu...
, an encouraging opening game in Saint-Étienne
Saint-Étienne
Saint-Étienne is a city in eastern central France. It is located in the Massif Central, southwest of Lyon in the Rhône-Alpes region, along the trunk road that connects Toulouse with Lyon...
saw them draw with the Spanish. Francisco José Carrasco
Francisco José Carrasco
Francisco José Carrasco Hidalgo is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a winger, and currently a coach.-Club career:...
opened the scoring from the penalty spot but Romania equalized before half time with a goal from Laszlo Bölöni.
Against the Germans in Lens
Lens, Pas-de-Calais
Lens is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in northern France. It is one of France's large Picarde cities along with Lille, Valenciennes, Amiens, Roubaix, Tourcoing, Arras, and Douai.-Metropolitan area:...
, Marcel Coraş
Marcel Coras
Marcel Coraş is a retired Romanian football striker.-Career:He was born in Arad and debuted in Divizia A with UTA Arad in 1977. His most successful period was between 1983 and 1988, when he played Sportul Studenţesc and won the league silver medal in 1986. He became top goalscorer of Divizia A in...
scored an equalizer in the first minute of the second half in response to Rudi Völler
Rudi Völler
Rudolf 'Rudi' Völler is a German former international football striker, and a former manager of the German national team...
's opener, but Völler would score a winning goal. Their last match in Nantes
Nantes
Nantes is a city in western France, located on the Loire River, from the Atlantic coast. The city is the 6th largest in France, while its metropolitan area ranks 8th with over 800,000 inhabitants....
was a must-win match, but Nené
Tamagnini Nené
Tamagnini Manuel Gomes Baptista, Nené , is a retired Portuguese footballer.A striker, he played his entire career with Sport Lisboa e Benfica, appearing in nearly 600 official games for the club....
's late winner meant Portugal
Portugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
progressed with Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
, who netted a dramatic late winner against West Germany at the Parc des Princes
Parc des Princes
The Parc des Princes is an all-seater football stadium located in the southwest of Paris, France. The venue, with a seating capacity of 48,712 spectators, has been the home of French football club Paris Saint-Germain since 1974. The current Parc des Princes was inaugurated on 4 June 1972, endowed...
in Paris.
Romania stuttered throughout the rest of the decade, but a stronger squad at the end of the decade saw them qualify for their fifth World Cup at Italia 90. A win over Denmark
Denmark national football team
The Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU...
in their last match took Emerich Jenei
Emerich Jenei
Emerich Jenei or Imre Jenei is a Romanian former football player and coach...
's side to the finals for the first time in twenty years.
Italia 90
Romania's squad was entirely domestic-based, despite an increasing trend for the major sides in Italy and Spain buying up the best foreign talent. Midfielder Ilie DumitrescuIlie Dumitrescu
Ilie Dumitrescu is a former Romanian football player and current coach, he last managed Steaua Bucureşti. A tricky forward, he shot to fame when his frontline partnership with Gheorghe Hagi and Florin Răducioiu led the Romania national football team to the 1994 FIFA World Cup quarterfinal,...
, striker Florin Răducioiu
Florin Raducioiu
Florin Valeriu Răducioiu is a former Romanian football striker, who played for Dinamo Bucureşti, A.C. Milan, Brescia Calcio, West Ham United, RCD Espanyol, VfB Stuttgart and A.S...
and genius playmaker Gheorghe Hagi
Gheorghe Hagi
Gheorghe Hagi is a former Romanian footballer. He was famous for his passing, close control, long shots and was regarded as one of the best attacking midfielders in Europe during the 1980s and 1990s and is considered the greatest Romanian footballer of all time...
, then of Steaua Bucharest, were in the squad, but it was forward Gavril Balint
Gavril Balint
Gavril Pelé Balint is a former Romanian football striker and the current head coach of Moldovan national team. His scored the second and last goal at the penalties shoot-out during the 1986 European Cup final, helping his team, Steaua Bucureşti, to win the trophy.-Career as a football player:Born...
who would prove the hero in the first round.
With World Champions Argentina
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
stunned by Cameroon
Cameroon national football team
The Cameroon national football team, nicknamed Les Lions Indomptables , is controlled by the Fédération Camerounaise de Football and is Africa's most successful side in FIFA world cup; having qualified for the FIFA World Cup six times – in 1982, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2010– more than any...
in the tournament's opening match, Romania did their chances no harm with a convincing win over the USSR at the San Nicola in Bari
Bari
Bari is the capital city of the province of Bari and of the Apulia region, on the Adriatic Sea, in Italy. It is the second most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy after Naples, and is well known as a port and university city, as well as the city of Saint Nicholas...
, with Marius Lăcătuş
Marius Lacatus
Marius Mihai Lăcătuş is a Romanian retired football player and football coach. He is so far the most successful football player ever to play for Steaua Bucureşti...
scoring in either half. The result was all the more impressive given the absence of Hagi. There was controversy, however, as Lăcătus's second was a penalty given for a handball by Vagiz Khidiatullin that television replays clearly showed to be some way outside the penalty area.
Romania were the next victims of Cameroon
Cameroon national football team
The Cameroon national football team, nicknamed Les Lions Indomptables , is controlled by the Fédération Camerounaise de Football and is Africa's most successful side in FIFA world cup; having qualified for the FIFA World Cup six times – in 1982, 1990, 1994, 1998, 2002 and 2010– more than any...
in Bari. Cult hero Roger Milla
Roger Milla
Roger Milla is a retired Cameroonian footballer who played as a striker. He was one of the first African players to be a major star on the international stage...
, 38 years of age, came on as a substitute for Emmanuel Maboang Kessack and scored twice, before Balint
Gavril Balint
Gavril Pelé Balint is a former Romanian football striker and the current head coach of Moldovan national team. His scored the second and last goal at the penalties shoot-out during the 1986 European Cup final, helping his team, Steaua Bucureşti, to win the trophy.-Career as a football player:Born...
pulled one back. Romania needed a point in their last match against improving Argentina
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
at the San Paolo
San Paolo
San Paolo is a comune in the Province of Brescia, in the Italian region Lombardy....
in Naples
Naples
Naples is a city in Southern Italy, situated on the country's west coast by the Gulf of Naples. Lying between two notable volcanic regions, Mount Vesuvius and the Phlegraean Fields, it is the capital of the region of Campania and of the province of Naples...
. Pedro Monzón
Pedro Monzón
Pedro Damián Monzón is an Argentine football coach and former footballer.-Biography:Moncho Monzón played in different clubs, but most importantly in Independiente, with which he obtained 4 titles, including the Intercontinental Cup in 1984.Monzón was famously the first player to be sent off in a...
gave Argentina the lead after an hour, but Balint quickly equalized and Romania held on to reach Round 2.
Against Jack Charlton
Jack Charlton
John "Jack" Charlton, OBE, DL is a former footballer and manager who played for Leeds United in the 1950s, 1960s and 1970s, and was part of the England team who won the 1966 World Cup...
's Ireland
Republic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
side in Genoa
Genoa
Genoa |Ligurian]] Zena ; Latin and, archaically, English Genua) is a city and an important seaport in northern Italy, the capital of the Province of Genoa and of the region of Liguria....
, Romania didn't have the quality to break down a defensive opposition. Daniel Timofte
Daniel Timofte
Daniel Timofte is a retired Romanian football midfielder and is currently a coach. He is today a legend in Samsun and remains a fan favourite.-Club career:...
was the only player to miss in the penalty shoot-out – his kick saved by Packie Bonner
Packie Bonner
Patrick Joseph "Packie" Bonner is an Irish former football goalkeeper for Celtic and the Republic of Ireland, who earned 80 caps after making his debut on his 21st birthday...
– and Romania were out.
Euro 92 and USA 94
Romania missed out on Euro 92. ScotlandScotland national football team
The Scotland national football team represents Scotland in international football and is controlled by the Scottish Football Association. Scotland are the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside England, whom they played in the world's first international football match in 1872...
qualified after Romania drew a must-win last match in Sofia
Sofia
Sofia is the capital and largest city of Bulgaria and the 12th largest city in the European Union with a population of 1.27 million people. It is located in western Bulgaria, at the foot of Mount Vitosha and approximately at the centre of the Balkan Peninsula.Prehistoric settlements were excavated...
against Bulgaria
Bulgaria national football team
The FIFA Bulgaria national football team is an association football team fielded by the Bulgarian Football Union, a member association of UEFA. The team's home ground is Vasil Levski in Sofia and Luboslav Penev is in charge manager after replacement of Lothar Matthäus...
, with Nasko Sirakov
Nasko Sirakov
Nasko Petkov Sirakov is a retired Bulgarian footballer who played mainly as a striker.Part of the Bulgarian team at the 1994 FIFA World Cup as it finished fourth, he was one of the most important footballers in the country in the 80's/90's, being a legend at Levski Sofia, a club he represented in...
's equalizer sealing their fate.
They were successful, though, in reaching another World Cup
1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
in the United States in 1994. Despite losing in Belgium and suffering a heavy 5–2 defeat in Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia national football team
The Czechoslovakia national football team was the national association football team of Czechoslovakia from 1922 to 1993. At the dissolution of Czechoslovakia at the end of 1992, the team was participating in UEFA qualifying Group 4 for the 1994 World Cup; it completed this campaign under the name...
, Romania went into their last match at Cardiff Arms Park
Cardiff Arms Park
Cardiff Arms Park , also known as The Arms Park, is primarily known as a rugby union stadium, but it also has a bowling green, and is situated in the centre of Cardiff, Wales. The Arms Park was host to the British Empire and Commonwealth Games in 1958, and hosted four games in the 1991 Rugby World...
with Wales
Wales national football team
The Wales national football team represents Wales in international football. It is controlled by the Football Association of Wales , the governing body for football in Wales, and the third oldest national football association in the world. The team have only qualified for a major international...
needing a win to pip them to a place in the finals. Goals from Gheorghe Hagi
Gheorghe Hagi
Gheorghe Hagi is a former Romanian footballer. He was famous for his passing, close control, long shots and was regarded as one of the best attacking midfielders in Europe during the 1980s and 1990s and is considered the greatest Romanian footballer of all time...
and Dean Saunders
Dean Saunders
Dean Nicholas Saunders is a former Wales international footballer who played as a striker in a professional career which lasted from 1982 until 2001. He is the manager of Doncaster Rovers....
meant the game was finely balanced, before Wales were awarded a penalty. Paul Bodin
Paul Bodin
Paul John Bodin is a former Wales international footballer. A left-back, Bodin's domestic career is probably best remembered for his two spells at Swindon Town.-Career:...
of Swindon Town stepped up but hit the woodwork and Romania went on to win 2–1, Răducioiu
Florin Raducioiu
Florin Valeriu Răducioiu is a former Romanian football striker, who played for Dinamo Bucureşti, A.C. Milan, Brescia Calcio, West Ham United, RCD Espanyol, VfB Stuttgart and A.S...
's late goal proving unnecessary as Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia national football team
The Czechoslovakia national football team was the national association football team of Czechoslovakia from 1922 to 1993. At the dissolution of Czechoslovakia at the end of 1992, the team was participating in UEFA qualifying Group 4 for the 1994 World Cup; it completed this campaign under the name...
dropped a point in Belgium and were knocked out.
At the finals, Romania were one of the most entertaining teams in the early stages with Hagi
Gheorghe Hagi
Gheorghe Hagi is a former Romanian footballer. He was famous for his passing, close control, long shots and was regarded as one of the best attacking midfielders in Europe during the 1980s and 1990s and is considered the greatest Romanian footballer of all time...
, Răducioiu
Florin Raducioiu
Florin Valeriu Răducioiu is a former Romanian football striker, who played for Dinamo Bucureşti, A.C. Milan, Brescia Calcio, West Ham United, RCD Espanyol, VfB Stuttgart and A.S...
and Dumitrescu
Ilie Dumitrescu
Ilie Dumitrescu is a former Romanian football player and current coach, he last managed Steaua Bucureşti. A tricky forward, he shot to fame when his frontline partnership with Gheorghe Hagi and Florin Răducioiu led the Romania national football team to the 1994 FIFA World Cup quarterfinal,...
on form. Romania beat Colombia
Colombia national football team
The Colombian national football team represents Colombia in international football competitions and is controlled by the Colombian Football Federation. It is a member of the CONMEBOL...
– dark horses and Pelé
Pelé
However, Pelé has always maintained that those are mistakes, that he was actually named Edson and that he was born on 23 October 1940.), best known by his nickname Pelé , is a retired Brazilian footballer. He is widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time...
's tip for the tournament – at the Pasadena
Pasadena, California
Pasadena is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Although famous for hosting the annual Rose Bowl football game and Tournament of Roses Parade, Pasadena is the home to many scientific and cultural institutions, including the California Institute of Technology , the Jet...
Rose Bowl
Rose Bowl (stadium)
The Rose Bowl is an outdoor athletic stadium in Pasadena, California, U.S., in Los Angeles County. The stadium is the site of the annual college football bowl game, the Rose Bowl, held on New Year's Day. In 1982, it became the home field of the UCLA Bruins college football team of the Pac-12...
in Los Angeles 3–1. Răducioiu opened the scoring before Hagi scored a spectacular second from wide on the left touchline. Adolfo Valencia
Adolfo Valencia
Adolfo José Valencia Mosquera is a retired Colombian footballer who played as a striker....
shredded their nerves with a headed goal just before half-time, but Romania held on and Răducioiu sealed the win with a late third.
In Detroit's Pontiac Silverdome
Pontiac Silverdome
The Silverdome is a domed stadium located in the city of Pontiac, Michigan, USA, which sits on . It was the largest stadium in the National Football League until FedEx Field in suburban Washington, D.C...
, the temperature soared due to the greenhouse effect in the indoor arena. Switzerland
Switzerland national football team
The Swiss national football team is the national football team of Switzerland...
, acclimatized after having already played the hosts there, outran Romania in the second half and turned a 1–1 half time score into a surprising 4–1 win. Romania responded by beating the hosts 1–0 in Pasadena with an early Dan Petrescu
Dan Petrescu
Daniel Vasile Petrescu is a Romanian football manager and former player, currently the manager of Kuban Krasnodar in the Russian Premier League....
goal.
In Round 2 they faced Argentina
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
, who were shorn of Diego Maradona
Diego Maradona
Diego Armando Maradona is a retired Argentine football player and widely regarded as one of the greatest football players of all time. Over the course of his professional club career Maradona played for Argentinos Juniors, Boca Juniors, Barcelona, Napoli, Sevilla and Newell's Old Boys, setting...
who was thrown out of the tournament for taking drugs. Răducioiu, suspended, was hardly missed, as coach Anghel Iordănescu
Anghel Iordanescu
Anghel Iordănescu is a Major General and former Romanian football striker, currently a politician. In 2007 Iordănescu retired from football, and the following February, after his predecessor resigned, he became a member of the Romanian Senate, sitting on the Social Democratic Party benches.-Career...
pushed Dumitrescu forward to play as a striker and the player responded by scoring twice in the first twenty minutes, one a superbly subtle left foot flick from a right-wing Hagi cross slotted between the Argentine defenders. In between, Gabriel Batistuta
Gabriel Batistuta
Gabriel Omar Batistuta , nicknamed Batigol, is a former professional footballer. The prolific Argentine striker played most of his club football at Fiorentina in Italy, and he is the tenth top scorer of all-time in the Italian Serie A league, with 184 goals in 318 matches...
scored a penalty, but after half-time Romania netted a superb third on the counter attack, with Hagi beating goalkeeper Luis Islas
Luis Islas
Luis Alberto Islas Ranieri is a former football goalkeeper. He played for the Argentina national team, Independiente, Estudiantes de La Plata and León....
. Abel Balbo pulled one back, but Romania held on for a shock win.
Romania would suffer penalty heartbreak again, in the Quarter Final against Sweden
Sweden national football team
The Swedish national football team represents Sweden in association football and is controlled by the Swedish Football Association, the governing body for Football in Sweden. Sweden's home ground is Råsunda Stadium in Stockholms län and their head coach is Erik Hamrén. Sweden made their first...
. With just thirteen minutes to go, a tight match opened up as Sweden's Thomas Brolin scored from a clever free-kick move, the ball passed outside the Romanian wall by Håkan Mild
Håkan Mild
Stig Håkan Mild is a former Swedish football midfielder and current director of sports of IFK Göteborg, his main club as player, with which he won four Swedish Championships...
for Brolin to smash in. Iordănescu threw caution to the wind and the returning Răducioiu found a late equalizer, again from a free-kick move but this time down to a deflection and a failure of the Swedes to clear. In extra time Răducioiu scored again after a mistake by Patrik Andersson, but Sweden then scored their own late equalizer as giant striker Kennet Andersson
Kennet Andersson
Bernt Kennet Andersson is a Swedish former football player and a key member of the Swedish national team that finished third in the 1994 World Cup....
climbed above goalkeeper Florin Prunea to head home a long ball. Prunea had come in after two matches to replace Bogdan Stelea
Bogdan Stelea
Bogdan Gheorghe Stelea is a retired Romanian footballer who played as a goalkeeper.Having played professionally into his 40's, he played for all three major first division clubs in his country's capital, and also spent a vast part of his career in Spain, mainly with Salamanca.-Club career:Stelea...
, whose confidence was shattered by the 4–1 loss to the Swiss. In the shoot-out, Dan Petrescu
Dan Petrescu
Daniel Vasile Petrescu is a Romanian football manager and former player, currently the manager of Kuban Krasnodar in the Russian Premier League....
and Miodrag Belodedici
Miodrag Belodedici
Miodrag Belodedici is a Romanian former football player.Nicknamed The deer due to his elegant tackles, he won the European Cup twice, in 1986 with Steaua Bucureşti and 1991 with Red Star Belgrade, thus becoming the first player to win the trophy with two different clubs...
had their kicks saved by Thomas Ravelli
Thomas Ravelli
Thomas Ravelli is a retired Swedish footballer who played as a goalkeeper.His 21-year professional career was almost exclusively associated with Öster and Göteborg, for whom he amassed Allsvenskan totals of 430 games....
and Sweden went through.
Euro 96
In England, Romania arrived as a highly thought-of and popular team but had a nightmare. Iordănescu's side were based in the north east, with their first two games at St James' ParkSt James' Park
St James' Park, known for sponsorship reasons as the Sports Direct Arena, is an all-seater stadium in Newcastle upon Tyne, England. It is the home of Newcastle United Football Club and is the sixth largest football stadium in the United Kingdom with a capacity of between 52,387 and 52,409.St James'...
in Newcastle
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...
. Against France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
, they lost to a Christophe Dugarry header reminiscent of Kennet Andersson
Kennet Andersson
Bernt Kennet Andersson is a Swedish former football player and a key member of the Swedish national team that finished third in the 1994 World Cup....
's two years earlier, beating the goalkeeper to a lofted through ball. A brilliant early solo goal by Hristo Stoichkov
Hristo Stoichkov
Hristo Stoichkov Stoichkov , sometimes Stoitchkov; born 8 February 1966 in Plovdiv) is a retired Bulgarian footballer. He is regarded as one of the best footballers of his generation and the greatest Bulgarian footballer of all time. Nicknamed The Dagger , The Dog , The Modern Left...
saw Bulgaria
Bulgaria national football team
The FIFA Bulgaria national football team is an association football team fielded by the Bulgarian Football Union, a member association of UEFA. The team's home ground is Vasil Levski in Sofia and Luboslav Penev is in charge manager after replacement of Lothar Matthäus...
knock out their neighbours, although Romania claimed they should have had a goal awarded when the ball struck the bar and bounced behind the goal-line. They finally scored in their last game, Florin Răducioiu
Florin Raducioiu
Florin Valeriu Răducioiu is a former Romanian football striker, who played for Dinamo Bucureşti, A.C. Milan, Brescia Calcio, West Ham United, RCD Espanyol, VfB Stuttgart and A.S...
equalizing an early goal by Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
's Javier Manjarín. Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
had to win to qualify with France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
at the expense of Bulgaria
Bulgaria national football team
The FIFA Bulgaria national football team is an association football team fielded by the Bulgarian Football Union, a member association of UEFA. The team's home ground is Vasil Levski in Sofia and Luboslav Penev is in charge manager after replacement of Lothar Matthäus...
and did so when Guillermo Amor
Guillermo Amor
Guillermo Amor Martínez is a retired Spanish footballer who played as a versatile midfielder.After playing most of his professional career with FC Barcelona, winning several accolades in 10 seasons, he ended it in Scotland, with Livingston...
stooped to head a late winner. Romania exited in total shame, with no points and tons of regrets of what could have been.
France 98
Despite a dreadful Euro 96, Romania impressed in qualifying, finishing ten points clear of IrelandRepublic of Ireland national football team
The Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in association football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Aviva Stadium in Dublin, which opened in May 2010....
and were seeded
1998 FIFA World Cup seeding
To calculate the seeding for the 1998 FIFA World Cup, FIFA used the FIFA World Rankings in combination with performances of national teams in the three previous World Cups....
for the final tournament of the 1998 World Cup
1998 FIFA World Cup
The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final...
thanks to their strong USA 94
1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
showing. Despite being drawn in a group with England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
, getting through it was perceived to be easy work with a waning Colombia
Colombia national football team
The Colombian national football team represents Colombia in international football competitions and is controlled by the Colombian Football Federation. It is a member of the CONMEBOL...
and minnows Tunisia
Tunisia national football team
The Tunisia national football team , nicknamed Les Aigles de Carthage , is the national team of Tunisia and is controlled by the Fédération Tunisienne de Football. They have qualified for four FIFA World Cups, the first one in 1978, but have yet to make it out of the first round...
.
Adrian Ilie
Adrian Ilie
-Career as football player:Young Ilie started to play football for Electroputere Craiova from a very early age. In 1991, aged 17, he made his debut for the first team...
scored the only goal with a fine chip in their first match against Colombia
Colombia national football team
The Colombian national football team represents Colombia in international football competitions and is controlled by the Colombian Football Federation. It is a member of the CONMEBOL...
at Lyon
Lyon
Lyon , is a city in east-central France in the Rhône-Alpes region, situated between Paris and Marseille. Lyon is located at from Paris, from Marseille, from Geneva, from Turin, and from Barcelona. The residents of the city are called Lyonnais....
's Stade Gerland
Stade Gerland
The Stade de Gerland is a stadium, in the city of Lyon, France and home to Ligue 1 football club Olympique Lyonnais...
.
In Toulouse
Toulouse
Toulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...
, they met an England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
side starting with prodigal striker Michael Owen
Michael Owen
Michael James Owen is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for Manchester United.The son of former footballer Terry Owen, Owen began his senior career at Liverpool in 1996. He progressed through the Liverpool youth team and scored on his debut in May 1997...
on the bench, with Teddy Sheringham
Teddy Sheringham
Edward Paul "Teddy" Sheringham MBE is a retired English footballer, and the father of footballer Charlie Sheringham. Sheringham played as a striker, and had a successful career at the club level, winning almost every domestic honour available with his clubs, most notably the Treble with Manchester...
preferred alongside Alan Shearer
Alan Shearer
Alan Shearer OBE, DL is a retired English footballer. He played as a striker in the top level of English league football for Southampton, Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United and for the England national team...
. A mistake by Tony Adams
Tony Adams (footballer)
Tony Alexander Adams, MBE is an English football manager and former player.Adams spent his entire playing career of 22 years as a defender at Arsenal. He is considered one of the greatest Arsenal players of all time by the club's own fans and was included in the Football League 100 Legends...
was punished by Viorel Moldovan
Viorel Moldovan
Viorel Dinu Moldovan is a retired Romanian football forward, who was a key part of the Romanian national team in the 1990s...
, who played for Coventry City, before Owen came on to claim an equalizer. But Romania won with a wonderful late goal from Dan Petrescu
Dan Petrescu
Daniel Vasile Petrescu is a Romanian football manager and former player, currently the manager of Kuban Krasnodar in the Russian Premier League....
, also playing in England with Chelsea
Chelsea F.C.
Chelsea Football Club are an English football club based in West London. Founded in 1905, they play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football. Chelsea have been English champions four times, FA Cup winners six times and League Cup winners four...
, fighting off his club mate Graeme le Saux
Graeme Le Saux
Graeme Pierre Le Saux is a retired English footballer of French ancestry who played for the Premier League clubs Chelsea, Blackburn Rovers and Southampton, and for the England national football team. Primarily a left back, he was sometimes also played in midfield or on the left wing.After...
and nutmegging
Nutmeg (football)
A nutmeg is a technique used in football or field hockey, in which a player rolls the ball through an opponent's legs. This can be whilst passing to another player, shooting or occasionally to carry on and retrieve it themselves.- Origin :...
goalkeeper David Seaman
David Seaman
David Andrew Seaman MBE is a former English football goalkeeper who played for several clubs, most notably Arsenal. He retired from the game on 13 January 2004, following a recurring shoulder injury...
.
The next match was against Tunisia
Tunisia national football team
The Tunisia national football team , nicknamed Les Aigles de Carthage , is the national team of Tunisia and is controlled by the Fédération Tunisienne de Football. They have qualified for four FIFA World Cups, the first one in 1978, but have yet to make it out of the first round...
. Romania decided to bleach their hair before the match. Despite England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
v Colombia
Colombia national football team
The Colombian national football team represents Colombia in international football competitions and is controlled by the Colombian Football Federation. It is a member of the CONMEBOL...
being the more decisive game, the Stade de France
Stade de France
The Stade de France is the national stadium of France, situated just north of Paris in the commune of Saint-Denis. It has an all-seater capacity of 80,000, making it the fifth largest stadium in Europe, and is used by both the France national football team and French rugby union team for...
in Paris was an 80,000 sell out and the crowd were nearly rewarded with a shock as Skander Souayah
Skander Souayah
Skander Souayah is a Tunisian football player.He played for a few clubs, including CS Sfaxien and Espérance Tunis.He played for the Tunisia national football team and was a participant at the 1998 FIFA World Cup, where he scored a goal from the penalty kick in match against Romania.Souayah...
scored an early penalty to give the north Africans the lead.
Romania needed a point to win the group and, crucially, avoid Argentina
Argentina national football team
The Argentina national football team represents Argentina in association football and is controlled by the Argentine Football Association , the governing body for football in Argentina. Argentina's home stadium is Estadio Monumental Antonio Vespucio Liberti and their head coach is Alejandro...
in Round 2, and got it when Moldovan volleyed a late equalizer. It did them little good, however, as in the Round of 16 match at Bordeaux
Bordeaux
Bordeaux is a port city on the Garonne River in the Gironde department in southwestern France.The Bordeaux-Arcachon-Libourne metropolitan area, has a population of 1,010,000 and constitutes the sixth-largest urban area in France. It is the capital of the Aquitaine region, as well as the prefecture...
against the Croatian team, Davor Šuker
Davor Šuker
Davor Šuker , is a retired Croatian footballer. He played as a striker for a number of European clubs as well as the Croatian national team, where he is the all-time top goal scorer with 45 goals....
scored a twice-taken penalty in a poor match and Romania were out.
Euro 2000
Romania were not expected to progress through a group containing PortugalPortugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
, England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
and Germany
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
. Hagi's powers were waning, Dumitrescu and Rǎducioiu were no longer on the scene and hopes were pinned on young Internazionale forward Adrian Mutu
Adrian Mutu
Adrian Mutu is a Romanian footballer who plays as a striker for Serie A club Cesena.-Argeş Piteşti:Mutu began his professional career with his home club Argeş Piteşti...
. Romania started brightly against the Germans
Germany national football team
The Germany national football team is the football team that has represented Germany in international competition since 1908. It is governed by the German Football Association , which was founded in 1900....
in Liège
Liège
Liège is a major city and municipality of Belgium located in the province of Liège, of which it is the economic capital, in Wallonia, the French-speaking region of Belgium....
, with Moldovan
Viorel Moldovan
Viorel Dinu Moldovan is a retired Romanian football forward, who was a key part of the Romanian national team in the 1990s...
scoring from close range. A long-range Mehmet Scholl
Mehmet Scholl
Mehmet Scholl is a former German football player with Turkish-German ancestry. He played most of his career as an attacking midfielder for Bayern Munich...
equalizer meant they had to be content with a point and their position looked shaky after Costinha
Costinha
Francisco José Rodrigues da Costa, OIH , aka Costinha , is a retired Portuguese footballer who played as a defensive midfielder....
headed a last minute winner for Portugal
Portugal national football team
The Portugal national football team represents Portugal in association football and is controlled by the Portuguese Football Federation, the governing body for football in Portugal. Portugal's home ground is Estádio Nacional in Oeiras, and their head coach is Paulo Bento...
in their second match.
Emerich Jenei
Emerich Jenei
Emerich Jenei or Imre Jenei is a Romanian former football player and coach...
, back as coach, threw caution to the wind in the last match in Charleroi
Charleroi
Charleroi is a city and a municipality of Wallonia, located in the province of Hainaut, Belgium. , the total population of Charleroi was 201,593. The metropolitan area, including the outer commuter zone, covers an area of and had a total population of 522,522 as of 1 January 2008, ranking it as...
against England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
, a match which Romania had to win. Defender Cristian Chivu
Cristian Chivu
Cristian Eugen Chivu is a Romanian footballer. He currently plays for Internazionale of the Italian Serie A. He usually plays as a left back but can play as a center back as well as in defensive midfield when needed....
's cross went in off the post in the 22nd minute but, despite Romania dominating, England led at half-time through an Alan Shearer
Alan Shearer
Alan Shearer OBE, DL is a retired English footballer. He played as a striker in the top level of English league football for Southampton, Blackburn Rovers, Newcastle United and for the England national team...
penalty and a late Michael Owen
Michael Owen
Michael James Owen is an English professional footballer who plays as a striker for Manchester United.The son of former footballer Terry Owen, Owen began his senior career at Liverpool in 1996. He progressed through the Liverpool youth team and scored on his debut in May 1997...
goal after he rounded Bogdan Stelea
Bogdan Stelea
Bogdan Gheorghe Stelea is a retired Romanian footballer who played as a goalkeeper.Having played professionally into his 40's, he played for all three major first division clubs in his country's capital, and also spent a vast part of his career in Spain, mainly with Salamanca.-Club career:Stelea...
to score a tap-in, both in the last five minutes of the half. Romania attacked after the break and were quickly rewarded; Dorinel Munteanu
Dorinel Munteanu
Dorinel Ionel Munteanu is a Romanian former football midfielder, and current manager of Oţelul Galaţi.-Club career:Munteanu started to play football for Metalul Bocşa, a team which offered him the first chance to play in Divizia B in 1986...
punishing a poor punch from Nigel Martyn
Nigel Martyn
Antony Nigel Martyn , more commonly known as Nigel Martyn, is a retired English football goalkeeper. He played for Crystal Palace where he became the first £1million goalkeeper in British football and also won the Full Members Cup. Martyn then left to spend six seasons at Leeds United. He went on...
, a late replacement for the injured Seaman
David Seaman
David Andrew Seaman MBE is a former English football goalkeeper who played for several clubs, most notably Arsenal. He retired from the game on 13 January 2004, following a recurring shoulder injury...
to equalize three minutes after the re-start. England
England national football team
The England national football team represents England in association football and is controlled by the Football Association, the governing body for football in England. England is the joint oldest national football team in the world, alongside Scotland, whom they played in the world's first...
cracked under the pressure. Unable to retain possession or pose an attacking threat, they fell deep and late on Phil Neville, playing out of position at left-back, conceded a penalty scored by Ioan Ganea in the 89th minute.
Romania's relief was tempered by tough opposition in the last eight, and Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
, who would end up seconds from being crowned European champions in an agonizing final, comfortably saw them off 2–0 in Brussels
Brussels
Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...
. Francesco Totti
Francesco Totti
Francesco Totti, Ufficiale OMRI, is an Italian footballer who is the captain of Serie A club Roma. His primary position is that of a trequartista, though he has also been successfully utilized as a lone striker. Totti has spent his entire career at Roma, is the number-one goalscorer and the most...
and Filippo Inzaghi
Filippo Inzaghi
Filippo Inzaghi, Ufficiale OMRI commonly known as Pippo, is a World Cup and UEFA Champions League-winning Italian footballer who plays for Serie A club Milan....
scoring towards the end of the first half. In the 35th minute Hagi, in his final international tournament, hit the woodwork with goalkeeper Francesco Toldo stranded off his line and, after the break, was sent off for diving. Romania's tournament was over and Jenei
Emerich Jenei
Emerich Jenei or Imre Jenei is a Romanian former football player and coach...
left his job as coach again.
2000s – Near Misses
Romania failed to qualify for the next three major tournaments. They drew SloveniaSlovenia national football team
The Slovenia national football team is the national football team of Slovenia and is controlled by the Football Association of Slovenia. The team played their first match in 1992 after the split of Yugoslavia in 1991....
, who had been surprise qualifiers for Euro 2000 in a playoff for a place in the 2002 World Cup
2002 FIFA World Cup
The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0...
in South Korea
South Korea
The Republic of Korea , , is a sovereign state in East Asia, located on the southern portion of the Korean Peninsula. It is neighbored by the People's Republic of China to the west, Japan to the east, North Korea to the north, and the East China Sea and Republic of China to the south...
and Japan. A narrow 2–1 deficit – having led through a Marius Niculae
Marius Niculae
Marius Constantin Niculae is a Romanian footballer who plays for FC Dinamo Bucureşti as a centre forward.A Romanian international since the age of 19, he participated at Euro 2008.-Dinamo Bucharest:...
goal – after the first leg in Ljubljana
Ljubljana
Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia and its largest city. It is the centre of the City Municipality of Ljubljana. It is located in the centre of the country in the Ljubljana Basin, and is a mid-sized city of some 270,000 inhabitants...
was not irretrievable. With fans' hero Gheorghe Hagi
Gheorghe Hagi
Gheorghe Hagi is a former Romanian footballer. He was famous for his passing, close control, long shots and was regarded as one of the best attacking midfielders in Europe during the 1980s and 1990s and is considered the greatest Romanian footballer of all time...
now coaching the side they were confident of getting the win they needed in Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
against the Balkan upstarts, but Slovenia
Slovenia national football team
The Slovenia national football team is the national football team of Slovenia and is controlled by the Football Association of Slovenia. The team played their first match in 1992 after the split of Yugoslavia in 1991....
took the lead before the hour through Mladen Rudonja
Mladen Rudonja
Mladen Rudonja is a retired Slovenian footballer who represented his country at two major tournaments - Euro 2000 and the 2002 World Cup.He most often played as a forward or a winger...
. Right wing-back Cosmin Contra
Cosmin Contra
Cosmin Marius Contra is a retired Romanian footballer who played mainly as a right defender.Offensive-minded, he could also appear as a midfielder, and played professionally in four countries , mainly in Spain, where he appeared for three clubs, mainly Getafe CF, which he helped consolidate in the...
quickly equalized but Romania could not find the goal they needed to force extra time and Slovenia
Slovenia national football team
The Slovenia national football team is the national football team of Slovenia and is controlled by the Football Association of Slovenia. The team played their first match in 1992 after the split of Yugoslavia in 1991....
, with maverick manager Srečko Katanec
Srecko Katanec
Srečko Katanec is a Slovenian football manager and a former player capped for Yugoslavia and Slovenia. His last position was as the manager of the United Arab Emirates national football team.-Career:...
, were in a major tournament again.
Euro 2004
Romania were confident of qualifying for the tournament, drawn in Group 2 with seeds DenmarkDenmark national football team
The Denmark national football team represents Denmark in association football and is controlled by the Danish Football Association , the governing body for the football clubs which are organized under DBU...
, Norway
Norway national football team
The Norway national football team represents Norway in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of Norway, the governing body for football in Norway. Norway's home ground is Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo and their head coach is Egil Olsen...
, Bosnia-Herzegovina and minnows Luxembourg
Luxembourg national football team
The Luxembourg national football team is the national football team of Luxembourg, and is controlled by the Luxembourg Football Federation. The team play most of their home matches at the Stade Josy Barthel, in Luxembourg.- History :...
,with Anghel Iordanescu back as their coach. Despite a good start – a 3–0 win away to Bosnia in Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
, Romania stuttered. Steffen Iversen
Steffen Iversen
Steffen Iversen is a Norwegian football player who currently plays for Crystal Palace. He has earned four Norwegian league championships with Rosenborg and one with Vålerenga....
's late goal gave Norway
Norway national football team
The Norway national football team represents Norway in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of Norway, the governing body for football in Norway. Norway's home ground is Ullevaal Stadion in Oslo and their head coach is Egil Olsen...
a surprise win in Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
and they were stunned at home by the Danes, 5–2, with Thomas Gravesen
Thomas Gravesen
Thomas Gravesen is a retired Danish professional footballer who played as a midfielder. He has played for teams such as Hamburger SV, Everton F.C., Real Madrid CF and Celtic F.C.....
scoring a spectacular goal from around fifty yards out, despite leading twice. They recovered slightly, completing a double over the Bosnians and getting a point in Oslo
Oslo
Oslo is a municipality, as well as the capital and most populous city in Norway. As a municipality , it was established on 1 January 1838. Founded around 1048 by King Harald III of Norway, the city was largely destroyed by fire in 1624. The city was moved under the reign of Denmark–Norway's King...
, but conceded a cutting injury time equalizer in Denmark to draw 2–2. It was decisive, as they now required Norway to fail to win at home to Luxembourg
Luxembourg
Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south...
to stand any realistic chance of qualifying. Eventually, the Danes got a point in Bosnia to scrape through a tight group, with Norway going to a play-off with Spain
Spain national football team
The Spain national football team represents Spain in international association football and is controlled by the Royal Spanish Football Federation, the governing body for football in Spain. The current head coach is Vicente del Bosque...
.
2006 World Cup
Romania were put in a massive group for the qualifying tournament for the 2006 FIFA World Cup2006 FIFA World Cup
The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six...
in Germany. The Netherlands
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
and Czech Republic
Czech Republic national football team
The Czech Republic national football team represents the Czech Republic in association football and is controlled by the Football Association of the Czech Republic, the governing body for football in the Czech Republic. Their current head coach is Michal Bílek...
were favourite to qualify, then ranked first and second in Europe. Early wins over Finland
Finland national football team
The Finland national football team represents Finland in international football competitions and is controlled by the Football Association of Finland....
and Macedonia
Republic of Macedonia national football team
The Macedonia national football team is the national football team of the Republic of Macedonia and is controlled by the Football Federation of Macedonia. Due to an ongoing name dispute, it enters international competitions under its country's provisional appellation as "FYR Macedonia"...
were unconvincing, and they were some way behind the two leaders by the time they earned a good 2–0 home win over the Czechs. They finished third behind the Dutch and the Czechs and missed out on another major tournament.
Euro 2008
Romania were drawn in a group with group favourites the NetherlandsNetherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
and tough opponents Bulgaria
Bulgaria national football team
The FIFA Bulgaria national football team is an association football team fielded by the Bulgarian Football Union, a member association of UEFA. The team's home ground is Vasil Levski in Sofia and Luboslav Penev is in charge manager after replacement of Lothar Matthäus...
for the UEFA Euro 2008 Qualifying. However, on 17 October 2007, Romania became the fourth team to qualify for Euro 2008. This was the team's first big championships since Euro 2000, eight years before. Victor Piturca
Victor Piturca
Victor Piţurcă is a Romanian football manager and former player.-Club career:Piţurcă was one of the prolific strikers of Steaua Bucureşti, being one of the team's top scorers – he scored 137 goals in 174 league games...
also qualified Romania for Euro 2000, only to sit back and let Emerich Jenei
Emerich Jenei
Emerich Jenei or Imre Jenei is a Romanian former football player and coach...
coach the team in the final tournament. This time, however, he stayed. It was the first time he coached a national team in the final stages of a tournament.
They were drawn in the so-called "Group of Death" with their old "friends" the Netherlands
Netherlands national football team
The Netherlands National Football Team represents the Netherlands in association football and is controlled by the Royal Dutch Football Association , the governing body for football in the Netherlands...
(they played each other both in the Euro 2008 qualifying group and in the 2006 World Cup qualifying group), Italy
Italy national football team
The Italy National Football Team , represents Italy in association football and is controlled by the Italian Football Federation , the governing body for football in Italy. Italy is the second most successful national team in the history of the World Cup having won four titles , just one fewer than...
, the 2006 FIFA World Cup winners and France
France national football team
The France national football team represents the nation of France in international football. It is fielded by the French Football Federation , the governing body of football in France, and competes as a member of UEFA, which encompasses the countries of Europe...
, runners-up in the 2006 FIFA World Cup. They started with a 0–0 draw against a luckstre France while world champions Italy was soundly beaten by the Netherlands, 3–0. In their next game against Italy, Adrian Mutu
Adrian Mutu
Adrian Mutu is a Romanian footballer who plays as a striker for Serie A club Cesena.-Argeş Piteşti:Mutu began his professional career with his home club Argeş Piteşti...
, playing for Italian club ACF Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina
ACF Fiorentina, commonly referred to as simply Fiorentina, is a professional Italian football club from Florence, Tuscany. Founded by a merger in 1926, Fiorentina have played at the top level of Italian football for the majority of their existence; only four clubs have played in more Serie A...
, opened the scoring early in the second half. Their lead was a very short one, as Christian Panucci
Christian Panucci
Christian Panucci is a retired Italian footballer. He was a member of the Italian national team. Panucci is a right back, but can also play as a centre back.-Early career:...
scored a minute later, with the aid of a corner kick. Nearing the end of the match, Daniel Niculae obtained a penalty for his team, but Gianluigi Buffon
Gianluigi Buffon
Gianluigi "Gigi" Buffon, Ufficiale OMRI , is an Italian footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Serie A club Juventus and the Italian national team. He has won the FIFA World Cup and is widely considered by fans and experts to be one of most dominant and successful goalkeepers in history...
saved the shot from Mutu, leaving Romania with two points and needing a win against the Netherlands, who eradicated France 4–1 on the same evening. The Netherlands beat Romania 2–0 in the final game of the group, which meant that Italy joined the Netherlands in the quarter finals and Romania finished 3rd, ahead of France.
Honours
- FIFA World CupFIFA World CupThe FIFA World Cup, often simply the World Cup, is an international association football competition contested by the senior men's national teams of the members of Fédération Internationale de Football Association , the sport's global governing body...
- Quarter-Final (1): 19941994 FIFA World CupThe 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988...
- Quarter-Final (1): 1994
- UEFA European Football ChampionshipUEFA European Football ChampionshipThe UEFA European Football Championship is the main football competition of the men's national football teams governed by UEFA . Held every four years since 1960, in the even-numbered year between World Cup tournaments, it was originally called the UEFA European Nations Cup, changing to the current...
- Quarter-Final (1): 20002000 UEFA European Football ChampionshipThe 2000 UEFA European Football Championship, or Euro 2000, was the 11th UEFA European Football Championship, which is held every four years and organized by UEFA, association football's governing body in Europe....
- Quarter-Final (1): 2000
- Football at the Summer OlympicsFootball at the Summer OlympicsAssociation football, usually known simply as football or soccer, has been included in every Olympiad except 1896 and 1932 as a men's competition sport. Women's football was added to the official programme in 1996.-Early history:...
- Quarter-Final (1): 1964Football at the 1964 Summer OlympicsThe football competition at the 1964 Summer Olympics started on October 11 and ended on October 23. Only one event, the men's tournament, was contested...
- Quarter-Final (1): 1964
- Balkan CupBalkan CupThe Balkan Cup was an international football tournament played on and off between 1929 and 1980 between countries from the Balkan region. The first tournament was played between Romania, Greece, Yugoslavia and Bulgaria over 3 years from 1929 to 1931....
:-
Winners (4): 1929–31, 1933, 1936, 1977–80 -
Runners-up (1): 1973–76 -
Third Place (5): 1932, 1934–35, 1946Balkan Cup 1946The Balkans Cup 1946 was the 8th edition of this tournament. The Winner was the Albania national football team.-Table:...
, 1947, 1948
-
Stadium
In October 2005, it was decided the national stadium to be rebuilt completely. The new one will be an EliteElite
Elite refers to an exceptional or privileged group that wields considerable power within its sphere of influence...
stadium in capital Bucharest
Bucharest
Bucharest is the capital municipality, cultural, industrial, and financial centre of Romania. It is the largest city in Romania, located in the southeast of the country, at , and lies on the banks of the Dâmbovița River....
and will host the 2012 UEFA Europa League Final
2012 UEFA Europa League Final
The 2012 UEFA Europa League Final will be a football match played on 9 May 2012 at the Stadionul Național in Bucharest, Romania, which will decide the winner of the 2011–12 UEFA Europa League...
, as it was announced by UEFA
UEFA
The Union of European Football Associations , almost always referred to by its acronym UEFA is the administrative and controlling body for European association football, futsal and beach soccer....
at Nyon
Nyon
Nyon is a municipality in the district of Nyon in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland. It is located some 25 kilometers north east of Geneva's city centre, and since the 1970s it has become part of the Geneva metropolitan area. It lies on the shores of Lake Geneva, and is the seat of the district of...
on January 29, 2009.
The former national stadium Lia Manoliu which held 60,120 places was completely demolished at the end of 2007. The last football match played was a 6–1 win against Albania
Albania national football team
The Albania national association football team is the national association football team of Albania and is controlled by the Football Association of Albania...
on 21 November 2007.
Stadionul Naţional
Stadionul National
The National Arena is a football stadium in Bucharest, Romania, in the Lia Manoliu Sports Complex. The stadium will host the games of Romania's national football team, as well as the Romanian Cup Final and the Romanian Supercup. The 2012 UEFA Europa League Final will be held at the new stadium...
was completed in May 2011.
World Cup record
| Year | Round | Position | GP | W | D* | L | GS | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Uruguay 19301930 FIFA World Cup The 1930 FIFA World Cup was the inaugural FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in Uruguay from 13 July to 30 July 1930... |
Round 1 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 5 |
 Italy 19341934 FIFA World Cup The 1934 FIFA World Cup was the second FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in Italy from 27 May to 10 June 1934.... |
Round 1 | 12 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
 Early Modern France 19381938 FIFA World Cup The 1938 FIFA World Cup was the third staging of the World Cup, and was held in France from 4 June to 19 June. Italy retained the championship, beating Hungary 4–2 in the final.-Host selection:... |
Round 1 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 |
 Brazil 19501950 FIFA World Cup The 1950 FIFA World Cup, held in Brazil from 24 June to 16 July, was the fourth FIFA World Cup. It was the first World Cup since 1938, the planned 1942 and 1946 competitions having been canceled owing to World War II... |
Did not enter | |||||||
 19541954 FIFA World Cup The 1954 FIFA World Cup, the fifth staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Switzerland from 16 June to 4 July. Switzerland was chosen as hosts in July 1946. The tournament set a number of all-time records for goal-scoring, including the highest average goals scored per game... |
Did not qualify | |||||||
 19581958 FIFA World Cup The 1958 FIFA World Cup, the sixth staging of the World Cup, was hosted by Sweden from 8 June to 29 June. The tournament was won by Brazil, who beat Sweden 5–2 in the final for their first title. To date, this marks the only occasion that a World Cup staged in Europe was not won by a European... |
Did not qualify | |||||||
 Chile 19621962 FIFA World Cup The 1962 FIFA World Cup, the seventh staging of the World Cup, was held in Chile from 30 May to 17 June. It was won by Brazil, who retained the championship by beating Czechoslovakia 3–1 in the final... |
Withdrew | |||||||
 Kingdom of England 19661966 FIFA World Cup The 1966 FIFA World Cup, the eighth staging of the World Cup, was held in England from 11 July to 30 July. England beat West Germany 4–2 in the final, winning the World Cup for the first time, so becoming the first host to win the tournament since Italy in 1934.-Host selection:England was chosen as... |
Did not qualify | |||||||
 Mexico 19701970 FIFA World Cup The 1970 FIFA World Cup, the ninth staging of the World Cup, was held in Mexico, from 31 May to 21 June. The 1970 tournament was the first World Cup hosted in North America, and the first held outside South America and Europe. In a match-up of two-time World Cup champions, the final was won by... |
Round 1 | 11 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 5 |
 19741974 FIFA World Cup The 1974 FIFA World Cup, the tenth staging of the World Cup, was held in West Germany from 13 June to 7 July. The tournament marked the first time that the current trophy, the FIFA World Cup Trophy, created by the Italian sculptor Silvio Gazzaniga, was awarded... |
Did not qualify | |||||||
 19781978 FIFA World Cup The 1978 FIFA World Cup, the 11th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in Argentina between 1 June and 25 June. The 1978 World Cup was won by Argentina who beat the Netherlands 3–1 after extra time in the final. This win was the first World Cup title for Argentina, who became the fifth... |
Did not qualify | |||||||
 19821982 FIFA World Cup The 1982 FIFA World Cup, the 12th FIFA World Cup, was held in Spain from 13 June to 11 July. The tournament was won by Italy, after defeating West Germany 3–1 in the final.-Host selection:... |
Did not qualify | |||||||
| 1986 1986 FIFA World Cup The 1986 FIFA World Cup, the 13th FIFA World Cup, was held in Mexico from 31 May to 29 June. The tournament was the second to feature a 24-team format. Colombia had been originally chosen to host the competition by FIFA but, largely due to economic reasons, was not able to do so and officially... |
Did not qualify | |||||||
 Italy 19901990 FIFA World Cup The 1990 FIFA World Cup was the 14th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 8 June to 8 July 1990 in Italy, the second country to host the event twice. Teams representing 116 national football associations from all six populated... |
Round of 16 | 12 | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 3 |
 United States 19941994 FIFA World Cup The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in nine cities across the United States from June 17 to July 17, 1994. The United States was chosen as the host by FIFA on July 4, 1988... |
Quarterfinals | 5 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 9 |
| Early Modern France 1998 1998 FIFA World Cup The 1998 FIFA World Cup, the 16th FIFA World Cup, was held in France from 10 June to 12 July 1998. France was chosen as host nation by FIFA on 2 July 1992. The tournament was won by France, who beat Brazil 3-0 in the final... |
Round of 16 | 11 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 3 |
  20022002 FIFA World Cup The 2002 FIFA World Cup was the 17th staging of the FIFA World Cup, held in South Korea and Japan from 31 May to 30 June. It was also the first World Cup held in Asia, and the last in which the golden goal rule was implemented. Brazil won the tournament for a record fifth time, beating Germany 2–0... |
Did not qualify | |||||||
 20062006 FIFA World Cup The 2006 FIFA World Cup was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six... |
Did not qualify | |||||||
 20102010 FIFA World Cup The 2010 FIFA World Cup was the 19th FIFA World Cup, the world championship for men's national association football teams. It took place in South Africa from 11 June to 11 July 2010... |
Did not qualify | |||||||
| Brazil 2014 2014 FIFA World Cup The 2014 FIFA World Cup will be the 20th FIFA World Cup, an international association football tournament that will take place in Brazil from 12 June to 13 July 2014.... |
||||||||
 20182018 FIFA World Cup The bidding process for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups was the process by which the locations for the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups were selected. The process began officially in March 2009; eleven bids from thirteen countries were received, including one which was withdrawn and one that was... |
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 20222022 FIFA World Cup The 2022 FIFA World Cup will be the 22nd FIFA World Cup, an international association football tournament that is scheduled to take place in 2022 in Qatar. The competition is scheduled to take place in June and July, although proposals have been made for a winter season. The tournament will involve... |
||||||||
| Total | 7/20 | 21 | 8 | 5 | 8 | 30 | 32 |
-
- Denotes draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicksPenalty shootout (football)A penalty shoot-out, referred to as kicks from the penalty mark in the Laws of the Game, is the FIFA official term for a method used in association football to decide which team progresses to the next stage of a tournament following a tied game...
.- Gold background color indicates that the tournament was won. Red border color indicates tournament was held on home soil.
- Denotes draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks
European Championship
| Year | Round | GP | W | D* | L | GS | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960 1960 UEFA European Football Championship The 1960 UEFA European Nations Cup was the first European Football Championship, held every four years and endorsed by UEFA. The final tournament was held in France. It was won by the Soviet Union, who beat Yugoslavia 2–1 in Paris after extra time.... to 1980 1980 UEFA European Football Championship The 1980 UEFA European Football Championship final tournament was held in Italy. This was the sixth European Football Championship, which is held every four years and endorsed by UEFA. With eight teams competing, the final tournament took place between 11 and 22 June 1980... |
Did Not qualify | ||||||
| Early Modern France 1984 1984 UEFA European Football Championship The 1984 UEFA European Football Championship final tournament was held in France. West Germany also bid for the hosting of this event. It was the seventh European Football Championship, held every four years and endorsed by UEFA... |
Round 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 4 |
| 1988 1988 UEFA European Football Championship The 1988 UEFA European Football Championship final tournament was held in West Germany. West Germany won the right to host the tournament with five votes ahead of a joint bid from Norway, Sweden and Denmark, who gained 1 vote, and a bid from England. It was the eighth European Football... to 1992 1992 UEFA European Football Championship The 1992 UEFA European Football Championship final tournament was hosted by Sweden between 10 and 26 June 1992. It was the ninth European Football Championship, which is held every four years and supported by UEFA. Eight national teams contested the championship, which was won by Denmark, one of... |
Did Not qualify | ||||||
| Kingdom of England 1996 1996 UEFA European Football Championship The 1996 UEFA European Football Championship was hosted by England, who won the right to host the tournament ahead of bids from Austria, Portugal and the Netherlands. It was the tenth European Football Championship, which is held every four years and endorsed by UEFA. It was the first to use the... |
Round 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
 Belgium Netherlands 20002000 UEFA European Football Championship The 2000 UEFA European Football Championship, or Euro 2000, was the 11th UEFA European Football Championship, which is held every four years and organized by UEFA, association football's governing body in Europe.... |
Quarterfinals | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
 Portugal 20042004 UEFA European Football Championship The 2004 UEFA European Football Championship, better known as Euro 2004, was the 12th European Football Championship, a quadrennial football tournament for European national teams. It was hosted in Portugal, for the first time, between 12 June and 4 July 2004, following its selection by UEFA, in... |
Did Not qualify | ||||||
 Austria Switzerland 20082008 UEFA European Football Championship The 2008 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as Euro 2008, was the 13th UEFA European Football Championship, a quadrennial football tournament contested by European nations. It took place in Austria and Switzerland from 7 to 29 June 2008... |
Round 1 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 3 |
 Poland Ukraine 2012 |
Did Not qualify | ||||||
| Early Modern France 2016 UEFA Euro 2016 The 2016 UEFA European Football Championship, commonly referred to as Euro 2016, will be the 15th European Championship for national football teams sanctioned by UEFA. It will be held in the summer of 2016. The host nation was announced to be France on 28 May 2010... |
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| Total | 4/15 | 13 | 1 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 17 |
Olympic Games
| Year | Round | GP | W | D* | L | GS | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1900 Football at the 1900 Summer Olympics At the 1900 Summer Olympics, a football tournament was contested for the first time. Only two demonstration matches were held between the three club sides, and no medals were awarded... to 1920 Football at the 1920 Summer Olympics The football at the 1920 Summer Olympics, was one of the 154 events at the 1920 Summer Olympics, held in Antwerp. It was the fifth time football was on the Olympic schedule. The tournament was contested by 14 teams, with host country Belgium winning the gold medals... |
Did not enter | ||||||
| 1924 Football at the 1924 Summer Olympics At the 1924 Summer Olympics held in Paris, Uruguay dominated the Football tournament winning the Gold.-Amateur Status:In 1921, the Belgium Football Association first allowed for payments to players for time lost from work; in the months that followed four other Associations permitted similar... |
Round 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| 1928 Football at the 1928 Summer Olympics Football at the 1928 Summer Olympics tournament, won by Uruguay against Argentina, would be the precursor to the first FIFA World Cup held in 1930 in Uruguay.-Medalists:-Background:... to 1948 Football at the 1948 Summer Olympics The 1948 Olympic Games title was won by Sweden, managed by Englishman George Raynor.-Summary:Sweden, whose Football Association forbade professionalism within domestic football, ran out as winners and only used 12 players throughout the entire tournament but there were exceptional performances put... |
Did not qualify | ||||||
 1952Football at the 1952 Summer Olympics The 1952 Olympic football tournament signalled the arrival of the 'Golden Team'; the 'Magical Magyars': Hungary. Ferenc Puskás, the great Hungarian known as the 'Galloping Major' for his military title, said of the 1952 competition: "It was during the Olympics that our football first started to... |
Preliminary round | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| 1956 Football at the 1956 Summer Olympics The 1956 Olympic Games football tournament with just 11 competing nations suffered from cancellations. It was an undistinguished tournament that featured mis-matches and walkovers.-Background:... to 1960 Football at the 1960 Summer Olympics The football tournament at the 1960 Summer Olympics was held from 26 August to 10 September in 1960 throughout Italy.-Venues:-Medalists:-Group A:---------------------Group B:---------------------Group C:--------... |
Did not qualify | ||||||
| 1964 Football at the 1964 Summer Olympics The football competition at the 1964 Summer Olympics started on October 11 and ended on October 23. Only one event, the men's tournament, was contested... |
Quarterfinals | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 4 |
| 1968 Football at the 1968 Summer Olympics Final results for the football competition at the 1968 Summer Olympics.-Medalists:-Group A:-------------------------Group B:-------------------------Group C:Ghana replaced Morocco, who refused to play Israel.----... to 1976 Football at the 1976 Summer Olympics Final results for the Football competition at the 1976 Summer Olympics held in Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa, and Sherbrooke. Groups A, C and D had only three teams instead of four, as Nigeria, Ghana and Zambia national teams adhered to African-led boycott of the Games against the participation of New... |
Did not qualify | ||||||
| 1980 Football at the 1980 Summer Olympics thumb|right|Official Programme of the match [[USSR]] vs [[Venezuela]]The football tournament at the 1980 Summer Olympics started on July 20 and ended on August 2. Only one event, the men's tournament, was contested... to 2008 Football at the 2008 Summer Olympics Football at the 2008 Summer Olympics was held in Beijing and several other cities in the People's Republic of China from 6 August to 23 August. Associations affiliated with FIFA were invited to send their full women's national teams and men's U-23 teams to participate... |
Did not enter | ||||||
| Total | 3/24 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 6 | 12 |
UEFA Euro 2012
World Cup 2014
Results
Recent results within last 12 months and upcoming fixtures.| Date | Competition | Venue | Home Team | Result | Away Team | Scorers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010-11-17 | Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
Hypo-Arena, Klagenfurt am Wörthersee | 1–1 | Marica Ciprian Marica Ciprian Andrei Marica is a Romanian footballer currently playing for Bundesliga club Schalke 04 and the Romanian national team.-Dinamo Bucharest:... |
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| 2011-02-08 | Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
Paralimni Stadium Paralimni Stadium Paralimni Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Paralimni, Cyprus. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home ground of Enosis Neon Paralimni. The stadium holds 5,800 people.... , Paralimni Paralimni Paralimni is a town situated in the South East of Cyprus, a little way inland, within the Famagusta District. Since the Turkish invasion and occupation of the Republic of Cyprus in 1974, it has increased in size and status, due to the migration of many refugees fleeing from the North... |
2–2 | Alexa Dan Alexa Dan Alexa is a Romanian football player who currently plays for FC Rapid Bucureşti. He is a defensive midfielder.-Early career:... |
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| 2011-02-09 | Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
Paralimni Stadium Paralimni Stadium Paralimni Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Paralimni, Cyprus. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home ground of Enosis Neon Paralimni. The stadium holds 5,800 people.... , Paralimni Paralimni Paralimni is a town situated in the South East of Cyprus, a little way inland, within the Famagusta District. Since the Turkish invasion and occupation of the Republic of Cyprus in 1974, it has increased in size and status, due to the migration of many refugees fleeing from the North... |
1–1 | Torje Gabriel Torje Gabriel Andrei Torje is a Romanian footballer who currently plays for Serie A club Udinese. He is a versatile right winger with the ability to swap onto the left side of the field during games.- Politehnica Timişoara :... |
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| 2011-03-26 | Euro 2012 Q UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying Group D This page shows the standings and results for Group D of the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying tournament.- Standings :- Results and fixtures :Group D fixtures were negotiated between the participants at a meeting in Luxembourg on 19 February 2010.... |
Stadion Bilino Polje, Zenica Zenica Zenica is an industrial city in Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is the capital of the Zenica-Doboj Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina entity... |
2–1 | Marica Ciprian Marica Ciprian Andrei Marica is a Romanian footballer currently playing for Bundesliga club Schalke 04 and the Romanian national team.-Dinamo Bucharest:... |
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| 2011-03-29 | Euro 2012 Q UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying Group D This page shows the standings and results for Group D of the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying tournament.- Standings :- Results and fixtures :Group D fixtures were negotiated between the participants at a meeting in Luxembourg on 19 February 2010.... |
Stadionul Ceahlăul Stadionul Ceahlaul Ceahlăul Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Piatra Neamţ, Romania. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home ground of Ceahlăul Piatra Neamţ. The stadium, as well as the local football club takes its name from the Mount Ceahlău, located in the region. The stadium holds... , Piatra Neamț Piatra Neamt Piatra Neamț , , ; is the capital city of Neamţ County, in the historical region of Moldavia, eastern Romania. Because of its privileged location in the Eastern Carpathian mountains, it is considered one of the most picturesque cities in Romania... |
3–1 | Mutu Adrian Mutu Adrian Mutu is a Romanian footballer who plays as a striker for Serie A club Cesena.-Argeş Piteşti:Mutu began his professional career with his home club Argeş Piteşti... Zicu Ianis Zicu Ianis Alin Zicu is a Romanian football midfielder who currently plays for Bulgarian club CSKA Sofia.- Dinamo Bucureşti :... |
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| 2011-06-03 | Euro 2012 Q UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying Group D This page shows the standings and results for Group D of the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying tournament.- Standings :- Results and fixtures :Group D fixtures were negotiated between the participants at a meeting in Luxembourg on 19 February 2010.... |
Giulești, București | 3–0 | Mutu Adrian Mutu Adrian Mutu is a Romanian footballer who plays as a striker for Serie A club Cesena.-Argeş Piteşti:Mutu began his professional career with his home club Argeş Piteşti... Marica Ciprian Marica Ciprian Andrei Marica is a Romanian footballer currently playing for Bundesliga club Schalke 04 and the Romanian national team.-Dinamo Bucharest:... |
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| 2011-06-08 | Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
Estádio do Pacaembu Estádio do Pacaembu Estádio do Pacaembu , as it is usually called, is a football stadium in São Paulo, located on Praça Charles Miller, no nº - in Pacaembu neighborhood. Its official name is Estádio Municipal Paulo Machado de Carvalho and it is owned by the Municipal Prefecture of São Paulo... , São Paulo São Paulo São Paulo is the largest city in Brazil, the largest city in the southern hemisphere and South America, and the world's seventh largest city by population. The metropolis is anchor to the São Paulo metropolitan area, ranked as the second-most populous metropolitan area in the Americas and among... |
1–0 | |||
| 2011-06-12 | Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
Estadio Defensores del Chaco Estadio Defensores del Chaco Estadio Defensores del Chaco is a multi-purpose stadium in Asunción, Paraguay. It is currently used mostly for football matches. The stadium once had a 50,000+ capacity but over the years the stadium has undergone remodeling dropping the capacity to 36,000.... , Asunción Asunción Asunción is the capital and largest city of Paraguay.The "Ciudad de Asunción" is an autonomous capital district not part of any department. The metropolitan area, called Gran Asunción, includes the cities of San Lorenzo, Fernando de la Mora, Lambaré, Luque, Mariano Roque Alonso, Ñemby, San... |
2–0 | |||
| 2011-08-10 | Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
Stadio Olimpico Stadio Olimpico (San Marino) Stadio Olimpico is a multi-purpose stadium in Serravalle, San Marino. It is currently used mostly for football matches. It is the national stadium of San Marino, and is also used by the club San Marino Calcio, which plays in the Italian football league. The Stadio Olimpico was also used by... , Serravalle |
0–1 | Herea Ovidiu Herea Ovidiu Herea is a Romanian professional footballer who plays for Rapid Bucureşti.- International career :Herea made his national debut against Albania... |
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| 2011-09-02 | Euro 2012 Q UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying Group D This page shows the standings and results for Group D of the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying tournament.- Standings :- Results and fixtures :Group D fixtures were negotiated between the participants at a meeting in Luxembourg on 19 February 2010.... |
Stade Josy Barthel Stade Josy Barthel Stade Josy Barthel is the national stadium of Luxembourg, home to the Luxembourg national football team and also used for athletics. It is located on route d'Arlon, in Luxembourg City.It was first constructed in 1928 and it was entirely rebuilt in 1990... , Luxembourg Luxembourg Luxembourg , officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg , is a landlocked country in western Europe, bordered by Belgium, France, and Germany. It has two principal regions: the Oesling in the North as part of the Ardennes massif, and the Gutland in the south... |
0–2 | Torje Gabriel Torje Gabriel Andrei Torje is a Romanian footballer who currently plays for Serie A club Udinese. He is a versatile right winger with the ability to swap onto the left side of the field during games.- Politehnica Timişoara :... |
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| 2011-09-06 | Euro 2012 Q UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying Group D This page shows the standings and results for Group D of the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying tournament.- Standings :- Results and fixtures :Group D fixtures were negotiated between the participants at a meeting in Luxembourg on 19 February 2010.... |
Stadionul Național Stadionul National The National Arena is a football stadium in Bucharest, Romania, in the Lia Manoliu Sports Complex. The stadium will host the games of Romania's national football team, as well as the Romanian Cup Final and the Romanian Supercup. The 2012 UEFA Europa League Final will be held at the new stadium... , București |
0–0 | |||
| 2011-10-07 | Euro 2012 Q UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying Group D This page shows the standings and results for Group D of the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying tournament.- Standings :- Results and fixtures :Group D fixtures were negotiated between the participants at a meeting in Luxembourg on 19 February 2010.... |
Stadionul Național Stadionul National The National Arena is a football stadium in Bucharest, Romania, in the Lia Manoliu Sports Complex. The stadium will host the games of Romania's national football team, as well as the Romanian Cup Final and the Romanian Supercup. The 2012 UEFA Europa League Final will be held at the new stadium... , București |
2–2 | Mutu Adrian Mutu Adrian Mutu is a Romanian footballer who plays as a striker for Serie A club Cesena.-Argeş Piteşti:Mutu began his professional career with his home club Argeş Piteşti... |
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| 2011-10-11 | Euro 2012 Q UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying Group D This page shows the standings and results for Group D of the UEFA Euro 2012 qualifying tournament.- Standings :- Results and fixtures :Group D fixtures were negotiated between the participants at a meeting in Luxembourg on 19 February 2010.... |
Qemal Stafa Stadium, Tirana Tirana Tirana is the capital and the largest city of Albania. Modern Tirana was founded as an Ottoman town in 1614 by Sulejman Bargjini, a local ruler from Mullet, although the area has been continuously inhabited since antiquity. Tirana became Albania's capital city in 1920 and has a population of over... |
1–1 | Luchin Srdjan Luchin Srdjan Luchin is a Romanian footballer of Serbian descent who currently plays for Dinamo Bucureşti. He is usually a centre back, but he can also play as a right back.-Poli Timişoara:... |
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| 2011-11-11 | Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
Stade Maurice Dufrasne Stade Maurice Dufrasne Stade Maurice Dufrasne is a football stadium in Liège, Belgium. The stadium holds 30,023 people. It is also known as Stade de Sclessin and is the home stadium of Standard Liège... , Liège Liège Liège is a major city and municipality of Belgium located in the province of Liège, of which it is the economic capital, in Wallonia, the French-speaking region of Belgium.... |
2–1 | D.Niculae | ||
| 2011-11-15 | Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
Stadion Schnabelholz Stadion Schnabelholz Stadion Schnabelholz is a multi-use stadium in Altach, Austria. It is currently used mostly for football matches and is the home ground of SC Rheindorf Altach. The stadium holds 8,900 and was built in 1990.... , Altach Altach Altach is a municipality in Feldkirch district, Vorarlberg state, Austria. It has a population of 6,512.- Geography :Altach lies in the westernmost Austrian state of Vorarlberg at 412 m above sea level. Its total area is 5.36 km²... |
1–3 | Torje Gabriel Torje Gabriel Andrei Torje is a Romanian footballer who currently plays for Serie A club Udinese. He is a versatile right winger with the ability to swap onto the left side of the field during games.- Politehnica Timişoara :... Tănase Cristian Tanase Cristian Tănase is a Romanian football player, who plays for Steaua Bucureşti. He is a versatile midfielder that has played as a left winger, a right winger and as a central attacking midfield... Chipciu Alexandru Chipciu Alexandru Mihăiţă Chipciu is a Romanian football player currently playing at Liga I side FC Braşov as an attacking midfielder.-Youth:... |
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| 2012-02-29 | Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
Stadionul Național Stadionul National The National Arena is a football stadium in Bucharest, Romania, in the Lia Manoliu Sports Complex. The stadium will host the games of Romania's national football team, as well as the Romanian Cup Final and the Romanian Supercup. The 2012 UEFA Europa League Final will be held at the new stadium... , București |
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| 2012-06-06 | Friendly Exhibition game An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition... |
Stadionul Național Stadionul National The National Arena is a football stadium in Bucharest, Romania, in the Lia Manoliu Sports Complex. The stadium will host the games of Romania's national football team, as well as the Romanian Cup Final and the Romanian Supercup. The 2012 UEFA Europa League Final will be held at the new stadium... , București |
Current squad
Competition: FriendlyExhibition game
An exhibition game is a sporting event in which there is no competitive value of any significant kind to any competitor regardless of the outcome of the competition...
games
Match Date: 15 November 2011
Opposition:
Caps as of 15 November 2011
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Recent call-ups
The following players have been called up for the team within the last 12 months.|-----
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INJ = Injured for next match
RET = Retired from national team
Coaching staff
| Head Coach | Victor Piţurcă Victor Piturca Victor Piţurcă is a Romanian football manager and former player.-Club career:Piţurcă was one of the prolific strikers of Steaua Bucureşti, being one of the team's top scorers – he scored 137 goals in 174 league games... |
| Assistant Coaches | Eugen Neagoe Eugen Neagoe Eugen Neagoe is a Romanian football manager and former striker. In September 2009, he was appointed coach of Universitatea Craiova in Liga I... , Florin Marin Florin Marin Florin Flocea Marin is a former Romanian football defender and current manager last he managed Universitatea Craiova as an assistant coach.-Statistics:* Liga I: 281 matches, 3 goals* Cupa României winner: 1975, 1976... , Gabriel Boldici, Dan Apolzan |
| Goalkeepers Coach | Martin Tudor |
| Sporting Director | Ovidiu Costeșin |
| Fitness Coach | Marian Dima |
| Team Doctor | Pompiliu Popescu |
| Masseurs | Claudiu Costin |
Most capped players
As of 7 October 2011, the ten players with the most caps for Romania are:| # | Name | Career | Caps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Dorinel Munteanu Dorinel Munteanu Dorinel Ionel Munteanu is a Romanian former football midfielder, and current manager of Oţelul Galaţi.-Club career:Munteanu started to play football for Metalul Bocşa, a team which offered him the first chance to play in Divizia B in 1986... |
1991–2007 | 134 | 16 |
| 2. | Gheorghe Hagi Gheorghe Hagi Gheorghe Hagi is a former Romanian footballer. He was famous for his passing, close control, long shots and was regarded as one of the best attacking midfielders in Europe during the 1980s and 1990s and is considered the greatest Romanian footballer of all time... |
1983–2000 | 125 | 35 |
| 3. | Gheorghe Popescu Gheorghe Popescu Gheorghe Gică Popescu is a former Romanian footballer who played as a defender, and was a key part of the Romania national team in the 1990s. He played for a string of European clubs in an illustrious career that saw him amass many honours... |
1988–2003 | 115 | 16 |
| 4. | Ladislau Bölöni Ladislau Bölöni László Bölöni is a Romanian football manager and former player, who currently manages Greek club PAOK.-Club career:... |
1975–1988 | 108 | 25 |
| 5. | Dan Petrescu Dan Petrescu Daniel Vasile Petrescu is a Romanian football manager and former player, currently the manager of Kuban Krasnodar in the Russian Premier League.... |
1989–2000 | 95 | 12 |
| 6. | Bogdan Stelea Bogdan Stelea Bogdan Gheorghe Stelea is a retired Romanian footballer who played as a goalkeeper.Having played professionally into his 40's, he played for all three major first division clubs in his country's capital, and also spent a vast part of his career in Spain, mainly with Salamanca.-Club career:Stelea... |
1988–2005 | 91 | 0 |
| 7. | Michael Klein | 1981–1991 | 90 | 5 |
| 8. | Marius Lăcătuş Marius Lacatus Marius Mihai Lăcătuş is a Romanian retired football player and football coach. He is so far the most successful football player ever to play for Steaua Bucureşti... |
1984–1998 | 84 | 13 |
| 9. | Mircea Rednic Mircea Rednic Mircea Rednic is a Romanian football manager and former defender. As of July 2010, he manages Khazar Lankaran in Azerbaijan.... |
1981–1991 | 83 | 2 |
| 10. | Răzvan Raț Razvan Rat Răzvan Dincă Raț is a Romanian footballer who currently plays as a left back for Ukrainian Premier League club Shakhtar Donetsk and the Romanian national team.- Club:... |
2002– | 79 | 1 |
Top goalscorers
As of 11 October 2011, the ten players with the most goals for Romania are:| # | Player | Career | Goals (Caps) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Gheorghe Hagi Gheorghe Hagi Gheorghe Hagi is a former Romanian footballer. He was famous for his passing, close control, long shots and was regarded as one of the best attacking midfielders in Europe during the 1980s and 1990s and is considered the greatest Romanian footballer of all time... |
1983–2000 | 35 (125) |
| 2. | Adrian Mutu Adrian Mutu Adrian Mutu is a Romanian footballer who plays as a striker for Serie A club Cesena.-Argeş Piteşti:Mutu began his professional career with his home club Argeş Piteşti... |
2000– | 34 (72) |
| 3. | Iuliu Bodola | 1931–1939 | 30 (48) |
| 4. | Anghel Iordănescu Anghel Iordanescu Anghel Iordănescu is a Major General and former Romanian football striker, currently a politician. In 2007 Iordănescu retired from football, and the following February, after his predecessor resigned, he became a member of the Romanian Senate, sitting on the Social Democratic Party benches.-Career... |
1971–1981 | 26 (64) |
| 5. | Viorel Moldovan Viorel Moldovan Viorel Dinu Moldovan is a retired Romanian football forward, who was a key part of the Romanian national team in the 1990s... |
1993–2005 | 25 (70) |
| 6. | Ladislau Bölöni Ladislau Bölöni László Bölöni is a Romanian football manager and former player, who currently manages Greek club PAOK.-Club career:... |
1975–1988 | 25 (108) |
| 7. | Rodion Cămătaru Rodion Camataru Rodion Gorun Cămătaru is a retired Romanian footballer, who played as a striker.-Club career:He was born in Strehaia and debuted in Divizia A with Universitatea Craiova in 1974. He spent twelve seasons with Universitatea, winning the league titles in 1980 and 1981... |
1978–1990 | 22 (75) |
| 8. | Florin Răducioiu Florin Raducioiu Florin Valeriu Răducioiu is a former Romanian football striker, who played for Dinamo Bucureşti, A.C. Milan, Brescia Calcio, West Ham United, RCD Espanyol, VfB Stuttgart and A.S... |
1990–1996 | 21 (40) |
| 9. | Dudu Georgescu | 1973–1984 | 21 (44) |
| 10. | Ilie Dumitrescu Ilie Dumitrescu Ilie Dumitrescu is a former Romanian football player and current coach, he last managed Steaua Bucureşti. A tricky forward, he shot to fame when his frontline partnership with Gheorghe Hagi and Florin Răducioiu led the Romania national football team to the 1994 FIFA World Cup quarterfinal,... |
1989–1998 | 20 (62) |
Past managers
- Teofil Moraru 1922–1923
- Costel RădulescuCostel RadulescuConstantin 'Costel' Rădulescu was a footballer and manager from Romania who rose to prominence in the 1920s and 1930s...
1923 - Adrian Suciu 1923–1924
- Teofil Moraru 1924–1928
- Costel RădulescuCostel RadulescuConstantin 'Costel' Rădulescu was a footballer and manager from Romania who rose to prominence in the 1920s and 1930s...
1928–1934 - Josef UridilJosef UridilJosef Uridil , was an Austrian footballer and coach.- Biography :...
1934 - Alexandru SăvulescuAlexandru SăvulescuAlexandru Săvulescu was a Romanian football manager who coached Romania in the 1938 FIFA World Cup.-References:...
1934–1935 - Costel RădulescuCostel RadulescuConstantin 'Costel' Rădulescu was a footballer and manager from Romania who rose to prominence in the 1920s and 1930s...
1935–1938 - Alexandru SăvulescuAlexandru SăvulescuAlexandru Săvulescu was a Romanian football manager who coached Romania in the 1938 FIFA World Cup.-References:...
1938 - Liviu Iuga 1938–1939
- Virgil Economu 1939–1940
- Liviu Iuga 1940
- Virgil Economu 1941–1942
- Jean Lăpuşneanu 1942–1943
- Emerich VoglEmerich VoglImre Vogl -Emeric Vogl- was a Romanian football player of Hungarian ethnicity who was a member of Romanian team which participated at the 1930 FIFA World Cup in Uruguay and 1934 FIFA World Cup in Italy.- Club career :Emerich Vogl played as a youth for Chinezul Timişoara...
1942–1943 - Coloman Braun-BogdanColoman Braun-BogdanColoman Braun-Bogdan was a Romanian football midfielder and football manager.Born in Arad, Arad County, which was at the time part of Austria-Hungary, he made a name for himself as one of the best Romanian midfielders of the interwar period...
1945 - Virgil Economu 1946
- Colea VâlcovColea VâlcovNicolae 'Colea' Vâlcov was a Romanian footballer and manager. He played for Venus Bucureşti....
1947 - Emerich VoglEmerich VoglImre Vogl -Emeric Vogl- was a Romanian football player of Hungarian ethnicity who was a member of Romanian team which participated at the 1930 FIFA World Cup in Uruguay and 1934 FIFA World Cup in Italy.- Club career :Emerich Vogl played as a youth for Chinezul Timişoara...
1947 - Francisc RonnayFrancisc RonnayFerenc Rónay or Francisc Rónay was a Romanian footballer and manager....
1947 - Emerich VoglEmerich VoglImre Vogl -Emeric Vogl- was a Romanian football player of Hungarian ethnicity who was a member of Romanian team which participated at the 1930 FIFA World Cup in Uruguay and 1934 FIFA World Cup in Italy.- Club career :Emerich Vogl played as a youth for Chinezul Timişoara...
1947 - Colea VâlcovColea VâlcovNicolae 'Colea' Vâlcov was a Romanian footballer and manager. He played for Venus Bucureşti....
1948 - Petre SteinbachPetre SteinbachPetre Steinbach was a Romanian football Midfielder.- Career :During his career he has made eighteen appearances for the Romanian national team....
1948 - Iuliu Baratky 1948
- Emerich VoglEmerich VoglImre Vogl -Emeric Vogl- was a Romanian football player of Hungarian ethnicity who was a member of Romanian team which participated at the 1930 FIFA World Cup in Uruguay and 1934 FIFA World Cup in Italy.- Club career :Emerich Vogl played as a youth for Chinezul Timişoara...
1948 - Colea VâlcovColea VâlcovNicolae 'Colea' Vâlcov was a Romanian footballer and manager. He played for Venus Bucureşti....
1949
- Emerich VoglEmerich VoglImre Vogl -Emeric Vogl- was a Romanian football player of Hungarian ethnicity who was a member of Romanian team which participated at the 1930 FIFA World Cup in Uruguay and 1934 FIFA World Cup in Italy.- Club career :Emerich Vogl played as a youth for Chinezul Timişoara...
1949 - Ion Mihăilescu 1949
- Gheorghe AlbuGheorghe AlbuGheorghe Albu was a Romanian football player and manager. He was a part of Romania national football team which played at the 1934 FIFA World Cup.- Club career :Albu started his career in 1924, playing as a youth for AMEF Arad until 1928...
1950 - Volodea Vâlcov 1950
- Emerich VoglEmerich VoglImre Vogl -Emeric Vogl- was a Romanian football player of Hungarian ethnicity who was a member of Romanian team which participated at the 1930 FIFA World Cup in Uruguay and 1934 FIFA World Cup in Italy.- Club career :Emerich Vogl played as a youth for Chinezul Timişoara...
1950–1951 - Gheorghe Popescu IGheorghe Popescu IGheorghe Popescu was a Romanian football player and also a manager. He began his career at 14 years. He used to play as a striker.As a player, Gheorghe Popescu I won, in 1949, the Romanian Cup...
1951–1957 - Augustin BotescuAugustin BotescuAugustin Botescu is a Romanian football manager who coached Romania in the 1960 European Nations' Cup. He also coached FC Farul Constanţa.-References:...
1958–1960 - Gheorghe Popescu IGheorghe Popescu IGheorghe Popescu was a Romanian football player and also a manager. He began his career at 14 years. He used to play as a striker.As a player, Gheorghe Popescu I won, in 1949, the Romanian Cup...
1961 - Constantin TeaşcăConstantin TeascaConstantin Teaşcă also known as Titi Teaşcă was a Romanian football player and manager.Teasca was the manager of the Romania national football team in 1962 and 1967.He was the manager of Steaua Bucureşti from 1974 to 1975....
1962 - Gheorghe Popescu IGheorghe Popescu IGheorghe Popescu was a Romanian football player and also a manager. He began his career at 14 years. He used to play as a striker.As a player, Gheorghe Popescu I won, in 1949, the Romanian Cup...
1962 - Silviu PloeşteanuSilviu PloeşteanuSilviu Ploeșteanu was a Romanian footballer and manager. He played for UD Reșița, U Cluj, Venus Bucureşti and UA Brașov.He managed Steagul Roşu Braşov, Tractorul Brașov and Romania national football team....
1962–1964 - Valentin StănescuValentin StanescuValentin Stănescu Was the manager of the football team Rapid Bucureşti.-Manager career:*1959-1963: Metalul Târgovişte *1963-1968: CFR Bucureşti...
1964 - Silviu PloeşteanuSilviu PloeşteanuSilviu Ploeșteanu was a Romanian footballer and manager. He played for UD Reșița, U Cluj, Venus Bucureşti and UA Brașov.He managed Steagul Roşu Braşov, Tractorul Brașov and Romania national football team....
1964 - Ilie Oană 1965–1966
- Valentin StănescuValentin StanescuValentin Stănescu Was the manager of the football team Rapid Bucureşti.-Manager career:*1959-1963: Metalul Târgovişte *1963-1968: CFR Bucureşti...
1967 - Ilie Oană 1967
- Angelo NiculescuAngelo NiculescuAngelo Niculescu is a former Romanian football manager. He was the coach of the Romania national football team during the 1970 FIFA World Cup.-External links:*...
1967 - Constantin TeaşcăConstantin TeascaConstantin Teaşcă also known as Titi Teaşcă was a Romanian football player and manager.Teasca was the manager of the Romania national football team in 1962 and 1967.He was the manager of Steaua Bucureşti from 1974 to 1975....
1967 - Angelo NiculescuAngelo NiculescuAngelo Niculescu is a former Romanian football manager. He was the coach of the Romania national football team during the 1970 FIFA World Cup.-External links:*...
1967–1970 - Valentin StănescuValentin StanescuValentin Stănescu Was the manager of the football team Rapid Bucureşti.-Manager career:*1959-1963: Metalul Târgovişte *1963-1968: CFR Bucureşti...
1971 - Angelo NiculescuAngelo NiculescuAngelo Niculescu is a former Romanian football manager. He was the coach of the Romania national football team during the 1970 FIFA World Cup.-External links:*...
1971 - Valentin StănescuValentin StanescuValentin Stănescu Was the manager of the football team Rapid Bucureşti.-Manager career:*1959-1963: Metalul Târgovişte *1963-1968: CFR Bucureşti...
1971 - Angelo NiculescuAngelo NiculescuAngelo Niculescu is a former Romanian football manager. He was the coach of the Romania national football team during the 1970 FIFA World Cup.-External links:*...
1971 - Valentin StănescuValentin StanescuValentin Stănescu Was the manager of the football team Rapid Bucureşti.-Manager career:*1959-1963: Metalul Târgovişte *1963-1968: CFR Bucureşti...
1971 - Angelo NiculescuAngelo NiculescuAngelo Niculescu is a former Romanian football manager. He was the coach of the Romania national football team during the 1970 FIFA World Cup.-External links:*...
1971 - Gheorghe OlaGheorghe OlaGheorghe Ola was a Romanian footballer and manager.-References:...
1972
- Angelo NiculescuAngelo NiculescuAngelo Niculescu is a former Romanian football manager. He was the coach of the Romania national football team during the 1970 FIFA World Cup.-External links:*...
1972 - Gheorghe OlaGheorghe OlaGheorghe Ola was a Romanian footballer and manager.-References:...
1972 - Angelo NiculescuAngelo NiculescuAngelo Niculescu is a former Romanian football manager. He was the coach of the Romania national football team during the 1970 FIFA World Cup.-External links:*...
1972 - Gheorghe OlaGheorghe OlaGheorghe Ola was a Romanian footballer and manager.-References:...
1972 - Valentin StănescuValentin StanescuValentin Stănescu Was the manager of the football team Rapid Bucureşti.-Manager career:*1959-1963: Metalul Târgovişte *1963-1968: CFR Bucureşti...
1973–1975 - Cornel DrăguşinCornel DrăguşinCornel Drăguşin is a former Romanian football manager who coached the national team in 1975.-References:...
1975 - Stefan KovacsStefan KovacsŞtefan Covaci was a Romanian football player and coach. By winning 15 major titles he is one of the most successful association football coaches in the history of the game...
1976–1979 - Florin HalagianFlorin HalagianFlorin Halagian is a former Romanian football player and manager of Armenian descent.On 25 March 2008 he was decorated by the president of Romania, Traian Băsescu for all activity and quality of football coach, for forming young generation on future champions with Ordinul "Meritul Sportiv" — ...
1979 - Constantin CernăianuConstantin CernaianuConstantin Cernăianu is a former Romanian football player and coach, now retired.He also coached in Bangladesh, and also worked with the Egypt football federation.-External links:*...
1979 - Stefan KovacsStefan KovacsŞtefan Covaci was a Romanian football player and coach. By winning 15 major titles he is one of the most successful association football coaches in the history of the game...
1980 - Valentin StănescuValentin StanescuValentin Stănescu Was the manager of the football team Rapid Bucureşti.-Manager career:*1959-1963: Metalul Târgovişte *1963-1968: CFR Bucureşti...
1980–1981 - Mircea LucescuMircea LucescuMircea Lucescu is a Romanian former football player and current coach, and one of the most successful Romanian football managers. He is also the father of Rapid Bucharest coach, Răzvan Lucescu...
1981–1986 - Emerich JeneiEmerich JeneiEmerich Jenei or Imre Jenei is a Romanian former football player and coach...
1986–1990 - Gheorghe Constantin 1990
- Mircea RădulescuMircea RădulescuMircea Rădulescu is a former Romanian football player and one of the most well trained and qualified Romanian football managers. He is currently the president of FRF's Technical Commission and director of Football Federation's Coaching School.-Life and career:Rădulescu was born in Bucharest and...
1990–1992 - Cornel DinuCornel DinuCornel Dinu is a retired Romanian football defender.He was born in Târgovişte and debuted in Divizia A with Dinamo Bucureşti in 1966. He remained with Dinamo throughout his career, winning six league titles and two cup titles....
1992–1993 - Anghel IordănescuAnghel IordanescuAnghel Iordănescu is a Major General and former Romanian football striker, currently a politician. In 2007 Iordănescu retired from football, and the following February, after his predecessor resigned, he became a member of the Romanian Senate, sitting on the Social Democratic Party benches.-Career...
1993–1998 - Victor PiţurcăVictor PiturcaVictor Piţurcă is a Romanian football manager and former player.-Club career:Piţurcă was one of the prolific strikers of Steaua Bucureşti, being one of the team's top scorers – he scored 137 goals in 174 league games...
1998–1999 - Emerich JeneiEmerich JeneiEmerich Jenei or Imre Jenei is a Romanian former football player and coach...
2000 - Ladislau BölöniLadislau BölöniLászló Bölöni is a Romanian football manager and former player, who currently manages Greek club PAOK.-Club career:...
2000–2001 - Gheorghe HagiGheorghe HagiGheorghe Hagi is a former Romanian footballer. He was famous for his passing, close control, long shots and was regarded as one of the best attacking midfielders in Europe during the 1980s and 1990s and is considered the greatest Romanian footballer of all time...
2001–2002 - Anghel IordănescuAnghel IordanescuAnghel Iordănescu is a Major General and former Romanian football striker, currently a politician. In 2007 Iordănescu retired from football, and the following February, after his predecessor resigned, he became a member of the Romanian Senate, sitting on the Social Democratic Party benches.-Career...
2002–2004 - Victor PiţurcăVictor PiturcaVictor Piţurcă is a Romanian football manager and former player.-Club career:Piţurcă was one of the prolific strikers of Steaua Bucureşti, being one of the team's top scorers – he scored 137 goals in 174 league games...
2005–2009 - Răzvan LucescuRazvan LucescuRăzvan Lucescu is a Romanian former football goalkeeper and currently the manager of Rapid Bucharest. He is the son of football player and manager Mircea Lucescu.-1987–2003:...
2009–2011 - Victor PiţurcăVictor PiturcaVictor Piţurcă is a Romanian football manager and former player.-Club career:Piţurcă was one of the prolific strikers of Steaua Bucureşti, being one of the team's top scorers – he scored 137 goals in 174 league games...
2011–
- The Austrian Josef Uridil is the only foreign manager who coached Romania
Romania all time record against all nations
- Last match updated was against on 15.11.2011.
| Against | Played | Won | Drawn | Lost | % Won |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 | 10 | 3 | 2 | % | |
| 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | % | |
| 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | % | |
| 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | % | |
| 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | % | |
| 9 | 3 | 4 | 2 | % | |
| 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | % | |
| 4 | 2 | 2 | 0 | % | |
| 10 | 4 | 2 | 5 | % | |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | % | |
| 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | % | |
| 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | % | |
| 33 | 18 | 6 | 9 | % | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | % | |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | % | |
| 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | % | |
| 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | % | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | % | |
| 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | % | |
| 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | % | |
| 13 | 9 | 3 | 1 | % | |
| 32 | 7 | 8 | 17 | % | |
| 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | % | |
| 8 | 3 | 2 | 3 | % | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | % | |
| 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | % | |
| 11 | 3 | 6 | 2 | % | |
| 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | % | |
| 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | % | |
| 8 | 6 | 2 | 0 | % | |
| 15 | 3 | 5 | 7 | % | |
| 6 | 4 | 2 | 0 | % | |
| 13 | 2 | 3 | 8 | % | |
| 16 | 5 | 3 | 8 | % | |
| 30 | 17 | 8 | 5 | % | |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | % | |
| 22 | 5 | 5 | 12 | % | |
| 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | % | |
| 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | % | |
| 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | % | |
| 5 | 1 | 2 | 2 | % | |
| 20 | 10 | 5 | 5 | % | |
| 16 | 2 | 4 | 10 | % | |
| 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | % | |
| 5 | 4 | 1 | 0 | % | |
| 4 | 4 | 0 | 0 | % | |
| 10 | 9 | 0 | 1 | % | |
| 6 | 6 | 0 | 0 | % | |
| 5 | 4 | 0 | 1 | % | |
| 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | % | |
| 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | % | |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | % | |
| 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | % | |
| 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | % | |
| 11 | 1 | 3 | 7 | % | |
| 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | % | |
| 11 | 4 | 5 | 2 | % | |
| 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | % | |
| 5 | 2 | 2 | 1 | % | |
| 33 | 14 | 15 | 4 | % | |
| 11 | 4 | 2 | 5 | % | |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | % | |
| 3 | 3 | 0 | 0 | % | |
| 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | % | |
| 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | % | |
| 10 | 5 | 4 | 1 | % | |
| 7 | 3 | 3 | 1 | % | |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | % | |
| 9 | 3 | 2 | 4 | % | |
| 15 | 5 | 5 | 5 | % | |
| 8 | 2 | 3 | 3 | % | |
| 11 | 4 | 3 | 4 | % | |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | % | |
| 23 | 12 | 7 | 4 | % | |
| 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | % | |
| 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | % | |
| 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | % | |
| 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | % | |
| 5 | 3 | 1 | 1 | % | |
| 37 | 15 | 5 | 17 | % | |
| 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | % | |
| Total | 627 | 277 | 157 | 193 | % |
See also
- List of Romania national football team captains
- Romania national under-21 football teamRomania national under-21 football teamThe Romania national under-21 football team is the national under-21 football team of Romania and is controlled by the Romanian Football Federation. The team competes in the European Under-21 Football Championship, held every two years....
- Romania national under-20 football teamRomania national under-20 football teamThe Romania national under-20 football team represents Romania in international football at this age level and is controlled by Federația Română de Fotbal, the governing body for football in Romania.-Honours:* FIFA U-20 World Cup:...
- Romania national under-19 football teamRomania national under-19 football teamThe Romania national under-19 football team represents Romania in international football at this age level and is controlled by Federația Română de Fotbal, the governing body for football in Romania.-Current squad:...
- Romania national under-17 football teamRomania national under-17 football teamThe Romania national under-17 football team represents Romania in international football at this age level and is controlled by Federația Română de Fotbal, the governing body for football in Romania.-Current squad :...
- Sport in RomaniaSport in RomaniaThe most popular sport in Romania is football. Other popular sports include team handball, basketball, rugby union, tennis and gymnastics.-Football:...