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Romanian cloud Corruption charges darken outlook for Romania
Posted: Friday June 02, 2000 07:21 PM
BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) -- Corruption and match-rigging allegations in the domestic league cast a heavy cloud over Romanian soccer as the national team prepares for Euro 2000. Gheorghe Hagi, Romania's greatest star, has been harshly critical of the conditions in Romanian soccer. Hagi, known as the "King" of Romanian soccer, will be ending his 18-year international career after Euro 2000, his last major championship. Then he will turn to a much more difficult tasks: fighting corruption in Romanian soccer. He recently pledged to return to Romania this summer after he leaves Istanbul's Galatasaray, where he is the captain, to fight corruption in the national soccer league. But Hagi later questioned the effectiveness of such an endeavor, especially as he seemed to be the only person speaking out against it. Still, other people have promised to support Hagi in his efforts. Gabi Balint, coach at the Students' Sports team who will likely become the assistant coach in the national team, said, "We know about all the dirty goings-on, but we are frightened to talk." Angelo Niculesco, former Romanian coach who guided the national team to the 1970 World Cup in Mexico, said there had always been match-rigging in Romanian soccer. Sorin Cartu, who plays for Eindhoven in the Netherlands, said this year's championship had been "the dirtiest yet." Hagi alleged important matches were decided for up to US$60,000, a figure also cited by other Romanian soccer personalities. He said that the Romanian national team could also become undermined by corruption and "match rigging." Romania is seen as one of the most talented teams in southeast Europe. Many of its players have contracts with foreign clubs. The team is said to be more confident than the soccer federation, whose officials are more skeptical of Romania's chances of survival against Germany, England and Portugal. Some of the key Romanian players are well over 30 and probably have their best years behind them. But they can still dazzle with their ball control and can play inspired soccer on a given day. Hagi is still a warrior and played a large role in leading Galatasaray to a UEFA Cup triumph, a first for Turkey, even though he was sent off in the final against Arsenal. "We are going to Euro to do something good," Hagi said in an interview in Istanbul. Hagi, known to 23 million Romanians simply as Gica, is the captain and brain of the Romanian national side. New team coach Emeric Ienei, 54, was one of Romania's top players in the 1960s. He even played abroad in Turkey in Kayserispor for two years, a rarity under the communist regime. He played 12 times for Romania. He began his coaching career at Steaua, Bucharest in 1975 and remained with the team with some breaks until the 1980s. In 1986, he was the coach of Steaua which won the European Champions' Cup. He coached Romania from 1986 to 1990 and also trained Hungary, the Hungarian team Videoton and Greek team Panionois. Ienei, who only recently again became national coach, is known for his good results and polite manner. He is an ethnic Hungarian and speaks Romanian with a regional, Transylvanian accent.
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