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After persuading Gheorghe Hagi out of retirement, Romania simply had to hold their nerve to qualify, which it did in style. But this is the current squad's final swansong.
Jenei, who is in his second spell in charge, having guided Romania into the second round at the 1986 World Cup finals, says his squad will have to undergo a "generation change" after Euro 2000. "Hagi will bow out, so we have to pass the torch to another generation," he said. "Other players could well follow Hagi's example." Adrian Ilie and Gica Popescu look certain to figure in the Romanian lineup, and a third quarterfinal appearance is not beyond them.
Any further progress would be a surprise, but as England know from bitter experience at France '98, the Romanians can be deadly on the counterattack and will not be underestimated by anyone, especially Kevin Keegan.
CNNSI.com's Gabriele Marcotti: Romania in many ways is Germany redux, as it tries to coax one last hurrah out of its Golden Generation of Popescu, Dan Petrescu and, of course, Hagi. It would be a fairy tale if it went far, but being in the same group with Germany and England is a harsh wake-up call.
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Romania
