Euro 2008
Euro 2008 Who’s Who - ROMANIA
Romania are in the tournament's 'group of death' - so how do their chances of progressing rate? Mike Martin scrutinises Victor Piturca's squad.
Coach
Victor PITURCA: 52-year-old who has been in charge since December 2004. Has taken Romania to their first tournament since Euro 2000 - a tournament for which he led the successful qualifying campaign before being dethroned after committing the ultimate Romanian footballing sin - falling out with Gheorghe Hagi.
Goalkeepers
Bogdan LOBONT (Dinamo Bucharest): Authoritative first-choice goalkeeper. Has plenty of international experience but none in major finals.
Marius POPA (Politehnica Timisoara): Promoted to second-choice following Danut Coman’s withdrawal with gastrointestinal problems. Kept a clean sheet on his international début in the 3-0 win over Russia in March.
Eduard STANCIOIU (CFR Cluj): A late call-up to replace Coman is reward for Stancioiu’s fine season with surprise domestic champions CFR Cluj, who will make their UEFA Champions League début next season.
Defenders
Cosmin CONTRA (Getafe): Penalty-taking right-back who scored in both legs of Getafe’s epic UEFA Cup quarter final defeat to Bayern Munich. Back in the first team after two two injury-plagued years.
Sorin GHIONEA (Steaua Bucharest): Central-defensive parter of Goian in club football but may be usurped by the younger Gabriel Tamas. Missed most of 2007 after knee surgery.
Dorin GOIAN (Steaua Bucharest): Central-defensive powerhouse and a sure starter. Superb aerial ability bring him the odd goal at the other end and has UEFA Champions League experience.
Cosmin MOTI (Dinamo Bucharest): 24-year-old central defender, a surprise inclusion in Piturca’s squad with just two caps to his name at the time of his selection.
Stefan RADU (Lazio): Can play in the middle or at right-back and his versatility makes him a valuable presence on the substitutes bench. Only 21, he has a long international career ahead of him.
Razvan RAT (Shakhtar Donetsk): By far the best left-back in Romania, the seemingly bionic full-back has never missed a single match through injury for club or country.
Cristian SAPUNARU (Rapid Bucharest): A surprise inclusion, the centre-back made his international début after the final squad deadline, in the 4-0 win over Montenegro in Bucharest.
Gabriel TAMAS (Auxerre): Much-travelled, experienced central defender who had already played in Turkey, Russia and Spain before joining Auxerre last year. Likely to partner Goian in the middle of Romania’s back four.
Midfielders
Christian CHIVU (Internazionale): Superb, versatily captain, mostly used at centre-back or left-back but re-invented in international football as a holding midfield playmaker. His left-foot can conjure up brilliant free-kick goals.
Razvan COCIS (Lokomotiv Moscow): Holding midfielder who could start if Piturca chooses a 4-2-3-1 formation and was a key figure in their group-topping qualifying campaign.
Paul CODREA (Siena): Italian-based midfielder grateful for a squad place after injuring his knee earlier in 2008. Has been shunted between mid-ranking Italian clubs since 2001.
Adrian CRISTEA (Dinamo Bucharest): Quick, left-footed attacking midfielder unlikely to earn a place in the first XI ahead of Dica or Mutu.
Nicolae DICA (Steaua Bucharest): Technically adept playmaker who scored one goal every four matches for his country. May be positioned wide-left if Piturca opts to play Mutu as a second striker.
Banel NICOLITA (Steaua Bucharest): Industrious Romany right-footed winger capable of playing on either side but only likely to be positioned on the right wing. Will compete with Petre for a starting berth.
Florentin PETRE (CSKA Sofia): Pint-sized, energetic right-winger not related to his injured namesake Ovidiu. At 32, this could be the last hurrah in the yellow shirt of Romania for one of the few squad members who was at Euro 2000.
Mirel RADOI (Steaua Bucharest): The ultimate utility player, he can play in defence or midfield, left, right or centre. Yet another Romanian player recently recovered from a knee injury.
Strikers
Ciprian MARICA (Stuttgart): Young centre forward with a respectable goalscoring record in qualifying. Certain to start wherever Mutu is positioned. Will be grateful his previous club Shakhtar Donetsk rejected an offer from Derby County last summer.
Adrian MUTU (Fiorentina): Romania’s best attacking player since Hagi, Mutu’s career has recovered since being sacked by Chelsea in 2004 for drug abuse. Is Fiorentina’s main man up front and will be effective either alongside Marica or situated wide left.
Daniel NICULAE (Auxerre): Team-mate of Tamas in France, the best alternative to Marica at centre forward. Less experienced than his namesake.
Marius NICULAE (Inverness Caledonian Thistle): Not related to Daniel, did not play for Romania under Piturca until the Russia friendly in March. Strong and athletic but lacks the ability of Mutu to produce something special. Needless to say, he is Cally’s sole representative at the tournament, which is one more than Rangers.
Wish You Were Here?
Ovidiu PETRE (Steaua Bucharest): His career blighted by - you guessed it - knee injuries, he spends the championship on the treatment table.
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