Hagi at the heart of golden era
Monday 4 October 2004
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Gheorghe Hagi is Romania's Golden Player (Getty Images)
To help mark UEFA's Jubilee, each national association was asked to nominate its most outstanding player of the past 50 years. Romania chose Gheorghe Hagi as their Golden Player.
By Paul-Daniel Zaharia
"Football is my life. It means everything to me and has made me the person I am today," is what Gheorghe Hagi has always said. And that's why Hagi, recently crowned Romania's player of the 20th century, has always wanted to give something back to the game.
Early years
A football fanatic from a young age, the ball had for him a magical quality. It was evident from early on that he was a huge talent, and he proceeded to represent Romania at Under-16, U17 and U18 level. During this period he lived and was educated at the Luceafarul football school with the other members of the junior national squads, and it came as no surprise when some big clubs came knocking at his door.
'Wonderful period'
After a spell with FC Farul Constanta, the 18-year-old Hagi moved in 1983 to Bucharest side CF Sportul Studentesc. During his three years with the club he scored 58 goals in 108 appearances, and he looks back on this time with affection. "It was a wonderful period and it helped me to improve greatly," he remembers, and his performances were duly noted.
International honours
The coach of the Romanian national team at the time was Mircea Lucescu , and in August 1983 he awarded Hagi the first of 125 senior caps in a friendly against Norway. Although the match ended in a 0-0 draw, it was the start of a glorious international career which would span 17 years, and leave him as Romania's most capped player and, with 35 goals to his credit, their leading scorer.
Captain's armband
In October 1985 Hagi reached another milestone. Lucescu, well known for his penchant for promoting young players, gave the 20-year-old the captain's armband for a 1986 FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Northern Ireland. This was the first of 65 occasions Hagi would lead his country, and he understood well the importance of the responsibility that came with it. "The national team is something holy for me, and being captain my duties are that much greater," he said.
Home highlights
Hagi played in three World Cups and three European Championships for his country, and even a sending-off in his last international against Italy could not detract from a wonderful career. With FC Steaua Bucuresti he won three Romanian titles, two Romanian Cups, a European Champion Clubs' Cup and a UEFA Super Cup, before spending the remaining eleven years of his playing career abroad.
Foreign adventures
Following the 1990 World Cup, Hagi moved to Real Madrid CF for approximately $4m, and moved again in 1992 to Italian side Brescia Calcio where he rejoined coach Lucescu. After a magnificent 1994 World Cup he departed once more for Spanish shores, joining FC Barcelona then managed by his idol Johan Cruyff. A surprise move to Turkish side Galatasaray SK in 1996 provided evidence that rumours of his footballing demise were wildy exaggerated, and won him a mountain of silverware over a five-year period. His affection for the club was evident. "Galatasaray is my second home after Romania," he said before finally retiring in April 2001.
Coaching career
He moved in to coaching in 2001 but endured brief and unsuccessful spells with the Romanian national team, Bursaspor and Galatasaray, but he fared better with FCU Politehnica Timisoara after joining the Romanian league side in November 2005.
'The King'
Hagi played a total of 550 matches both at home and abroad, and he now faces different challenges as coach at Galatasaray. For the Galatasaray fans he was known as "the Sultan", while in Romania he is called quite simply "the King".
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