Romania first to arrive for UEFA EURO 2016
Sunday, June 5, 2016
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Romania have stolen a march on the other 23 qualifiers at UEFA EURO 2016, becoming the first visiting team to arrive in France ahead of Friday's opener against the hosts.
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The first visiting side to arrive in France for UEFA EURO 2016, Romania had a long first day at the finals – but one with plenty of pleasant surprises.
Scheduled to take off at 10:00CET, they received 'yellow-carpet' treatment at Bucharest International airport, with dozens of good-luck messages from local children, who chanted the players' names as they went into the departure lounge. They also posed for a photo with the airport's border security team – in the spirit of the Romanian Football Association's 'I am 12' campaign, which emphasises that the fans are Anghel Iordănescu's side's 12th player.
There were more well-wishers awaiting the team on their arrival at Paris's Roissy Charles De Gaulle Airport three hours later – and "make yourselves at home" was the message sent out by the mayor and the local authorities at the team's base in Orry-La-Ville.
Around a thousand Romania fans turned up to watch their first public training session. The presence of some famous players from Romania's glory days in the delegation – Miodrag Belodedici and Ion Vlădoiu – caused quite a stir among the supporters, who are living for the present but have not forgotten the glorious past.
Romania take on the hosts at Stade de France on Friday in the competition's opening game.
