Free agents frustrate Romania

Romania’s EURO 2004™ preparations are being hampered as key players look to find new clubs.

Key players
One month before the start of their EURO 2004™ qualifying campaign, national coach Anghel Iordanescu is a very worried man, because four of Romania's key players, who were set to play a leading role in his side’s campaign to reach the finals in Portugal, still face uncertainty over their immediate future.

Career crisis
National team captain Gheorghe Popescu, Adrian Ilie, Alin Stoica and Adrian Mutu are all facing career crises unless they can find new clubs soon, but Iordanescu has admitted that he will be forced to field all four players in Romania’s upcoming friendly game against Greece on 21 August whether they have clubs or not. Romania have also been drawn alongside Denmark, Luxembourg, Norway and Bosnia-Herzegovina in qualifying Group 2 for EURO 2004™.

’There always is a limit’
“Romanian football does not have all that many top class players,” admitted Iordanescu. "But they will not be players in the first team for Romania if they do not clarify their situation and if they do not play at their clubs. Yes, I will help them, like I did in the past when Gheorghe Hagi and Florin Raducioiu had bad times, but there is always is a limit.

National burden
”It would be a burden for the national team if the four players did not find clubs to play for,” he added. “And that's why I'm waiting for solutions from our clubs which will play in European competitions.”

Free agent
Popescu, now 34-years-old, is a free agent having left relegated Serie A side US Lecce at the end of last season. Having played at the 1990, 1994 and 1998 FIFA World Cup finals, as well as at the 1996 and 2000 UEFA European Championship, he has played 109 games for the national team but is still without a club.

Training together
Ilie, who has been capped over 50 times, was released after reaching the end of his contract with Primera División side Valencia CF, and the 28-year-old has now joined Popescu, with the two players training together at the luxury Romanian mountain resort, Poiana Brasov.

’Not pleasant at all’
"Yes, the situation is not pleasant at all, but it's not tragic,” said Ilie. “I refused an offer, which came from the newly promoted Serie A side Como [Calcio], but there might be the alternative of going to Portugal, to the champions, Sporting [Clube de Portugal], a team trained by our former national coach, Laszlo Bölöni. And if I cannot go there, I might go to Italy".

Laid-back approach
Popescu has taken a similarly laid-back approach, saying: "I'm surprised about this situation, but it's not a desperate one. I think that in the context of the economic recession, the clubs wait in order to buy players with a low price".

Out of contract
The 22-year-old Stoica was released by RSC Anderlecht at the end of last season and has yet to find a new club, while 23-year-old Mutu is keen to find a new club after his current club, Hellas-Verona FC, were relegated from Serie A last season. Several clubs have expressed an interest in Mutu but he has yet to sign a new deal.