Helping Romanian youth players plan for life on and off the pitch

Under its five-year strategic plan for the development of football in Romania launched in 2021, the FRF highlighted education as one of four key priorities.

Since then, the FRF has grown its educational offering for both players and coaches, delivering learning initiatives to 7,200 people at Romania's National Football Academy (ANF).

Crucially, the federation has also extended its programme to include preparing players for the many challenges that can arise during a football career, and this approach can be seen in the new EduPlayer mentorship programme that connects under-17 and under-18 players with senior internationals.

"I hope at the end of the programme the players will have a structured plan for their football career, but you never know if you are going to turn professional or not," says FRF sports director Vlad Munteanu. "Hopefully we can build young adults who can take this experience and turn into professionals and leaders in whatever career they will follow."

The programme includes six online sessions between mentors and mentees.FRF

Learning from Romanian internationals

Over six months, 15 male and female Romanian internationals are mentoring 46 youth players, with the aim to not only support their football development, but help them build strong foundations for success both in and out of high-performance sport.

Renowned mentors in the programme include Costel Pantilimon, Vlad Chiricheș and Florentina Olar-Spânu, Romania’s most-capped women’s national team player. Before the programme began, all mentors completed a Train the Trainers course, led by national team mental coach Vicențiu Ostafi, to prepare them for their important role in the programme.

"EduPlayer is far more than an educational initiative," says former Romania goalkeeper and mentor Bogdan Lobonț. "It is a transformative journey that helps young football players discover who they are, define who they want to become, and build the mindset required for success both on and off the pitch.

"Through EduPlayer, we have the chance to pass on those experiences to the next generation and help them avoid some of the mistakes we made while accelerating their development as athletes and as people."

Fifteen former Romanian internationals are mentoring 46 youth playersFRF

Building a plan beyond the pitch

Each mentor guides three players across six online sessions, providing close contact opportunities where they can share their experiences and the players can also learn from each other. FRF specialists provide five further online sessions on key topics: Dual career and focus, intelligence and integrity, image and branding, body as a temple, and plan B and leadership.

When the programme ends in September, each participant will write and present their ‘Career Plan 2030’ under their mentor’s guidance, followed by a graduation ceremony.

Florentina Olar-Spanu (right) is Romania’s most-capped women’s national team player and taking part in the programme as a mentorGetty Images

The response from the young participants has been enthusiastic, with players reflecting on lessons that go beyond technical development. One explained that the programme had shown them "how important it is to express your opinion and also to listen to your teammates both on and off the pitch", while another highlighted discipline as "the basis of a successful career". Others pointed to the value of self-belief and resilience, recognising that mistakes are part of the game and that confidence can be strengthened by the support of those around them.

Together, those reflections capture the wider ambition of EduPlayer: to give young Romanian players the tools, confidence and perspective to navigate football’s demands, while preparing them for whatever path their careers may take.