BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) 鈥� Romania great Gheorghe Hagi has been hired as national team coach for the second time. He was appointed to replace Mircea Lucescu, who two weeks ago.
The 61-year-old Hagi is widely regarded as Romania鈥檚 greatest ever soccer player, having led the country to the World Cup quarterfinals in 1994. He also played for Barcelona and Real Madrid as a creative attacking midfielder.
His first stint as Romania coach was in 2001 and lasted three months, ending after failing to get the team through the playoffs for the 2002 World Cup.
Hagi has since coached clubs in Romania and Turkey 鈥� including Galatasaray and Steaua Bucharest 鈥� but is back in charge of the No. 56-ranked national team, which will not be at the in the United States, Canada and Mexico.
The Romanians lost to Turkey in the playoffs, after which Lucescu fell ill and as coach. He died April 7, at the age of 80.
鈥淚t is an honor and a great responsibility to represent Romania once again, as I did as a player,鈥� Hagi said in a statement released by Romania鈥檚 soccer federation.
鈥淚 am convinced,鈥� he added, 鈥渢hat we can achieve beautiful things. I hope that the performances I had as a player, I will also have as a coach. I am convinced that we can become the best.鈥�
Romania last played at the World Cup in 1998. It reached the round of 16 at the European Championship in 2024, losing to the Netherlands.
Hagi鈥檚 first games in charge will be friendlies against Georgia and Wales in June. Romania is in a Nations League group with Sweden, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Poland starting in September.
He has signed a contract through to the 2030 World Cup, with the task of 鈥渂ringing the national team back into the elite of world football,鈥� the federation said.
Federation president R膬zvan Burleanu said his organization has made 鈥渟everal attempts over time鈥� to get Hagi to become coach again.
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