Hagi Returns to Romania, Eyes on Euro 2028

0:00On April 21st, Romania's football federation just dropped big news, appointing legend Giorgio Hagi as the new head coach of the national team. The 61-year-old is back where he started his managerial days 25 years ago, stepping in after Marseille Lucescu left following a World Cup, playoff lost to Turkey. Tragically, the 80-year-old Lucescu passed away just 5 days later. Hagi's locked in a contract, covering the next two qualification cycles for Euro 2028 and the World Cup 2030. The team has friendly lined up against Giorgio and Wales this June, then kicks off nation's league B in September. Fans are buzzing about this homecoming for the guy dubbed the Maradona of the Carpathians. As a player, he rocked 124 caps for Romania, hit 35 goals to tie the all-time scoring record with Adrian Moutou and starred at 3 World Cups plus 3 Euros. His clubs included Stiawa Bucharest, Rail Madrid, Barcelona and Galatasaray.

1:02On the coaching side, Hagi had a short first run with Romania back in 2001, then two stints at Galatasaray where he grabbed a Turkish cup. He built Vita Rule Constanta from the ground up, got it promoted, merged it with for Rule Constanta and snagged two league titles before stepping away. Last year, with Hagi calling the shots, Romania's got fresh fire for those big tournaments ahead, eyes on the prize as they rebuild momentum. That's your entertainment and celebrity news today update. AI powered and always trending.