FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Euro 2024 - Round of 16 - Romania v Netherlands - Munich Football Arena, Munich, Germany - July 2, 2024 Netherlands' Donyell Malen scores their third goal REUTERS/Angelika Warmuth
FRANKFURT, Germany (Reuters) - Romania reached the knockout rounds of the European Championship for the first time in 24 years with a young squad of players who ultimately met their match in the Netherlands in the round of 16 but have given the country hope for the future.
Under coach Edward Iordanescu, son of former Romania tactician Anghel, they were unbeaten through the qualifiers and showed their potential with a 3-0 victory over Ukraine in their opener in Germany.
They finished second in their pool after a 2-0 defeat by Belgium and 1-1 draw with Slovakia, but in the last-16 were exposed by a Netherlands side who had more experience and quality and won 3-0 to end Romania's stay in the competition.
Sixteen of the 26-player squad at the Euros were aged 26 or under and for them it was a first major championship after the country failed to qualify for the 2020 finals.
They will be better for this experience, and while the long-term future of coach Iordanescu has yet to be determined he has indicated he would like to stay on and help the team grow.
Former Romania international Gheorghe Hagi, whose son Ianis is a key member of the emerging group of young players and started on the left wing against the Dutch, sees a strong future for the side.
"Congratulations to the players, coaches, supporters, staff. They made Romania known again and from here a process of growth begins," he told reporters. "They should be proud. We need to have more confidence and more personality.
"Several players showed very good things (at the Euros). We have to want more. I am proud of the entire Romanian team."
Where they will hope to improve is in the forward areas.
Of the 16 teams who made the knockout stages, only Slovakia and Georgia initiated fewer attacks and had less shots than Romania’s 15 attempts on target in their four games.
"We have to take inspiration from this. The new generation, the children, have to take inspiration from these boys," Iordanescu said.
"This unity that we have, this cohesion between the Romanians and the national team, this could be a new beginning.
"I am sure that whatever happens with me and with my situation, this team has the power, the strength, to have a good future and we want to reach the (2026) World Cup. It is very important that we have two qualifications in a row."
(Reporting by Nick Said; Editing by Peter Rutherford)
