“That doesn't exist here”

The midfielder who, among others, played for U Craiova, Rapid, Dinamo and AEK Athens, once a rebel off the field, tried to find explanations for the backlash that many domestic footballers have when they transfer abroad. “We have the seven years at home, but we don't have sports education!“, believes the ex-footballer, once disputed behind the scenes by Dinamo and Pandurii.

Iordache listed one of the possible causes of this “phenomenon”, namely the financial impact that comes with leaving Romania.

“We have the 7 years at home, but we don't have sports education!”

“A lot of times, I look at Lighthouse players who make the step up to a big team, then something happens to them. I think that, somewhere, this also comes from education, which does not really exist in our country. I mean sports education.

We have the seven years at home, but we don't have this sports education… From nutrition to many factors that make the difference between us and the players outside. And yes, there are many good players in Ligue 1, but I think they need a little help. You need even more patience.

(…) But here I keep coming back to this thing about sports education. I wasn't too fair with the sports life. But there are many talented players in Romania who can ensure the future of the Romanian national team.

Here, it depends a lot on them, on how they organize their lives. It is very important that he organizes his life well and thinks only about football. That after that, when football ends, the regrets exist, but you don't really have anything to do with them,” said the former Panduril left midfielder.

“When they get their first money, they want to do it all, as if life will stop in a year”

The former footballer from the mid-2000s, who is now active in the real estate market as a developer, continued his plea:

“I watch and read with love all the interviews with former great footballers. I was reading, for example, by Inzaghi, he said he had to sleep eight hours a night, strictly follow the schedule… And we look and see how much Inzaghi has achieved.

And then, if I rewind time and think about what I did… I played as much as I had to, I didn't have any restrictions. I did everything I could think of.

Probably many players end up here also because they didn't have a very good financial situation when they were small. And then, when they come across the first money, they want to do it all as if life would stop in a year!

I think the guys from the Lighthouse also come across this story. A lot of good players make the step to big teams, but then something happens to them, they have moments when they don't find themselves. They are probably very well kept there at the Lighthouse, by Mr. Hagi, and when they get a little free and come and sign contracts for more money, they want to do more and more”, said Ilie Iordache, in the interview given to Gazeta, which you can read in full HERE.

114 matchesIlie Iordache scored in League 1, scoring 12 goals