Article by Andrei Crăiţoiu, Daniel Grigore – Published Wednesday, May 20, 2026, 2:35 p.m. / Updated Wednesday, May 20, 2026, 2:38 p.m.
Within today's press conferencethe selector Gică Hagi (61 years old) announced that “the University of Craiova will have more players in the lot than any other team in Romania”. GSP.ro found out 7 names that will be on the list of 33 for the matches with Georgia and Wales.
On June 2, Romania will play in Georgia, in Tbilisi, the first match of Gică Hagi's mandate. Four days later, the “tricolors” will receive the visit of Wales in Bucharest.
For these two games, the new coach announced today that he will call up 33 players, “3 for each position”, with one exception: on the left side of the defense he chose 4 names, which means that there are only two options for another position.
Hagi also conveyed that the new champion of Romania, the University of Craiova, “will have more players in the squad than any other team in Romania”.
Gică Hagi will summon at least 7 players from Craiova University
GSP.ro learned that it is about at least 7 players. They are:
-
Laurentiu Popescu29 years old, goalkeeper. He was also called up to the national team during the mandate of Mircea Lucescu, but he did not get to make his debut;
-
Nicusor Bancu33, left back. He has been a key player in the first national team for many years, with 52 matches and two goals;
-
Adrian Rus30 years old, central defender. He has experience in the first national team, 22 matches and one goal;
-
Vladimir Screciu26, central defender. Originally a defensive midfielder, he was successfully re-profiled as a central defender. He knows what it means to be in the national team, already having 7 selections;
-
Tudor Baluta27 years old, central midfielder. He played 12 times for the first national team, but in the last 3 years he was not called up at all. The last appearance dates from June 16, 2023, in the Euro 2024 qualifiers;
-
Alexandru Cicâldau28 years old, attacking midfielder. Significant experience with the national team: 38 matches, 4 goals;
-
Stefan Baiaram23 years old, extreme left / striker. He debuted in the fall of 2025 in the first national team, since then he has played 4 times.
Most of the players who will be called up will NOT play in the final stage of the championship, on May 25, with Rapida match that no longer has a sporting stake for the blue and whites.
Hagi also announced that on May 22 he will communicate “a group of 20 or so players” from the total of 33, that is, “those who will come to the training camp until May 27”.
From my point of view, Craiova has shown from the beginning until now that they have an extra step as a team, as players, as a team.
They were in shape, they have the most fit players, who gave results. When you end up winning both the championship and the cup, it means you are the best. It is clear that we have something to take from there.
The University of Craiova beat them all and will have more players than any other team in Romania.
– Gică Hagi, Romania selector
