Article by Adrian Duţă – Published on Tuesday, 02 June 2026 22:20 / Updated on Tuesday, 02 June 2026 23:03
Georgia – Romania 1-1. Gică Hagi, the national team coach, commented on the first match after returning to the “tricolor” bench. The “king” declared himself satisfied with the performance of his students.
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On Saturday, June 6, the national team returns to action for a second verification test. Hagi's “Tricolori” face Wales, in Ghencea, from 20:00.
Asked what he conveyed to the players in the locker room, Hagi said that he congratulated them for their effort in Tbilisi. He also spoke about Florinel Coman, whom he started in the center of the attack: the selector hopes that the football player from Al Gharafa will get more minutes next season.
Gică Hagi: “I congratulated them after the match”
“I could have done more, but we have been together for a few days and I have to understand them, they have to understand me and it will be better. I went out to play, I fought, but it can be even better. Everyone who comes to the national team has to have personality, and they showed it.
Everything they do in life they do for themselves. We must support and guide them. I hope that Florinel Coman plays next season, because I want to have him in the national team.
A very difficult match is coming up. Wales are an aggressive team. The players who stayed at home will play, along with those who have now evolved less and we will try to put together a competitive formation.
In the dressing room I congratulated them for their effort. We're at the end of the season, it's tough, and they've done a lot of good things. I talked about these, about the good things, not about the less successful ones“, declared Gică Hagi, on Antena 1.
In the second half they also had opportunities, they scored. All in all, I am satisfied with the evolution of the players, we are also at the end of the season. The attitude, the determination, the concentration were at the match, they tried to give everything.
My #1 objective was to get to know them and for them to get to know me. Some came earlier, some later. We tried to come up with a plan. In the first half they played it very well. In the second half, I lost more intensity and was not at the same level as in the first.
I'm just thinking about the next game. Wales are an aggressive team. We'll see who comes in and who goes out, because we have to find the right formula.
– Gică Hagi, at the conference
Gică Hagi, at the press conference, about…
…about Florinel Coman: “Coman's number 1 position is top, I don't know if you knew. That he also played extreme, yes, he knows how to play as well. It can give very good yield. It was dangerous, it was at stake. I spoke with him, I knew that Louis Munteanu was coming in in the 46th minute. Florinel played less this season”.
…about Louis Munteanu: “Louis is fit. He likes the goal, he feels the goal, we hope he is fit, we need strikers.”
…about Aioani's blunder: “I hope Aioani learns, he is a talented and valuable goalkeeper. Goalkeepers can sometimes make mistakes.”
…about the system used: “We will also play with 3 defenders, and with 4, the dynamics will change. We have used both systems, we also have systems with 3 central defenders, and defense with 4. We will play what is good for us.”
…about the relationship with the fans: “We're going to play for the fans, we need them, you saw how it was at the European Championship in Germany. We have to say out loud that it's possible. We need success, with success you feed yourself, it makes you happy.”
