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It's time to hear the story from us. The story of the golden generation.

Balint, Lăcătuș, they were such players...

Romania has been a great power in football for two decades.

In the 80s at the team level, and in the 90s at the national team level.

We qualified for the 1990 World Cup and passed the groups.

We qualified for the quarterfinals at the 1994 World Cup.

Hagi is the king of football. This is my opinion. The king.

Whoever said that, said it right.

We qualified for Euro 96, we passed the groups at the 1998 World Cup

and we reached the quarterfinals of Euro 2000.

And we beat England whenever they played against us. That means something.

Romania!

I was there for everything, as a footballer or in the technical staff,

and I really liked it when I was hearing "Go, Romania!"

Take one, date 19.

At team level, the 80s and 90s were the best years in Romanian football.

With Romanian players and coaches,

with the playing fields that don't exist anymore,

training on clay surfaces, which no longer exist today,

without proper medication,

without having a clue about food, nutritionist, etc.

Without a possibility for coaches and even the players

to be able to learn what was happening abroad...

There were fantastic things which our football managed to do.

But they seemed normal to us,

because we've grown up with those things since childhood,

due to the fact that we were playing in very demanding sport clubs

and which had created competitive teams.

Our main opponents, especially after '84,

were Craiova and Dinamo teams.

Exactly as Mr. Valentin Ceaușescu was saying,

because we were joking sometimes and saying,

"Well, how good would it be if Dinamo would be dissolved,

and have no one to fight with for the championship..."

I remember him saying

"Well, if we don't have teams to fight domestically,

rest assured that the international accomplishments won't come either".

And he was very right.

Steaua's achievement was born

after the achievement of the University of Craiova team,

when the big team of the University of Craiova

was getting another performance in the European Cups.

Steaua's performance was born also thanks to Dinamo football club.

When we started the 1985 championship

and the European campaign,

he said at one point,

"This year I want us to win the Champions Cup."

That made me laugh.

Mr. Valentin said:

"Yes, why are you laughing? Because that's what I want."

And I thought to myself that, maybe, that's how it should be.

He was like a psychologist.

Even though teams back then didn't have those, we did.

At home games we were starting to be unstoppable.

Basically, it was 1-0 from the out corridor.

Before we got out on the field, the opponent team was already feeling

that they would begin the match with a handicap.

When we played Anderlecht, we started hard on them.

We scored quickly, as we already used to do in Ghencea Stadium.

The supporters were incredible and we made it to the finals...

we were qualified for the final in Seville.

Mr. Jenei used to say,

"Well, guys, what else can they do besides defeating us?"

So, he was encouraging us with that.

They can't do anything worse besides defeating us.

The ball doesn't get tired. Pass the ball, because it doesn't get tired.

...continues with its last part, the penalty shootout.

When we gathered in the midfield,

I remember that a lot of more experienced players,

they had already started slowly to take off their shoes,

their shin pads, they had cramps...

You have to know your players.

What player isn't nervous when he takes the penalty kick?

Strikes! And Urruti saves it!

Duckadam saves it too!

Well done, Duckadam!

Lăcătuș asked me, over his shoulder:

"Dude, what are we doing? Are you in? Are we taking it too?"

Fantastic!

And when I saw him so driven, not to make a fool of myself, I said:

"It doesn't matter, if he doesn't assign me..."

And I say "I'll take it, but he doesn't ask me, don't you see? Yo, coach Emi!"

"Do you want to become the best coach of Europe tonight?"

He says: "Yes!"

"Well then, designate me and Balint."

"What, are you crazy? Do you want to take a penalty kick?"

So that's what Lăcătuș said in his madness!

I was the kind of player you could do anything to on the field,

but don't take me for a fool.

And the way Urruti was behaving,

after saving the two penalty kicks taken by Loți and Miți,

I wasn't happy about it.

Shoot... and goal!

What Duckadam did... I didn't expect it.

No one expected it, he didn't either,

although it was not by chance,

because we practiced a lot of penalties kicks

after each training session. We used to make bets for 100 lei.

Nobody ever won, only he won.

No one could score five out of five in a row.

It's one thing to shoot at training, when you have fun,

and another when there are 60,000 whistles at the time you shoot.

Shoot... and goal!

Come on, Duckadam! Duckadam saves it!

We won the Cup!

European Champions Cup is for Bucharest!

Meeting the fans when we arrived in the country

made us really realize what we had accomplished.

Before leaving for Seville, we were promised an Aro car

and if I'm not mistaken, 100,000 lei,

which was a lot of money at the time.

I said, "Oh, if we win the European Champions Cup again,

I think it's time to quit football."

I'm offering to all of you who played in Seville

and to those who contributed in organizing and preparing...

the team,

my warmest congratulations...

I put a little water with sugar on my hair, like it used to be done.

The students at school who had big hair were doing this too.

I kind of hid it like this...

Lăcătuș didn't care, he said he wouldn't cut his hair anyway.

At that celebration, Ceaușescu reproached our boys,

saying that we had to win the game much earlier

to spare him all the emotions,

and all the supporters in the country.

I was playing for two powerful clubs during that period.

And they were not powerful here in Romania, they were powerful abroad,

because we had good results at international level.

Steaua had played and won a Champions League final.

After that, they reached a semi-final, then they reached a final again...

At Dinamo, we had started qualifying in the European Spring regularly,

and we also managed to get into a semi-final of the Cup Winners' Cup.

In the Championship we fought highly disputed matches

and thus a powerful generation was forming,

because there was competition and there were very high ambitions.

We were rivals, but we were also very good friends.

When we were playing for the national team,

we had no problems with each other,

we got along very well we respected each other a lot.

In 1970, the team had its last chance to qualify for a World Championship

and everybody put pressure on them. If the team didn't qualify,

it didn't requalify for a World Cup, so, there was a tremendous pressure.

There were discussions about the players not being passionate and focused

in the national team, that they saw it as a club's team.

Everything happened very quickly. The 1990 World Championship came

and the memorable qualification in the match against Denmark.

I was playing for Steaua, Răducioiu for Dinamo.

Răducioiu was very young at that moment, had no experience.

He was a talented player, but he wasn't in great shape at the time.

Me, on the other hand, at Steaua, I had started scoring goals.

If you ask about feelings, it's certain that these two matches

represent a big test for the Romanian national team.

We trust that we'll qualify and we hope to make our fans very happy.

In our generation, there are three players...

who were at all the five final tournaments:

Hagi, Popescu and me.

But Hagi was also there in '84.

He was still young at the 1984 European Championship.

ROMANIA -DENMARK, DECISIVE GAME FOR 1990 WORLD CUP QUALIFICATION

GOOD LUCK TEAM!

We got the goal very quickly and everyone probably expected...

to lose that game and miss out on the qualification.

In such decisive matches, someone always has to...

someone has to stand out.

When I was with the national team, I was coming back after a long time,

I... it crossed my mind, I was thinking, and I said:

"Well, destiny was always good to me".

And there were some important moments in life,

because I believe a lot in destiny.

Not in the sense that we make our own destiny,

but that destiny is made for everyone, we just follow it.

And I was thinking, "Well, what if I would play a qualifying match?"

So, here comes that match that I was playing when I was little,

in my house, with the ball made from my mother's stockings.

And I say "I'll score to qualify... and I'll score"...

It crossed my mind, but I said, "No, it's too beautiful!"

Balint, Lăcătuș, they were great players,

and the other players had also become very good.

I think I gave my best performance when I played for the national team.

I had a discussion with Mr. Emerich Jenei and Valentin Ceaușescu.

I was told, in fact, that I didn't deserve to play, like:

"You shouldn't deserve to play tomorrow

because your game in Denmark was poor,

but because you played very good in the Championship, at training,

and in friendly games, you'll be a starter".

No, what he did with that goal, that's enough for him!

To stop! We are already in Italy.

Coach Emi had the inspiration to begin that game with Gabi as a starter.

The fact that he managed to score two goals

was a big deal for us and for him personally.

Long live the team!

Long live the team!

After many years, after 20 years, we qualified once again

for a World Championship, in Italy, and it was fantastic.

Aren't we good? Didn't we work at the big house?

Some other time We'll be better and better!

We are a good, competitive team,

and we dedicate this victory in honor of the XIVth Congress of the Party.

Bravo!

Good job, Silvică!

Long live Silviu Lung!

Everyone goes to Melody tonight, we don't split.

Sure! I like women...

Women who wear necklaces, bracelets...

It was an enormous joy, like in Seville.

I remember we had fun, we went out, we drank, in the morning I was dizzy.

I got home, the commander called me around 7:00 in the morning,

to tell me that I must go on Romanian Television,

to be in an army show, dressed in military clothes.

I was drunk, I couldn't even... I was waking up, falling asleep again...

Understanding that we too can put a flower

in the achievements' bouquet in honor of the XIVth Congress of the Party,

we did our best and fought with determination

for the colors of the country's flag, for the glory of Romanian sport.

WE BUILD SOCIALISM WITH THE PEOPLE, FOR THE PEOPLE

CEAUȘESCU REELECTED AT XIVTH CONGRESS

I wanted to play with the best teams,

with the best players, because...

you meet them once in a lifetime and the standard is so high

that if you don't face them now, you won't have another chance.

The USSR was drawn in our group. The team was European vice-champion

and had lost in '88 against the Netherlands.

We also had world champion Argentina, with Maradona in his city, in Naples,

and Cameroon, which, of course, was an unknown team.

Hagi, Popescu, Petrescu, Dumitrescu and everyone else grew up in communism.

In '88 or '85 you couldn't dream that after two matches Ajax will trade you,

you couldn't dream of having a yacht or buy a car from anywhere.

At the time, there weren't fashion models yet, with or without boob jobs.

You just said "Thank you" for being able to turn a hobby into a job.

Most of the teams were going to Italy more for shopping than to play football.

And I left with Craiova's team on a tournament to Italy,

where we were going to play a few matches with second league teams.

But actually, it was more about hanging out and shopping.

I saw the whole Revolution on TV

and we returned before the New Year, when things had settled down.

May our soldiers be honored!

We were extremely shocked by what was happening in Romania,

we saw it on Cyprus television

and at one point we were so afraid to go back to Romania...

I think Ionuț remembers, I'm sure of this.

I told him, "Ioane, I'm not going back to Romania."

We were so afraid.

We were so afraid to return to Romania,

because being the team of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Security,

everyone would blame us, everyone would...

Who knows what would happen.

And we, the younger ones, who were maybe more gullible,

we were thinking about what would happen.

"Come on, Flor, we leave here, we stay here and go to Austria..."

In the end, I said: "No, Ioane, let's go back, we have parents..."

And we returned. So...

We arrived at Bucharest eventually, at Otopeni airport,

after Christmas, close to New Year.

You know there were those events with the people who were killed...

the soldiers who were killed at Otopeni,

and we also started to bring from abroad all that we could:

Bananas, oranges, everything you didn't find those days.

We brought whole packages with us and we arrived at the airport.

At the airport, we thought we would be, I don't know, grabbed, arrested...

but the people and the soldiers who were there for days

hugged us and kissed us. We didn't know what else to give them.

We had never fired a gun, other than a water pistol.

And I said: "What are we doing?"

Because they started to take weapons, to distribute weapons.

Victory!

- We won! - We won! We are here!

We won!

What are we going to do at this World Championship?

We want Romania's national team

to surpass what those before us have achieved in Mexico, in the 70s,

and bring a lot of joy to this country, to football lovers.

ITALY '90

START OF WORLD CUP

And now, an interview with Ilie Dumitrescu. Please...

- What? - When?

- Where? - For what?

Thanks a lot, you answered very well.

And now, here...

- Gică Popescu, did you change your mind? - No.

Good, very good... this is how we answer.

- What about the sea? - It's wet.

- Italy? - Hot.

- And the championship? - Tough.

Very good. The best answer. Mateuț won a Coca-Cola ball.

We were thinking that at that moment

we could play in an important championship, earn some money,

and be important players in Europe...

Everyone was already thinking about that.

And I was told by Mr. Jenei on the day of the match against Russia:

"Get ready to play, you must do that."

It was still me and Răducioiu, either me or him.

We arrived at the stadium, in Bari.

When we got there,

the coach announced the team in the locker room, with Răducioiu.

I think that back then, Emerich Jenei used the main players from Dinamo,

because we were in good shape.

If I'm not mistaken seven starters came from Dinamo.

It was the first match after 20 years for Romania,

so many Romanians had come to Bari

and to our training camp.

That's a whole story.

It can't be called "training camp" the base over there, where we stayed.

We're not leaving here We're not going home

Until we win The beautiful cup!

And here goes Protasov...

I remember it was around minute 30

and I practically hadn't made any contribution,

in the game, I mean, to create good chances

and opportunities for my teammates.

I was quite dispirited and I was really thinking

about telling Mr. Jenei at halftime to substitute me.

Sabău... Lăcătuș... wasn't offside, very good, Lăcătuș!

Goal!

Marius Lăcătuș, 1-0 for Romania!

The first goal of our team in Italy '90! The 41st minute!

Lăcătuș is the top striker!

Hand ball Hidiatulin! Right at the edge of the box!

Apparently, Hidiatulin had his feet...

No, it was outside the box.

Lăcătuș strikes... goal!

After that, my game worked out very well the rest of the match.

Even though I scored the second goal from an alleged penalty.

First of all, he had an...

extraordinary psychological strength.

He didn't care who was the opponent player who was onto him. He was playing.

After the game, I think we got kind of arrogant,

although we had no reason to, because we had only won one match.

And then, the rampage began.

After the match against Russia,

there were a lot of football men from abroad, agents.

The phones at reception were ringing

because we didn't have phones in the room. We were at Thelese Therme...

The moment when it started, sort to speak,

the fair for the trading of Romanian players.

The agents' area was filled, with Romanians as well.

The Becali brothers came...

I left with 100,000 marks cash in my pocket for Thelese Therme

to have spending money.

In this job, if you don't start with money,

it's hard to make contacts.

And I signed off most of the players of the Romanian national team.

And that's how the exodus to the West began.

When you excel, you go to the World Cup. You are talented and good,

so it's normal to be sought out.

Mircea Petrescu came to me,

the former agent, former CCA player

and told me that Real Madrid wanted to buy a center full-back.

I wasn't famous enough to be a Real Madrid player

and get paid, I don't know, $500,000 or $800,000

or 100 or three million.

I didn't know. And I took for granted what the agent told me.

Every penny I got was infinitely more than what I got in Romania, yes?

He gave me the contract, I said, "Okay, let me think for two days."

He gave me the contract and I put it on the nightstand

in the room I shared with Emil Săndoi, because Emil was my roommate.

And I remember that Emil at one point told me:

"Dude, sign, where do you want to go, to the Moon? It's Real Madrid!"

"There is no bigger team than Real Madrid!"

We were the first, through football, that had the opportunity

to go, to see, to experience,

to face life in the west.

As I said, I was very young.

My temptations

were extremely few,

in the sense that I liked,

I really liked, I like and I'll always like girls.

And this is where that confidence came in, that told us and the supporters

that if we won 2-0 against the USSR, Cameroon will be a piece of cake.

CAMEROON-ROMANIA WC '90

A random clear...

We got defeated, but by the looks of the game, we didn't deserve it.

But that's how we are, perhaps, built, we Romanians.

If we are not in a desperate situation, we don't react.

It wasn't easy and Cameroon defeated us

with a goal by Balint scored from offside.

And they defeated us exactly when the miners came to Bucharest,

because a misfortune never comes alone.

JUNE 1990

Regarding to what was happening in the country,

especially in Bucharest with the miners, we had learnt something.

Not how bad it was.

The people paid more attention to football and especially to the national team.

In the 90s, starting with Italy and what followed after that.

And I think this was maybe the one...

I think the one thing that we were able to do for our country...

I don't know, for the happiness of the people back then,

in those troubled times.

You were playing at Naples, you were playing in Maradona's city,

with the world champion and it was...

There was somehow a bigger fear than for the other two matches.

Maybe it was destiny too.

Not to play in the first game, and from the start in the second,

to enter with Cameroon and score an important goal, which mattered,

and then to start against Argentina.

Maybe if I hadn't played well, I wouldn't have started against Argentina,

the game everyone was waiting for.

There are ten players near the six-yards box,

very dangerous corner kick!

It was a match between equals.

Hagi... switching with Lupescu...

Lăcătuș... good cross... headed!

Balint, headed! Goal!

Gabi Balint! Gabi Balint had to score! Our scorer!

With this match, the golden generation

that is talked about in football, began.

I had never played such a high-stakes game before.

Because you're playing, for the first time in the history of Romanian football,

a match where you can get past the group phase...

and have the best performance of a national team!

Maradona prays to God!

God is Romanian tonight!

They were saying about me that I was Maradona from the Carpathians,

and it was a big challenge for me,

but I think I was better than him.

I played better and I went in with my head held high.

Romania qualified!

We managed to do a very good game

and I think that was the first,

sort to speak, the first step, in 1990,

the match with Argentina, towards the great football.

It had an important role in the history of Romanian football.

We taste the sweet fatigue of the victorious end.

"Victorious" is an understatement

because this equal score brings us second place in group B.

We were all now... seeing money...

It was no longer that football which I was fond of, which I loved,

we were already thinking about money, to have those expensive cars,

to play in Spain, in Germany, in England,

somewhere in a championship like those, we were hypnotized.

The fact that we were professionals messed up our minds.

After Argentina, we partied three days and three nights

with every man and woman and with all the crowd,

like it's done in Romania. A bad thing to do.

And that's why we didn't win the match.

Because we didn't talk much about that game against Ireland,

which we lost on penalties, because we weren't professionals.

We were maybe a little, somehow,

too confident that we will manage to win.

And as time passed, we had less and less opportunities to score

and we reached the penalty shootout.

We tried to do things, we had opportunities to score,

we didn't score, and at the penalty shootout...

Yes, there is a matter of chance.

Everyone is nervous,

with our hearts beating extremely strong...

Daniel Timofte

face to face with Bonner...

Let's see... Timofte strikes and Bonner saves it!

Oh, boy!

Oh, boy!

Let's applaud however, dear viewers, the performance of our team...

And that was it. Unfortunately, it's over.

I remember even now that we felt very sorry after the match with Ireland,

we realized we were wrong, that we weren't fair to ourselves...

I remember that I got a present for myself back then, a car,

I received some money about 10,000 dollars,

I got an Alfa Romeo for 7,000,

which I regret that I sold,

because it was a vintage car and it was very cool.

I think in Italy '90, in terms of performance,

all that could be obtained was obtained.

The team was in the making, it was to become the golden generation of '94.

It was a premature trade, so to speak, at 20 years old,

and I disappointed, in a way, the supporters of Dinamo in Bucharest,

and the supporters in the country.

I may have annoyed them a little, but what I can say

is that I thank them nevertheless

that they were by my side for better or for worse.

A message for girls in Romania, for these admirers

who write hundreds of letters to our editorial office and to Dinamo,

we believe that at home too...

Do you promise you won't get married in Italy?

I'm not even thinking about that for the time being.

The question... I'm not thinking about that.

I promise, I can't do such a thing.

I'm going there to play, to do something else, it's another job.

The years after the Revolution

were those when you had to talk to generals, to colonels in uniform,

because they were all departmental clubs, you realize, right?

And there was a major or a colonel

saying that he wanted to come to Barcelona with the family, with...

someone...

It was the Wild West of the communist East.

I remember some people's queues in freedom.

It's very interesting to stand in line in freedom,

with the feeling that you are in for something good,

for something that you'll also get,

because before you didn't know if you would get.

King Mihai!

What else do I remember? I remember the arrival of King Mihai...

I remember Michael Jackson's concert. I went to this concert.

I didn't want to go, it was a job duty.

On the list of his conquests,

Michael Jackson added a new victim: The Romanian fan.

Girls, can I ask you what is the reason for your sadness?

He's gone and I'm sure that he'll never come again!

It was probably a new thing for all of us.

To go abroad, to adapt to everything that was there,

to all the things over there. We were used differently

and suddenly there they were, things probably happened too soon.

It was seen that we weren't ourselves

at the level that we played at the 1990 World Cup.

I mean, our games for the European Championship qualification

weren't some of the bests.

When the press gained power, greater problems started.

It wasn’t like that before.

After Ceaușescu, the press was still OK, calm.

But when it started to be more aggressive, then the big problems started too.

They were publishing things... right ones, but also wrong ones.

'93 was a decisive year,

kind of like to be or not to be.

We had to change coach Cornel Dinu to shock the team

and to create an extra perspective regarding the chance for qualification.

We had started well, we lost at Kosice, we had the executive committee,

the change was decided, and we brought Iordănescu

who, as we talked about, introduced a little military discipline.

Until a certain point, I think that no one

could blame Cornel Dinu in terms of game, accumulated points...

But probably, there came the game in Czechoslovakia,

where our playing performance was horrible.

I mean, even we didn't expect

to play football so bad.

And maybe, who knows, I still believe

that the leadership of the federation at that time

couldn't wait to see a negative result of Mr. Dinu.

I don't know the reasons why.

Then came Anghel Iordănescu,

who certainly had the best reputation as a national team coach,

because when you take the team so close

to a World Cup semi-final,

you are placed very high.

Mr. Puiu was a person with...

a coach with an incredible personality.

And to keep the players in check as we kept were back then,

with players from Barcelona, Valencia, Leverkusen,

almost all from good teams, you must have a certain personality.

And he had it.

They said I was a tough coach, a severe one.

It's not true.

I was a demanding coach. I was very close to my players.

I was glad when I came to the national team.

I couldn't wait to be called.

To use the word "family"...

It was a... I don't know if "family" is appropriate,

but there was a relationship filled with respect and of... I don't know,

a beautiful, true and pure friendship...

How the Cypriot players closed the game, how they blocked...

So, Rush was all the time with Constantino.

Constantino stood behind him,

and you will see that he didn't move, didn't leave him.

There was a gap between the two. Ioannou is the one... Stancas, sorry.

And Sanders...

Before Cardiff, they were...

extremely focused

and we were afraid that they would froze.

They didn't even talk much,

probably, in their rooms,

but trainings were going perfectly, without any argument, without any fuss,

without fouls or... What can I say, they were focused,

and I think they felt, as we also wished,

they felt that they were close to a World Cup qualification.

It was as if my legs were heavier in the beginning,

as if they didn't work,

because there was a tension and when you are tense...

and having to run... it's a little harder.

But after five or ten minutes, we saw that we could again.

Gică was outstanding with that shot.

Gică Hagi... Goal!

There are moments in life,

that can change the fate of a generation, a person's fate,

the fate of a team... and that's what happened to us with that penalty.

The score was 1-1 when they had a penalty kick...

Crossbar!

Once again, we got lucky! What a dramatic game!

Had he scored, would there have been a golden generation?

I believe so, because it would have ended 3-2 for us.

Because if he had scored, we would have had the power,

we would have been so strong to have reversed the result,

regardless if they scored from the penalty or not.

No way we could have done it without the help of God.

Ilie Dumitrescu... Once again, Ilie Dumitrescu...

pass to Răducioiu... Goal!

It's true, I had already demonstrated that I was a much more mature player,

much more pragmatic, realistic, much stronger mentally,

and I really managed to score nine goals in five matches.

They are basically numbers that make you laugh today.

I mean that nowadays, the great players score in a season

or in the qualifiers over 15-20 goals.

I became the top scorer in Europe with nine goals, not so many,

in front of much greater players

like Klinsmann, Chapuisat, Roberto Baggio...

I also have my place in this...

Mount Olympus of footballers, among the great Romanian players.

Radule, good job!

ROMANIA - WALES 2-1

I think that was the strongest squad of the national team.

When Sabău also played.

I couldn't have accomplished anything

without this genius called Gică Hagi.

Next to him Ilie Dumitrescu, with whom I have a special relationship

and he is a dear friend of mine... Yes, I managed to have this performance.

I mean, I'm proud of myself.

Honestly, I have... yeah, I'm thinking, wow!

If you win and you are a winner,

the opponent has no option but to respect you.

If not, I don't think... So basically, the results count.

Don't worry, it's OK.

Good job!

Come on, Lăcătușu! Lăcătușu!

You play seven games in the World Cup qualifiers

with a coach from Dinamo.

Then comes a coach who was your teammate

in the Champions Cup's final

and you don't play in none of the matches...

You don't play in any of the remaining three matches,

and you're not even going to the World Cup...

I don't think there is a man who could simply get over it

and say: "That didn't leave a scar". It hurts!

And mostly when, perhaps, these things came from the people who,

as coaches, were the closest to me.

We also went through a more special situation after the match,

when, even though we were victorious and joyful,

we were considered felons

by the way we were treated back then at Cardiff airport.

They kept us in the airport for about four or five hours.

During the match, it seems that

a firecracker or mini-bomb hit someone somewhere,

and it was thought that it came from the Romanian fans' area.

And as a reward for winning the match, they kept us for about four hours.

Instead of drinking properly, we had to stay in the airport.

Come on, finish it already, you bastards!

ROMANIAN DELEGATION WAS BRUTALIZED BY THE ORANGUTANS OF WELSH POLICE

Welcome, congratulations!

Thank you!

- You must be dead tired. - Close enough.

They did it.

They were angry because they lost. That was probably what they came up with.

Of course. Welcome!

- And why did they do this? - They harassed you.

George Păunescu promised before the game against Wales

a Mercedes in case

the national team qualifies at the World Championship.

Even though I didn't play in that game against Wales,

Mr. Păunescu said that he gave the Mercedes

based on the players' attendance throughout the qualification campaign.

Maybe, somehow, Mr. Puiu misunderstood the fact

that I received the car from Mr. Păunescu

and he didn't. As if I would have told Mr. Păunescu

that if he didn't take me to the World Cup not to give him a car,

because I had a closer relationship with Viorel Păunescu

and therefore with Mr. George Păunescu.

I just wonder...

When some of them,

who played three games, got 80,000 dollars

and I got 9,000 with seven games, was I to be pitied?

I wouldn't have wanted this but, for the sake of discussion,

I think it's good for them too to know about how much Marius Lăcătuș got

for those qualifiers,

who took the national team at the World Cup.

He didn't take Lăcătuș.

This is one of Iordănescu's big mistakes.

Lăcătuș had his place there. Even if he wouldn't play,

he was a player who had to be at the World Championship.

Because he played in the qualifiers,

he was a player who in 1990, '92, '93

was a binder for the national team players.

A coach makes mistakes, that's clear. And I personally have a big regret.

At that Championship in the United States, Marius Lăcătuș wasn't present.

I am the only responsible for that and I have done him a great injustice.

We left almost a month before the start of the Championship.

First game... we went to Italy first.

After that, after two weeks, we arrived in the US...

The going out to Disneyland was extremely interesting for us,

it was kind of a team-building sort to speak,

we did silly things over there...

Now I remember I had a cap with a bra.

I think one of them chose it for me. "Take this cap."

There were all kinds of silly things there...

They put on masks, they put all kinds of...

I think I put... I don't know what mask I was wearing... I had one too...

- The actors! - Wait!

Let me see who you are.

Hello?

When I saw the group we were in, I thought we would be coming home soon.

Everyone saw Colombia as the favorite, the world champion.

They had some fantastic players at the time:

Asprilla, Valderama, Rincon, Cordoba...

they were players who excelled in Europe.

Stay here and narrow it down...

After studying the Colombia team, we were really scared.

I was sharing a room with Popescu and night after night we talked

about how we could defeat them, because it would be very difficult.

There were moments when Mr. Puiu, Mr. Iordănescu,

was telling us even what the opponent ate.

So, we knew everything about our opponent.

He wrote a note,

a summary more like it, for each opponent player

and pinned them in their rooms.

And to Prodan, my godson,

an extraordinary boy, it's a pity that God took him early, Asprilla.

Asprilla was an extraordinary forward:

Got speed, kicked with both legs, dribbling, strength...

and Didi looked at what was written there...

"Well, Mr. Puiu, but that one doesn't have a thing, a weakness?"

-"Well, he's a little afraid." - Why don't you say so?"

And after the first tackle, he stopped coming to Didi.

He was going to the left, to the right. Didi was in the center and defending

with all the center full-backs, which were quite a few.

Gică Hagi, we wish you and all the players, good luck.

Thank you and don't worry, it will be fine.

When we entered the locker room, we were all a bit like...

we had those emotions before the match...

and Gică saw that and he told us:

"Guys, rely on me today,

please rely on me because I can win this match."

Look, I'm getting goosebumps. And that's exactly what happened.

They say, and from my experience I can confirm this,

that the first match is very important at such a final tournament.

And we started extremely well...

My first goal is due to the fact that Gică Mihali

intercepts the ball meant for Asprilla or Rincon...

passes to Gică Hagi and from there

the action develops and ends with a goal.

This spirit of sacrifice which the guys have had all along,

because I know, I've been there, up close, I know what it meant,

I know how focused they had to be,

not to make unnecessary fouls...

I had an opponent, a forward, Valencia, who was playing at Bayern Munich,

and when you looked at him, believe me, you were a little scared.

Because he had a serious face and his hair... he was aggressive.

And he was always talking and swearing and was spiting and provoking me.

Perez.

Valencia struck and Bogdan Stelea cleared with an extraordinary reflex!

Well done, Bogdan! Minute 19!

I was upset, because I had played the last match at Cardiff.

And I was a substitute. I started mumbling.

Stelică would have done it too if he wasn't playing.

We didn't like it, although we were friends,

and we were still bickering at trainings.

I was the player in charge to annihilate the best player

of our opponent.

We are in the 23rd minute of the first half, Romania-Colombia 1-0

and there's another corner kick for Colombians

and the ball... extraordinary saving by Stelea in front of...

Stelică was incredible. From a young age he worked...

I was looking at him and I couldn't believe it.

Actually, that's what counted.

He was talented, but not very very talented,

and by working hard, he did extraordinary things.

My performance was appreciated then

but it was normal to be appreciated more...

Okay, the goal Hagi scores...

I've only seen him scoring goals like these,

because he did it afterwards.

It would have been awkward not to talk more about that goal.

From my point of view, it's a masterpiece.

Let's see what will happen next.

Extraordinary! Goal!

Hagi!

-And goal, Hagi! - Hagi! The 23rd goal scored for Romania.

2-0 for Romania!

Gică Hagi managed to catch the Colombian goalkeeper Cordoba

out of the goal, which he also tried a bit earlier...

For example, I knew that the goalkeeper wasn't defending the goal

and then we prepared slowly...

We prepared our success step by step, which came in the field at some point.

And a goal scored by Colombia...

When we had to attack, we knew what to do,

when we had to dominate, we knew how to do it,

so practically we were complete.

We were complete. We were ready for anything.

Seven players who could play defensively very well

and three forward players that made the difference.

So, speed, technique, vision, passes...

I think we were among the best there.

3-1! Florin Răducioiu scored in the 89th minute.

Romania-Colombia 3-1!

Răducioiu was playing at Milan.

So...

to be next to Baresi, Maldini, Costacurta,

Savicevici... I don't remember what players were at Milan,

so, he had grown and had already reached a top level,

gained a self-confidence there, some fantastic executions.

Two goals in the 16th and 89th minutes, Hagi in the 34th minute...

Eleven, actually, 12 Romanian footballers obtain a splendid victory,

defeating many specialists' favorite!

We brought great joy to the people at home

and without exaggerating, almost all of us here

thought about what a good result means for those at home,

for those who always were heart and soul by our side.

An important win, a good start, a start for the peace of mind,

but also, probably, a mistake made by our national team's coach.

I made a decision to celebrate that match

with families,

with friends, close relatives of the players,

including my family, my wife. The extended party

and, probably, the more casual program for our boys

were all felt in the second match against Switzerland.

IN CLUJ, YOUNGSTERS DOVE FULLY DRESSED

IN THE FOUNTAIN IN FRONT OF AVRAM IANCU'S STATUE

I also want to experience, why not,

those moments which hundreds of thousands, maybe millions of Romanians

experienced in those years by going out in the street,

to enjoy a...

a great success like the one we had.

Here is... I don't know, I hope to live until then

and experience those moments,

because football lives due to them, due to all these football fans...

May be honored! Our players may be honored!

Hagi!

Yes, we were shown how the people were chanting on the street...

When you do well, everyone praises you.

After the Columbia match euphoria, you can imagine.

The only one who wasn't euphoric was the coach, naturally.

And today I know this, as I'm a coach too.

After a win, I'm the only one who's not euphoric.

He wanted to keep us down to earth, but we were very happy,

we were like "that's it, we're the best".

We knew that Colombia was an extraordinary team

and maybe, with Switzerland, we started a little bumptious, as they say,

too confident,

although we knew that Switzerland was difficult.

Is looking for Chapuisat.

Sutter and is a goal this time!

And we play against Switzerland,

which was not today's Switzerland, better than Romania.

At that time, we were better, but those conditions,

the indoor field, the pressure, anyway,

with the stupid things we did, we got defeated.

Gică Hagi with the 24th goal for Romania!

They scored first, Gică settled the score,

but the second goal also had a very important role,

because with today's VAR,

they would say that Sforza touched the ball with his hand.

Formidable! Sforza prefers to go by himself,

very dangerous, passes to Alain Sutter...

It's 3-1!

And 4-1!

Jean was sent to warm up, then Mr. Puiu called him

and began to give him some pointers, then encouraged him.

I started telling to Basarab, to Panduru, I say...

"it's not good", because I knew Jean from Pitești

and I told him:

"Jean doesn't need to be motivated, because he's always super motivated."

He entered and, out of desire to do well and to help the team, he got a red card.

At his first tackle, Jean Vlădoiu gets hopefully

only the yellow card... no, the red card!

That's how I became known at the World Championship.

My first World Championship in '94, by taking that red card.

I didn't play for more than three minutes.

I think I broke a record, something like that.

And then, of course, they made this decision,

to return home early,

because I was no longer useful to the national team.

And I remember that on the plane

I sat next to a very nice lady,

who looked at me and asked:

"Are you that person?"

"Yes, ma'am, hello, it's me, I'm returning home".

"Ah, brutal... brutal foul! You're in all the newspapers."

And when I looked, I was like... there were three seats and we had...

you know that on the plane, at the middle or at the quarter, you have newspapers.

All the newspapers... the first was Efenberg, I'll never forget,

the second was Maradona, sent due to the problems he had,

and the third, of course, a no name from the Romanian national team.

Iordănescu also had this skill

to ask you what happened, how did it happen,

how we felt in the field certain things.

There was one of those things, like a group session, a soul thing,

we licked our wounds, yeah...

"Heads up, we're the ones who will fix it", that was the message.

For the first time since I was in the national team,

Iordănescu talked to us in a different way.

I remember we went to a park

and we started talking about the match against Switzerland.

And he managed to create a dialogue

and some of us started to speak and had their say.

It had never happened before in the national team,

at least in a meeting, when we were all there talking.

The problem was raised by Dan Petrescu.

He said he can't play well as a right full-back

if he doesn't have a midfielder to stay always on his side.

At the next match against America,

he put Dorinel Munteanu on the right, next to me.

And God made it so I can score the winning goal.

So, after all,

I think I was right about what I wanted most,

to have a more defensive player next to me,

to deliver quality...

Strikes and goal! Goal Romania!

Only he saw how to get it into the net,

while the rest of us expected him to cross, and he scored.

No chance to score from there.

I looked at the box, there was no one, why don't I strike to goal?

My luck was that the goalkeeper thought I will cross and I surprised him.

Good job, boys!

We were all at the age that is considered

to be the best for top performance, between 27 and 30 years.

They say that's the right age to play at the highest level,

because you have experience, you are in your best shape,

you are grown up physically...

and that's where we all were at.

Romania!

Romania!

I am very happy about this victory

and I want to dedicate it primarily to my wife, my daughter

and to everyone in Romania.

I think they're on the streets, they're happy...

Eventually, just tell me.

How many kilos did the player Dumitrescu lose after the match against USA?

I personally had the curiosity, and also Gică Hagi.

We are always around the scale,

it's an obsession. I think we are obsessed by this...

I lost four kilograms.

- And Gică? - Gică, I think he lost three or so.

We are happy because we made a country...

As we made them sad after the match against Switzerland,

we now made them happy

and they really deserved it, mostly those who are far from us.

We know they stand by us although they are far away.

I vividly remember that image of this woman who said:

"Oh, look, we beat the Americans, so they can see where we are on the map",

or something like that.

That's how the Americans will know us!

They didn't even know where we were on the world map!

That woman for me will be iconic...

the icon of that World Championship for us,

so, she is a part of our unique adventure with Romanian football.

A World Cup or an European Championship

starts from the KO match phase.

Because there is no tie game, someone has to win.

There are things, you know, that coaches tell you or don't tell you.

But there are many things that you feel,

you feel the opponent behind you, his breath,

you feel that today he's not that strong...

We were talking to our boys

and many of them regretted that Maradona wasn't playing.

We knew back then that Maradona was tested positive,

but no one told me until the day before the match.

Temperature, 35 degrees Celsius. Huge interest around this match,

which brings the novelty of definitive retirement from football

of the great Argentinian player Diego Armando Maradona.

Mr. Puiu was often doing some things before matches,

he was taking certain players, those with more experience,

and talked to them, asked questions,

he was consulting the players with more experience,

and he was doing very well, because, as a player, you feel things.

And he decided to substitute... not to start with Ilie.

Ilie hadn't played well until the game against Argentina.

"Mr. Puiu, I wouldn't substitute Ilie."

"He played poorly those three group games,

but he has to play well at one point."

I go to Panduru and say:

"Listen, Puiu is giving up a little on Ilie Dumitrescu,

so tell him you will play there."

And he says: "Mr. Țiți,

I can't do that, to play, if I don't wear number ten".

"Well, boy, number ten,

in Romania, for Romanians, only Hagi wears."

"If you can wear it for Argentinians,

because Maradona was tested positive

and was eliminated, talk to him."

At midnight, Iordănescu entered in my room...

I was sharing a room with Belo. He came into our room...

I had two chocolate cakes under the bed

and I say: "I don't think he came to control me now,

to see if I eat chocolate or eat something sweet, or..."

And he said: "You'll play number 9 tomorrow".

Now it's called "fake 9".

The first coach who played with fake 9 was Iordănescu.

Five Romanian players in front of the goal protected by Islas.

Curved... Goal!

Ilie Dumitrescu!

1-0 for Romania in the 11th minute of the match!

Today should be Ilie Dumitrescu's day!

I don't know what came over me, I sent my wife home.

When I saw that we would play with Argentina, I said:

"I think we're going home soon, we have no chance."

And then happened what happened. There were tough moments in that match,

I remember we didn't really get out of the box in the first 20 minutes.

But that penalty came, easily awarded to Batistuta...

Here is the duel, Batistuta-Prodan.

Come on, Florin, pay attention!

But he shot to the right and it's 1-1!

Prodan, in the close up, has the toughest mission in our defense,

having Gabriel Batistuta as an opponent.

Our great regret is that Didi Prodan is no longer with us

because a young boy, a boy with a special heart,

in the sense that he was a guy you could trust,

and who gave his all to the team and to you...

If you needed something, he helped you,

and he was a guy who gave a certain aggressiveness to the team

in the rough moments.

Batistuta and Prodan starting very good, getting first to the ball.

Hagi has the ball...

Ionuț Lupescu runs, he gets in open space very well...

Combination with Hagi...

Cross by Hagi... Ilie Dumitrescu... Goal!

Ilie Dumitrescu!

Hagi had the ball, goes inside, raised his head.

That was the sign that when he raises his head

I have to attack the open space.

Exceptional pass by Gică Hagi!

Yes, Mr. Puiu found his position, because before he had to run

and had to play defense on that heat.

From my point of view, he was coming too far...

That pass was, in my opinion, 95% of the goal.

Do you see what a coach is all about? Well, he pushed Ilie

and rewarded him with two goals.

He came and hugged me first,

he ran from... the touch line to me.

I said: "Dude, you'll be a starter tomorrow and you'll score two goals."

Word for word, ask Ilie, that's what I said:

"Dude, you'll score two, listen to me!"

And so it was, he scored two goals.

The same thing with Selimeș, I remember that phase with Tibi,

when he was leaning and he rolled his hands like this,

you couldn't catch him.

At the third goal, there was a phase of two or three passes,

I reached the net and the third goal came.

...and the second appeared, Ilie Dumitrescu waits,

passes on the right side to Hagi!

Goal!

When I left the World Championship, I was first place.

If I'm not mistaken... I think the statistics is... so...

Yes, afterwards I had to reach the semi-final and final.

There is always room for more.

To win a Golden Ball,

to win the World Cup too, to go there...

I would've gone, but...

although we are Romania, I'm Romanian, it's not bad,

so, I am thankful for what God has given me

and I'm proud of what I did.

Gheorghe Hagi!

It was a good pass

and somehow, I managed

to return Hagi the favor he did for me on the second goal.

Hagi scores with the right foot and...

In Bucharest, the traffic stopped and everyone was...

Victory!

Victory!

Romania defeats Argentina 3-2!

I was the most decisive player. Declared the most decisive.

I congratulate the representative of our country for the result

and because these days, thanks to them, in the US and around the sports world...

Clearly, it's an iconic match for me personally,

to be the player of the match at the end of the game.

It marked my life, my career...

I finish my activity of football anchor

with the regret, even with the sadness

that football, the most loved sport in the world,

wrote here, in America, in its history, a chapter that can hardly be forgotten:

The definitive retirement of one of the best players in the world

the Argentinian Maradona,

suspended the second time for using of doping substances,

and the killing of a 27 years old Colombian player

because the supporters of his national team

couldn't treat a sporting defeat with dignity.

The first phone call I made... I called my mom and dad...

She was telling me about the atmosphere in front of the block

because they organized, for that match, to take out...

All my neighbors got the TV out, the TVs, in front of the block.

My mom took out everything she had in the fridge to eat and drink,

and she gave to everyone... she was caring for people...

After that, with everything that happened, she got to University,

with my brother and my dad and told me... My mother told me like this:

"I am proud, I am happy and I can die right now."

It was clear that it started with Hagi and there was a moment when

the whole University Square chanted my name.

Well, that thing for her was so...

Her and my dad were...

satisfied, happy and proud

and I thanked them for everything they did for me.

I'm not king, I'm not... I don't know...

I am... I have a name, my name is Gică.

Hagi also, because that's my parents last name,

which I bear with pride and I believe I earned respect with,

be known by everyone. I don't need anything else.

Romania!

The happiness bus, the bus of winners.

I am very glad that we managed to bring another great joy

to our people from home, in our country...

I say to go further, because we want to stay here more, because it's beautiful.

We are not leaving here We are not going home

Until we win The beautiful cup!

We are not leaving here We are not going home

Until we win The beautiful cup!

I think it's really fascinating,

really fantastic, when dreams come true.

Indeed, what you told me first thing in the morning, after coffee...

The first word you said to me after "good morning"...

You said you dreamed that I'll score two goals.

I really couldn't believe it,

I knew that I was feeling better than in the other matches

and you realize that you can't know in advance,

and I hate to predict.

Indeed, it is the most beautiful day of my life...

A World Championship means more than what is known.

It actually means a pressure, a tension,

means long travels, time zone differences,

it means a physical and mental resilience,

and last but not least,

it means joining a very strict program, a tough schedule,

which often, if there is no tact, diplomacy and wisdom,

it can turn into a rebellion.

I don't want to make promises,

it's a match we all hoped to reach,

but I also hope that in the end we'll be happy again,

and be able to spend an evening like the one in Bucharest right now.

The results made him a believer.

And he started with all kinds of icons

and things like that,

to show up at matches and keep kissing them,

believing that God would help him.

God doesn't help you because, in a competition, there is another who,

if God help you, He disadvantages the other.

There is no such thing.

You must pray to God to finish the match well,

to be healthy, to have no injuries, not have bad luck...

A MATCH FOR THE BRONZE MEDAL

DON'T BE SCARED, SWEDES FALL! FIFA MAKES US PLAY IN RED!

I think that we were stupid in that match,

to be frank.

Because God gave you three chances to win the match.

You recovered from 0-1, you made it 2-1,

Schwarz got a red card

and they missed the first penalty kick.

What more do you want?

If we were the third or fourth generation of players

who would have played abroad

and if we had a coach as well,

who would have trained abroad or at the World Championship,

maybe the match with Sweden would have been different.

But that's not a complaint towards someone. It was what it was.

Iordănescu had, until the World Championship,

three official matches as coach at the national team.

He hasn't been a coach of a national team,

he has never been to a World Championship...

If I'm not mistaken, in minute 70 or so,

there was a free kick which ended it all for us,

we were totally uncoordinated, totally unfocused.

I said: "What are we doing here? There are a few minutes left and bye-bye America",

we are going back home". I say: "No, let's try to..."

And after that, we somehow get possession of the ball,

we manage to get closer, but not quite...

not very incisive, we weren't very... I mean, it was hard, extremely hard.

I score this goal, luckily, from a free kick,

deviated, if I'm not mistaken, by Anderson...

We manage to stay in the game, so practically from agony to ecstasy.

I think it really was the best period of my career,

starting with Brescia, Milan

and the peak was the 1994 World Championship.

Ilie Dumitrescu... Răducioiu...

Didi and I were talking before... there were seven or eight minutes left

and I was sure they started to throw the ball into the box, to cross,

to throw it in the box, and I was sure they had no chance,

because it was in front of me, I was jumping well at the head game...

Unfortunately, came this long pass in our box

for which Florin Prunea makes the worst decision to get out of the net,

totally uncoordinated, gets out, waiting for the ball...

He obviously doesn't realize that one yard away is Kennet Andersson,

who is almost 6.5 feet high or something...

Well, at the respective phase I was with Andersson and he left.

He left behind me, I lost him and when I ran,

I went towards him, saw Florin coming out, but I already had lost Andersson.

My defense colleagues weren't to blame, because they practically looked at me,

I remember the phase well because it was a goalkeeper ball,

they had nothing to do with it,

they couldn't protect me, because I was playing the ball.

I was the only one to blame at that phase.

I didn't know how the ball got into the net.

From the top of the stand where we were sitting,

I saw the ball in Prunea's hands.

If I hadn't stricken out, nothing would have happened,

we would have won the match. We were clearly aware of that.

It was the mistake that basically meant our returning home

and I'm sorry. If I could turn back time,

I'm sure that I would've thought differently,

I would have taken one step...

But I repeat, I didn't see him, because if I saw him...

I would've been faster, he would've bumped into me or make a foul...

We probably felt as winners and that's where history was written.

Before that match, I remember that I had Marseille and Eindhoven.

My agent was negotiating, Mr. Mircea Petrescu, God rest his soul...

After that phase, the phone stopped ringing.

When the misfortune happened, I wanted to dig a hole there,

cover myself with dirt and run from everyone.

It would've been better to substitute me, because, going back,

I'm sure that Stelică would have done better.

You see, we were so close to play the semi-final with Brazil

at the World Championship, semi-final, something... extraordinary.

I was here, in the field. I remember. Mr. Puiu was sitting on the bench.

And when we received the goal... I was a coach then, I think.

I said: "Mr. Puiu, substitute him."

But he wasn't looking at me. "Mr. Puiu, substitute him.

Substitute him with Stelea".

He didn't say anything, just sat there. Something blocked him,

their goal or the pressure, I don't know.

I asked to substitute him. Not that I was against...

but I was thinking that he was no longer in good spirits.

I stayed next to him the whole time.

Then there was Dumitriu, the assistant coach

and the other, the goalkeeper, Moraru.

And they... "Tell him to get Stelea in.

There are a few minutes left, Stelică is good at penalties."

And indeed, he was. I told him... he looked at me like that...

This had never been done before, at least I didn't know about it.

How to substitute the goalie now, what, are we playing handball?

No, this is not how it's done.

He wasn't the man to do something crazy.

He liked to plan everything, to have everything under control...

Although, at that time, nothing was under control anymore, it had become...

OK, at 12 yards it really was a hazard.

Probably Stelea would have been better at those penalty kicks,

as I think maybe I was wrong with designations too

for the penalties we kicked.

But there were some players who, after overtime was over,

took off their shoes and they gave up striking.

They were afraid, I don't know, but you can't force a man.

They were a few, about four.

I didn't do it because I had a strain towards the end of the second half,

I wanted to go out, yes... And Mr. Puiu told me to stay on the field and continue.

I endured, but probably, if would have end up

to the sixth and seventh penalty.

I probably would have kicked it no matter the strain.

In those five or six minutes, a lot of commotion,

the people were talking, everyone was shouting, it...

It was, if I'm not mistaken,

although I was worried... I said: "We'll lose this match, for sure.

No, we can't be that close."

We lose it because I saw what was happening in their team

and what was happening in ours. How much more could God give us?

We really started very... they miss, actually secondo me...

Not secondo me. In my opinion, Mild was the most emotional player,

he was the least Swedish at that moment, because he kicks it terribly wrong.

And afterwards, I open this series...

I was very sure that I would score, no problem,

although I thought we wouldn't qualify.

When I scored, if you look, I score, I'm not happy at all.

Obviously, because it was the first penalty,

but I said... I was firmly convinced that we won't qualify, which happened.

That's why I'm saying that Florin Prunea was broken psychologically,

he didn't have any focus left,

he didn't realize he had to focus

to save at least one penalty, but I repeat...

It's not his fault,

in those moments one player can make the difference,

and he had to make a difference, in my opinion.

I claim that Florin can guess the direction of the shot...

He always dives on the ground before the kick...

before the player reaches the ball.

Goal, Romania!

This indicated that he had to be substituted.

My opinion is that it was very wrong that I was benched after the Sweden match.

Not Sweden... with Switzerland.

If you ask me about frustrations, this was a frustration.

Because...

I had such an illusion and I was so motivated,

I knew I could do things,

and the match with Colombia had given me so much confidence,

that this match with Switzerland couldn't have shaken me.

Dan Petrescu strikes.

Our admirable Dănuț.

Very short step back...

Penalty. I never won,

neither as a coach, nor as a player, never.

So, it's incredible. As a player, never on penalties.

As coach, I think I had about five matches in my career,

I lost them all on penalties.

Ravelli was gesticulating to me, was smiling...

he kind of monkeyed around, was doing a psychological game with me...

It was hard to swallow, to accept this monkeying around.

God help me not to miss this shot,

because then I won't care, I can miss them all.

Go, Ilie!

Goal!

It was the breaking point. I went towards him...

I think it was seen that I used offensive words, but I was...

I had something to say to him.

Goal! 4-4!

And I returned to the center of the field, everyone was happy...

The score is 4-4 on penalties, 6-6 the final score.

Larsson... goal!

Get Belo to strike,

because he struck with Red Star Belgrade in the final,

he scored, he's Belo, he's physically fine... He designates Belo.

And I got up and went to strike.

And when I wanted to go towards Balint to ask him something...

I wanted to ask him... When I got up,

he turned and ran away to the substitutes bench.

And I needed you a lot in that moment,

but you turned back, you were busy with others,

and I'm sorry you didn't talk to me, maybe you could've helped me then.

And then I thought it would have been good for someone to encourage him.

Fingers crossed for Belo!

I really burst into tears like a baby,

I fell on the ground, in the midfield,

where I was waiting, instead of crying, to celebrate,

to dance a Romanian hora... Unfortunately, it wasn't meant to be.

I repeat, our emotions betrayed us,

not the fact that we didn't know to strike better the penalties

or more than the Swedes.

The Swedes were much more focused, much calmer. That was it.

So here I would talk a little bit about the DNA of our people.

I think it was the day when I cried the most.

After the match with Sweden. Because we were so close,

we were only six minutes away from a world semi-final

and it was hard to accept that defeat,

because we were thinking how close we were.

Maybe if they would've won 3-0 straight, OK, 3-0, they were better...

But we felt that we were so close, we felt it was...

That it could've been our day,

that we could've been in a world championship semi-final,

and that hurt.

I was sharing a room with Dan Petrescu,

each one in our beds, and I think I cried continuously for two hours.

The best team of our country in the history of Romanian football.

A NIGHT OF FIRE ROMANIA - SWEDEN 2-2

We missed one of the greatest opportunities

of the Romanian team, to play a World Cup semi-final,

which I think it will... I don't want to anticipate,

but I think many generations will have to pass

before we can reach this level again.

"What if"...

If the coach was more inspired

and made himself heard by Ilie Dumitrescu,

maybe he had played very well to block right full-back Nilsson

to stop crossing repeatedly...

If the coach on the bench

was keeping Florin Prunea under control...

If the coach on the bench was making some substitutes

before the end and before penalties...

If the coach...

I am, so to speak... I am at peace with myself, I am OK.

Nobody can tell me anything to...

Yes, it's hard to...

I'm a little emotional at the moment

because you're unsettling me a bit...

Yes, OK...

I don't know what's wrong.

It's old age, you know?

Yes, what can I say?

So yeah, that's about it.

Dreams, hard work was shattered...

It's a beautiful story of our generation.

It was that feeling that I'm not going home,

that it is not over for me.

Why? Because we hadn't lost on the field, we hadn't lost the match.

And this was the second time.

Romania!

I think it would have been an interesting match with Brazil.

It's a shame,

but I think everything happens to make room for other matches,

let the others come, these young people, let them go further than us.

Because you have to know how to use history.

If not, you'll never have a future.

There was that saying in Romania:

"Let's get to America, it's so good to see America!"

and it was something great and you gave your best.

We all had a good time,

because if you give, you're happy and you feel good,

you play your best, you do everything with pleasure.

Maybe others will go and do better than us.

God, let them go, the young ones, to do it better than us.

The story did not end in 1994.

The referees did wrong by us in 1996...

The ball was five feet into the net.

Dan Petrescu as forward, Dan Petrescu enters the box,

Dan Petrescu...

Goal!

I never thought I will score the winning goal.

Honestly, it turned out like this...

The greatest idiotic thing I have done in my life.

We dyed our hair blonde in 1998.

And I heard Prunea saying: "Come on, we don't look that bad."

We resembled the Swedes like that...

The day has come when I must say

"goodbye" or "thank you" to the national team...

We defeated England at the European Championship in 2000.

Luck, a lot of luck...

Ionel Ganea assumes the difficult task... and scores!

Even if Romania didn't win any trophies,

Hagi's generation was the unforgettable generation.

We are in the quarter finals!

We built an image of a team that sat at the table of the rich

because they got us used to that.

The problem is that we didn't have the foundation to achieve that.

I liked one phrase in which someone said that we asked the score not to score.