Mircea Lucescu, at 79 years old, has announced the 25-man squad for Romania’s upcoming UEFA Nations League matches against Kosovo on September 6 and Lithuania on September 9. This marks Lucescu’s first action in his latest tenure as head coach of the Romanian national team.
Familiar Goalkeepers, Surprising Outfield Selections
Two goalkeepers remain unchanged from Romania’s Euro 2024 squad: Florin Niță and Ștefan Târnovanu. Horațiu Moldovan asked Lucescu to let him stay with his newly signed team, Sassuolo:
“Horațiu Moldovan called me and said he wants to become a starter there, and I want him to become a starter there as well. He was criticized for not training with the team, and he called me. Rather than keeping him as a substitute here, it’s better for him to train and become a starter at Sassuolo, to play every game. That’s why I let him go.” M. Lucescu.
Among the notable surprises is Iulian Cristea, who had been released by Rapid Bucharest but was later revitalized by coach Ioan Ovidiu Sabău. Cristea has earned a spot on the squad, along with Alexandru Chipciu, a veteran from Universitatea Cluj, currently leading Romania’s top division, Superliga.
Other unexpected call-ups include FCSB’s defensive midfielder Mihai Lixandru, making his debut, and central defender Virgil Ghiță from Cracovia, Poland, who has only one prior appearance for Romania, which came in September 2021.
Full Romanian Squad for the Nations League Matches
| Position | Player | Club | Caps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeeper | Florin Niță | Damac (Saudi Arabia) | 25 | 0 |
| Goalkeeper | Laurențiu Popescu | Univesitatea Craiova | 0 (debut call-up) | 0 |
| Goalkeeper | Ștefan Târnovanu | FCSB | 1 | 0 |
| Defender | Andrei Rațiu | Rayo Vallecano (Spain) | 21 | 1 |
| Defender | Cristian Manea | Rapid Bucharest | 25 | 2 |
| Defender | Andrei Burcă | Baniyas (UAE) | 31 | 1 |
| Defender | Radu Drăgușin | Tottenham (England) | 21 | 0 |
| Defender | Virgil Ghiță | Cracovia (Poland) | 1 | 0 |
| Defender | Iulian Cristea | Universitatea Cluj | 4 | 0 |
| Defender | Nicușor Bancu | Universitatea Craiova | 39 | 2 |
| Defender | Alexandru Chipciu | Universitatea Cluj | 45 | 6 |
| Midfielder | Deian Sorescu | Gaziantep (Turkey) | 19 | 0 |
| Midfielder | Dennis Man | Parma (Italy) | 28 | 7 |
| Midfielder | Nicolae Stanciu | Damac (Saudi Arabia) | 74 | 15 |
| Midfielder | Răzvan Marin | Cagliari (Italy) | 59 | 5 |
| Midfielder | Marius Marin | Pisa (Italy) | 22 | 0 |
| Midfielder | Darius Olaru | FCSB | 20 | 0 |
| Midfielder | Mihai Lixandru | FCSB | 0 (debut call-up) | 0 |
| Midfielder | Ianis Hagi | Rangers (Scotland) | 39 | 5 |
| Midfielder | Valentin Mihăilă | Parma (Italy) | 24 | 4 |
| Midfielder | Florinel Coman | Al-Gharafa (Qatar) | 17 | 1 |
| Midfielder | Alexandru Mitriță | Universitatea Craiova | 18 | 3 |
| Forward | Denis Drăguș | Trabzonspor (Turkey) | 15 | 3 |
| Forward | George Pușcaș | Bodrum (Turkey) | 44 | 11 |
| Forward | Denis Alibec | Farul Constanța | 39 | 5 |
Key Changes and Comebacks
Several key players who represented Romania at Euro 2024 are absent, including Vasile Mogoș, Bogdan Racovițan (injured), Adrian Rus, Ionuț Nedelcearu, Alexandru Cicâldău, Adrian Șut, and Daniel Bîrligea. These omissions have made room for the return of players like Cristian Manea, Virgil Ghiță, and Alexandru Mitriță, who had been sidelined during the latter part of former coach Edi Iordănescu’s tenure due to disciplinary issues.
Mitriță, who has been in excellent form for Universitatea Craiova with six goals and an assist this season, returns to the national setup after last featuring for Romania in June 2022.
Ianis Hagi’s Uncertain Club Future
Ianis Hagi, a key figure in Romania’s squad, is currently facing a tough situation at Rangers. The 25-year-old playmaker, who hasn’t played in an official match since Euro 2024, has been relegated to Rangers’ second team. Hagi is reportedly unwanted at the Scottish club, with Rapid Bucharest and FCSB expressing interest in signing him. However, Hagi’s preference remains to find a new club abroad.
Romania’s U21 Squad Call-ups
While Lucescu’s senior squad features a mix of experience and new faces, some promising talents such as Răzvan Sava, Constantin Grameni, Marius Corbu, and Louis Munteanu have been assigned to Romania’s U21 squad. They will be part of the Under-21 team’s important fixtures against Montenegro and Finland this month.
With several exciting storylines and new inclusions, Romania’s matches against Kosovo and Lithuania are highly anticipated as the nation looks to strengthen its position in the UEFA Nations League.
