Gheorghe Hagi

Gheorghe Hagi (Săcele, Constanţa, February 5, 1965) is a Romanian former soccer player and coach. Known as "The Maradona of the Carpathians, he is considered the best Romanian footballer of all time and one of the best attacking midfielders in Europe of the 1980s and 1990s. March of the year 2004, he was named in the FIFA 100 list, prepared by Pelé.

Hagi was a player who stood out for his great dribbling skills, his speed and his powerful shot.

His son Ianis Hagi is also a footballer.

Biography

First Division

He began his career in 1982, playing for Farul Constanţa and, a year later, he signed for Sportul Studentţesc in Bucharest, where he was recruited by one of the sons of the dictator Ceaușescu, who was the club's patron. Here he showed his great football potential, scoring 53 goals in 92 league games. At Sportul he could afford to continue his studies in economics. In a decisive match against Dinamo Bucharest, he scored 4 goals and led the modest Sportul to second place in the 1984-1985 season for the first and last time in history. In 1985 and 1986, he was the top scorer in the Romanian league, with 20 and 31 goals respectively.

In the winter of 1987, he was transferred to Steaua Bucharest, before the team played the 1986 European Super Cup. Initially, the contract was for a single game, but, after scoring the winning goal in the final against Dynamo Kiev, he made the team not want to send him back to Sportul Studenţesc, so they renewed his contract for a few years, with the consent of the dictatorial Ceaușescu clan. During his time at Steaua Bucharest (1987-1990), he played 97 games and scored 76 goals. In 1988, he reached the semifinals of the European Cup, being the top scorer in that edition, and the final the following year, being the Romanian League champion in 1987, 1988 and 1989 and also winning the Romanian Cup in those same three years. In 1989, he was declared the second best player in the European Cup (only after Van Basten) and the second best young player in Europe in the Guerin Sportivo BRAVO award (only after Maldini). Thus, Steaua became a respected team in Europe, and unbeaten and fearsome in Romania. Gică Hagi was the head of what is considered the best Romanian team in history. At that time, Hagi marked the differences in a very visible way through his good technique, his short dribbling and, above all, his terrible shot with his left leg. The defeat he suffered in the 1989 European Cup final, against AC Milan, 4-0, was indelible for a Hagi accustomed to winning at that time. Later, he declared: "I never felt so helpless in a football game."

In 1990, Hagi played his first World Cup. His game impressed Real Madrid, who signed him at the end of the competition. His trade was the most expensive ever for a Romanian team ($4.3 million). The fall of the Romanian communist regime, at Christmas 1989, was decisive for Hagi's possibility of going abroad. Hagi stayed at Real Madrid for 2 years and was later sold to Italian Brescia. Perhaps the excessive dominance of the "dream team" de Cruyff (F.C. Barcelona coach) put excessive pressure on him, since this made Real Madrid look for players who would restore hegemony in the Spanish league. With Brescia, Hagi promoted the team to Serie A, but went down again the following year. He was signed by FC Barcelona at the end of that season. After 2 years at F. C. Barcelona, Hagi signed for Galatasaray. Two coaches marked his Spanish stage: Radomir Antić (at Real Madrid) and Cruyff (at F. C. Barcelona), for whom Hagi felt a deep admiration in the following years, despite the fact that they had maintained some differences regarding the game of he. He didn't win any big-name trophies in Spain, although, in Turkey, he got even. Together with his coach, Fatih Terim, he built a team that won the UEFA Cup, defeating Arsenal, and the European Super Cup, against his first team in Spain, Real Madrid. Currently, he is considered the best foreign player to ever play in Türkiye. He retired as a footballer in 2001 and received a tribute in Bucharest, where he brought together the best players in world football.

According to FIFA data, Hagi scored 227 goals in 485 official First Division league matches played in Romania, Spain and Turkey.

He is the father of fellow soccer player Ianis Hagi.

National team

Her debut with the Romanian National Team came in 1983, at the age of 18, facing Norway, in a match held in Oslo. In 1984, he disputed the European Championship in France, where he participated in the matches against Spain and Federal Germany. In 1985, at the age of 20, he played at Wembley against England. He hits the post twice; one of them is through a distant shot that hits the crossbar. That same year, he captained the Romanian national team for the first time, in a match against Northern Ireland. Romania did not qualify for the World Cup in Mexico in 1986 or for Euro 1988. Instead, they qualified for the World Cup in Italy in 1990, leaving Denmark on the road. In the Italian World Cup, Hagi did not play the match against the USSR due to being suspended, with a 2-0 victory for Romania. He played against Cameroon, losing 1-2 and against Argentina, drawing 1-1 (where he faces one of his heroes: Maradona). Romania was second in the group. In the round of 16 they played against Ireland and drew 0-0; later, in the penalty shootout, he lost the opportunity to reach the quarterfinals.

Subsequently, Hagi's Romania lost to Scotland in their attempt to reach Euro 1992, but they narrowly qualified for the 1994 World Cup in the USA after beating Belgium, Czechoslovakia and Wales. Despite contributing 5 goals in the qualifying phase, Hagi arrived at the American World Cup somewhat ostracized (that year he had played in the Italian Serie B), unlike 4 years earlier, but with intact quality. He played the three games of the first phase against Colombia, Switzerland and the United States. Against the Colombians, Hagi scored a goal with a long shot in a parable, from a heeled position, which slipped into the corner of Óscar Córdoba's goal, plus two goal assists to Florin Răducioiu, who scored two goals to bring his team to beat to the victory (3-1), Hagi was considered by the press the best man of the match thanks to his extraordinary and exuberant display of football. Against Switzerland, he scored again with an accurate shot, but his team lost (1-4). In the decisive match against the hosts, the United States, Hagi once again led the Romanians to victory (1-0), continually putting the American defenders in trouble. Romania won Group A, but they faced Argentina in the next phase, plagued by the Maradona case. Romania secured a 3-2 victory against the world runners-up. Hagi scored the third of the goals (with his right foot) and provided an assist to Ilie Dumitrescu for the second. Hagi was once again on all the world covers for his exhibition against Argentina. In the quarterfinals, when everything seemed under control against a Sweden with 10 men and the semifinals against Brazil loomed on the horizon, an error by goalkeeper Prunea, in extra time, led the Romanians to a draw (2-2) and, then, to lose in the penalty shootout, in which Hagi scored, but it was not enough, as Belodedici missed the last shot, which was saved by the Swedish goalkeeper Ravelli.

In the 1998 World Cup in France, Romania came first in their group, after winning the matches against Colombia (1-0) and England (2-1) at the last minute; then drew 1-1 against Tunisia. Hagi was still the key to the team, no longer as explosive as in the previous World Cup, but always cerebral and precise. Romania reached the round of 16, but were eliminated 1-0 by Croatia with a Šuker penalty.

After the World Cup, Hagi decided to retire from the national team, although he later returned to play in the 2000 Euro Cup. Later, at the age of 35, he ended his sports career. Hagi played, in total, with his country's team in 3 Soccer World Cups (Italy, USA and France). He also played 3 European Championships (France, England and Belgium and the Netherlands 2000). The 94 World Cup was, for the first time, captain of his country; he wore the bracelet until he withdrew. He played 125 games with the national team and scored 35 goals, being the top Romanian scorer in history.

Participations in World Cups

World	Headquarters	Outcome	Parties	Goles	Assist.
1990 World Cup Soccer/Football	Italy	Final Octavos	3	0	0
1994 Football World Cup	United States	Final rooms	5	3	4
1998 Football World Cup	France	Final Octavos	4	0	2
Total in World Cups			12	3	6

Participations in Eurocups

Euro	Headquarters	Outcome	Parties	Goles	Assist.
Euro 1984	France	First round	2	0	0
Euro Cup 1996	England	First round	3	0	1
Euro 2000	Belgium and Netherlands	Final rooms	3	0	0
Total in Euro			8	0	1

Career as a coach

In 2001, he was named coach of Romania, replacing Ladislau Bölöni. After failing to qualify for the 2002 Korea-Japan Soccer World Cup, Hagi was fired. As selector he lasted only 6 months. In 2003, he took charge of the Turkish first division team, Bursaspor, but left the team after a poor start to the league. Later in 2004, he was appointed manager of Galatasaray and won the Turkish Cup in 2005. Steaua Bucharest wanted to sign him in the summer of 2005, but after failing to reach an economic agreement, he decided to become the manager of FCU Politehnica Timișoara, from which he would be dismissed a few months later.

Hagi is currently the owner of the Iaki Hotel in Mamaia, located on the Black Sea coast. Another anecdote is that the Constanța stadium was named after him until he signed for FCU Politehnica Timișoara in 2005.

In 2011, Gheorghe Hagi, who until recently was Galatasaray's coach, was appointed Romania's coach again. Ten years after taking office, he succeeded the resigned Răzvan Lucescu.

Finally, in 2012-2013, Hagi created his own soccer school in the port city of Constanța, on the Black Sea, in the southeast of the country, where the player is from and managed to own the Viitorul Constanța team, who plays in the first division of the Romanian league. Hagi selects and improves all the children who play in his school, who will finally have the opportunity to play in the first division team, with a bright future ahead of them.

Hagi's team, Viitorul Constanța, has managed to win, in the 2016-2017 season, the Romanian First Division title, which means that this team has had a rapid development since its recent creation to become the champion of his league.

Stats as player

First Division

Equipment	Seasons	Parties	Goles	Average
FC Farul Constanța	1982-1983	18	7	0.39
Sportul Studențesc	1983-1986	108	58	0.54
Steaua Bucharest	1986-1990	97	76	0.78
Real Madrid	1990-1992	64	15	0.23
Brescia Calcio	1992-1994	31	9	0.30
F. C. Barcelona	1994-1996	35	7	0.20
Galatasaray	1996-2001	132	55	0.42
TOTAL	1982-2002	485	227	0.47

International Cups

temp.	club	country	tournament	part.	goals
1983/84	Studentesc	Romania	UEFA Cup	2	0
1984/85	Studentesc	Romania	UEFA Cup	2	0
1985/86	Studentesc	Romania	UEFA Cup	2	3
1986/87	Steaua Bucharest	Romania	Champions League	4	1
1987/88	Steaua Bucharest	Romania	Champions League	8	4
1988/89	Steaua Bucharest	Romania	Champions League	9	6
1989/90	Steaua Bucharest	Romania	Champions League	3	1
1990/91	Real Madrid	Spain	Champions League	4	0
1991/92	Real Madrid	Spain	UEFA Cup	10	3
1994/95	F. C. Barcelona	Spain	Champions League	2	0
1995/96	F. C. Barcelona	Spain	UEFA Cup	5	3
1996/97	Galatasaray	Turkey	Coup Europe	3	1
1997/98	Galatasaray	Turkey	Champions League	6	0
1998/99	Galatasaray	Turkey	Champions League	8	3
1999/00	Galatasaray	Turkey	Champions League	7	2
	Galatasaray	Turkey	UEFA Cup	8	2
2000/01	Galatasaray	Turkey	Champions League	10	2
	Total			93	31

Statistical summary

Humours as a player

National Cups

International Cups

Honours as a coach

Trajectory as a coach

• 2001 Selection of Romania
• 2003
• 2004-2005 Galatasaray
• 2006 Politehnica Timișoara
• 2007 Steaua Bucharest
• 2010–2011 Galatasaray
• 2014–2020 Viitorul Constanța

Personal distinctions