Gheorghe Hagi was presented in Bucharest at a press conference. Hagi, nicknamed “The King” and “The Maradona of the Carpathians,” signed a four-year contract with the Romanian Football Federation.

The former Barcelona, Real Madrid and Galatasaray player will be tasked with reviving a national team that was eliminated in the 2026 World Cup playoffs by Turkey (0-1).

In a press conference, the former Romania captain said he felt an “honor, a great responsibility” but also a “great challenge” to bring smiles back to the fans’ faces.

“Our goal is to win the Nations League. Our goal is to qualify for the European Championship (June-July 2028),” he said. “I was born to win, not just to exist,” added the 60-year-old coach.

The appointment marks Hagi’s return to the national team, more than two decades after his first stint, which lasted less than three months in 2001.

“I was young and impetuous then. I am different now. More experienced, more mature as a coach in every way,” he said.

Lucescu

Former national team coach Mircea Lucescu, who died two weeks ago at the age of 80, stepped down in early April due to health problems. Hagi returns to a position he briefly held in 2001, having managed only four matches. Since then, he has built a strong reputation as a coach and creator, most notably with Farul Constanța, which he led to the national title in 2023.

It was Lucescu who gave Hagi his first call-up to the national team at the age of 18 and made him captain when he was just 20.

A midfielder known for his magical left foot, Hagi played 124 games for Romania and led his team to the quarter-finals of the 1994 World Cup. Romania has not qualified for a World Cup since 1998.

“We will try to be the best. It may seem difficult, but you know that I like to set myself quite ambitious goals. I like to win,” concluded Hagi.

His first international match is scheduled for June, a friendly against Georgia - followed by Wales - before his UEFA Nations League campaign against Sweden, Bosnia/Herzegovina and Poland.