The Carpathian Dribblers and their backyard Speedies: A Journey into Romanian Football
Romania has a long-convoluted history dating back even before the Roman times. In the same way, its footballing history is also full of intrigues and dramas, perpetuated by the fact that the modern country was once a dictatorship which had its excesses too. However, they have also seen some glorious moments on the football pitch. Saurav Ranjan Datta takes us through the Carpathian Mountains for a sneak peek into Romanian football.
90s kids have surely heard of the moniker “Maradona of the Carpathians”. This is, of course, the epithet given to the greatest Carpathian footballer – Gheorghe Hagi. Just like Maradona, Hagi had the ability to turn a match all on his own — with his dribbling skills, ball control, long passes and shots. He was instrumental in making Romania a household name in that decade, even in countries where football is relatively unpopular. His decimation of the South American giant Argentina (together with the maverick Ilie Dumitrescu) at the 1994 FIFA World Cup in USA is the stuff of legends.
Maradona of the Carpathians – Gheorghe Hagi [Source – FIFA.com on TwitterRomanian football is as intriguing and interesting the country’s long history. And like history, it’s often full of legends and mysteries. The region was roughly known as Dacia in ancient times. The great Roman statesman and general, Julius Caesar, once sought out to invade it, but was assassinated before he could complete the task. The region finally came under Roman control under Emperor Trajan. This was followed by a long stretch of local tribes coming together. According to experts, some of these tribes may have included the Thracians, the Slavs, the Bulgars, and the Huns. In the modern era, Romania has been primarily known as a communist state under the dictatorship of Nicolae Ceaușescu. He was toppled and executed after the famous Revolution of 1989, which also saw the end of communism in the country as well as a transition to a free market economy. Of course, tourists all over the world often associate Romania with the legend of Dracula – thanks to the Bran Castle in Transylvania. Known to the outside world as the Dracula Castle, this building is often erroneously referred to as the home of the protagonist in Bram Stoker’s late 19th century Gothic horror novel, Dracula.
Not many football fans remember that Romania was among the four European teams that participated in the first World Cup in 1930 that was held in Uruguay. (The other three teams from the continent were France, Belgium, and the then-undivided Yugoslavia.) In that tournament, they won their first match against Peru by 3-1 before being defeated 4-0 by the eventual winners, Uruguay. Historically, Romania has also qualified for the 1934, 1938, 1970, 1990, 1994 and 1998 World Cups. The 1990s are said to be the golden years of Romania’s national football team. This is apparent from their ability to qualify in three consecutive World Cups in that decade. The exploits of fine players like Gavril Balint, Ilie Dumitrescu, and Florin Răducioiu during that era are fan favourites. However, Romania’s domestic football stories are even more dramatic.
One of the most successful clubs in the history of Romanian football is Steaua București or Steaua Bucharest. However, this name has been changed to Fotbal Club FCSB now, after its dynamic but controversial owner Gigi Becali lost his legal battle with the Romanian Army regarding this. Becali now has no official links to the club on paper. However, he still controls it indirectly through its current owners who are his relatives. Steaua București was founded in 1947 as a multi-disciplinary sports entity by the Army, and till date remains the country’s most successful club. Its football part was separated from the main unit in 1998 and turned private to comply with UEFA rules. That is how Becali came on-board in 2003. The club has won 26 Liga I titles, Romania’s top-most league. The club has also won the Romanian Cup 22 times till date. Its closest rival is Dinamo București, the second-most successful football club in Romania. These two clubs have a history of fiercely fought matches between them. In fact, their encounters have often been termed as “The Eternal Derby”. Till date, Dinamo has also won a number of trophies, including 18 league titles, 13 Romanian Cups, two Romanian Supercups, and one League Cup.
1980s in Romania was marred by the increasing excesses of the Ceaușescu regime. Football, deservedly, took a backseat. The charged political climate in those days is probably why Steaua’s incredible success during that period has not got the recognition it deserves. After winning the European Cup in 1986, they went on to win an unprecedented 119 consecutive games till 1989[1]. Their team at that time comprised the brilliance of Hagi and Marius Lacatus. However, much of the credit for this success also goes to their incredible coach, Imre Jenei, who was re-appointed at that time after several previous stints with the club. When they won the 1986 final against Barcelona, odds were heavily against them. Not only were they the first Romanian team to play in a European Cup final, their regular captain was suspended, and the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium was full of Barca fans vociferously demanding the victory of their team. In that climate, even after 120 minutes of play, both the teams remained goal-less — unable to breach each other’s defences. Coach Jenei, with his razor-sharp calculations, played his team so tactically that they frustrated the much stronger Barca with their tight defences and composed attacks. An example of Barca’s frustration could be seen in their German midfielder, Bernd Schuster, who left the stadium in anger after being substituted. Steaua’s fast style and pace of play that day earned them the nickname “The Speedies”.
“The Speedies”The penalty shootout in that match saw Steaua goalkeeper Helmuth Duckadam stopping all the spot kicks of Barcelona players. Steaua won the match, and thus the cup, 2-0 on penalties. Duckadam was later hailed as the Hero of Seville. Steaua reached the final of European Cup once again in 1989, but this time were defeated 4-0 by AC Milan.
Despite all this success, Romanian domestic football has always been mired in controversy. In the 1988 Romanian Cup final, Gavrila Balint scored a goal against their archrivals, Dinamo. However, it was pronounced an off-side by the linesman, making the Steaua players leave the pitch in protest. If it hadn’t been an off-side, Steaua would have won the match 2-1. Protesting this walkout, a Dinamo defender dropped his pants and waved his penis at the Communist box, where officials were seated. Several eyewitnesses have since confirmed that the Steaua players walked out of the match after being egged on to do so by their President, Valentin Ceausescu (son of the dictator). However, junior Ceausescu has vehemently denied it in later interviews [2].
Romanian domestic football has also been marred by sporadic allegations of match fixing. However, that does not take anything away from the beautiful game of football that Steaua played in the 80s, and the Romanian national team’s subsequent success in the 90s. We, the die-hard football fans, hope to see Romania participate in international tournaments in the near future!
References
[1]:The Guardian
[2]: Jonathan Wilson’s Book ‘Behind The Curtain: Travels in Eastern European Football’, ISBN-10: 0752879456
About Saurav Ranjan Datta
Saurav is the Marketing Head of real estate in a corporate entity in Kolkata. Other than that, he is a researcher (has been working as a television content researcher for the last seven years), writer, poet, and traveller as well as a quizzer and quiz master. Sports is his passion and he has played district-level football and cricket with distinction.
