The Greatest Romanian Footballers of all-time

No.3 Adrian Mutu

Adrian Mutu was a talented footballer who had a successful career with various clubs throughout Europe. Despite his off-field controversies, he remains a respected figure in Romanian football and will be remembered as one of the country's greatest players.

No.2 Ilie Dumitrescu

Romanian winger or left-sided forward who had eight great seasons with hometown club Steaua Bucuresti before impressing on the global stage at USA ‘94, playing in all five of Romania's matches as they made their way through to the quarter-finals before going out to Sweden on penalties. Dumitrescu impressed throughout the tournament with some fine performances full of skill and invention, particularly in the round of 16 when his two goals helped produce one of the shocks of the World Cup as they knocked out Argentina. His form at USA ‘94 would persuade Tottenham Hotspur to make a big money move for him, and he became one of three Romanians to move to the Premier League that summer, as Popesscu and Petrescu made the move to Spurs and Sheffield Wednesday respectively. However, whilst Petrescu would impress and gain a move to Chelsea, Dumitrescu failed to settle into the rigours of the English game and would be farmed out on loan to Sevilla. Whilst things didn't go to well for him in the Premier League, he remains one of greatest Romanian footballers of the era.

No.1 Gheorghe Hagi

Outside of Argentina, there have been plenty of players who have been labelled as the alternative Maradonas, but Hagi, as the "Maradona of the Carpathians", is probably the most famous, and the most fitting.

Whilst he would shine brightly at a global level in the 1990s he would also light up the 1980s with some phenomenal performances for both club and country, most notably in the Steaua Bucuresti team that would become a feared opponent in Europe for the continent's wealthy and established elite clubs. They'd famously won the European Cup against the odds in 1986 when they beat Terry Venables Barcelona side on penalties. In the 1988-89 season they were at it again, romping through the rounds with goals flying in, Hagi scoring six goals in the eight games that lead up to the final, whilst team-mates Marius Lacatus and Ilie Dumitrescu also contributed eleven goals between them. It was this run to the final that really elevated Hagi to the attention of fans and media across Europe. Unfortunately, in the final, Hagi and Steaua came up against a Milan side that was at the very peak of its form, a team that had demolished Real Madrid 6:1 in the semi-finals, so a 4:0 defeat at the Camp Nou was a disappointing end to their European campaign.