PLAY LIKE IT'S THE '90s

Romania are trying to recreate their golden era by reaching their first World Cup since 1998

- Samindra Kunti

In 1998, Romania crashed out of the World Cup in the last 16 after a 1-0 defeat to Croatia. The entire XI had dyed their hair blond during the group stage, but under the blazing sun in Bordeaux, that gimmick would not prove enough against the tournament sensations, who claimed bronze. With an exhausted Gheorghe Hagi a long way from his best, substituted in the 56th minute, Romania offered little in response to Davor Suker's penalty. They have not played a World Cup game since.

It was a sad farewell to skipper Hagi, Gheorghe Popescu and Dan Petrescu, who had formed the backbone of Romania's golden generation that reached three World Cups in a row. At Italia '90, returning to the world stage for the first time since 1970, Romania reached the last 16 before falling to the Republic of Ireland on penalties. At USA '94, Hagi and Co. delighted with barnstorming football, culminating in a 3-2 victory against Argentina in the last 16. Manager

Anghel Iordanescu didn’t hold back in his assessment of the achievement: “This is the greatest event celebrated by our people since the Revolution. It’s also the greatest moment in our football history.”

Four years later, on the eve of the tournament in France, Hagi, a product of state-run academies, warned that Romanian football was on the verge of collapse. In his view, the success of the national team papered over the cracks of a domestic ecosystem that was falling apart. The team’s talisman lamented the decline of Romanian clubs and predicted that the national game would hit rock bottom in a couple of years.