Gheorghe Hagi

Gheorghe Hagi, born on February 5, 1965, in Săcele, Constanța, Romania, is a retired Romanian footballer widely regarded as one of the best attacking midfielders in Europe during the 1980s and 1990s. He is considered the greatest Romanian footballer of all time and has earned several nicknames, including “Maradona of the Carpathians.” Hagi is a national hero in Romania, celebrated for his remarkable football skills.

As an advanced playmaker, Hagi was known for his exceptional dribbling, technique, vision, passing, and goal-scoring abilities. He played for various clubs during his career, including Farul Constanța, Sportul Studențesc, Steaua București, Real Madrid, Brescia, Barcelona, and Galatasaray. He also represented the Romanian national team in three World Cups (1990, 1994, and 1998) and three European Championships (1984, 1996, and 2000). Hagi holds the record for the second-most appearances for Romania (125) and shares the top spot for most goals scored (35) alongside Adrian Mutu.

Throughout his career, Hagi received numerous accolades, including being named Romanian Footballer of the Year seven times. In November 2003, the Romanian Football Federation selected him as the best Romanian player of the last 50 years to celebrate UEFA’s jubilee. In 2004, he was included in the FIFA 100 list of the 125 greatest living footballers. Hagi also played for both major Spanish rivals, Real Madrid and Barcelona, a feat accomplished by only a few players.

After retiring from playing, Hagi founded the Romanian club Viitorul Constanța in 2009. He also established the Gheorghe Hagi Football Academy, one of the largest football academies in Southeastern Europe. In 2021, Viitorul and Farul Constanța merged, and Hagi became one of the owners and the coach of the new team, Farul. His son, Ianis Hagi, is also a footballer and was playing for Rangers FC at the time.

As a coach, Hagi had several stints with different clubs and the Romanian national team. Notably, he coached Galatasaray, FC Steaua București, and FC Viitorul, leading the latter to the Romanian Liga I title in the 2016–2017 season.

Overall, Gheorghe Hagi is revered as a football legend, both for his illustrious playing career and his contributions to Romanian football as a coach and club founder.