Massimo Ciccognani
AMBURGO There is a beating heart in the heart of the new Romania launched towards the next Euro 2024, the heart of Răzvan Burleanu, 39 years old, young, rampant and ambitious president of the Romanian football federation and from 2021 elected member of the FIFA Council with many other assignments in UEFA. The number one of the FRF watch, with confidence, the next European football championship, a kind of springboard for football in Romania, after the disappointment suffered at Euro 2020, marked by the internal defeat at the National Arena in Bucharest on 15 November 2019, the 0-2 against Sweden that effectively cut off the yellow-blue team out of the final phase of European Championship which had one of the venues chosen by UEFA in Bucharest.
Burleanu rolled up his sleeves working hard and finally rebuilding a winning team, entrusted to the care of Eduard Iordanescu and he dominated his qualifying group, first with 22 points ahead of Switzerland second with 17, lined up with Israel, Belarus , Kosovo and Andorra. Mission accomplished, at Euro 2024, Romania will be there, and with great ambitions. The Hamburg draw saw Romania placed in Group E, with Belgium, Slovakia and the winner of playoff B. A difficult group, not easy certainly, but Burleanu believes in it.
“The main objective of our work – declared the number one of the federation – is to be able to build the best generation of the last twenty years. Not an easy commitment, but we have and are working towards this. Consequently it becomes an excellent bench test this European event”.
Belgium and Slovakia are certain opponents, certainly full of quality. But Romania is ready to play. “It is indeed a very competitive group but at the same time we have great possibilities. We have built splendid relationships between the technical staff and our national team. We have built a new generation of players from which the twenty-four will emerge to bring to this event. I repeat – concluded Burleanu – it’s a difficult commitment, but we’re very confident. We’re working towards this, to give Romania a football team we can be proud of”
