STEAUA BUCHAREST
Romanian championS
Champions League pedigree: European Champions 1986, runners-up 1989
THE LOWDOWN:
The glory days of the 1980s when Steaua beat Barcelona on penalties in the 1986 Final and were runners-up to AC Milan three years later are long gone and are unlikely to return.
For all the ambitious words of outspoken club owner Gigi Becali, deep down he must know that his side are simply not competing in the same ball park as the cash-rich G14 outfits and that they have already achieved their only realistic goal by seeing off BATE Borisov of Belarus in the third qualifying round. Now it's all a matter of respectability, not embarrassing themselves against the big boys.
THE TECHNICAL AREA:
No one could accuse coach Gheorghe Hagi of lacking passion. On the sidelines, the former Romania, Steaua, Barcelona and Real Madrid No.10 is total animation, bellowing instructions, loudly bemoaning refereeing decisions he does not agree with and berating his own men, a trait which a number of his players do not take kindly too. Prior to his arrival at Steaua this summer, Hagi was in charge of the Romanian national team, Bursaspor and Galatasaray in Turkey and Politehnica Timisoara.
A world-class playmaker if ever there was one, Hagi's philosophy as a coach is a surprising 'what we have, we hold' approach, based on soaking up opposition attacks and then hitting them on the break. The cautious way he sets out his 4-4-2 formation, has not pleased some sections of the Steaua faithful.
THE WOW FACTOR:
The goal scoring ability of striker Nicolae Dica, who hit five in last season's Champions League, is their trump card. The ex-Arges Pitesti front-man is an extraordinarily-gifted all-rounder; a mazy dribbler, sensational from free-kicks and packing a rocket-like shot. He may well be on the move to western Europe come the New Year.
Steaua have no worries about the centre of their defence with Sorin Ghionea and Dorin Goian on duty as both read the game well, are monsters in the air and are physically intimidating. Goian has a reputation for going up the other end to head home set-pieces.
Also look out for the excellence in midfield of skipper Mirel Radoi and Banel Nicolta. The former who can also play centre-back if required, always gives value for money as the midfield enforcer and finds time to serve as the springboard for their counter-attacks. The right-sided Nicolita is a huge crowd favourite thanks to his never-say-die spirit and directness.
THE BIG BUY:
One of Gheorghe Hagi's first acts as Steaua boss was to return to old club Timisoara to sign central or left-sided midfielder Mihaita Plesan, who cost close to £1million. The 24-year-old Romanian international is not only hard-working and creative, as he proved when scoring in his country's 5-1 humiliation of Germany in a 2004 friendly, but he also has a fearsome shot from distance.
The Steaua side which won against all the odds in 1986 was 100 per-cent Romanian and Gigi Becali declared earlier this summer that he intended to make his side a foreigner free-zone too. That is easier said than done and ultimately Becali had no qualms about crossing frontiers to bring in Nigerian left-back Iefananyi Emeghara (ex-Timisoara), Polish right-back Pawel Golanski (Kielce) and Colombian keeper Robinson Zapata (Cucuta Deportvo).
THE TENDER SPOT:
Flamboyant new keeper Zapata has great reflexes, but can be erratic, particularly prone to making injudicious rushes off his line.
Their dependence on Radoi and Dica is a concern and if they are absent, Steaua are very much rudderless, desperately short of drive, leadership and finishing power.
HOT GOSSIP:
Owner Becali and coach Hagi are already reported to be at each other's throats. Hagi was miffed to hear the chairman second-guessing his team selections and tactics, while Becali slammed Hagi as 'spoilt'. The fragile relationship between two such big egos is bound to explode at some point.
Emeghara, a boyhood friend of Newcastle striker Obafemi Martins, recently had a scare when a medical revealed a larger than normal heart. After extensive tests, he was given the green light to carry on playing.
IDEAL LINE UP:
Zapata, Emeghara, Goian, Ghionea, Golanski, Radoi, Plesan, Croitoru, Nicolita, Dica, Iacob
THE VERDICT:
Hagi's strained relations with his chairman and certain players does not augur well. Over and out.
Romanian championS
Champions League pedigree: European Champions 1986, runners-up 1989
THE LOWDOWN:
The glory days of the 1980s when Steaua beat Barcelona on penalties in the 1986 Final and were runners-up to AC Milan three years later are long gone and are unlikely to return.
For all the ambitious words of outspoken club owner Gigi Becali, deep down he must know that his side are simply not competing in the same ball park as the cash-rich G14 outfits and that they have already achieved their only realistic goal by seeing off BATE Borisov of Belarus in the third qualifying round. Now it's all a matter of respectability, not embarrassing themselves against the big boys.
THE TECHNICAL AREA:
No one could accuse coach Gheorghe Hagi of lacking passion. On the sidelines, the former Romania, Steaua, Barcelona and Real Madrid No.10 is total animation, bellowing instructions, loudly bemoaning refereeing decisions he does not agree with and berating his own men, a trait which a number of his players do not take kindly too. Prior to his arrival at Steaua this summer, Hagi was in charge of the Romanian national team, Bursaspor and Galatasaray in Turkey and Politehnica Timisoara.
A world-class playmaker if ever there was one, Hagi's philosophy as a coach is a surprising 'what we have, we hold' approach, based on soaking up opposition attacks and then hitting them on the break. The cautious way he sets out his 4-4-2 formation, has not pleased some sections of the Steaua faithful.
THE WOW FACTOR:
The goal scoring ability of striker Nicolae Dica, who hit five in last season's Champions League, is their trump card. The ex-Arges Pitesti front-man is an extraordinarily-gifted all-rounder; a mazy dribbler, sensational from free-kicks and packing a rocket-like shot. He may well be on the move to western Europe come the New Year.
Steaua have no worries about the centre of their defence with Sorin Ghionea and Dorin Goian on duty as both read the game well, are monsters in the air and are physically intimidating. Goian has a reputation for going up the other end to head home set-pieces.
Also look out for the excellence in midfield of skipper Mirel Radoi and Banel Nicolta. The former who can also play centre-back if required, always gives value for money as the midfield enforcer and finds time to serve as the springboard for their counter-attacks. The right-sided Nicolita is a huge crowd favourite thanks to his never-say-die spirit and directness.
THE BIG BUY:
One of Gheorghe Hagi's first acts as Steaua boss was to return to old club Timisoara to sign central or left-sided midfielder Mihaita Plesan, who cost close to £1million. The 24-year-old Romanian international is not only hard-working and creative, as he proved when scoring in his country's 5-1 humiliation of Germany in a 2004 friendly, but he also has a fearsome shot from distance.
The Steaua side which won against all the odds in 1986 was 100 per-cent Romanian and Gigi Becali declared earlier this summer that he intended to make his side a foreigner free-zone too. That is easier said than done and ultimately Becali had no qualms about crossing frontiers to bring in Nigerian left-back Iefananyi Emeghara (ex-Timisoara), Polish right-back Pawel Golanski (Kielce) and Colombian keeper Robinson Zapata (Cucuta Deportvo).
THE TENDER SPOT:
Flamboyant new keeper Zapata has great reflexes, but can be erratic, particularly prone to making injudicious rushes off his line.
Their dependence on Radoi and Dica is a concern and if they are absent, Steaua are very much rudderless, desperately short of drive, leadership and finishing power.
HOT GOSSIP:
Owner Becali and coach Hagi are already reported to be at each other's throats. Hagi was miffed to hear the chairman second-guessing his team selections and tactics, while Becali slammed Hagi as 'spoilt'. The fragile relationship between two such big egos is bound to explode at some point.
Emeghara, a boyhood friend of Newcastle striker Obafemi Martins, recently had a scare when a medical revealed a larger than normal heart. After extensive tests, he was given the green light to carry on playing.
IDEAL LINE UP:
Zapata, Emeghara, Goian, Ghionea, Golanski, Radoi, Plesan, Croitoru, Nicolita, Dica, Iacob
THE VERDICT:
Hagi's strained relations with his chairman and certain players does not augur well. Over and out.
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