Romania will reach Euro 2012, says coach

 

Romania's national football team will qualify at the European Championship in 2012, coach Razvan Lucescu said today (Mon).

Lucescu said he was "convinced" Romania would play for the Euro 2012.

Romania failed to qualify for the 2010 World Cup, in Group 7, where it played against France, Serbia, Austria and Faroes Islands.

He also said Cristian Chivu is the symbol of the Romanian national team, referring to the fact that Chivu won on Saturday the Champions League final, as he played until minute 68 for his team Inter Milan.

The team is preparing for three friendly matches scheduled for May and June.

Chivu: I have never dreamed of winning the Champions League

Chivu enjoying his glory with Mourinho and the staff

 
Romanian international Cristi Chivu won the Champions League title with his team, Inter Milan, after securing a 2-0 (1-0) victory against Bayern, on Saturday, in Madrid.

This is Chivu’s third success this year following Inter winning the Italian Series A championship, the Italy's Cup competition and the Champions League.

Defender Cristi Chivu, Romania's national team captain, told ProSport:
"When it was difficult for me, I never dreamed of winning the Champions League title, I barely hoped for it."

Chivu played the match in a specially designed helmet after suffering a head injury in January.

He was back on the pitch at the end of March, after 77 days.

Chivu suspended for one match

Romanian international Cristi Chivu has been suspended after his team Inter Milan won the Italy Cup for obscene gestures he made against AS Rome supporters a week earlier.



Inter Milan won this year Italy Cup, 1-0, against AS Rome.

Francesco Totti has also been suspended for four matches, after a violent attack against Mario Balotelli, in the same match. And Balotelli has been suspended for one match, for protesting.

Chivu, who is the captain of the Romanian national team, played for AS Rome between 2003 to 2007, when he transferred to Inter Milan.

Inter Milan has also qualified in the Champions League final, where it meets Bayern.

Chivu wins Italy´s Cup

Romanian international Cristi Chivu's team, Inter Milan, beat AS Roma last night (Weds) in the final of the Italian Cup.



Inter Milan won 1-0 at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome with Diego Milito scoring in minute 40 for Inter.

This is the sixth Italian trophy won by Inter Milan in their history.

The captain of Romania's national team, Chivu played the whole game but got a yellow card in minute 47.

Chivu is also through to the final of the Champions League, where Inter meets Bayern in Madrid, on May 22nd.

Lucescu criticises Mourinho for defensive play

Romanian football coach Mircea Lucescu has criticised Inter-Milan coach Jose Mourinho, who has taken Inter into the finals of the Champions League.



Lucescu said, as quoted on the website of his team Shakhtar Donetsk: "It is really a shame for a world-class team to stay on defence instead of attacking. I do not like such football. It is a pity that such teams can advance, unlike those who play spectacular football."

Lucescu, 64, was ranked as the fifth best coach in 2009 by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS).

Lucescu won the UEFA Cup with his team FC Shakhtar Donetsk, but it was then eliminated from Europa League play.

Inter push away Barca

Internazional Milano defeated FC Barcelona today in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final, the final score 1-0 for Barca at Camp Nou. The previous leg was won by Inter at the San Siro by the score of 3-1. Inter win 3-2 on aggregate and are through to the final where they will face Bayern Munich.

Inter were down to 10 men (thanks to Thiago Motta) just before the end of the first half, yet were able to retain aggregate win. Players such as Cristian Chivu, Diego Milito, Sneijder, and others did much for Inter in this match. Pique scored a great goal in the 84th minute to give Barcelona a bit of hope in sight. Barca even scored in stoppage time thanks to Bojan but because of a handball by a Barcelona player, it did not count.


UEFA.com Report:
The Italian champions survived Thiago Motta's early red card and Gerard Piqué's late goal to reach a first final since 1972.

 

An immense display of intelligent defending and sheer determination took FC Internazionale Milano into the European Champion Clubs' Cup final for the first time since 1972 and ended FC Barcelona's hopes of becoming the first team to defend the UEFA Champions League.

Once again José Mourinho's tactics proved decisive, Inter overcoming the loss of Goran Pandev minutes before kick-off plus the dismissal of former Barcelona midfielder Thiago Motta after 28 minutes and even a fine 84th-minute goal from Gerard Piqué. That late strike was the only moment when it looked as if Inter, who gave everything to protect their 3-1 first-leg lead, were not going to thwart the reigning European and world champions at every turn as they look to win the trophy for the third time.

The atmosphere had been febrile for an hour before kick-off, although amid the tension there were warm embraces between Xavi Hernàndez, Samuel Eto'o and Víctor Valdés. There was no let-up in the intensity on the pitch, however, although Inter had been forced into an emergency reshuffle even before Motta's red card. Pandev broke down in the warm-up and Mourinho opted for Cristian Chivu as his replacement.

Inter's counterattacking tactics meant that there were often nine white shirts behind the ball while the European champions tested their version of safe-breaking skills. Try as they might it was impossible to unpick the Italian champions although Pedro Rodríguez darted in front of Motta and Maicon to prod Daniel Alves' cross narrowly wide. Inter's response was instant. An excellent combination between Diego Milito and Wesley Sneijder down the right sucked Seydou Keita, an experimental left-back, towards the danger and so suddenly that Eto'o was alone with the ball in sight of goal. Only the timely arrivals of Gabriel Milito and Pedro spared Barcelona.

Then came five minutes that made Inter's task even harder. Motta had already been booked but his use of an outstretched hand on the face of Sergio Busquets brought him a straight red card in the 28th minute. As Inter looked to reorganise yet again, it was another Brazilian who came to their rescue. Yaya Touré released Lionel Messi and the competition's leading scorer bent in a vicious drive which Júlio César finger-tipped round the post.

Even though it needed an immense diving block by Samuel to prevent Zlatan Ibrahimović getting off shot just before the break, Inter were impressive. Diego Milito and Sneijder worked tirelessly to win possession and always stretched the home side when they had the ball. The degree to which Inter remained largely untroubled was shown as Guardiola first replaced Ibrahimović with Bojan Krkić, then urged Piqué to push up as an auxiliary centre-forward. Another striker, Jeffrén, followed as time began to ebb away and Inter's relentless blocking and retreating forced the normally slick Barcelona to shoot wastefully from distance.

Searching for inspiration Messi drifted left and curved in a cross which, at last, eluded Samuel only for Bojan to nudge a free header past the post. Then came the breakthrough. Xavi slipped a trademark pass to Piqué, he turned substitute Ivàn Córdoba and slid a shot into the open net. It proved too little too late for the holders, however, Inter holding out for the remaining six minutes plus added time to end their reign and set up a meeting with FC Bayern München on 22 May.