Lazio Rome player ditched from national team

Lazio Rome player, Romanian Radu Stefan, has been ditched from the national team for not answering phone calls from team coach Razvan Lucescu.



Speaking on Thursday Romanian Football Federation manager Ionut Lupescu said: "Radu Stefan hasn't been answering the phone for three months. It is a problem of attitude on his part. If he doesn't answer the phone, I don't understand how can he be called in to the national team."

Romania meets Ukraine on 29 May, Macedonia on 2 June and Honduras on 5 June in friendly matches.

Romania to have three friendly football matches

 

Romania will have three friendly football matches starting in May, the Romanian Football Federation has announced today (Fri).

Romania's national football team will meet Ukraine on 29 May in an away game. Romania will then begin training in Austria and have two friendly matches with Macedonia on 2 June and with Honduras on 5 June. Romania missed qualifying for the South Africa World Cup competition and is presently fighting to qualify for Euro 2012.

Razvan Lucescu calls up 23 players for the friendly against Israel

                                 
With Cristian Chivu, Razvan Rat and Stefan Radu out injured, Razvan Lucescu offered Gabriel Tamas (transferred in January to West Bromwich Albion) the chance to reclaim his spot in the team. Another surprise is the absence of the first two choices for the goalkeeper postion, Lobont and Coman, but, looking at the likes of Gaman, Sepsi, Florescu or Deac, it's obvious that the National Team coach is trying to evaluate some of the promising, yet established players in the first division. Here's is the full list of players:

Goalkeepers: Mircea Bornescu (Rapid, 29), Costel Pantilimon (FC Timisoara, 23)

Defenders: Cristian Panin (CFR Cluj, 31), Vasile Maftei (Unirea Urziceni, 29), Gabriel Tamas (WBA, 26), Dorin Goian (Palermo, 29), Mirel Radoi (Al-Hilal, 28), Valerica Gaman (Universitatea Craiova, 21), Laszlo Sepsi (FC Timisoara, 23), Mihai Nesu (FC Utrecht, 27)

Midfielders: Banel Nicolita (Steaua, 25), Mihai Roman (FC Brasov, 25), Iulian Apostol (Unirea Urziceni, 29), Paul Codrea (Siena, 28), Tiberiu Ghioane (Dynamo Kiew, 28), George Florescu (FC Midjtyland, 25), Ciprian Deac (CFR Cluj, 24)

Forwards: Gigel Bucur (Kuban, 29), Andrei Cristea (Dinamo Bucharest, 25), Ciprian Marica (VFB Stuttgart, 24), Daniel Niculae (Auxerre, 27), Marius Niculae (Dinamo Bucharest, 28).

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D. Niculae scores to give Romania the win

Daniel Niculae scored in the 59th minute to give Romania the friendly international win over Poland.















Romanian Lineup - Pantilimon - Maftei, Rădoi, Chivu, Raţ - Roman, Apostol, Codrea, Tănase - Niculae, Marica.
Reserve: Coman, Săpunaru, Ghioane, Varga, Neşu, Goian, Nicoliţă, Andrei Cristea, Bucur, Grigore, Galamaz.