Tag: Euro 2016

  • Anul sportiv 2016 (I)

    Anul sportiv 2016 (I)

    Un an cu bune şi rele. Sună comun, dar atât se poate spune despre 2016, an care a adus trofee europene pentru handbalul şi voleiul românesc, dar şi comportarea cea mai slabă a sportivilor români la Jocurile Olimpice din ultimele 5 decenii.


    Monica Niculescu a fost prima jucătoare de tenis din România care şi-a înscris numele, în 2016, pe lista câştigătorilor unui turneu major de tenis. Împreună cu jucătoarea americană Vania King, Monica s-a impus, în ianuarie, în proba de dublu a concursului WTA de la Shenzen. În finală, perechea Niculescu / King a dispus cu scorul de 6-1, 6-4, de chinezoaicele Yi-Fan Xu şi Saisai Zheng, cuplul cap de serie numărul 1.



    A urmat Openul Australiei, prima competiţie de Mare Şlem a anului. La simplu feminin, Simona Halep a dezamăgit. Ea s-a aflat pe poziţia a doua pe lista favoritelor, dar a fost eliminată încă din primul tur, de o jucătoare din China, venită din calificări. Cel mai bine, dintre români, s-a comportat Horia Tecău. El a ajuns în finala de dublu mixt, alături de jucătoarea americană Coco Vandeweghe, după ce au trecut, în semifinale, de perechea formată din slovena Andreja Klepac şi filipinezul Treat Huey în două seturi: 6-4, 6-4. In finală însă, Tecău şi Vandeweghe au fost învinşi de perechea braziliano — rusă Bruno Soares / Elena Vesnina, cu 6-4, 4-6, 10-5.



    In luna februarie, echipa feminină de tenis a României a ratat calificarea în semifinalele Fed Cup. La Cluj, în sferturile de finală, Cehia, deţinătoarea trofeului, a trecut de România cu 3 la 2. La handbal feminin însă, două echipe româneşti, şi anume HCM Baia Mare şi CSM Bucureşti, îşi asigurau deja calificarea în sferturile de finală ale Ligii Campionilor. Luna februarie a adus şi trei victorii categorice pentru Naţionala a României în Rugby Europe Championship: 39 la 14 cu Portugalia, 21-18 cu Spania şi 30-0 cu Rusia.



    In martie, echipa feminină de spadă a clubului Steaua Bucureşti, în componenţa Ana Maria Popescu-Brânză, Simona Gherman, Simona Pop şi Greta Vereş, a câştigat Cupa Europei. În finală, Steaua a învins cu 45-38 Clubul de Scrimă Moscova din Rusia. Tot în martie, s-a stins din viaţă cea mai mare atletă pe care a avut-o vreodată România – Iolanda Balaş Sőter. In vârstă de 79 de ani, marea campioană a decedat la spitalul Elias din Bucureşti în urma unor probleme gastrice, pe fondul unei suferinţe mai vechi. Iolanda Balaş Sőter a fost campioană olimpică la săritura în înălţime în 1960, la Roma, şi 1964, la Tokio.



    In aprilie, voleiul românesc a realizat o performanţă istorică. în premieră, o echipă de fete din România a câştigat o competiţie europeană. Formaţia Clubului Sportiv Municipal Bucureşti s-a impus în Cupa Challenge, a treia competiţie europeană, după o dublă victorie în faţa echipei turce Trabzon: 3-1 acasă şi tot 3-1 în deplasare. A fost prima finală disputată de o grupare feminină din România şi primul rezultat notabil din 1974 încoace, an în care echipa masculină Dinamo Bucureşti a obţinut medaliile de bronz în Cupa Cupelor. Tot în aprilie, la Campionatele Europene de haltere găzduite de oraşul norvegian Førde, sportivii români au câştigat 15 medalii, dintre care 4 de aur, iar la cele de judo, care au avut loc în Rusia, la Kazan, delegaţia română a câştigat trei medalii de bronz.



    In mai, echipa feminină de handbal CSM Bucureşti a câştigat Liga Campionilor. La Budapesta, echipa română a învins, în semifinale, cu 27 la 21, formaţia macedoneană Vardar Skopje. CSM a întâlnit apoi, în finală, echipa maghiară Győr. După timpul regulamentar de joc, scorul a fost egal, 21 la 21. Au urmat două reprize de prelungiri, după care scorul a fost tot egal: 25 la 25. S-a trecut apoi la loviturile de la 7 metri, pentru departajare, iar CSM s-a impus cu scorul de 29 la 26.


    In tenis a avut loc turneul de la Madrid, unde au fost laureaţi doi români. Simona Halep a câştigat proba feminină de simplu, după 6-2, 6-4 cu jucătoarea slovacă Dominika Cibulkova. În finala masculină de dublu s-au întâlnit doi români. Perechea formată din Horia Tecău şi olandezul Jean-Julien Rojer s-a impus cu 6-4, 7-6 în faţa cuplului compus din Florin Mergea şi indianul Rohan Bopanna.



    Principalul eveniment al lunii iunie a fost Campionatul European de fotbal din Franţa. România a făcut parte din grupa A şi a pierdut jocurile cu Franţa, scor 1 la 2, şi Albania, scor 0 la 1. Jocul cu Elveţia s-a încheiat egal, 1 la 1. Tot în iunie, România a încheiat Campionatele Europene de scrimă de la Torun din Polonia cu patru medalii. Două au fost cucerite la spadă individual: aur pentru Simona Gherman şi argint pentru învinsa ei din finală, Ana-Maria Popescu. Celelalte două au fost de bronz şi au fost cucerite de de echipa feminină de spadă şi de echipa masculină de sabie.

  • 11 July, 2016

    11 July, 2016

    NATO SUMMIT – Defense Minister Mihnea Motoc said today that the Romanian delegation to the recently concluded NATO summit in Warsaw has covered all the issues it was mandated to cover by Romania’s Higher Defense Council. He emphasized the fact that NATO’s new deterrence posture, with a strong forward presence, which is of major interest to Romania, is manifest on the eastern flank of the Alliance in the Baltic area, and in the Black Sea region.



    CANADA VISAS – Dragos Tudorache, Chief of Staff to Romania’s PM, holds talks today in Brussels with the Canadian minister for migration, John McCallum, alongside representatives of the EC, on the issue of removing visa requirements for Romanians traveling to Canada. Romania and Bulgaria announced they would not sign the EU trade treaty with Canada until the visa requirement was removed. In April, Canada and the US got three additional months to comply with EU policies regarding reciprocal visa requirements. According to this principle, countries whose citizens can travel without a visa to any EU member country have to remove that requirement for citizens of the given EU country. Right now, Canada requires visas for Romanians and Bulgarians, while the US requires visas for citizens of five European members, including Romania. PM Dacian Ciolos had previously stated that PM Justin Trudeau, whom he met in Ottawa recently, said he was open to any mutually agreeable political solution.



    ASSASSINATION – Romania’s general honorary consul to El Salvador, Ricardo Emanuel Salume Barake, was assassinated on Sunday in his residence in the capital of that country, according to the authorities in San Salvador. Nothing is yet known about the motives of the killing and the circumstances. This is the second diplomat assassinated in the Central American country this year. On 26 May, Panama’s honorary consul, Carlos Armando Lemus, was found dead in a car on a road in the capital. Violence has erupted once again in El Salvador, claiming the lives of 2,900 people this year alone in what is seen as one of the most violent countries in the world.



    EURO 2016 – Portugal’s national football team on Sunday claimed the title of European champion, defeating France 1-0 after extra time in Paris. This is Portugal’s first such title, after they came very close in 2004, losing in the final played at home. France has two European titles, in 1984 and 2000, and one world title, in 1998. It also made it to the finals in 2006, but lost. The next European championship will be held in 2020 on 13 stadiums in as many countries, among them Romania.



    RETAIL LAW – President Klaus Iohannis endorsed today a law that compels supermarkets to stock their shelves with at least 51% Romanian products, and forbids them from requiring fees and services from suppliers. Retailers with an annual net turnover of below two million Euro are exempt from the new regulations.



    MILITARY EXERCISE – Three Romanian warships take part in a multinational exercise in Bulgaria’s territorial waters and international waters in the Black Sea for a week, starting today. The ships are the Queen Marie, a frigate with a crew of 240, the minesweeper Sublieutenant Alexandru Axente, and the missile ship Lastunul, with a crew of 60. The Romanian ships are part of the package provided by Romania to NATO forces. The exercise is meant to enhance interoperability between NATO partners.

  • July 10, 2016

    July 10, 2016

    WARSAW – After taking part on Friday and Saturday in the NATO Summit in Warsaw, the President of Romania Klaus Iohannis had talks today with his Polish counterpart, Andrzej Duda. The talks focused on measures to strengthen and extend the strategic partnership between Romania and Poland, as well as on the best ways to carry on the regional initiatives launched by the two countries. The two presidents also discussed the joint implementation of the decisions made in the NATO summit hosted by Poland, and the means to strengthen the trans-Atlantic cooperation between Romania, Poland and the USA, with an emphasis on security issues, as well as the effects of the Brexit vote, given that nearly one million Polish citizens and half a million Romanians currently live in the UK.



    GOVERNMENT – PM Dacian Cioloş will be on an Asian tour starting on Monday. The tour begins with an official visit to Vietnam, on July 11-14, followed by participation in the 11th Europe-Asia Meeting (ASEM), in Ulan Bator, Mongolia, on July 15 and 16. According to a news release issued by the Government, the visit to Vietnam is intended to restore the traditionally friendly relations between the two countries, with a focus on trade and economic cooperation. Apart from bilateral talks with the Vietnamese PM, President and other officials, PM Cioloş will attend the Romania-Vietnam Economic Forum in Hanoi, jointly with a delegation of over 20 representatives of the Romanian business community, to capitalise on the forthcoming EU-Vietnam free trade agreement. At the ASEM summit, PM Cioloş will present arguments for turning Romania into a key point for projects aimed at connecting Europe and Asia.



    SCHENGEN – The Romanian Foreign Minister Lazăr Comănescu said he hoped Romania to get closer to joining Schengen, after proving that it is able to protect the European Unions external borders. He added that, after its Schengen accession, Romania would contribute to strengthening the Unions capacity to secure its borders, and mentioned that Bucharest was the second largest contributor to FRONTEX, the agency that manages the security of the external borders of the European bloc. The Romanian official also reiterated that Romania fully complied with the technical criteria for accession. Originally scheduled for March 2011, Romanias accession to the border-free European area was repeatedly postponed, as some Member States voiced reserves with respect to the reform of the Romanian judiciary and the efficiency of its fight against corruption.



    VISAS – The Romanian PMs chief of staff, Dragoş Tudorache, will have talks on Monday in Brussels with the Canadian Immigration Minister John McCallum, and with European Commission officials. The talks will focus on Canadas waiving visa requirements for Romanians, a field in which, according to PM Dacian Ciolos, there has been progress. Ciolos said however that without a political decision in Ottawa on this topic, Romania, as an EU member state, might, just like Bulgaria, decide not to ratify the EU-Canada trade agreement. In April, Canada and the US were given three more months to come in line with the EU policy on mutual visa regimes, under which the countries whose citizens no dot need EU entry visas must in turn allow the free movement of all EU citizens on their territories. Canada currently requests entry visas for Romanians and Bulgarians, whereas the USA has visa requirements in place for five EU member states, including Romania.



    DIPLOMACY – The Romanian Foreign Ministry called on the British authorities to clarify the situation and to prevent hostile actions against the Romanians living in the UK, after a Romanian shop was recently set on fire in Norwich. Although this is an isolated incident, Bucharest intends to work with London to prevent the spiralling of anti-Romanian actions. All those who have information on similar incidents are urged to notify both the competent British authorities, and the Romanian embassy in London, reads a news release of the Romanian Foreign Ministry. Violence against immigrants was reported in London after the referendum in which the UK voted to leave the EU.



    EURO 2016 – Paris is hosting tonight the final of the 2016 European Football Championship, between France and Portugal. France, which also won the European championship of 1984, is the team that scored the largest number of goals in EURO 2016 (13). Portugal was also a finalist in the 2004 tournament. Romania was sent home from the competition as early as the group stage. After the failure in the European Championship, the Romanian Football Federation decided not to extend the contract with manager Anghel Iordanescu. Romanias new manager is the German coach Christoph Daum.

  • July 4, 2016

    July 4, 2016

    CONSULTATIONS – The President of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, has invited today in Bucharest PM Dacian Cioloş, the National Bank Governor Mugur Isărescu, and the leaders of parliamentary parties to a new round of talks after the Brexit vote. According to the Presidency, Klaus Iohannis will suggest the set-up of a task force to assess the impact of Britains decision to leave the EU on Romania, as well as the opportunities entailed by this decision. At the end of the EU Council held last week, Klaus Iohannis said a new post-accession country project was necessary. This is the second round of consultations initiated by the head of state Klaus Iohannis, after the one held right after the results of UKs EU vote were published on June 24.




    GOVERNMENT – The Government of Romania is working on a strategy for the development of the country, PM Dacian Ciolos has today announced. Attending the Forum of Local Public Administration, held in Bucharest, he said he would like this strategy, entitled “Polycentric Romania 2035, to be a framework for regional development. Ciolos added that clearer legislation is needed in terms of the resources allotted to local authorities, given that squander, incompetence and corruption make the spending of these funds rather inefficient. De-centralising certain fields, like agriculture, tourism, youth and sports and encouraging inter-community associations are among the priorities of the Government, Ciolos said.



    NATO – The Romanian Defence Minister, Mihnea Motoc, has talks in Belgium today with General Curtis Scaparrotti, NATOs Supreme Allied Commander Europe. According to a news release, the Romanian minister will discuss, among other things, the advanced presence of NATO on the eastern flank in the context of the current security challenges, as one of the central topics of the Warsaw Summit due late next week. The same summit, due to take place on Friday and Saturday in Poland, will be the topic of a press conference given by NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg in Brussels today.



    WIMBLEDON – The best ranking Romanian tennis player, Simona Halep, no. 5 WTA, is playing today against Madison Keys from the US, no. 9 in the world, in the eighth-finals of the Wimbledon tournament. If she qualifies into the quarter-finals, Halep will take on the winner of the match between Japans Misaki Doi and Germanys Angelique Kerber. In the mens doubles, the Romanian Florin Mergea and Indian Rohan Bopanna are playing today, in the eighth-finals, against Henri Kontinen (Finland) / John Peers (Australia).




    EURO 2016 – France is the last country to qualify into the semi-finals of the European Championship, after having defeated Iceland, the team that was the major surprise of the Euro 2016. In the semi-finals, the host country will take on Germany, whereas Portugal will play against Wales. Romania left the tournament as early as the group stage. After this failure, the Romanian Football Federation decided not to extend the contract of manager Anghel Iordanescu, whose successor will be a foreign coach, said the Federation president, Razvan Burleanu. His name will be announced by the end of the Euro 2016 final tournament, on July 10, Burleanu said.




    HANDBALL – Romanias mens handball team won the World University Championship held in Malaga (Spain), after defeating South Korea in the final, 28 – 20. In the semi-finals, Romania outplayed the host country, 29 – 26. In the womens competition, Romania lost the final to Spain 14 – 20.

  • 3 July, 2016

    3 July, 2016

    Romania’s president Klaus Iohannis has invited prime
    minister Dacian Ciolos, the governor of the National Bank of Romania Mugur
    Isarescu and the leaders of parliamentary parties for a new round of talks on
    Monday to discuss the UK vote to leave the European Union. The impact of the UK
    referendum on the Romanian financial markets has not been as strong as on the
    other states in the region, but this does not mean that it will not be more
    serious in the future, said the governor of the National Bank. He emphasised
    that the result of the referendum has increased the already high level of
    uncertainty on international markets.






    President Klaus Iohannis has
    expressed his regrets over the death of Romanian-born writer and philosopher
    Elie Wiesel. A Holocaust survivor, Wiesel was the recipient of the Nobel Prize
    for Peace. In his message of condolence, the president said Elie Wiesel was a
    great spirit who opposed tyranny and tirelessly fought for the cause of the
    underprivileged. Romania will honour his memory with deep respect, while his
    lessons will be a source of moral inspiration, president Iohannis also said. Prime
    minister Dacian Ciolos has also deplored the death of Elie Wiesel, describing
    him as a messenger of humanity and a tireless voice against violence, oppression
    and racism. The foreign ministry in Bucharest said Wiesel had a major
    contribution to accepting responsibility and the national history with respect
    to the tragedy of the Holocaust. Born in 1928 in Sighetul Marmatiei, in
    north-western Romania, into a Jewish family, Wiesel was deported in 1944 by the
    Hungarian occupation troops to the concentration camps, where he witnessed the
    brutal killing of his father. After the war, he lived in France before settling
    in the US in 1963. He received the Nobel Prize for Peace in 1986 for his
    efforts to keep alive the memory of the Holocaust victims. He visited Romania twice,
    and has given his name to the National Institute for the Study of the Holocaust
    in Bucharest.




    The minister delegate liaising
    with Romanians abroad Dan Stoenescu has attended the launch of a programme of
    youth camps for Romanians living abroad held in the village of Oglinzi, in
    Neamt county, in the north-east. He underlined the programme was a meeting
    place for young ethnic Romanians from all corners of the world, including the
    historical communities in Romania’s neighbouring countries. The camps are held
    during the summer holidays in Oglinzi and the Danube Delta town of Sulina and
    targets Romanian school children, students and teachers living in Romania’s
    neighbouring countries and the Balkans, as well as in Italy, Spain, Greece,
    Canada and the Middle East. More than 2,000 young people are taking part in the
    programme, which provides them access to Romanian realities and heritage and
    cultural values.




    The Romanian men’s handball team today face South Korea
    in the finals of the World University Championship held in the Spanish town of
    Malaga. They are seen as the favourites after defeating the host country in the
    semifinals 29:26. On Saturday, Romania’s women’s side won the silver medal in
    this competition, having lost the final to Spain 14:20.




    World no. 5 Simona Halep of Romania
    plays world no. 9 Madison Keys on Monday in the fourth round at Wimbledon. On
    Saturday, in the third round, Halep, who is the only Romanian player still in
    competition in the women’s draw, defeated the Dutch player Kiki Bartens in
    straight sets.




    In the last Euro 2016 quarterfinal, host
    country France tonight take on the competition’s surprise Iceland. The winner
    of today’s match play world champions Germany in the semifinal. In the other
    semifinal, Portugal face Wales, who have qualified for a major tournament for
    the first time. Romania were eliminated as early as the group stage. (Translated by: C. Mateescu)



  • July 1, 2016

    July 1, 2016

    EU PRESIDENCY – Slovakia is today taking over the six-month rotating presidency of the European Union from the Netherlands, against fears sparked by the Brexit vote. Prime Minister Robert Fico has warned that the future of a Union with 27 member states cannot be decided by the few, referring to meetings of some Western officials immediately after the referendum in the United Kingdom. The Slovakian official said the EU would have to redefine its underperforming policies, especially those referring to migration. Romania and Bulgarias accession to the Schengen Area is one of the priorities of Slovakias term in office, according to Radio Romanias Brussels correspondent. Slovakia will host an informal EU summit in September, the first to be organised outside Brussels since 2000.



    TALKS – Romanias President Klaus Iohannis on Monday has invited Prime Minister Dacian Ciolos and National Bank Governor Mugur Isarescu, as well as the leaders of parliamentary parties, to a new round of talks in the wake of the Brexit vote. Britains decision to leave the European Union has had less influence on financial markets in Romania than on those in other states in the region, but this doesnt mean the impact wont be more serious in the future, National Bank Governor Mugur Isarescu has said. The Romanian official pointed out that the result of the referendum has fuelled uncertainty on international markets.



    ROMANIA AND NATO – Romania is a trusted ally of NATO and remains a pillar of security and stability in the region, Romanias president Klaus Iohannis has said while attending the inauguration ceremony for NATOs two command centres in Bucharest. Klaus Iohannis explained that NATOs command structures in Romania have a major role as part of collective efforts to improve the Alliances capability of successfully responding to current and future threats. The president also referred to the recent inauguration of the anti-ballistic defence facility in Deveselu, recalling that Romania has increased its defence budget and will do so up to 2% of its GDP by 2017. The Multinational South-East Division Command in Bucharest has joined other five NATO units on its eastern flank in Bulgaria, Poland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania. At the 2014 NATO Summit in Wales NATO decided to set up these command centres as a response to Russias ingressions in Ukraine. The event in Bucharest is held one week ahead of the NATO Summit in Warsaw.



    BOMB ATTACK – The three men involved in the bomb attack at Ataturk Airport in Istanbul, which killed 44 people and wounded over 250, were all from the former Soviet Union, Turkish sources have announced. One man was from the Northern Caucasus, while the others were from Kazakhstan and Kirgizstan. Turkish officials say that most of the existing data point to the involvement of the Islamic State terrorist cell. The organisation has not claimed the attack, but this is true of other similar attacks in Turkey. The triple bomb attack on Tuesday is the fourth and most serious in Istanbul this year. Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim has announced the authorities would increase security forces in all airports.



    WIMBLEDON – Romanian tennis player Simona Halep, ranked 5th in WTA standings, is today playing Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands, 28th WTA, in the third round at Wimbledon, the third Grand Slam tournament of the year. On Thursday, in the second round, Halep trounced Francesca Schiavone of Italy, 6-1, 6-1. Also in the third round, Monica Niculescu, 47th WTA, is playing Timea Bacsinszky of Switzerland, 11th WTA, after on Thursday she defeated Aleksandra Krunic of Serbia, 6-1, 6-4. The Wimbledon tournament has been disrupted by the heavy rain this week.



    EURO 2016 – The national football teams of Belgium and Wales are today playing in the second quarterfinal at the European Football Championship in France. In the first match on Thursday, Portugal knocked out Poland at the penalty shootout. Portugal will be playing the winner of todays match. On Saturday, former world champions Italy and Germany are pitted against each other. The host country France is playing Iceland on Sunday. Romania was knocked out in the group phase after grabbing 1 point in three matches.



    COCAINE – A record high quantity of 2,5 tonnes of cocaine, worth an estimated 625 million euros, was seized by the border police from a container in the port of Constanta, south-eastern Romania. The ship carrying the cocaine was coming from South America. The drugs were supposed to reach European markets. Investigators have detained five people, all foreign nationals, in this case.



    (Translated by V. Palcu)

  • 30 June, 2016

    30 June, 2016

    US President Barack Obama has said the UK vote to
    leave the EU raises longer-term concerns about global growth. He also called
    for an orderly
    process for the British exit. In Paris, the French finance minister Michel
    Sapin told the BBC that everything is on the table in the EU’s negotiations
    with the UK, including the freedom of movement. In London, prime minister David
    Cameron’s office has underlined that replacing 40 years of agreements between
    the UK and the EU may involve a long and complicated process.




    The United
    States will be taking additional security measures in the run-up to the 4th
    of July holiday following Tuesday’s terrorist attacks at the Ataturk airport in
    Istanbul, Turkey, in which 42 people were killed and more than 200 injured, US
    flight security experts and officials have said. The CIA director John Brennan
    said the attack bears
    the hallmark of the Islamic State group and warned the group may also carry
    out attacks in the US. The additional security measures include a more visible
    presence of security forces carrying weapons and tactical gear and an increase
    in the number of passenger checks, screenings and complex verifications.
    Approximately 43 million Americans are expected to travel for the 4th
    of July.




    Slovakia on Friday will take over the EU 6-month rotating presidency
    from the Netherlands. The main challenges of its presidency are the UK vote to
    leave the European Union and the situation of the refugees. Slovakia’s left
    wing prime minister Robert Fico said he was expecting a difficult presidency.
    The 27 member states remaining in the EU after the UK exit must find the
    necessary strength to embark on a profound reform of the EU’s fundamental
    policies, Fico also said. A former communist country in Central Europe,
    Slovakia has been under criticism for its response to the refugee crisis. The
    authorities in Bratislava have, in fact, submitted a complaint to the European
    Court of Justice against the introduction of obligatory migrant quotas
    established by the EU.




    At least 27 people have
    been killed and 40 injured in a suicide attack on a police convoy close to the
    Afghan capital Kabul, according to France Presse and Reuters. The Afghan
    district governor said the attack, which was claimed by the Taliban, targeted a
    bus convoy carrying officer cadets returning from their graduation ceremony.




    The weather is generally warm and beautiful in most regions, with highs
    of 27 to 33 degrees Celsius. Hydrologists have maintained red, orange and
    yellow code alerts for flooding on several rivers in the west and south-west.
    Following heavy rain in recent days, tens of people have been evacuated and
    hundreds of homes flooded. A thunderstorm caused problems in the capital Bucharest
    yesterday, flooding streets and underpasses and bringing down trees.




    Fifth seed
    Simona Halep of Romania today faces Italian player Francesca Schiavone in the second round at Wimbledon, the third Grand
    Slam tournament of the year worth more than 36 million euros in prize money.
    Also today, Romania’s Monica Niculescu faces Serbia’s Aleksandra
    Krunic in the first round. The other three Romanian players in the women’s main
    draw at Wimbledon, Irina Begu, Patricia Tig and Sorana Cirstea, were eliminated
    in the first round. In the men’s draw, Romania’s only player at Wimbledon,
    Marius Copil, today continues his first round match against the French player
    Lucas Pouille, which was suspended yesterday because of rain at
    one set all.




    Poland and Portugal face each other today in the first Euro 2016
    quarterfinal. In the same stage of the competition, Belgium take on Wales,
    Germany face Italy, while France play Iceland. Romania were eliminated from the
    competition in the group stage.



  • Romanian Football is Facing a Major Crisis

    Romanian Football is Facing a Major Crisis






    Nothing sparks
    off more heated debates in Romania save for politics and football. If in
    politics, likes and dislikes are shared between the left and the right, between
    those in power and the opposition, between one politician or another, the
    national football side is believed to represent all the Romanians. And everyone
    seems to share the belief of a former football star, Sorin Cartu, according to
    whom, we’ve had the most lackluster national team since the 70s, after the
    Romanian eleven came a cropper in their attempt to qualify for the round of 16 at
    EURO 2016 in France.

    After conceding a one-nil defeat to Albania on June 19th,
    an unprecedented result since 1948, our footballers ended up in the last
    position of Group A with only one point out of three games. In the first two
    matches, Romania had been outperformed by the host country 1-2, holding
    Switzerland to a one-all draw in their second game. Before calling for the
    resignation of the headcoach and the bosses at the Federation, Romanian sports
    daily Gazeta Sporturilor wrote: ‘with
    outmoded headcoach Anghel Iordanescu at the helm, our team proved to be in dire
    need of a working attack strategy, putting up a show with a lot of mistakes in
    the defence line and by its goalie.’


    A week after
    Romania’s failure at Euro 2016, the Romanian Football Federation chief, Razvan
    Burleanu, has announced that the national team’s coach will not have his
    contract prolonged; Iordanescu’s contract is due to expire this summer. His
    replacement is to be announced by the end of EURO 2016, Burleanu has also told
    a news conference in which he blamed the recent failure on the disastrous
    situation inherited from his predecessor, Mircea Sandu, who withdrew in 2014
    after almost half a century of discretionary rule of the federation. Burleanu
    has described the situation as a ‘desert’ or a ‘swamp’, and to a certain
    extent, pundits agree with him, pointing the finger at the endemic corruption
    in the Romanian football, which is on the brink of bankruptcy and at the bottom
    end of competitive sports.


    Both Sandu and
    the former head of the Professional Football League, Dumitru Dragomir are
    facing corruption charges in several legal investigations. Numerous former
    agents, club chairs and owners have already been placed behind bars.
    Debt-burdened football clubs are struggling with insolvency and some are already
    in the red. If their predecessors in the 90s were in the lineups of famous
    sides such as Real Madrid, Barcelona, AC Milan or Ajax Amsterdam, Romanian
    international players are today substitutes of teams in the Balkans or the Persian
    Gulf. However, all these are nothing but poor excuses for the lack of
    professionalism of the incumbent Federation bosses, who seem to have come out
    of the blue, and are being held in place with support from the political class
    and the intelligence services, as newspapers speculate. Preliminaries for the
    World Cup 2018 in Russia are due to begin on September 4th, and
    being part of a group, which also includes Denmark, Montenegro, Armenia and
    Kazahstan, Romania stands poor chances to qualify.













  • June 28, 2016

    June 28, 2016

    The first EU Summit after Britain has decided to leave the bloc is being held in Brussels today. The 28 heads of state and government will assess the consequences of Brexit and will discuss the issue of Britain’s triggering article 50, the mechanism by which a member state leaves the union. The leaders of Germany, France and Italy have ruled out any chance of informal talks on the UK’s future relationship with the bloc until it gives formal notification of its intention to leave, France Press reports. Romania is represented at the summit by President Klaus Iohannis. The Romanian leader will emphasize the need for unity and solidarity within the EU and the fact that Romania firmly defends the principle of equal rights among all EU citizens, including the rights of Romanians living and working in Britain.




    Top ratings agencies downgraded Britain’s sovereign credit score, judging last weeks vote to leave the European Union would hurt its economy. Standard & Poors stripped Britain of its top-notch credit rating, dropping it from “AAA” to “AA”. According to S&P, Brexit would lead to a less predictable, stable, and effective policy framework in the UK. Consequently, financial firms, especially foreign ones, might look to other destinations for investment after Britain leaves the EU. Fitch Ratings also downgraded its ranking for Britains creditworthiness by one notch, and said more cuts could follow. Another major ratings agency, Moodys, will downgrade the credit rating outlook for major British banks to “negative” because of the fallout from the vote to leave the EU.




    The British vote to leave the European Union could have a profound impact on global security, weakening Europe’s most powerful military and altering the West’s approach to the challenges facing the continent, Wall Street Journal reports. The American journal also says that Britain’s exit from the EU is likely to erode the consensus on sanctions against Russia, meant to deter further military action by Moscow. In the long run, Brexit could leave Britain’s armed forces diminished, either by a break-up of the U.K. or by reduced military spending driven by economic woes, the paper also reports. According to current and former officials, Britain has been the biggest supporter of German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s hard line on sanctions, along with Poland and the Baltic states.




    Two Romanian tennis players, Monica Niculescu and Sorana Cirstea, are making their debut today in Wimbledon, the third Grand Slam of the year worth over 36 million euros. Niculescu will be up against Serbian Aleksandra Krunic, while Sorana Cirstea will play against the Czech Petrei Kvitova. On Monday, another Romanian player, Simona Halep, the competition’s 5th seed, made it to the second round after defeating Slovak Anna Karolina Schmiedlova, 6-4, 6-1. Also in women’s singles, Irina Begu and Patricia Tig lost to German Carina Witthoeft and Italian Sara Errani respectively. In the men’s singles, Romania’s only representative is Marius Copil who is today playing against French Lucas Pouille.




    Iceland’s national football squad, for the first time at a final tournament, was he big surprise of the round of sixteen of the European Championship in France, after defeating England 2-1 on Monday. On the same day, Italy beat Spain, 2-nil. In the quarterfinals Iceland will play against France while Italy will be up against Germany. The quarterfinals will also see Belgium against Wales and Poland against Portugal.


    (Translated by Elena Enache)

  • Football Flash

    Football Flash

    Reaching the knockout stage, the ongoing EURO 2016 is still the headline-hitting event across Europe, but in Romania, football fans kind of lost interest for EURO 2016, since the national team was edged out of the competition’s group stage. At the moment, attention-grabbing for Romanian football fans is the race for the national team manager position. The shortlist includes four names, Laurenţiu Reghecampf, Ladislau Bölöni, Mircea Rednic and Cosmin Olăroiu.



    Laurenţiu Reghecampf is currently the manager of Steaua Bucharest, but for quite a few years now he has eyed the top position of the national squad’s technical staff. At the helm of Steaua, Reghecampf won two editions of the domestic championship. He left for Saudi Arabia, then he made his comeback to Steaua, a team that this year he managed to take to the runner-up position in Romania’s League One and also to the Champions League’s preliminaries.



    Ladislau Bölöni has an outstanding career, both as football player and as football manager. Boloni was part of Steaua’s line-up in 1986, when the Romanian team won the then European Champions’ Cup. As a football manager, he had jobs in France, Portugal and Belgium. At the helm of Sporting Lisbon, he won the Portuguese championship, while with Standard Liege Boloni won the Belgian championship. Boloni spent his last years in Arab countries.



    The third hopeful for the position of national squad manager is Mircea Rednic, one of the most distinguished Romanian football managers. Rednic won the domestic championship with Rapid and Dinamo, and in the last season he took Dinamo as far as the championship’s play-off stage. Of the four candidates, Cosmin Olaroiu stands the highest chances to take the job at the moment. In 2006, Olariou took Steaua as far as the UEFA Cup semi-finals. In 2007 he left for the Arab countries. With Al Ain and al Ahli, he won the United Emirates’ championship. In 2015, Olaroiu took Al Ahli to the finals of the Asian Champions League.



    To the aforementioned list, Romanian ProSport newspaper also added the name of Bruno Labbadia, current manager of HSV Hamburg in Germany.







  • June 23, 2016

    June 23, 2016

    BREXIT — Over 46 million British are today expected to hit the polls to vote on their country remaining in or leaving the European Union. It is the first time in the history of this country and of the Union that such a referendum is held. People are voting in a total of 382 constituencies in England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, as well as in the Gibraltar, a British territory off the Iberian Peninsula’s southern coast. According to Radio Romania’s London correspondent, the remain side has a slight lead in the polls. At the end of the day the ballots will be centralized and counted at the Manchester City Hall, and the results will be made public later on. Political pundits say Europe’s geopolitical outlook is at stake. If the Brexit vote pulls through, the EU would sustain not only an economic and financial slump, but will also lose influence and political power. Like most EU leaders, Romanian president Klaus Iohannis has expressed hope the British will vote against their country leaving the EU.



    EFFECTS OF BREXIT — National Bank experts claim the United Kingdom leaving the European Union might destabilize Romanian economy, although the impact would be relatively small, accounting for 0.5% of the GDP, Digi 24 online writes. Standing at 800 million euros, loses would be incurred over several years by reducing trade with the UK and by means of a weaker absorption of EU funds. Economists have also warned against an immediate effect on the national currency, which will lose ground up to 4,7 lei against the euro. On the other hand, the Brexit could ruin Romanians’ plans to work in the UK, because accessing the labour market there would be more difficult. The National Bank recalls that there are already 180,000 Romanians legally employed in the United Kingdom. The Brexit might instead pave the way for new investment, at a time when foreign direct investment will be sorely needed, economic pundits say.



    SENTENCE — Romanian businessman Puiu Popovici on Thursday was sentenced to nine years in prison in a case where he stands accused of corruption. Prosecutors say that, over the 2000-2004 period, the company owned by Popovici and the University of Agricultural Science and Veterinary Medicine in Bucharest struck deals allowing for the purchase of a 224-hectare land below market price. The file was sent to court in December 2012. The decision can be appealed.



    CORRUPTION — Moldovan anti-corruption prosecutors have called for a 19-year prison sentence in the case of former Prime Minister Vlad Filat, who is investigated for passive corruption and influence peddling. Filat was arrested in October 2015, on suspicion of accessory to the mysterious disappearance of a billion dollars from the Moldovan banking system, tantamount to 15% of the country’s GDP. Filat’s lawyers claim the case is purely political and is grounded on no evidence, only allegations. One of the richest and most influential people in Moldova, Filat led the pro-Western Government coalition in the 2009-2013 period.



    EURO 2016 — Italy will play Spain on Monday in the highlight match of the round of last 16 at the European Football Championship in France. The last matches of Groups E and F were played on Wednesday evening, deciding who will advance to the next phase. On Saturday, Switzerland will play Poland, Wales will take on Northern Ireland in an all-British game, and Croatia will go up against Portugal. On Sunday, the host team France is playing Ireland, Germany will take on Slovakia while Belgium will play Hungary. On Monday, England will play Iceland. We recall that Romania was bottom of the group tables, after drawing 1-all against Switzerland and losing to France, 1-2 and Albania, nil-1. The fans and the press have called for the resignation of coach Anghel Iordanescu and the leadership of the Romanian Football Federation.



    EXTREME HEAT — The south and southeast of the country are under a code yellow alert against extreme heat, with highs reaching 37 degrees Celsius and the heat index exceeding the threshold of 80 units. Skies will be overcast in mountain regions and in the center of the country, with thunderstorms, strong wind and hail storms to be expected. The highs of the day range between 20 and 35 degrees Celsius. The noon reading in Bucharest was 33 degrees.

  • Le Petitjournal radio 22.06.2016

    Le Petitjournal radio 22.06.2016

    RRI et Le Petit Journal de Bucarest sont de retour avec leur synthèse dactualité. Benjamin Ribout, co-rédacteur en chef de lantenne roumaine de la plus importante publication en ligne destinée aux Français et aux francophones de l’étranger, commente les temps forts de lactualité de ces dernières semaines – le Brexit, léchec de la Roumanie à lEuro 2016, les cas de dopage de masse dans le sport roumain.






    http://lepetitjournal.com/bucarest

  • A la Une de la presse roumaine – 21.06.2016

    A la Une de la presse roumaine – 21.06.2016

    Même si les commentaires après l’échec de la Roumanie à
    l’Euro 2016 n’ont pas tari, la météo sévère qui sévit dans le pays est le
    premier sujet de la presse roumaine du jour. Les tenues de la Première dame
    roumaine ne passent pas inaperçues, non plus…



  • Romania at EURO 2016

    Romania at EURO 2016

    The European Football Championship in France continues without Romania. Our team was ousted on Sunday evening after losing to Albania, nil-1.



    Although expectations were high, the elimination from the EURO is not surprising, considering our teams under par performance in the match against Switzerland. In the match against Albania, Anghel Iordanescus trainees again displayed poor fitness, poor gameplay imagination and poor technique. The only player whose technical skill could have made a difference, Lucian Sanmartean, was sent onto the pitch only in the second half. It was not enough, neither for him, nor for the team.



    The only gain for the national team was Cristi Sapunaru, who put in a solid performance. Alongside Dragos Grigore, he held up the defensive line. Unfortunately, Razvan Rat sustained an injury, and his replacement, Alexandru Matel, had a disappointing performance. Similarly, Vlad Chiriches, our central defender, did not have the best of games.



    The way the coach prepared the match and made the substitutions during the game has been extensively commented by football experts. Everyone sees Iordanescu as responsible for the team failing to qualify to the round of 16, claiming he is soon to be replaced. It remains to be seen who exactly will take over the helm of the national team. Whats certain is that the new coach will not have a large or valuable pool of players to pick from. We no longer have players playing for top-notch European clubs, like we did in the 90s. Our domestic clubs have poor performances in European inter-club competitions. Overall, Romanias knock-out from the group phase at EURO 2016 is telling of the exact standard of Romanian football today.

  • Romania at EURO 2016

    Romania at EURO 2016

    The European Football Championship in France continues without Romania. Our team was ousted on Sunday evening after losing to Albania, nil-1.



    Although expectations were high, the elimination from the EURO is not surprising, considering our teams under par performance in the match against Switzerland. In the match against Albania, Anghel Iordanescus trainees again displayed poor fitness, poor gameplay imagination and poor technique. The only player whose technical skill could have made a difference, Lucian Sanmartean, was sent onto the pitch only in the second half. It was not enough, neither for him, nor for the team.



    The only gain for the national team was Cristi Sapunaru, who put in a solid performance. Alongside Dragos Grigore, he held up the defensive line. Unfortunately, Razvan Rat sustained an injury, and his replacement, Alexandru Matel, had a disappointing performance. Similarly, Vlad Chiriches, our central defender, did not have the best of games.



    The way the coach prepared the match and made the substitutions during the game has been extensively commented by football experts. Everyone sees Iordanescu as responsible for the team failing to qualify to the round of 16, claiming he is soon to be replaced. It remains to be seen who exactly will take over the helm of the national team. Whats certain is that the new coach will not have a large or valuable pool of players to pick from. We no longer have players playing for top-notch European clubs, like we did in the 90s. Our domestic clubs have poor performances in European inter-club competitions. Overall, Romanias knock-out from the group phase at EURO 2016 is telling of the exact standard of Romanian football today.