Radio România Internațional

Tag: European Cups

  • RRI Sports Club

    RRI Sports Club

    Romania will not be represented in the Champions League group stage this year either, which extends the absence of Romanian teams from the most important European inter-club competition to 11 years. The last Romanian presence in the League was recorded in 2013, when Steaua Bucharest, later renamed FCSB, reached the group stage after defeating Legia Warsaw in the play-off. This year, the closest to the League was also FCSB, which won the Romanian championship again after a 9-year break and passed the first two rounds of the qualifications.

     

    However, on Tuesday, the progress of the Bucharest-based team came to a halt in the third preliminary round of the Champions League, after FCSB lost, at home, 2 to 3, against the Czech champion, Sparta Prague. In the first match, in Prague, the score was equal, 1 all. In Bucharest, FCSB did not have a good start in the match. At halftime, the Czechs were leading 3-0 and everyone thought that the score could become even more dramatic. The Romanian team had played poorly, without any strategy, had lost most of the balls in all areas of the field, had failed in the defense line, and the qualification had become only theoretical from possible. At the break, however, the Bucharest team’s coach, the Cypriot Elias Charalambous, made several changes. In the second half, the players showed more ambition, started to control the game and even became dangerous for the goal of the Czech champions. FCSB managed to reduce the difference on the scoreboard in the 60th minute, through a beautiful shot by the team captain, Darius Olaru, and optimism revived in the stands of the Steaua stadium.

     

    In the 83rd minute, after the French Malcom Edjouma scored the second goal for FCSB, the fans erupted in cheers and everything had already become possible. The third goal, which would have sent the match into overtime, did not arrive, though, and FCSB lost the chance to advance to the Champions League. However, the Bucharest team remains in the European Cups. Next week, FCSB will face, in the Europa League group stage, the Austrian team LASK Linz, and is going to play the first away game, and, in two weeks’ time, they will play the return leg, in Bucharest. Even if they lose, FCSB will remain in Europe, and will play in the groups of the third continental competition, the Conference League. (LS)

     

  • RRI Sports Club

    RRI Sports Club

    The Romanian handball teams competing in the European Cups have continued their satisfactory trail in the aforementioned events. In men’s handball, Dinamo Bucharest are still on the podium in Champions League’s group D. Late last week Dinamo secured a 35-30 home win against Spanish contenders Abanca Ademar Leon. Dinamo have 10 points out of 7 games, being on a par with Poland’s Wisla Plock. With a better goal average, Wisla have retained their top-of-the-table position in group D. On Sunday, Dinamo travel to Norway to play Elverum Handball, Group D’s 4th-placed team. We recall Dinamo secured a 26-24 first leg win at home, in September.



    In the women’s version of the Champions League, CSM Bucharest have shown signs of recovery. In the wake of an unassuming trail in the League, which peaked with CSM’s home defeat by Norway’s Vipers Kristiansand on November 4, the Romanians braced up and grabbed a spectacular 34-26 away win against Hungarian challengers Ferencvaros. CSM and Ferencvaros share the top position in Group D, with 6 points each. On Sunday, CSM Bucharest, having already booked their ticket to the Champions League’s main stage, will receive the visit of Germany’s Bietigheim. CSM need to make up for their mid-October defeat, away from home.



    Three Romanian women’s handball teams this coming weekend are set to secure their position in the EHF Cup’s group stage. Trophy holders SCM Craiova is the closest such team to fulfilling the task. This past weekend, in the first leg of the last qualifying round, SCM defeated German opponents Borussia Dortmund, 19-17, away from home. In Denmark, SCM Ramnicu Valcea conceded defeat against Ikast, 16-22, while Zvezda Zvenigorod defeated Magura Cisnadie, 29-24.

  • RRI Sports Club

    RRI Sports Club

    The Romanian handball teams competing in the European Cups have continued their satisfactory trail in the aforementioned events. In men’s handball, Dinamo Bucharest are still on the podium in Champions League’s group D. Late last week Dinamo secured a 35-30 home win against Spanish contenders Abanca Ademar Leon. Dinamo have 10 points out of 7 games, being on a par with Poland’s Wisla Plock. With a better goal average, Wisla have retained their top-of-the-table position in group D. On Sunday, Dinamo travel to Norway to play Elverum Handball, Group D’s 4th-placed team. We recall Dinamo secured a 26-24 first leg win at home, in September.



    In the women’s version of the Champions League, CSM Bucharest have shown signs of recovery. In the wake of an unassuming trail in the League, which peaked with CSM’s home defeat by Norway’s Vipers Kristiansand on November 4, the Romanians braced up and grabbed a spectacular 34-26 away win against Hungarian challengers Ferencvaros. CSM and Ferencvaros share the top position in Group D, with 6 points each. On Sunday, CSM Bucharest, having already booked their ticket to the Champions League’s main stage, will receive the visit of Germany’s Bietigheim. CSM need to make up for their mid-October defeat, away from home.



    Three Romanian women’s handball teams this coming weekend are set to secure their position in the EHF Cup’s group stage. Trophy holders SCM Craiova is the closest such team to fulfilling the task. This past weekend, in the first leg of the last qualifying round, SCM defeated German opponents Borussia Dortmund, 19-17, away from home. In Denmark, SCM Ramnicu Valcea conceded defeat against Ikast, 16-22, while Zvezda Zvenigorod defeated Magura Cisnadie, 29-24.

  • Football Flash

    Football Flash


    The four Champions League finalists were decided on Tuesday and Wednesday. On Tuesday, the Madrid-based teams Real and Atletico booked their tickets for the last-but-one stage of the competition, while on Wednesday, Juventus of Turin and AS Monaco secured their positions in the Champions League semifinals. Juve snatched a precious blank draw against Barcelona FC away from home, having deservedly secured a 3-nil home win in the first leg.



    On home turf, AS Monaco beat German challengers Borussia Dortmund 3-1, having also won the first leg away from home, 3-2. The drawing for the semifinals will take place in a UEFA building in the Swiss town of Nyon. Matches in the first leg of the semifinals fixtures are scheduled for May 2nd and 3rd, respectively, while the return leg will be played a week later.



    On Wednesday, UEFAs Disciplinary Committee announced that Olympique Lyon and Beshiktash Istanbul football clubs would be banned from participating in the following European competition they will qualify for, with a two-year probation period. The sanction was imposed in the wake of last weeks clashes that flared up during the first leg of Europa Leagues quarterfinals. The sanction comes into force should new clashes occur during Lyons and Beshiktashs fixtures scheduled in the two following European competition seasons.



    Olympique Lyon was blamed for being unable to separate Turkish from host team supporters, as well as of being incapable of preventing fans from invading the pitch after the second goal scored by Olympique Lyon. Beshiktash was found responsible for the firecrackers that were thrown from the stands as well as for the incidents caused by the Turkish fans.



    We continue with news from domestic football. Six Romanian teams have been granted the license required for their participation in the European Cups. The Romanian Football Federations Licensing Administration officially granted the permission to play in European Cups to the following teams: FCSB, formerly known as Steaua Bucharest, Viitorul Constanta, Dinamo Bucharest, CSU Craiova, Astra Giurgiu and FC Botosani. The first five teams play in the play off stage, while FC Botosani will compete in the play-out.



    Romania will send five teams in the European competitions. In descending order, the first two teams of the domestic championship are entitled to play in the Champions League preliminaries. 3rd and 4th-placed teams will play in Europa League preliminaries, just like the winner of the Romanian Cup. However, in order to officially gain access to the aforementioned competitions, the teams must obtain their license from the Federation.


  • Football Flash

    Football Flash


    The four Champions League finalists were decided on Tuesday and Wednesday. On Tuesday, the Madrid-based teams Real and Atletico booked their tickets for the last-but-one stage of the competition, while on Wednesday, Juventus of Turin and AS Monaco secured their positions in the Champions League semifinals. Juve snatched a precious blank draw against Barcelona FC away from home, having deservedly secured a 3-nil home win in the first leg.



    On home turf, AS Monaco beat German challengers Borussia Dortmund 3-1, having also won the first leg away from home, 3-2. The drawing for the semifinals will take place in a UEFA building in the Swiss town of Nyon. Matches in the first leg of the semifinals fixtures are scheduled for May 2nd and 3rd, respectively, while the return leg will be played a week later.



    On Wednesday, UEFAs Disciplinary Committee announced that Olympique Lyon and Beshiktash Istanbul football clubs would be banned from participating in the following European competition they will qualify for, with a two-year probation period. The sanction was imposed in the wake of last weeks clashes that flared up during the first leg of Europa Leagues quarterfinals. The sanction comes into force should new clashes occur during Lyons and Beshiktashs fixtures scheduled in the two following European competition seasons.



    Olympique Lyon was blamed for being unable to separate Turkish from host team supporters, as well as of being incapable of preventing fans from invading the pitch after the second goal scored by Olympique Lyon. Beshiktash was found responsible for the firecrackers that were thrown from the stands as well as for the incidents caused by the Turkish fans.



    We continue with news from domestic football. Six Romanian teams have been granted the license required for their participation in the European Cups. The Romanian Football Federations Licensing Administration officially granted the permission to play in European Cups to the following teams: FCSB, formerly known as Steaua Bucharest, Viitorul Constanta, Dinamo Bucharest, CSU Craiova, Astra Giurgiu and FC Botosani. The first five teams play in the play off stage, while FC Botosani will compete in the play-out.



    Romania will send five teams in the European competitions. In descending order, the first two teams of the domestic championship are entitled to play in the Champions League preliminaries. 3rd and 4th-placed teams will play in Europa League preliminaries, just like the winner of the Romanian Cup. However, in order to officially gain access to the aforementioned competitions, the teams must obtain their license from the Federation.