Radio România Internațional

Tag: European inter-club competitions

  • July 26, 2024

    July 26, 2024

    ATTACKS – Upon the request of the Romanian Foreign Minister, Luminița Odobescu,  the Romanian Foreign Ministry has summoned the  Chargé d’affaires ad interim of the Russian Federation  to Bucharest, after debris and fragments of drones used by the Russian army to attack Ukrainian ports were discovered in Tulcea County (southeast). The Foreign Ministry strongly condemned the repeated Russian attacks on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure, recalling that targeting civilian objectives is a war crime. The representative of the Romanian Foreign Ministry also criticized the reckless military strikes close to Romania’s border, saying they endanger national security. Russia’s acts of aggression against Ukraine caused a severe deterioration of the security climate in the Black Sea region, the Romanian Foreign Ministry further noted.

     

     

    MEETING – Romania hails Hungary’s unequivocal support for our country’s full Schengen accession, Romania’s Prime Minister, Marcel Ciolacu, said on the sidelines of his meeting in Bucharest with his Hungarian counterpart, Viktor Orbán. Talks were held in the context of Hungary holding the rotating presidency of the EU Council. Two-way trade currently stands at 13 bln EUR, although there is a lot of untapped potential, the two officials say. Marcel Ciolacu and Viktor Orbán also agreed to start feasibility studies for a high-speed rail connection linking Budapest to Bucharest, a project of strategic importance with an impact on the entire rail infrastructure of Central Europe.  Viktor Orbán is expected to attend the Summer University in Băile Tușnad (center), where he will give a speech on Saturday. 500 events will be held on this occasion in 34 tents, focusing on a wide array of topics, from economy and politics, to culture, gastronomy and sports. A total of 300 organizers are involved in preparing the event.

     

     

    SEASON – The 2024-2025 Romania-Poland Culture Season will officially open in Poland with the exhibition titled “Nicolae Grigorescu, a painter of Romanian ethos”, hosted by the National Museum in Gdansk over July 27-October 28. Two special representations of Hamlet, a production of the “Marin Sorescu” National Theatre in Craiova, will also be performed on this occasion on the sidelines of the Shakespeare Theatre Festival hosted by Gdansk. The exhibition is organized by the National Art Museum of Romania (MNAR) and includes 44 works from the collection of Nicolae Grigorescu as well as 49 items of folk art from the collections of the “Dimitrie Gusti” Village Museum. Exhibited for the first time in Poland, Nicolae Grigorescu’s works of art facilitate access to an important part of Romania’s cultural history. The opening of the exhibition will be accompanied by an accordion and clarinet concert performed by musicians of the Gdansk Opera. Attending the events will be several officials from Romania and Poland.

     

     

    CONCERT – The Orchestra and Choir of the Bucharest National Opera on Friday will perform a sacred music concert at the Romanian Embassy in Paris, marking the inauguration of the Romanian House at the Olympic Games. This is the final concert in a tour that also included a concert at the Versailles Palace, and a sacred music concert at the “Saints Michael, Gabriel and Raphael” Orthodox Cathedral in Paris. According to Radio Romania’s Paris correspondent, the extraordinary concert entitled “Éthos Roumain” is a project financed by the Government of Romania, through the Department for Romanians Worldwide, in partnership with the Romanian Cultural Institute in Paris. The event aims to boost the visibility of Romanian culture and its promotion abroad, as well as to strengthen cultural ties between Romania and France.

     

     

    PARIS OLYMPICS – The Summer Olympics kick off tonight in Paris. For the first time in history, the opening ceremony will be held on the Seine River, crossing the center of the French capital-city over a distance of six kilometers. According to Radio Romania’s Paris correspondent, the river parade will tell the story of a city, a nation, a culture over the course of nearly 3 hours. Some 200 boats and watercraft will carry the 206 delegations comprising 10,500 athletes, in addition to security forces. The show will also comprise music, dance and acrobatics performed by art professionals accompanied by some of the athletes themselves. A number of celebrities are rumored to take part in the event, including Céline Dion and Lady Gaga.

     

     

    FOOTBALL – On Thursday, Romanian Cup holders Corvinul Hunedoara, currently playing in the second-tier division of the Romanian championship, drew 0-0 at home against Croatia’s vice-champions, HNK Rijeka in the first leg of the second preliminary round of Europa League. Also on Thursday, another two Romanian football clubs played matches in the first leg of the second preliminary round of Conference League. CFR Cluj drew 0-0 against Neman Grodno of Belarus on home turf, while Universitatea Craiova lost 0-2 against NK Maribor of Slovenia away from home. Return leg matches will be played next week. We recall Romania’s football champions, FCSB, on Tuesday drew 1-1 against Maccabi Tel-Aviv of Israel at home in the first leg of the second preliminary round of Champions League. The return leg is scheduled for July 31 in Budapest, Hungary, due to security developments in Israel, preventing home clubs from hosting international matches on home turf. (VP)

  • July 24, 2024

    July 24, 2024

    DIPLOMACY – Bucharest is hosting the Annual Meeting of Romanian Diplomacy, this year themed “Diplomatic Action in a Turbulent World”. The list of guests includes the Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister of the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, Xavier Bettel, the Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine, Olha Stefanishyna, and the Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Moldova, Cristina Gherasimov. Discussions are chaired by Romania’s Foreign Minister, Luminița Odobescu. Attending are heads of diplomatic and consular offices abroad, as well as members of the Romanian MFA leadership, high-ranking Romanian officials, members of the diplomatic corps accredited to Bucharest and opinion leaders. The agenda will include such topics as economic diplomacy and Romania’s OECD accession.

     

    ALERT – The General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations last night issued a RO-ALERT warning message for the population of Tulcea County (southeast), regarding the possibility of falling debris in territories close to the Ukrainian border. The alert was issued after the Border Police signaled several drones approaching from the north. According to an Inspectorate release, no territory of Romania is targeted by attacks from the Russian Federation, while defense and public order structures are ready to provide assistance to people in need.

     

    WILDFIRES – Romanian firefighters were involved in Tuesday’s operation designed to put out a wildfire in a tourist area in Argelès-sur-Mer, France. Their mission was to prevent the fire from spreading and to maintain a buffer zone between the wire and affected areas. The Romanian unit effectively contributed to put out the fire and ensure the safety of the local population, allowing local authorities to keep traffic fluid with no restrictions. We recall a number of Romanian firefighting units are taking part in a joint operation to prevent and put out wildfires in France, at the request of the French authorities. Overall, 100 firefighters, two helicopters and a special flying boat used in aerial forest firefighting were used in the operation.

     

    ENERGY – Romania can become a bone fide supplier of energy security in Central and Eastern Europe, the president of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, said on the sidelines of the 5th ministerial meeting of the Partnership for Trans-Atlantic Cooperation in the field of energy and climate change, hosted by Bucharest. “Romania has a lot of major opportunities, and its energy sector boasts huge potential”, the president argues, adding that in recent years, Romania has displayed solidarity, supplying transit and energy support to neighboring Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova. Romania seeks to develop its own nuclear energy program by boosting the capacity of the Cernavodă NPP (southeast), as well as by exploring innovative solutions, such as SMRs, the head of state further noted. By means of offshore natural gas projects, the Black Sea region can become a genuine “round table” for energy diplomacy, a point of reference in terms of solidarity and cooperation, fostering long-term stability and prosperity, Klaus Iohannis also pointed out, arguing that energy transition is currently key to providing sustainability to national economies.

     

    STATISTICS – Romania imported natural gas the equivalent of 660 thousand tons of oil, by 12% more compared to the same period last year, the National Statistics Institute reports. Romania also reported a slight increase in domestic production during the interval, although the country is expected to maintain a downward trend in that respect over the next three years, according to estimates published by the National Forecast Committee, which also says imports will slightly go down until 2027.

     

    INCIDENT – The four Romanian children taken in by child protection services in Leeds will temporarily be returned to their families, Romanian authorities say. Pending an official inquiry, the children will stay with an uncle on their fathers’ side, according to a British court ruling. We recall a major altercation broke out last week in Leeds, when several Romanian nationals protested violently against the British authorities’ decision to take the children away from their families after one of them received hospital care for a head injury.

     

    FOOTBALL – Romania’s football champions FCSB on Tuesday drew 1-1 against Maccabi Tel-Aviv of Israel at home in the first leg of Champions League’s second preliminary round. The return leg will be played on July 31 in Budapest, Hungary, due to security developments in Israel, preventing home clubs from hosting international matches on home turf. In the first preliminary round, FCSB won 11-1 on aggregate against Virtus of San Marino. On Thursday, Romanian Cup holders Corvinul Hunedoara, currently playing in the second tier of the Romanian football championship, will take on Croatia’s champions, HNK Rijeka in the first leg of the second preliminary round of Europa League. The return leg is scheduled next week in Croatia. In the first round, Corvinul ousted Hungary’s vice-champions, Paksi FK 4-2 on aggregate. Also on Thursday, another two Romanian teams are competing in the first leg of the second preliminary round of Conference League: CFR Cluj will play Neman Grodno of Belarus at home while Universitatea Craiova will go up against NK Maribor of Slovenia away from home.

     

    WEATHER – Temperatures remain high in the south and the east, with the THI expected to reach the critical level of 8- units. Thunderstorms accompanied by strong wind and hail are expected across the country. Highs range between 23-34 degrees Celsius. (VP)

     

  • July 10, 2024 UPDATE

    July 10, 2024 UPDATE

    NATO – On the sidelines of the NATO Summit in Washington, Allies have reached consensus on the final resolution of the summit. NATO will reassert its commitment to support Ukraine’s irreversible Euro-Atlantic trajectory, once all accession criteria have been met. The war in Ukraine ranked high at the NATO summit, marking 75 years since the establishment of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. Five Allied presidents and Prime Ministers, including the president of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, signed a joint statement to donate Patriot missile systems and parts to Ukraine. Italy pledged to deliver an additional system. Denmark and the Netherlands will send F-16 jets to overfly Ukrainian airspace over the summer, Reuters reports. The president of Romania, Klaus Iohannis, called for increasing assistance for Ukraine, arguing that if Ukraine loses the war, “we all lose”. “Russia remains the biggest threat to European and Euro-Atlantic security. Facing the Kremlin’s hybrid attacks, NATO states need to be ready to defend themselves. Therefore, the decision we will take over the next days will lead to more efficient actions to consolidate our security”, Iohannis pointed out. The summit will spell critical progress for strengthening NATO’s deterrence and defense posture, particularly in the Eastern Flank and the Black Sea region, the Romanian official added.

     

     

    FUNDS – Minister of European Funds, Adrian Câciu, said Romania has managed to absorb an additional 4 bln EUR from corresponding Cohesion Policy mechanisms as part of the 2021-2027 financial framework, taking the total value of contracts signed by Romania to 14 bln EUR. Another 6-bln-EUR worth of projects are still pending approval, the Romanian official wrote on social media. This rhythm of absorption will continue, making it the right approach for ensuring Romania’s sustainable development, Adrian Câciu added.

     

     

    OECD – Romania received the formal approval of the OECD for regional development, said the ministry for development, public works and administration. The statement also says that this confirms both the will and capacity of Romania to implement the legal instruments of the OECD and the alignment of Romania’s policies and practices to those of the OECD in matters of regional development. Romania’s efforts are thus recognized in terms of the consolidation of the regional development policy, especially with respect to the drafting of a solid system of territorial statistics, the adoption of a localized approach in the field of regional development and of strategic documents at regional, county and local levels, by means of consolidating governance at a number of levels and improving institutional and fiscal capacity of subnational governments. The formal approval also contains a series of recommendations for improving the policy, governance and financing framework in the field of regional development.

     

     

    TRADE – Romania’s trade balance deficit between January 1 and May 31 2024 stood at 12.288 bln EUR, 1.230 bln EUR more compared to the same period last year, according to the National Statistics Institute. In the first five months of the year, exports dropped by 2.9%, while imports rose by 0.2%. According to the National Statistics Institute, the areas accounting for the largest shares of exports and imports are represented by cars and transport equipment and other manufacture products.

     

     

    REPAIRS – Starting July 10 the Giurgiu-Ruse bridge over the Danube will undergo repair works on the Bulgarian section. Repairs are expected to complete in two years. According to the motorway company in neighboring Bulgaria, the works are divided into six stages, without closing traffic, with vehicles travelling on one lane only. Romanian citizens are advised to use alternative border crossings during the interval.

     

     

    FOOTBALL – Romania’s football champions FCSB defeated the San Marino champions Virtus AC 7-1 in an away match on Tuesday evening, in the first leg of the Champions League first preliminary round. The second leg is scheduled for July 16 in Bucharest. If they advance to the second preliminary round, FCSB will play Maccabi Tel Aviv. The other Romanian clubs playing in European competitions are Romanian Cup winners Corvinul Hunedoara, CFR Cluj and Universitatea Craiova. (CM & VP)

  • July 13, 2022

    July 13, 2022

    NATO – The Government in Bucharest is
    today expected to adopt and submit to Parliament a draft law on the
    ratification of the NATO accession of Finland and Sweden. The NATO accession
    protocols were signed in Brussels on July 5, and now they must be ratified by
    all Member States. Last week, Chamber of Deputies speaker, Marcel Ciolacu, said
    Parliament will make short work of the ratification process, and that a special
    Parliament session will be called in this respect. Ciolacu went on to say that
    the illegal and unwarranted war launched by the Russian Federation against Ukraine
    has fundamentally changed the security context. The status of NATO candidate
    countries allows Finland and Sweden to attend NATO meetings, also providing
    them with access to confidential information. Until the ratification process is
    completed at the level of all NATO member states, the two countries cannot
    benefit from collective defense under Article 5. The ratification process could
    last a year, some experts say.




    WHISTLEBLOWERS – The Constitutional Court of Romania
    today ruled against a notification submitted by USR in opposition regarding the
    law on the protection of whistleblowers. USR claims the law adopted by the
    PSD-PNL-UDMR Cabinet is considerably reducing the protection offered to people
    who signal irregularities in public institutions and raises major obstacles in
    securing Recovery and Resilience (PNRR) funds. The notification invokes elements
    of unconstitutionality, including the violation of certain commitments Romania
    pledged to observe upon joining the EU and the lack of clarity and
    predictability of some provisions.




    COVID – The number of COVID cases is on the
    rise. Over 4,000 new infections were signaled on Tuesday within the space of 24
    hours. Of these, most were reported in Bucharest. Some 1,500 COVID patients are
    currently hospitalized, 90 in intensive care. The authorities also reported 9
    related deaths. We recall the authorities have reverted to daily
    epidemiological updates amidst a resurge in the number of COVID cases.




    REFUGEES – According to the Romanian
    Border Police Inspectorate, 9,808 Ukrainian citizens entered Romania on
    Tuesday, a 10% drop compared to the previous day. Starting February 10, 2022,
    some 1.5 million Ukrainian citizens have entered Romania.




    TOUR – US president Joe Biden has started a
    tour of the Middle East. The president is today expected to arrive in Israel,
    where he will stay for two days. On Friday, Joe Biden will meet the president
    of the Palestinian Authority, Mahmoud Abbas in the West Bank. Next he will
    travel to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, which will mark the first visit ever paid by an
    American president to this country. Here he will hold talks with Saudi
    officials and attend a summit of Gulf allies. Today, president Biden,
    accompanied by the Israeli Defense Minister, Benny Gantz, will visit an
    exhibition of the country’s air defense network. The USA and Israel are
    expected to sign a Strategic Partnership agreement, including a joint stance
    against Iran’s nuclear program and regional aggression to ensure Iran never
    attains a nuclear weapon.




    FOOTBALL – Romania’s football champions, CFR Cluj,
    are today playing Piunik Yerevan of Armenia at home in the return leg of the
    Champions League first preliminary round. A week ago in Yerevan, CFR had drawn
    0-0 in the first leg. Should it win, CFR Cluj will next play F91 Dudelange of
    Luxembourg in the second preliminary round. The team from Luxembourg knocked
    out the Albanian champions KF Tirana in the first round. The three Romanian
    teams qualified to European Conference League will go up against less
    formidable clubs in the second preliminary round. Therefore, Romanian
    vice-champions, FCSB will take on the winner of the match pitting FC Saburtalo
    of Georgia against Partizani Tirana of Albania. Sepsi OSK will play the winner
    of the match pitting Olimpja Ljubljana of Slovenia against Differdange 03 of
    Luxembourg, whereas finally, Universitatea Craiova will play KF Vllaznia
    Shkoder of Albania, the winner of the Albanian Cup. The return legs are
    scheduled this month. (VP)



  • RRI Sports Club – Football

    RRI Sports Club – Football


    The Romanian domestic championship has reached the group phase. Teams ranking in the top six places at the end of regular season will perform in Group 1, aiming to win the title or one of the two spots securing qualification to Europe Conference League, the third-tier European inter-club competition. The remaining 10 teams in League 1 will play in Group 2, where they will try to avoid relegation to the second-tier division.




    At the end of the 30 rounds of regular season, the defending champions CFR Cluj ranked 1st with 76 points. CFR will thus start the group phase with half the amount of points, 38. FCSB, in runner-up position, will start the group phase with 31 points. Universitatea Craiova follows with 27 points, while FC Argeș, Farul Constanța and FC Voluntari will each have 24 points. Worth noting is that the point difference between CFR and the other teams is a record since the introduction of the group phase in Romania. Experts believe CFR already enjoys a comfortable position as favorite to win the championship.




    Meanwhile, in Group 2, the clubs are struggling to avoid finishing the season in one of the last four spots. Teams in 9th and 10th place, which are currently Academica Clinceni with 7 points and Gaz Metan Mediaș with 5 points, will be relegated directly to the second-tier division. The two teams are facing severe financial difficulties, have lost their top players and, unless a miracle happens, they will most likely be relegated. Teams in 7th and 8th place will play playoff matches to remain in the first league against the teams ranking 3rd and 4th in the second division. Currently ranking 8th is Dinamo Bucharest, a team with a prestigious reputation, which is also facing financial difficulties and has had subpar performances this season. Dinamo starts the group phase with 9 points, 6 points behind the rest of the teams. Also worth mentioning is that, at the end of the group phase, the top two teams in Group 2 will play a playoff match. In turn, the winner will play another playoff match for a spot in Europe Conference League with the team ranking 3rd in Group 1. (VP)




  • RRI Sports Club – Football

    RRI Sports Club – Football


    The Romanian domestic championship has reached the group phase. Teams ranking in the top six places at the end of regular season will perform in Group 1, aiming to win the title or one of the two spots securing qualification to Europe Conference League, the third-tier European inter-club competition. The remaining 10 teams in League 1 will play in Group 2, where they will try to avoid relegation to the second-tier division.




    At the end of the 30 rounds of regular season, the defending champions CFR Cluj ranked 1st with 76 points. CFR will thus start the group phase with half the amount of points, 38. FCSB, in runner-up position, will start the group phase with 31 points. Universitatea Craiova follows with 27 points, while FC Argeș, Farul Constanța and FC Voluntari will each have 24 points. Worth noting is that the point difference between CFR and the other teams is a record since the introduction of the group phase in Romania. Experts believe CFR already enjoys a comfortable position as favorite to win the championship.




    Meanwhile, in Group 2, the clubs are struggling to avoid finishing the season in one of the last four spots. Teams in 9th and 10th place, which are currently Academica Clinceni with 7 points and Gaz Metan Mediaș with 5 points, will be relegated directly to the second-tier division. The two teams are facing severe financial difficulties, have lost their top players and, unless a miracle happens, they will most likely be relegated. Teams in 7th and 8th place will play playoff matches to remain in the first league against the teams ranking 3rd and 4th in the second division. Currently ranking 8th is Dinamo Bucharest, a team with a prestigious reputation, which is also facing financial difficulties and has had subpar performances this season. Dinamo starts the group phase with 9 points, 6 points behind the rest of the teams. Also worth mentioning is that, at the end of the group phase, the top two teams in Group 2 will play a playoff match. In turn, the winner will play another playoff match for a spot in Europe Conference League with the team ranking 3rd in Group 1. (VP)




  • RRI Sports Club – 100 years of Romanian basketball

    RRI Sports Club – 100 years of Romanian basketball

    Romanian basketball is one of the most popular sports with the young generation in Romania. Invented as a sport in 1891 in the USA, it took nearly 30 years for basketball to reach Romania. The first demonstrative matches were played in 1920. The balls and the backboards were provided by the US Army which, after its victory in the First World War, left behind all the sports gear which soldiers used for R&R.




    According to the webpage of the Romanian Basketball Federation, the first regulation was published on December 4, 1921 in an issue of the “Sports Echo” (Ecoul sportiv) daily newspaper, in an article called “Ball in the basket”. The first standardized basketball court was set up in Bucharest at Mihai Viteazu high school in 1922. The first official match was hosted the very same year, when the Mihai Viteazu team won 11-9 against the students from Dimitrie Cantemir. 1929 saw the first domestic championship, with the participation of 5 teams from Bucharest: the Romanian Tennis Club, PTT, YMCA, Viforul Dacia and the Romanian Rugby Club. In the final, Tennis Club defeated YMCA 38-32. 1931 marked a milestone for Romanian basketball, when the Romanian Basketball and Volleyball Federation was founded, with Constantin Marinescu at its helm. In 1932 the Federation became an affiliate of the International Basketball Federation.




    After the Second World War, Romanian basketball gained in popularity. The first notable results in international competitions followed, especially in womens competitions, with Romanias national team coming very close to stepping onto the podium at the European Championships of 1962, 1964 and 1966. Before the 1989 revolution, the womens domestic championship saw university team battling over the trophy. Stiinta Bucharest and Universitatea Cluj, for instance, each won 11 titles. On the other hand, Bucharest rivals Steaua and Dinamo dominated the mens competition, winning 21 and 18 trophies each, respectively. The supremacy of teams from Bucharest would eventually end after 1991.




    The first trophy in European inter-club competitions was won by CSU Asesoft Poiesti. In 2005, the team won the FIBA Europe Cup after defeating Lokomotiv Moscow 75-74 in the finals. A number of players also compelled recognition in foreign championships. Alin Savu is the only Romanian player to have been drafted two times into Europes team, in 1967 and 1968. Another player, Ghita Muresan, made history in the NBA, where he enjoyed a seven-year-long career. (Translated by V. Palcu)