Radio România Internațional

Tag: football

  • Sports weekend

    Sports weekend

    Football fans in Romania are in for an eventful week. On Thursday, the domestic championship’s 25th round drew to a close, while the 26th round is about to start on Friday. On Tuesday, FC Botoşani snatched a 2-nil away win against Gloria Buzau. Rapid Bucharest defeated Unirea Slobozia, 2-1, while Dinamo outclassed Oţelul Galaţi 1-0.

    On Wednesday, CFR Cluj grabbed a 1-nil home win against Hermannstadt, Sibiu. Also on home turf, Universitatea Craiova defeated Universitatea Cluj, also 1-nil. On Thursday, UTA Arad grabbed a 1-nil away win against Poli Iasi. In Sfantu Gheorghe, in the west, the local team Sepsi defeated Farul Constanta, 1-nil. In Ploiesti, the match pitting the local side Petrolul against FCSB ended in a blank draw.

    In the 26th round, on Friday, FC Botosani go against Dinamo Bucharest. Two fixtures are scheduled on Saturday. In Clinceni, Unirea Slobozia receive the visit of Universitatea Craiova, while in Galaţi, the local side Oţelul face Rapid Bucharest. On Sunday, in Sibiu, the local side Hermannstadt play Petrolul Ploiesti, Universitatea Cluj play a home game against Politehnica Iasi, while in Bucharest, FCSB are pitted against Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe.

    The 26th round’s last two games are scheduled on Monday, when Farul Constanţa play Gloria Buzău and UTA Arad take on CFR Cluj. Universitatea Cluj and Dinamo are at the top of the table, with 44 points each. CFR Cluj and FCSB follow suit, each with 43 points.

    In rugby, this coming Sunday the Romanian national team plays an away a game against Belgium, in Mons, in a confrontation which is crucial for the qualification to the World Cup, scheduled in Australia in 2027. In the inaugural game as part of the present edition of Rugby Europe Championship, Europe’s second-tier competition after the Six Nations’ Tournament, Romania defeated Germany, 48 to 10.

    Their next scheduled fixture is a match against Portugal on Saturday, February 17, in Botosani. The Romanian national team stands real chances to secure their straight qualification to the World Cup on condition they come in at the top of the table or as the runner-up team in their group.

    In news from women’s handball, the coming weekend will see matches being played, counting towards the European competitions. On Saturday, in the Champions League’s group A, Gloria Bistriţa-Năsăud plays an away match against Krim Ljubljana, while on Sunday, CSM Bucharest plays a home match against Podravka Koprivnica. According to Group A ranking, CSM are 3rd-placed, while, Gloria Bistrita, 7th.

    According to Group B ranking, Rapid Bucharest are 7th-placed. Their next scheduled fixture is this coming Sunday’s away game against German Ludwigsburg. In the EHF European League, on Saturday SCM Râmnicu Vâlcea play in Norway, against Sola, while Dunărea Brăila play Thüringer in Germany’s Bad Langensalza. SCM and Dunarea are at the top of the table in their groups.

  • Sports Flash

    Sports Flash

    In the 25th edition of the Romanian Football Superleague, scheduled midweek, FC Botosani outperformed Gloria Buzau 2-0 in an away match on Tuesday. The other two games of the day took place in Bucharest, where local side Rapid clinched a 2-1 win against Unirea Slobozia while another local team, Dinamo, managed a 1-0 win against Oţelul Galati.

    On Wednesday, CFR also managed a 1-0 home win against Hermannstadt, while in Craiova, local side Universitatea, obtained the same result against Universitatea Cluj. The leg’s last matches on Thursday will be pitching, Poli Iaşi against UTA, Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe against Farul Constanţa and Petrolul Ploieşti against FCSB. Universitatea Cluj and Dinamo are topping the ranking, each with 44 points, followed by CFR Cluj, with 43.

    We continue with the latest from men’s basketball competitions. U-BT Cluj-Napoca has qualified for the EuroCup play-offs. In the group’s last match on Wednesday, Romania’s champions outperformed Greek side Aris Thessaloniki, 89-74. U-BT presently occupies the fifth place in Group B and will next be taking on the fourth side in Group A, Wolves Twinsbet Vilnius, of Lithuania.

    In FIBA Europe Cup, also on Wednesday, CSM CSU Oradea obtained a clear win against Estonian side Kalev/Cramo, 94-66, but failed to qualify for the quarterfinals.

    CSM’s best players proved to be Lithuanians, Paulius Petrilevicius, with 18 points, 6 recoveries, and Donatas Tarolis, with 15 points and 5 decisive passes. In order to advance, the Romanian vice-champions needed a win in Estonia and they also needed the victory of PAOK Thessaloniki in Dijon. However, the French won the match 97-93 and their win blew the Romanians’ qualification chances. PAOK topped the ranking with Dijon in the second position. Oradea came third followed by Kalev/Cramo. The first two sides have qualified for the quarterfinals.

    Now let’s have a look at the latest from water polo competitions. On Wednesday, CSM Oradea conceded a home defeat to the Italian side Savona 17-11, in the first leg of Group B of the Champions’ League quarterfinals. In the group’s other match, Ferencváros secured an 18-10 win against Atletic-Barceloneta cu 18-10. In the second leg Oradea will be playing in Barcelona, on February 26th.

    (bill)

  • January 30, 2025

    January 30, 2025

    A roundup of local and international news.

     

    BUDGET – Romania’s draft state budget for 2025 will be finalized today.  On Saturday it will be approved by the Government and next week by Parliament, Finance Minister Tanczos Barna announced. He said that the budget includes money for investment in infrastructure and for the payment of salaries and pensions, at the level of November 2024. The budget will be built on a deficit of no more than 7% of the Gross Domestic Product. The funds allocated to the Presidential Administration, the Senate and the Chamber of Deputies will be smaller and the budgets of some ministries, such as Environment, Health, Education or Transport, will increase.

     

    ENERGY – Bucharest’s Energy Minister, Sebastian Burduja, has announced  that the Court rejected Greenpeace’s request to suspend the work on the Black Sea gas exploitation. He said that this is a victory for Romania’s energy independence and that the strategic project that Greenpeace tried to block in court will double Romanian gas production, create jobs and bring over 20 billion euros to the budget. Moreover, the gas from the Black Sea will ensure a more stable and lower price for Romanians, and Romania will become a regional energy supplier. Last year, Greenpeace requested in Court the suspension of the environmental agreement for the Neptun Deep project, due to concerns related to environmental protection, climate change and compliance with legislation. Neptun Deep is owned in equal shares by OMV Petrom company and the state owned company Romgaz. Production will be approximately 8 billion cubic meters annually for approximately 10 years.

     

    EVACUATION – Numerous Romanians, employed by a private military company operating in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), crossed the border into neighboring Rwanda on Wednesday to surrender to the authorities there, sources in Kigali said, quoted by international news agencies. The Romanians had been hired to fight alongside the Congolese army in the conflict that opposes it to the M23 rebel group, supported by Rwanda, in the Goma region. The Rwandan Ministry of Defense confirmed their surrender and spoke of “280 Romanian mercenaries” being evacuated by buses to the capital, Kigali.

     

    CRASH – An American Airlines passenger plane and a US military Black Hawk helicopter crashed into the Potomac River after a mid-air collision near Reagan Washington National Airport, US officials said, quoted by international news agencies. According to Washington media, several bodies were pulled from the water and no survivors were found. American Airlines said there were 64 people on board the plane – 60 passengers and four crew members. Three military personnel were on board the helicopter. Romanian President Klaus Iohannis sent a message of solidarity, to the American people. “Our thoughts go out to the families of the victims”, Iohannis wrote on platform X.

     

    FOOTBALL – Romanian football champion FCSB and the famous English team Manchester United will meet on Thursday evening at the National Arena in Bucharest, in the eighth and final round of the main phase of the Europa League. United is in fourth place in the standings, with 15 points, and FCSB is in eighth place, with 14 points. The top eight teams qualify directly for the round of 16, while the teams ranked 9-24 must get past the the play-off to advance to the round of 16.

     

    RUGBY – The Romanian national rugby team will make their debut on Friday evening in Bucharest, in a match against Germany, in the 2025 edition of the Rugby Europe Championship. The Romanians will also play against Belgium, on February 8, away, in Mons, and Portugal, on February 15, at home, in Botoşani (northeast). Romania can secure direct qualification for the Rugby World Cup in Australia, if it finishes the championship in one of the first two places of the group. With one exception, Romania has participated in all the world final tournaments.

  • January 29, 2025

    January 29, 2025

    Budget – The leaders of the governing coalition in Bucharest are again discussing today the draft budget for 2025. These are the last calculations regarding the distribution of the state money, before the draft budget law reaches the government on Friday for adoption and Parliament next week for the vote. The largest amounts will be allocated for the payment of pensions and for the continuation of investments, while the expenses for goods, salaries and services will be reduced in all ministries and institutions, according to the finance minister. The intention is to allocate budgets to the ministries reduced by 5% compared to last year, except for the Health, Interior, Education, Transport and National Defense ministries. Investments will exceed 7% of the GDP to support economic growth and the country’s development. In the field of agriculture, the priorities remain supporting the development of the animal husbandry sector, the continuation of the INVESTALIM program and the financing of irrigation systems. The Economy Ministry will continue the massive support for entrepreneurs through the Start-up Nation and Construct Plus programs, and the defense industry will receive over 2% of the GDP this year as well. The Transport Ministry will also continue the investments, as in the previous years, which will materialize in highways, express roads and the improvement of the national road network.

     

    Theft – New information appears around the treasure pieces belonging to Romania stolen on the night of Friday to Saturday from a museum in the Netherlands. The Dutch police announced that they had elements that show that several burglary suspects come from a province in the northwest of the Netherlands. The Dutch authorities also specify that extensive technical and tactical research has been carried out in the museum and its surroundings, and a team made up of dozens of investigators and specialists is working on the case to arrest the thieves and recover the assets. The stolen pieces are the gold helmet from Coţofeneşti and three Dacian bracelets from Sarmizegetusa Regia, Romanian heritage objects which are also essential parts of the history and identity of the Romanian people, an invaluable cultural heritage not only for Romania, but for the whole world, states the Romanian Culture Minister, Natalia Intotero. The minister dismissed the director of the National History Museum of Romania, Ernest Oberländer-Târnoveanu, whom she criticized for the way in which he communicated publicly and institutionally in the case of the theft of the treasure objects. We remind you that the History Museum is the one that sent the artefacts to the exhibition in the Netherlands.

     

    Iuliu Hossu – The Romanian Academy inaugurated on Wednesday the ‘Cardinal Iuliu Hossu Year’, through a tribute ceremony. 2025 was established ‘Cardinal Iuliu Hossu Year’ by law, to celebrate his life, work, personality, martyrdom, the determining role in the making of the Great Union and the efforts he made to save the Jews during the Holocaust. A brilliant Transylvanian intellectual, Cardinal Iuliu Hossu left a mark on Romania’s history. He was arrested and imprisoned in communist prisons following his refusal to renounce the Greek-Catholic faith and his activity in defense of the Greek-Catholic believers. President Klaus Iohannis sent a message on the occasion of the Tribute Ceremony Cardinal Iuliu Hossu Year’ in which he recalls the words spoken by the cardinal – ‘Our faith is our life!’ – and said that these words could become a strong call to civic consciousness, to unity and courage, to solidarity with fellow citizens and the future of the country.

     

    Football – Manchester United will arrive in Bucharest this evening for Thursday’s match against the Romanian football champions, FCSB, held in the eighth and last stage of the main phase of the Europa League. The famous English team holds the fourth place in the ranking, with 15 points, and FCSB is ranked 8th with 14 points. The first eight teams qualify directly for the round of 16, and the teams in positions 9 to 24 play a play-off (round-return) for access to the round of 16.

     

    Resignation – The President of Serbia, Aleksandar Vučić (Vucici), said that he would decide in the next ten days whether he would call parliamentary elections or form a new government. The Prime Minister Miloą Vučević (Miloş Vucevici) resigned on Tuesday, after several months of anti-government protests. The rallies were triggered by the collapse of the roof of a newly renovated railway station in Novi Sad, Serbia’s second largest city, which killed 15 people. The protesters blamed the fatal accident on the corruption and negligence of the authorities and asked for the publication of all documents related to the construction and for the punishment of the culprits. The outgoing Prime Minister Vučević, a close ally of the president, was the mayor of Novi Sad when the works began.

     

    Elections – The governing coalition (PSD-PNL-UDMR) in Bucharest adopted, on Tuesday, a decision that set the electoral calendar in the run up to the first round of the presidential election on May 4. The electoral period will start on February 18, and the deadline for submitting candidacies to the Central Electoral Bureau will be March 15. The election campaign will start on April 4 and end in the morning of May 3. Voting in Romania will take place on May 4, and abroad, in the 950 organized sections, for three days – May 2, 3 and 4. The Romanian voters abroad have the possibility to vote by mail, by registering on the portal www.votstrainatate.ro.

     

    Talks – The Romanian Foreign Minister, Emil Hurezeanu, discussed with the executive vice-president of the European Commission, responsible for social rights and skills, quality jobs and training, Roxana Mînzatu, about a series of important files in relation to the current European agenda. They addressed topics such as maintaining support for the EU enlargement process, continuing support for Ukraine and the Republic of Moldova, developing a strategic vision for the Black Sea. They also discussed the promotion of convergence and cohesion objectives in the negotiations on the future Multiannual Financial Framework post-2027 or the consolidation of European action in the field of defense. The Romanian official attended the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels and met with the NATO Secretary General, Mark Rutte.  (LS)

  • The Athlete of the Week

    The Athlete of the Week

    Romanian football champions FCSB are having an excellent run in the Europa League. Out of the seven matches played so far in the competition’s main group, the Bucharest side have four wins, two draws and one defeat. Ahead of their final match in this stage of the competition, FCSB are now in 8th place. If they maintain this position after their final match, which they will be playing on Thursday at home against Manchester United, the Romanian champions will qualify straight for the round of last 16.

    In their latest match in European competitions, FCSB defeated the champions of Azerbaijan, Qarabağ, 3-2. Without their captain Darius Olaru, who missed the match due to an injury, midfielder Adrian Şut took over the captain badge, doing an excellent job. He also scored two of his team’s goals, playing a decisive contribution to their win, which is why Radio Romania International has chosen his the athlete of the week this week.

    In Baku, the Azeri side opened the scoreline 57 seconds into the match. 7 minutes later, following a corner kick and a cross pass from Florin Tănase, Adrian Şut scored a header to bring his team to 1-all. Both sides went on to score one more goal by half-time. In the second half, 73 minutes into the match, following another corner kick from Florin Tănase, Şut scored yet another header to win FCSB the match.

    Adrian Şut was born on 30th April 1999 in Cociuba Mare, in Bihor county, in the west. He made his debut as a junior with the local side and then joined Liberty Salonta, also from Bihor. He then got transferred to ASA Târgu Mureş, where, aged 17, he made his First League match debut against Viitorul Constanţa. He joined FCSB in 2019, who lent him, in his first season under contract, to Academica Clinceni. He first played for FCSB in 2020, in a  Europa League qualifying match against Slovan Liberec, which FCSB lost. Şut made his national side debut on 22 March 2024, in a friendly against Northern Ireland, replacing Răzvan Marin. He was then part of the team that represented Romania at the European Championship hosted by Germany, but didn’t get to actually play.

  • January 24, 2025

    January 24, 2025

    CELEBRATION Military and religious ceremonies, performances and exhibitions are taking place today in all the major cities in Romania, marking the Union of the Principalities. In Orthodox churches, special services were performed and bells were rung for a minute. 166 years ago, on January 24, 1859, Alexandru Ioan Cuza was elected ruler of Wallachia, after having been elected ruler of Moldavia on January 5. The political decision of the principalities to unite was the first stage in the creation of the modern Romanian state. Leading politicians sent messages on the Day of the Union of the Romanian Principalities. “January 24 is a moment of assessment and reflection on the legacy of our ancestors and on the responsibility we have to preserve and promote it,” president Klaus Iohannis emphasised. PM Marcel Ciolacu pointed out that the Union is an example of how an important political project undertaken in accordance with the will of the people can become reality. Romanians enjoy an extended weekend on this occasion, as Union Day has been declared a public holiday. Many have chosen to spend it in mountain resorts. However, as protests are announced in addition to many events planned throughout the country, over 22,000 interior ministry employees are mobilised to ensure public order and peace.

     

    PROTEST Railway workers, reserve officers, police staff, miners, foresters, steelworkers, Bucharest Metro employees and pensioners announced their participation today in a protest rally in front of the Government headquarters. Tens of thousands of people are expected to attend. People are unhappy with the government order that froze salary increases at the beginning of this year, and because public pensions are no longer adjusted to the inflation rate. A reorganisation of central public institutions and state-owned companies was also announced these days. According to PM Marcel Ciolacu, restructuring the public sector is a priority for the current governing coalition comprising the Social Democratic Party, the National Liberal Party, and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania.

     

    ELECTIONS The Liberals will convene on Sunday in a special National Council meeting to validate the former party president Crin Antonescu as the joint candidate of the ruling coalition in Romania in the presidential elections in May. The Social Democrats scheduled a special congress on February 2 for the same purpose, and UDMR will make its decision at the beginning of next week. The first and second rounds of the presidential elections are scheduled for May 4 and 18. So far, the mayor of Bucharest, Nicuşor Dan, the independent candidate Călin Georgescu and the president of Save Romania Union, Elena Lasconi, have announced plans to run for president. The latter two were top placed in the presidential elections canceled last year. After the first election round on November 24 was validated, the Constitutional Court of Romania canceled the election as a whole on December 6, although voting in the second round had already begun abroad. The Court made its decision after the Supreme Defence Council published a report indicating foreign interference in the electoral process, but investigations have so far failed to confirm it. Tens of thousands of Romanians took to the streets to demand that the second round be resumed.

     

    CORRUPTION The mayor of the popular Romanian mountain resort of Sinaia, the Liberal Vlad Oprea, was placed under court supervision on Thursday, with bail set at over EUR 100,000, as part of a corruption-related investigation. Charges of abuse of office also entailed a ban on him holding the mayor position. According to prosecutors with the National Anticorruption Directorate, among other things, Vlad Oprea allegedly demanded and received almost EUR 240,000 in bribe from a businessman, in exchange for expediting the paperwork for the building of a hotel in the resort.

     

    EXPULSION The Romanian Embassy in Belgrade has asked for clarifications from the Serbian authorities as to why a Romanian national was expelled from the country. Other EU and third country citizens taking part in an NGO training workshop were also involved in the incident. The Romanian, a member of an organisation involved in social projects, was taken to a police station in Belgrade, along with other participants in the workshop. Without explanation, but citing national security reasons, they were ordered to leave Serbia within 24 hours, and banned from entering this country for one year. The Romanian national left the country safely. The expulsion of EU citizens from Serbia is unprecedented.

     

    FOOTBALL Romanian football champions FCSB defeated the Azerbaijani side Qarabag FK, 3-2 on Thursday evening in Baku, in the 7th round of the Europa League. With this important win, FCSB not only secured its ticket for the next stage of the competition, but also has a good chance of qualifying straight for the round of 16. On January 30, the Romanians will play in Bucharest against the English team Manchester United. (AMP)

  • January 23, 2025

    January 23, 2025

    Protest – Railway workers, reserve military, policemen, miners, foresters, steel workers or employees of the Bucharest Subway system are expected, on Friday, at a rally organized near the government headquarters, against the background of the dissatisfaction generated by the social and salary policies of the governing coalition made up of the PSD-PNL-UDMR, the Federation of Railway Transporters’ Unions from Romania (FSTFR) announces. It estimates the number of participants in the protest will stand at 30,000.

     

    Corruption – The mayor of Sinaia, the most popular resort on the Prahova Valley (southern Romania), the liberal Vlad Oprea, was brought to the headquarters of the National Anticorruption Directorate on Thursday, to be heard in a case. According to the prosecutors, he claimed and received bribe of almost 240,000 Euros from a businessman, in order to facilitate the issuance of the necessary documentation for the construction of a hotel in the city. Oprea is also accused that, between July 2019 and January 2024, he allowed the unauthorized activity of providing public catering services for a restaurant in Sinaia, in order to obtain undue benefits.

     

    Captivity – The Romanian Foreign Ministry announces that the Romanian sailor from the crew of the ship “Galaxy Leader”, freed from Yemen, is safe and sound. The crew has been in captivity for more than a year after the Houthi rebel group captured the ship, at the start of a series of attacks on ships in the Red Sea motivated by Israel’s war against the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas. The 25 sailors from the Philippines, Mexico, Romania, Bulgaria and Ukraine were detained in November 2023 by Houthi fighters, who used a helicopter to board the cargo ship running between Turkey and India. A Houthi-controlled Yemeni television station said the crew had been freed and handed over to Oman, following the completion of the Gaza ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel, which took effect on Sunday. The release comes after months of diplomacy work involving the sailors’ home countries, as well as the UN’s International Maritime Organization. The Romanian Foreign Ministry specifies that the action is the result of the efforts of the Foreign Intelligence Service and the other institutions within the crisis cell. The Romanian authorities also thank the external partners, especially the Sultanate of Oman and neighboring Bulgaria, for the important support given to solving this complex and extremely difficult case.

     

    Football – The Romanian football champion, FCSB, from Bucharest, plays, this evening, away from home, in Baku, against the Azerbaijani team Qarabag FK, in the seventh stage of the Europa League. With two stages before the end of the main phase of the competition, FCSB is in 10thplace, with 11 points, and Qarabag is in 33rdplace, with 3 points. The first eight teams in the ranking will qualify for the round of 16, while the teams from 9th to the 24th positions will play a play-off to qualify for the round of 16. FCSB still is to play the famous English team Manchester United, at home, on January 30.

     

    Reorganization – The reorganization of central public institutions and of state-owned companies in Romania, with a view to reducing budget expenses, is dissatisfying more and more employees. Several ministries have already announced reorganizations and staff reductions. The Parliament leadership also announced the reduction of civil servant positions by approximately 400, which led to a spontaneous protest by the employees in the halls of the institution.

     

    Drones – A new disinformation by the Russian media, regarding last week’s drone attacks against the civilian port infrastructure in Ukraine, near the border with Romania, was denounced by the Romanian Ministry of National Defense. The Kremlin propaganda falsely claimed that the Russian attack drones targeted an operation to transport Romanian soldiers or Romanian mercenaries from the Romanian shore to the Ukrainian one. According to the phantasmagoric scenario, the forces of the Romanian Army would have intervened in the unfolding of the events and would have opened fire on the Russian drones with equipment deployed on the Romanian territory. The alleged confrontation would have resulted in numerous victims on the Romanian side, dead and wounded. But all this did not happen, states the Romanian Defense Ministry. These “ungrounded aberrations”, as the Defense Ministry calls them, are part of the pattern of Russian operations to influence and manipulate public opinion in both the Romanian and NATO areas.

     

    TikTok – The vice-president of the European Parliament, the Romanian social democrat Victor Negrescu, states that the EC will present in a relatively short time its report on the interference, through the Chinese network TikTok, in the presidential election in Romania. The European Commission can come up with specific recommendations or impose a fine for that network – said the social democratic MEP. He added that the Vice-President of the Commission for Tech Sovereignty, Security and Democracy, Henna Virkkunen, spoke about the possibility that all social networks, not just TikTok, which intervene in democratic debates and elections, could be subject to stricter control and could be sanctioned if they violate the European legislation in the matter. (LS)

  • Sports Roundup

    Sports Roundup

     

    The Australian driver Daniel Sanders won this year’s Dakar Rally in the motorcycle section. The Romanian Emanuel Gyenes came in 20th, but he won the Original by Motul category, where participants compete without technical assistance. This is the second time the Satu Mare born athlete has won this category, after 2020. In 2011 and 2015, he won the Marathon class. His best overall ranking in 15 annual competitions remains the 14th place won in 2016.

     

    At the Australian Open, the first Grand Slam of the year, Gabriela Ruse and Marta Kostiuk qualified for the quarterfinals of the women’s doubles event. In the round of 16, the Romanian-Ukrainian pair defeated the 12th-seeded Hanyu Guo of China and Alexandra Panova of Russia 7-5, 4-6, 7-6. The match lasted 3 hours and 14 minutes. Ruse and Kostiuk have played 2 Grand Slam women’s doubles semifinals together, one in Melbourne in 2023 and another at Roland Garros in 2024. Now, they have secured a check for 142,000 Australian dollars and 430 WTA doubles points. In the quarterfinals, they will face the third-seeded Su-Wei Hsieh (Taiwan) and Jelena Ostapenko (Latvia).

     

    In the women’s handball Champions League’s Group A, CSM Bucharest defeated the Slovenian team Krim Ljubljana 36-23 at home on Saturday, while Gloria Bistriţa-Năsăud were defeated in Croatia by Podravka Koprivnica 26-25. CSM are in 3rd place in the standings and will play the against Danish team Nykøbing Falster on Sunday. Gloria are in 6th place and will take on the Hungarian team Ferencváros at home on Saturday. In Group B, Rapid suffered another defeat: 25-42 at home against the Danish side Odense, and remains in 7th place in the group. The Romanian vice-champions will also play the next match at home, against another Danish team, Team Esbjerg, on Sunday. The Norwegian team Vipers Kristiansand withdrew from the competition.

     

    In the EHF European League’s Group A, on Saturday, Dunărea Brăila defeated the Norwegian team Larvik 27-24 away from home and will play on Sunday against Thüringer (Germany). In Group B, SCM Râmnicu Vâlcea beat the Danish team Ikast, at home, 27-26. On Saturday they are facing the Norwegian team Sola at home. Both Romanian teams lead the standings in their respective groups.

     

    We end with football. Over the weekend, games counting for the 22nd round of the Romanian Super League took place. On Friday, in Clinceni, Unirea Slobozia defeated Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe 3-2, and in Bucharest, FCSB tied 1-1 with Hermannstadt. On Saturday, in Cluj, Universitatea beat Gloria Buzău 2-1, and in Galaţi, Oţelul drew 0-0 with Petrolul Ploieşti. On Sunday, FC Botoşani played at home against CFR Cluj, and Universitatea Craiova took on Dinamo Bucharest on home turf. Both matches ended in 1-all draws. Monday sees the last two games in this round: Farul Constanţa vs UTA Arad and Rapid Bucharest vs Poli Iaşi. Universitatea Cluj top the standings, with 40 points, followed by FCSB with 38. (AMP)

  • Radio Romania International sports club

    Radio Romania International sports club

    The Romanian football Super League competition season is to be resumed at the weekend. From Friday and all through to Monday fixtures are scheduled, counting towards the regular season’s 22nd round, which is also the seventh round of the domestic championship’s away series.

    All told, the first part of the Super League’s championship is made of 30 rounds. All 16 competing teams play according to a round-robin system, at home and away. The regular season draws to a close on March 8. Then the teams advance to the championship’s Group 1 / Group 2 phase, where each team’s record sheet includes only half of the points they’ve got until then.

    The first six teams in descending order play in Group 1. There they compete for the title and for two of Romania’s places in the preliminaries of Europe’s third-tier football competition, Europa Conference League.

    In Group 1, fixtures are played in 10 rounds, according to a double-legged tie system. The teams placed 7th to 16th compete in Group 2. In 9 rounds, Group 2 teams play according to a round-robin system, in a single-legged tie. Group 2’s 9th and 10th-placed teams according to the final ranking are relegated.

    7th and 8th-placed teams engage in a play-off confrontation with second league’s 3rd and 4th-placed teams. Group 2’s best-placed teams are entitled to receiving a bonus. As soon as the championship season draws to a close, they will engage in a play-off match. The winner then takes on the 3rd-placed team in Group 1. At stake is a position in the Conference League preliminaries.

    According to the as-it-stands table, Universitatea Cluj and FCSB are 1st and 2nd placed, respectively. Both teams have 37 points. Dinamo Bucharest follows, with 36. Following in descending order are Universitatea Craiova and CFR Cluj, with 35 points each. With 31 points, the bottom-of the table team according to Group 1 ranking is Petrolul Ploieşti. The first teams below the line are Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe and Rapid Bucharest, with 30 and 29 points, respectively.

    FCSB is the only Romanian team still playing in European competitions. On Thursday, January 23rd, holders FCSB play an away game against Azeri team Qarabag, .FCSB’s match against Qarabag is their last nut one fixture in Europa league’s main group phase. FCSB have already secured their ticket for the European spring. FCSB will engage in the playoffs for a position in the competition’s round of 16, yet

    FCSB still stand a real chance to gain a place among the Europa League’s first eight teams according to the final ranking. Such a position will book the Romanian team their undisputed presence in the League’s round of 16. To that effect, a win in Azerbaijan will be most useful. In late January, FCSB play their final group game on home turf, against Manchester United.

  • Sports roundup

    Sports roundup

    The year 2025 in sports has begun in Otopeni, nearby Bucharest, with a top-flight water polo competition, actually the World Cup fixtures. On Tuesday, in Division One’s Group C, Romania sustained a 7-10 defeat by the United States. In the first part of the game, Romania succeeded to put on a balanced game against the bronze medalists at the Paris Olympics, yet the US team had the upper hand in the final part of the match. On Wednesday, Romania take on Japan.

    Division One’s first six teams in descending order advance to the Super Final. Joining them are Division Two’s two best teams. Taking part in the competition are the world’s strongest teams. Serbia, in Group B, is the defending Olympic champion. Also part of Group B is Croatia, the Olympic vice-champions. In Group A, Spain is the European champion and the current World Cup holders.

    After three legs in the Dakkar Rally, the Romanian motorcyclist Emanuel Gyenes is 3rd-placed. In the third leg, Gyenes was 30th-placed, finishing 24 minutes and 20 seconds later than the winner. In the auto class, one of the Romanian carmaker Dacia’s cars is piloted by the French Sebastien Loeb, a nine-time rallies world champion. Also driving a Dacia Sandriders is Qatar’s Nasser Al Attiyah, who is second-placed according to the general rankings, arriving 7 minutes and 17 seconds later than the leader, the South-African Henk Lategan, driving a Toyota Gazoo Racing.

    In news from tennis, on Wednesday Monica Niculescu and Fanny Stollar have advanced to the women’s doubles finals as part of the WTA 250 tournament in Tasmania’s Hobart, an event with 275, 094 USD in prize money. The Romanian-Hungarian in the round of 16 defeated the all-American pair made of Sabrina Santamaria and Sloane Stephens, 5-7, 6-3, 10-4. In Melbourne where the Australian Open is well under way, Anca Todoni and Gabriela Ruse have reached the last round of the qualifiers. On Wednesday, Todoni grabbed a 6-3, 6-2 win against Spanish challenger Leyre Romero Gormaz. Ruse defeated Germany’s Anna-Lena Friedsam, 3-6, 6-3, 6-4.

    A training stage is ongoing in Turkey’s Antalya for several Romanian football teams. In the recently-played friendlies, on Tuesday, FC Botosani and Bulgarian champion team Ludogoreţ Razgrad, drew, 1-all. Gloria Buzău grabbed a 2-1 win against third-tier Turkish team Kastamonuspor. FC Hermannstadt Sibiu grabbed a 3-nil win against third-tier German team Alemania Aachen. Alo on Tuesday, Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe sustained a 1-4 defeat by Swiss champions Young Boys Berne. We recall on Monday Sepsi sustained a 1-3 defeat by second-league Belgian team Molenbeek.

  • Sports weekend

    Sports weekend

    Romanian Cup in football’s group phase has drawn to a close. We already know the eight teams that have advanced to the quarterfinals. None of the first three teams of the Superleague is among them, namely Universitatea Cluj, Dinamo and FCSB. For the quarterfinals scheme to be complete, we need to know who the winners are in the two playoff fixtures, crucial for designating the winner of Group D and the second team that has got through, of Group C.

    Then in April we shall have the confrontation for a place in the Cup’s semi-finals, when CFR Cluj are pitted against Universitatea Craiova and Farul Constanţa face the losing team of the match pitting CSM Resita against Unirea Alba Iulia. Also, Metalul Buzau play Rapid Bucharest. The semifinal fight scheme includes one final confrontation: the winner of the match pitting Resita against Alba Iulia plays the winner of the playoff fixture, where Poli Iasi face FC Hermanstadt.

    Matches counting towards the 21st round as part of Romanian Football Superleague are scheduled at the weekend. It is the last round in 2024. On Friday, Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe play Universitatea Cluj. On Saturday in Sibiu, FC Hermannstadt face Farul Constanţa. Farul are fresh from a precious Romanian Cup 5-1 away win against UTA Arad, thus booking their ticket to the quarterfinals.

    FC Hermannstandt have won their last four fixtures in the Superleague and fare better, being 9th-placed, that is two notches up as compared to Farul Constanta. Also on Saturday, Gloria Buzău play Universitatea Craiova. Universitatea’s run has been quite good as of late: this past Wednesday they grabbed a 2-nil away win against FCSB, in Bucharest.

    Gloria Buzau are at the bottom of the table in the Superleague, On Sunday, Petrolul Ploiesti play a home match against Unirea Slobozia. Petrolul are 8th-placed and they have not won a single game in the last five rounds; however, they keep their hopes alive they can win the fixture against 13th-placed team, Gloria.
    21st round’s derby will be hosted by the National Arena in Bucharest, with Dinamo playing Rapid, in a confrontation that has been going on for nearly eight decades now.

    On Monday, UTA Arad play FC Botosani and Poli Iasi take on FCSB. Universitatea Cluj are the leaders in the as-it-stands table, with 36 points. Dinamo and FCSB follow suit, with 35 and 34 points, respectively.

  • Sports Roundup

    Sports Roundup

    The European women’s handball championship has ended. In the final in Vienna on Sunday, Norway defeated Denmark 31 to 23. In the final ranking of the competition, Romania took 11th place. In a ceremony also held in Vienna, but on Saturday, former Romanian handball players Luminiţa Huţupan-Dinu and Carmen Amariei were included in the Gallery of European handball legends, the EHF Hall of Fame. In this classification, inaugurated in 2023, there are two more Romanians: Narcisa Lecuşanu and Cristina Vărzaru.

     

    Now swimming. Romania ended the World Aquatics Swimming Championships, also known as shorts course worlds, in Budapest without having any athlete qualified in the finals. The best result was obtained by Andrei-Theodor Proca, a swimmer who ranked 12th in the 1,500 meters event. Robert Badea, who set a new national record in the 400-meter mixed race, also stood out. The time he achieved, the 11th of the heats, was still not good enough to ensure him a place in the eight finals.

     

    Now rugby. Dinamo Bucharest won Romania’s Rugby Cup, after defeating Ştiinţa Baia Mare in the final, score 29-24. The Bucharest team scored five tries, namely two by Mihai Graure and the other three by Ovidiu Cojocaru, Joe Perez and Jondre Williams. Two of these were converted by Helarius Kisting. Kefetnse Mahlo, Ghiorghi Menabde and Adriaan Ludick scored tries for Ştiinţa Baia mare, all converted by Paul Popoaia, who also scored from a penalty kick.

     

    Let’s move on to football. Romania has found out its opponents in the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup. Thus, the Romanian footballers will be part of group H, along with Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus and San Marino. On March 21 next year, the first match will take place in Bucharest pitting Bosnia against Herzegovina. The winners of the 12 preliminary groups will qualify directly. Competing for the other four places available for the European zone, are the 12 teams ranked second in the groups and the best ranked group winners of the League of Nations, 2024-25 edition, that did not qualify following the preliminaries.

     

    At the weekend, games were played counting for the Romanian Superliga, stage number 20. On Friday, Hermannstadt defeated in Botoşani 2-1, and Dinamo defeated Poli Iasi 2-0 in Bucharest. On Saturday, Oţelul ended the game in Galaţi with UTA in a draw, 1-1, then, in Craiova, Universitatea defeated Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe 2-1. In the last match of the day, Universitatea Cluj defeated Petrolul Ploieşti 4-1 at home. Two matches were played on Sunday: Unirea Slobozia with CFR Cluj and Farul Constanţa with FCSB, both ending with the same score: 1-1. Monday sees the last match of the stage: Rapid Bucharest with Gloria Buzău. Universitatea Cluj leads the ranking, with 36 points. Next is Dinamo, with 35 and FCSB, with 34. (LS)

  • Sports Weekend

    Sports Weekend

     

    The Bucharest-based football team FCSB drew 0-0 in their Europa League away game played on Thursday night against the German side Hoffenheim. The Romanian champions, now in the main phase of the competition, have 11 points after 3 wins, 2 draws and 1 defeat. They are in 10th place, with the stated goal of finishing among the top 8 teams at the end of this stage and going straight to the round of 16.

     

    The atmosphere at the stadium in the small town of Sinsheim, where Hoffenheim plays its home games, was dominated by the Romanian fans. Romania’s champions played fast-paced European football, very different from its performances in the domestic championship. The Bundesliga team dominated, but did not manage to score. FCSB’s defence was good, with dangerous counterattacks and several great opportunities to score missed. The final result was fair and pleased the Romania players.

     

    There is now a break in European competitions, after which FCSB will play the last two matches of the main stage in Europa League. On January 23, they will take on the Azerbaijani team Qarabag, away from home, and then, on the 30th, they will face Manchester United in Bucharest.

     

    The top eight teams qualify directly for the round of 16, and the teams ranked between 9 and 24 will have to go through play-off matches. Teams that finish between 25 and 36, as well as those that lose the play-off, will be eliminated from the competition.

     

    This weekend, matches are scheduled counting for the Romanian Football Super League, round number 20. On Friday, two games: Botoşani vs Hermannstadt and Dinamo Bucharest vs Poli Iaşi. On Saturday, Oţelul hosts the Arad team UTA in Galaţi, while in Craiova, Universitatea faces Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe. The evening ends with the game in Cluj, pitting Universitatea against Petrolul Ploieşti. On Sunday, in Clinceni, Unirea Slobozia play CFR Cluj, while in Ovidiu, Farul Constanţa meet FCSB. The last match in this round, Rapid Bucharest vs Gloria Buzău, is scheduled for Monday. Universitatea Cluj and FCSB lead the standings, tied on points. (AMP)

  • December 12, 2024

    December 12, 2024

     

    SCHENGEN The EU interior ministers convening in the Justice and Home Affairs Council have decided to lift controls at internal land borders with and between Bulgaria and Romania, starting with 1 January 2025. “Through the coordinated efforts of Romanian authorities, through steps at political and diplomatic level, we can finally enjoy a well-deserved right, legitimately acquired by Romania”, president Klaus Iohannis said, welcoming the decision announced in Brussels. “The advantages of our membership in the free movement area are multiple and have a direct impact on citizens, on the economy and on the image of our country. Scrapping border controls means faster and simpler movement for those who travel, the time spent at the borders will be considerably reduced, and logistics costs for companies will decrease, which will rapidly increase the competitiveness of Romanian products and services on the European market. Romania’s attractiveness to foreign investors will also increase considerably”, the head of state also said. “It is a historic decision, a victory for justice and national dignity and a clear signal that we will never accept being second-class citizens in Europe,” PM Marcel Ciolacu also stressed. “It is, above all, a triumph of all Romanians, regardless of their political choice or social situation, a victory for teamwork,” the PM added. The European Commission welcomed the unanimous decision of the JHA Council, noting that “The full accession of both countries not only strengthens the Schengen Area, but will further consolidate the internal market, increase travel, trade and tourism. A solid Schengen Area strengthens the unity of the EU and makes the EU stronger on a global scale.”

     

    GOVERNMENT Negotiations continue in Parliament to define a government programme for the pro-European coalition. The talks are taking place between the Social Democratic Party, the National Liberal Party, the Save Romania Union and the Democratic Union of Ethnic Hungarians in Romania, as well as the ethnic minorities group. According to the negotiations so far, the new cabinet would have only 15 or 16 ministers at most, and a small number of state secretaries. The distribution of these positions among the coalition parties is yet to be decided. The structure of the new government should be finalised by the end of the week. In addition, the coalition party leaders are also to decide on the new parliamentary majority will operate and who will take over the leadership of the two chambers. The new parliament is due to convene next Friday for a first session, in which the new senators and deputies will be validated.

     

    SALARIES In Romania, net average wages per month in October reached around EUR 1,050, up 12.3% compared to the corresponding month in 2023, the National Statistics Institute announced on Thursday. The highest values ​​were reported in the IT&C sector, and the lowest in the textile industry. According to the Institute, average net earnings increased in October compared to September in most economic sectors. In the public sector, in October, salary increases were operated in education and public administration. In healthcare and social assistance, average net earnings decreased slightly compared to the previous month.

     

    INFLATION The annual inflation rate in Romania rose to 5.11% in November, as against 4.67% in October. Compared to November 2023, food prices rose by 5%, and services by over 7.5%, according to the National Statistics Institute. The National Bank of Romania has revised upwards its inflation forecast for the end of the year, to 4.9%.

     

    FOOTBALL The Romanian football champions, FCSB, are taking on the German side Hoffenheim tonight in Sinsheim, in the 6th round of the Europa League group stage. With three wins, a draw and a defeat, FCSB has 10 points and is in 10th place. The Romanian champions hope for another victory, which will improve their chances to rank among the top 8 teams qualified straight into the round of 16. Hoffenheim has 5 points, with one win, two draws and two defeats, and is in 25th place, one place below the play-off qualification zone. (AMP)

  • Sports Roundup

    Sports Roundup

     

     

    Romania came out 4th at the ITTF Mixed Team World Cup in Chengdu (China), after losing 2-8 the match for the 3rd place against Hong Kong on Sunday. In the competition’s semis, Romania was defeated by China (8-1). Romania qualified for the semi-finals of the Mixed Team Table Tennis World Cup after defeating Germany 8-5 and after an 8-2 victory in the match against Japan, a world table tennis powerhouse, but which did not line up its top team in Chengdu. It is the best performance for the Romanian team at a Mixed Team World Cup, a competition won this year by the host team, China, which defeated South Korea in the final (8-1). The Romanian team was trained by Andrei Filimon and Ionuț Seni, and consisted of Bernadette Szocs (no 14 in the world), Elizabeta Samara (world no 51), Adina Diaconu (91), Andreea Dragoman (112), Ovidiu Ionescu (world no 46), Eduard Ionescu (75), Andrei Istrate (169) and Darius Movileanu (197).

     

     

    Romania was defeated by Hungary (37-29), on Sunday evening, in Debrecen, in a match in the main Group I of the European Women’s Handball Championship, hosted by Austria, Hungary and Switzerland. With a young team, undergoing reconstruction, Romania defeated the valuable team of Sweden 25-23 in another main Group I match, after previously losing to France, 25 – 30. Romania has 2 points and is in 5th place in the group, with the same number of points as 4th-placed Sweden. Top of the group are Hungary and France, each with 8 points, and Montenegro – 4 points. In the last match in the group, scheduled for Tuesday, December 10, Romania will take on Poland, which is in last place in the group, with zero points.

     

    The Romanians Monica Niculescu and Gabriela Ruse Sunday won the doubles event of the WTA 125 tennis tournament in Angers (France), with EUR 100,000 in total prize money. In the final they defeated Belinda Bencic / Celine Naef (Switzerland) 6-3, 6-4. This is the second WTA 125 doubles title won by Niculescu and Ruse, after the one in Hong Kong, in October.

     

    We end with results of the matches in the 19th round of Romania’s football Super League. On Friday, Sepsi OSK Sfântu Gheorghe beat Rapid Bucharest 2-0. On Saturday, Dinamo București won 1-0 away from home against Gloria Buzău, and Petrolul Ploiești and Universitatea Craiova drew 1-1. The round continued on Sunday with the matches UTA ​​Arad vs Unirea Slobozia 3-4, Politehnica Iaşi vs Farul Constanţa 2-2 and FCSB vs FC Botoşani 2-1. Before the last two matches in the round, Hermannstadt vs Oţelul Galaţi and Universitatea Cluj vs CFR Cluj, scheduled for Monday, the top places in the standings were FCSB – 33 points, Dinamo Bucharest – 32 points, CFR Cluj 31 points and Universitatea Cluj – 30 points. (AMP)