Radio România Internațional

Tag: U-21

  • Sports Roundup

    Sports Roundup

    In Poland, the European Games hosted by Crakow and Malopolska region carry on. After 5 days of competitions, Romania is placed 18th in the nations ranking. Romanian athletes have won 8 medals so far, including 2 gold, 3 silver and 3 bronze ones. Gold medals went to cyclist Vlad Dascălu, in the mountain bike race, and to athlete Claudia Bobocea, in the womens 1,500m race. Athletes Bianca Ghelber in the hammer throw event, and Daniela Stanciu in the high jump event won silver medals, and so did Cătălin Chirilă in the mens canoe single 500m final. Taking home bronze medals were Ştefan Comănescu, in the mens kumite 67 kg, athlete Andrea Miklos in the womens 400m race, and Mălina Călugăreanu in the womens foil individual final.



    This weekend the Romanian swimmer David Popovici won the 100m and 200m freestyle finals of the “Sette Colli Trophy” international competition in Rome, both with new competition records. In the 200m event, he defeated the Olympic champion Tom Dean. This was the last test for Popovici ahead of the world swimming championships in Fukuoka, Japan, scheduled between 13 and 30 July.



    Romanias womens water polo team won all matches in Group B of the 2024 European Championships qualifiers, held in Otopeni. The Romanians defeated Sweden 14-9, Switzerland 7-5, and Turkey 16-5, respectively, and qualified to the final tournament due in Netanya, Israel in January. Romanias mens team is also taking part in the final tournament in Israel, after finishing top of Group D in the qualifiers. In Kranj, Slovenia, the team coached by Bogdan Rath and George Deacu outplayed Switzerland 19-9 and Finland 19-6, and drew 10-all against the host nation.



    At the European Under-21 Football Championship hosted jointly by Romania and Georgia, the national team takes on Croatia on Tuesday in Group B. In the first 2 group matches, Romania lost 0-3 to Spain on Wednesday, and 0-1 to Ukraine on Saturday.



    Also in football, one of the most popular football clubs in Romania, Rapid Bucharest, this weekend celebrated 100 years of history. Originally a football club of railway workers, Rapid is known for outstanding performances prior to WWI. In 1940, the team qualified for the final of the Central European Cup, which was never played however. The club then grew to cover multiple sports, and achieved top level performances in several fields, including handball and volleyball. (AMP)

  • Sports Roundup

    Sports Roundup

    In Poland, the European Games hosted by Crakow and Malopolska region carry on. After 5 days of competitions, Romania is placed 18th in the nations ranking. Romanian athletes have won 8 medals so far, including 2 gold, 3 silver and 3 bronze ones. Gold medals went to cyclist Vlad Dascălu, in the mountain bike race, and to athlete Claudia Bobocea, in the womens 1,500m race. Athletes Bianca Ghelber in the hammer throw event, and Daniela Stanciu in the high jump event won silver medals, and so did Cătălin Chirilă in the mens canoe single 500m final. Taking home bronze medals were Ştefan Comănescu, in the mens kumite 67 kg, athlete Andrea Miklos in the womens 400m race, and Mălina Călugăreanu in the womens foil individual final.



    This weekend the Romanian swimmer David Popovici won the 100m and 200m freestyle finals of the “Sette Colli Trophy” international competition in Rome, both with new competition records. In the 200m event, he defeated the Olympic champion Tom Dean. This was the last test for Popovici ahead of the world swimming championships in Fukuoka, Japan, scheduled between 13 and 30 July.



    Romanias womens water polo team won all matches in Group B of the 2024 European Championships qualifiers, held in Otopeni. The Romanians defeated Sweden 14-9, Switzerland 7-5, and Turkey 16-5, respectively, and qualified to the final tournament due in Netanya, Israel in January. Romanias mens team is also taking part in the final tournament in Israel, after finishing top of Group D in the qualifiers. In Kranj, Slovenia, the team coached by Bogdan Rath and George Deacu outplayed Switzerland 19-9 and Finland 19-6, and drew 10-all against the host nation.



    At the European Under-21 Football Championship hosted jointly by Romania and Georgia, the national team takes on Croatia on Tuesday in Group B. In the first 2 group matches, Romania lost 0-3 to Spain on Wednesday, and 0-1 to Ukraine on Saturday.



    Also in football, one of the most popular football clubs in Romania, Rapid Bucharest, this weekend celebrated 100 years of history. Originally a football club of railway workers, Rapid is known for outstanding performances prior to WWI. In 1940, the team qualified for the final of the Central European Cup, which was never played however. The club then grew to cover multiple sports, and achieved top level performances in several fields, including handball and volleyball. (AMP)

  • June 23, 2023 UPDATE

    June 23, 2023 UPDATE

    SECURITY We are under an obligation to provide
    security to the Republic of Moldova, because Romanians also live there, PM Marcel Ciolacu said on Friday.
    The previous day the Romanian Foreign Ministry firmly condemned the statements
    made by the Russian-installed
    governor in occupied Kherson, Vladimir Saldo. The Romanian diplomacy says in a
    Twitter post that such statements addressed to the Republic of Moldova, but
    which also refer to a part of the territory of Romania, a member of NATO, are
    unacceptable and that targeting civilian infrastructure is a war crime. The
    reaction comes after Saldo threatened that the Russian army could attack a
    bridge over Prut River, in response to an alleged Ukrainian attack on one of
    the bridges connecting Kherson to the Ukrainian peninsula of Crimea annexed by
    Moscow 9 years ago. Chisinau has summoned the Russian ambassador to the
    Republic of Moldova, Oleg Vasnetsov, for explanations. Created on some of
    the eastern Romanian territories annexed by Stalin’s Soviet Union in 1940, the
    Republic of Moldova proclaimed its independence from Moscow in 1991.


    STOCK MARKET In Romania, the Association of Fund Administrators
    welcomed the historic decision to list Hidroelectrica, through the sale of the
    stake held by Proprietatea Fund. The Association chief, Horia Gustă, says the
    listing is a huge development opportunity for the Bucharest Stock Exchange, which
    thus consolidates its entry in the big league of European financial markets. Moreover,
    the company’s presence will attract significant sums of money and major
    international investment funds into Romania. In turn, Hidroelectrica’s CEO
    Bogdan Badea says he expects nearly EUR 10 bln in capitalisation.
    Hidroelectrica is the country’s largest electricity producer and it recently
    became one of the most important energy suppliers for households.


    IMMIGRANTS 43 foreign citizens were caught, Friday morning, trying
    to cross Romania’s western border illegally. They were hidden in a truck driven
    by a Romanian national, which was carrying parcels on the Romania-Hungary
    route. The authorities found that the people hidden among the goods are from
    Bangladesh, Pakistan, India and Sri Lanka. The foreigners are being
    investigated for attempted fraudulent crossing of the state border, and the truck
    driver for migrant trafficking.


    FOOD The large chain stores in Romania have agreed, in the framework
    of the dialogue started with the Government, that they could voluntarily reduce
    the shelf prices of 10 basic food categories. The announcement was made by
    Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu, but talks will continue. In order for the
    reduction to be implemented, either a voluntary agreement of the sellers or an
    emergency ordinance is being considered, but in both cases, the prime minister promised
    that the government does not want to put pressure on Romanian producers.


    THEATRE The Sibiu International Theatre Festival began on Friday in
    central Romania. The event, which has a 30-year long tradition, brings to
    Romania 5,000 artists from 75 countries, in hundreds of events to be held until
    2 July.




    FOOTBALL On Saturday in Bucharest Romania takes on Ukraine,
    in Group B of the European Under-21 Football Championship, which it hosts
    together with Georgia. In the same group, Spain will play against Croatia. In
    the debut matches, the Under-21 national team was beaten 3-0 by Spain, while
    Ukraine defeated Croatia 2-0. The final tournament takes place between 21 June and
    8 July, and it brings together 16 teams, divided into four groups. Two are
    hosted by Romania, in Bucharest and Cluj-Napoca (north-west), and two by
    Georgia. Two quarter-finals and a semi-final will also take place in Romania.
    The top three finishers qualify for next year’s Olympic Games in Paris. Romania
    is at its 3rd consecutive participation in the competition, with a total
    of 4 final tournament presences, starting with 1998, when it hosted the final
    tournament for the first time. The country’s best performance was in 2019, when
    it reached the semi-finals, which secured the national team’s qualification in
    the Tokyo Olympics. (AMP)

  • June 22, 2023

    June 22, 2023

    AID In today’s
    Cabinet meeting, the government is to pass a resolution concerning emergency
    aid granted to the citizens affected by extreme weather conditions this year. The
    emergency aid totals EUR 1.4 million. Households in the centre, south-west and
    south of the country have been hit by heavy rainfalls and other extreme weather
    conditions this month, requiring the intervention of military firefighters.


    VISIT Economic cooperation and handling the crises
    caused by Russia’s war in Ukraine were the main topics on the agenda of the
    talks held in Chişinău on Wednesday by the PM of Romania, Marcel Ciolacu, and
    of Moldova, Dorin Recean. The latter thanked Bucharest for the support given to
    Moldova in its EU accession efforts, and mentioned that bilateral relations are
    consolidated through the construction of roads, bridges and energy networks. During
    his visit to Chișinău, Marcel Ciolacu was accompanied by the Senate speaker
    Nicolae Ciucă.


    NATURAL GAS The manager of OMV Petrom, Christina Verchere, Thursday
    said that in 2027 the first amounts of natural gas would be extracted through
    the Neptun Deep project, turning Romania into the largest natural gas producer
    in the EU. The statements were made at the government’s headquarters in
    Bucharest, where OMV Petrom and Romgaz made an announcement concerning the
    development of Neptun Deep, the largest natural gas project in the Romanian
    part of the Black Sea. Spanning 2 decades, the project is expected to generate
    a gas output 30 times higher than the annual demand, which covers 4.3 million
    households. The estimated revenues to the Romanian state will be around EUR 20
    bln. Neptun Deep is a major step for our 2030 strategy, aimed at supporting
    Romania’s and the region’s energy transition, the OMV Petrom executive added.


    INVESTMENT The European Investment Bank Thursday announced new
    funding for Romania. The total EUR 675 mln will go into transport, urban
    development and small enterprises. EUR 600 mln will be earmarked for the
    transport sector, to add to the EU recovery and resilience funding. The EIB
    Group and Romania mark 30 years of partnership, with over EUR 17 bln granted by
    the bank in more than 170 financing projects since the start of its operations
    in the country. Given the progress of Romania’s economy over the past 30 years,
    I am proud that the EIB Group was able to help, providing financing for better schools,
    hospitals, public infrastructure, universities and transport, and supporting
    climate action and small enterprises, said the EIB vice-president, Lilyana
    Pavlova, in an event in Bucharest. In turn, Marjut Falkstedt, chief executive
    of the European Investment Fund, emphasised that so far the EIF provided
    financial support to more than 56,000 Romanian enterprises.


    MAYOR The former
    mayor of Bucharest’s districts 4 and 5, Cristian Popescu-Piedone, was released
    from prison on Wednesday, after the supreme court admitted his appeal for
    cancellation. The former mayor has served 1 year out of a 4-year prison
    sentence for abuse of office in the Colectiv investigation. He is now entitled
    to resume his office as mayor of district 5. The High Court of Cassation
    however dismissed the appeals of the other individuals sentenced in the same
    case. The head of the Colectiv Association, Eugen Iancu, said the release of
    the ex-mayor was not surprising, given that the officials who authorised the
    operation of the Colectiv night club had also been freed. Justice in Romania is
    an overpaid embarrassment, Iancu said. On the night of 30 October 2015, 64 youth
    died in a fire during a rock concert in the Colectiv night club. After legal
    proceedings spanning several years, prison sentences were given to mayor
    Piedone, the club owners, the firefighters who inspected the club without
    taking the required fire safety measures and the pyrotechnicians in charge of
    the fireworks during the show.


    UKRAINE The US will provide USD 1.3 million worth of
    additional aid for the Ukrainian economy, particularly its essential
    infrastructure, the US State Secretary Antony Blinken announced at the
    International Ukraine Recovery Conference in London. In turn, the European
    Commission president, Ursula von der Leyen, promised the bloc would create a
    EUR 50 bln fund for Kyiv in the next 4 years. Scores of high-ranking
    politicians and business people from around the world take part in the
    conference. Romania is represented by its new foreign minister, Luminiţa
    Odobescu.



    FOOTBALL Romania lost 3-0 to Spain in Bucharest on Wednesday night, in the Under-21
    European football championships that the country is hosting jointly with Georgia. Romania plays in B, alongside
    Spain, Ukraine and Croatia. The final tournament takes place between 21 June
    and 8 July and brings together 16 teams, divided into 4 groups. Two of them
    play in Romania, in Bucharest and Cluj-Napoca, and the other 2 in Georgia. Romania
    is also hosting 2 quarter-finals and a semi-final. The top 3 ranking teams in
    the tournament qualify into the Olympic Games due in Paris next year. (AMP)

  • Radio Romania International Sports club

    Radio Romania International Sports club



    Headline-hitting these days is the ongoing Football World Cup in Qatar. Surprises have been quick to appear already. Saudi Arabia defeated Argentina, while the refereeing assistance technology has sparked controversies. Representing Romania in Qatar is a crew of three referees. Istvan Kovacs has already been the fourth official referee in the match pitting Qatar against Ecuador. Ovidiu Mihai Artene was a back-up assistant referee for the same match. Linesman Vasile Marinescu is also a member of the referees crew on the job at the World Cup. We recall that the Romanian Ioan Igna was the last official to have been the main referee in a World Cup final tournament, in Mexico, in 1986. A linesman in a final tournament was Nicolae Grigorescu in France, in 1998. However, the Romanian veteran referee was Nicolae Rainea, a three-time delegate in final tournaments. Rainea was a World Cup referee in 1974, in Germany, in 1978, in Argentina, and in 1982, in Spain.



    We need to be honest and say that Romanias national team has been constantly wasting the opportunity to make headway to seniors versions of final tournaments. However, Romanian national teams run in the U-21 version of the final tournament was way above par. We recall that in 2019 Romania reached as far as the semi-finals of the European Championship. In 2023, the European U-21 Championship will be jointly hosted by Romania and Georgia, so our U-21 team will qualify be default.



    Head-coach Emil Sandois trainees have recently played two training matches. They defeated second-league leader, Steaua, 4-2, and were held to a 2-all draw by League One team FC Argeş. In March 2023, Romanias U-21 national team will play two friendly matches, against Portugal and Germany. Romania will be joining Spain, Ukraine and Croatia in the 2023 edition of the European U-21 Championship. (EN)




  • Radio Romania International Sports club

    Radio Romania International Sports club



    Headline-hitting these days is the ongoing Football World Cup in Qatar. Surprises have been quick to appear already. Saudi Arabia defeated Argentina, while the refereeing assistance technology has sparked controversies. Representing Romania in Qatar is a crew of three referees. Istvan Kovacs has already been the fourth official referee in the match pitting Qatar against Ecuador. Ovidiu Mihai Artene was a back-up assistant referee for the same match. Linesman Vasile Marinescu is also a member of the referees crew on the job at the World Cup. We recall that the Romanian Ioan Igna was the last official to have been the main referee in a World Cup final tournament, in Mexico, in 1986. A linesman in a final tournament was Nicolae Grigorescu in France, in 1998. However, the Romanian veteran referee was Nicolae Rainea, a three-time delegate in final tournaments. Rainea was a World Cup referee in 1974, in Germany, in 1978, in Argentina, and in 1982, in Spain.



    We need to be honest and say that Romanias national team has been constantly wasting the opportunity to make headway to seniors versions of final tournaments. However, Romanian national teams run in the U-21 version of the final tournament was way above par. We recall that in 2019 Romania reached as far as the semi-finals of the European Championship. In 2023, the European U-21 Championship will be jointly hosted by Romania and Georgia, so our U-21 team will qualify be default.



    Head-coach Emil Sandois trainees have recently played two training matches. They defeated second-league leader, Steaua, 4-2, and were held to a 2-all draw by League One team FC Argeş. In March 2023, Romanias U-21 national team will play two friendly matches, against Portugal and Germany. Romania will be joining Spain, Ukraine and Croatia in the 2023 edition of the European U-21 Championship. (EN)




  • Athlete of the week

    Athlete of the week

    The European U-21 Football Championship in 2019, jointly
    hosted by Italy and San Marino, saw the national team of Romania being placed
    among the first four teams, reason enough for Europe’s big football clubs to
    set their eyes on the young generation in Romanian football. Fairly recently,
    the Italian side Parma paid 13 million Euros for FCSB’s striker Dennis Man. It
    was the biggest sum of money ever to have been paid for the transfer of a
    Romanian League One footballer, a record-breaker, actually, since in 2016 Nicolae
    Stanciu got transferred to Anderlecht Brussels in Belgium for 10 million Euros.
    Romanian news agency Mediafax.ro has quoted the Italian Gazetta dello Sport publication,
    writing that Dennis Man’s monthly salary would be to the tune of 100.000 Euros.
    For the giant leap Dennia Man has just made in his career, RRI has designated
    him the Athlete of the week.

    Dennis Man was born on 26 august 1998, in the locality
    of Vladimirescu, Arad County, in the west. UTA Arad was his first team. Then in
    August 2015, Dennis Man made his debut in the Second League, in UTA Arad’s game
    against Gaz Metan Mediaș. In 2016 he was signed up by FCSB, with which he
    played his first League One debut on October 2, 2016, in FCSB’s match against
    Universitatea Craiova. Dennis Man constantly fought to earn his place among
    FCSB’s first lineup, joining Florinel Coman and Florin Tănase for a powerful
    offensive trio. Dennis Man’s record of 14 goals scored in 19 rounds turned him
    into the season’s top scorer as a FCSB footballer. He made his debut with the
    national seniors’ team on 27 March 2018, in a friendly match against Sweden.
    The first official match Dennis Man played for the national squad was the
    fixture against the Feroe Islands, counting towards the 2020 European Football
    Championship preliminaries, when Romania grabbed a 4-1 win. We recall that in
    minute 78, Dennis Man was in for Nicolae Stanciu.


  • Athlete of the week

    Athlete of the week

    The European U-21 Football Championship in 2019, jointly
    hosted by Italy and San Marino, saw the national team of Romania being placed
    among the first four teams, reason enough for Europe’s big football clubs to
    set their eyes on the young generation in Romanian football. Fairly recently,
    the Italian side Parma paid 13 million Euros for FCSB’s striker Dennis Man. It
    was the biggest sum of money ever to have been paid for the transfer of a
    Romanian League One footballer, a record-breaker, actually, since in 2016 Nicolae
    Stanciu got transferred to Anderlecht Brussels in Belgium for 10 million Euros.
    Romanian news agency Mediafax.ro has quoted the Italian Gazetta dello Sport publication,
    writing that Dennis Man’s monthly salary would be to the tune of 100.000 Euros.
    For the giant leap Dennia Man has just made in his career, RRI has designated
    him the Athlete of the week.

    Dennis Man was born on 26 august 1998, in the locality
    of Vladimirescu, Arad County, in the west. UTA Arad was his first team. Then in
    August 2015, Dennis Man made his debut in the Second League, in UTA Arad’s game
    against Gaz Metan Mediaș. In 2016 he was signed up by FCSB, with which he
    played his first League One debut on October 2, 2016, in FCSB’s match against
    Universitatea Craiova. Dennis Man constantly fought to earn his place among
    FCSB’s first lineup, joining Florinel Coman and Florin Tănase for a powerful
    offensive trio. Dennis Man’s record of 14 goals scored in 19 rounds turned him
    into the season’s top scorer as a FCSB footballer. He made his debut with the
    national seniors’ team on 27 March 2018, in a friendly match against Sweden.
    The first official match Dennis Man played for the national squad was the
    fixture against the Feroe Islands, counting towards the 2020 European Football
    Championship preliminaries, when Romania grabbed a 4-1 win. We recall that in
    minute 78, Dennis Man was in for Nicolae Stanciu.


  • Romania’s U-21 team has gone through to the UEFA 2021 European Under-21 Championship.

    Romania’s U-21 team has gone through to the UEFA 2021 European Under-21 Championship.


    Romania this past Tuesday held Denmark to a 1-all draw on home turf. The repeated performance earned Romanias U-21 team the qualification to a European championship. The game against Denmark was quite tense, with unpardonable refereeing mistakes, of which at least one could have deprived the Romanian team of qualification. However, the goal scored by the young Valentin Costache saved a game which was compromised, apparently. At the end of Romanias game against Denmark, the head-coach of Romanias U-21 team, former international footballer Adrian Mutu, said it would have been a pity for his team not to grab the win, because of the concocted penalties. Mutu went on to heap praise on his players, saying they were exceptional footballers who in the future will be part of the seniors team. Adrian Mutu did not fail to extend his thanks to his predecessor who was at the helm of the seniors team, Mirel Radoi, who contributed to the success of the team.



    According to the groups final rankings, Denmark came at the top of the table. Following in descending order were Romania, Ukraine, Finland, Northern Ireland and Malta. The nine teams that came at the top of the table in the preliminary groups as well as the best five teams in the runner-up position will join host teams Hungary and Slovenia for UEFA 2021 European Under-21 Championship. Matches as part of the four groups of the final tournament are scheduled for March 2021. The teams that will go though from the group stage, the first two teams in descending order will fight for the European title in the eliminatory stages scheduled in Hungary and Slovenia, over May 31 and June 6, 2021.



    The footballer who scored the goal in the match against Denmark, Valentin Costache, voiced his hope that at the 2021 edition of the European Under-21 Championship Romanias U-21 teams performance would be on a par with the remarkable feat the team succeeded in the previous edition of the championship, jointly held in Italy and San Marino. Back them the team reached as far as the semifinals. We recall defending champion team Germany eliminated Romania, a team that had the upper hand for the first half of the game. It was an auspicious tournament for Romanian footballers.The team qualified for the semifinals from the top position in a strong group which included Croatia and England, teams Romania outclassed, as well as France, a team Romania held to a blank draw. In 2019, Romanias qualification was tantamount to booking the tickets for the Tokyo Olympics, delayed until 2021 because of the pandemic. Everybody spoke highly of Romanias U-21 team, yet that cannot avoid the mediocrity the seniors team has indulged in so far. Pundits also ask what happens with the U-21 footballers when they grow mature. Former international footballer Mirel Radois remarkable feats with the U-21 team earned him the position of head-coach for the seniors team. However, with Radoi at the helm, the seniors team failed to qualify for the European championship. At the moment, the only thing the national team can do is fight for a better position in the recently-invented UEFA Nations League. Such a position might create a better chance ahead of the drawing of lots for the next edition of the World Championship.



    Romanias last participation in a world championship occurred in 1998, in France.


    (Translation by Eugen Nasta)




  • November 18, 2020

    November 18, 2020

    COVID-19 Romania confirmed 10,269 new Sars-Cov-2 infections in 24 hours. The total number of cases since the start of the pandemic is now over 383,000. Nearly 70% of the patients have recovered. The authorities also announced 168 deaths in 24 hours, which takes the total death toll up to 9,429. 1,174 patients are currently in intensive care. According to the National Public Health Institute, last week the number of new cases was only 2,000 higher than in the previous week. The report also indicates that since the start of the pandemic, one in 52 cases has involved medical staff. The age groups the least affected by the new virus remain children and youth up to 19 years. The average age of patients is 48, and 95.3% of the deaths have been reported among people suffering from previous conditions.



    VACCINE The Sibiu Public Health Directorate is under military management as of today. Sibiu County ranks first by infection rate in Romania, with 9 cases in 1,000 people, while in the city of Sibiu, which has been under lockdown since Monday, the rate is 13 per 1,000. Meanwhile, the authorities are preparing an anti-Covid-19 vaccination strategy, which will be made public next week. President Klaus Iohannis said the guidelines for this have been defined and asked the institutions in charge to communicate in a clear and transparent manner and to fight disinformation.



    BUDGET The Government of Romania is giving a first reading today to a bill on a new budget adjustment, the third this year, stipulating the allocation of over 205 million euros for healthcare, as well as additional funding for investments and agriculture. The funds are needed to cover the rise in expenditure with the Covid-19 containment measures, and to provide compensations to the farmers affected by this years drought, PM Ludovic Orban explained. He added that additional money will also be earmarked for local authorities, particularly those affected by the pandemic, and to town halls that have initiated investment projects and can no longer afford the co-financing.



    PROTEST Several farmers associations are protesting in Bucharest today against the authorities decision to close indoor food markets. The measure was introduced recently in order to contain the spread of the coronavirus. The participants also request the Government and local authorities support to keep food markets open and to provide compensation for the farmers affected by the aforesaid measure.



    GAUDEAMUS The Gaudeamus Radio România International Book fair, organized this year exclusively online, continues until Sunday, November 22nd. This 27th edition can be accessed on gaudeamus.ro, which provides information on the latest book releases and on the over 100 participating publishers. The honorary president of this years fair is Norman Manea, a Romanian-born writer living in the US since 1986.



    FOOTBALL Romanias national football team is playing against Northern Ireland in Belfast tonight, in the UEFA Nations League. The match counts towards the FIFA ranking on which the drawing for the 2022 World Championship qualifying groups will be based. On Tuesday night, Romanias U-21 team qualified into next years European final tournament hosted by Hungary and Slovenia. This is the second consecutive qualification for Romanias youth team in the continental final tournament. (translated by: A.M. Popescu)

  • Endstation für die rumänische U21-Mannschaft im Halbfinale der EM

    Endstation für die rumänische U21-Mannschaft im Halbfinale der EM

    Rumäniens U21 fand einen sehr guten Start ins Halbfinale gegen den amtierenden Europameister Deutschland. Die Spieler dominierten sogar die erste Halbzeit der Partie in Bologna in einer drückenden Hitze. Doch ihre Kondition wurde spätestens nach dem Seitenwechsel schwächer, die Deutschen drehten den Spie‎ß um und machten aus dem 2:1 für Rumänien am Ende ein 4:2. Die entscheidenden Treffer fielen in der Schlussphase. Fans und Beobachter sprachen erneut von einer sehr guten Leistung der Tricolorii, am Ende bleibt vor allem der Eindruck eines denkwürdigen Turniers. Die rumänische Mannschaft schaffte den Einzug ins Halbfinale als Gruppenerster der einstimmig als stärkste bezeichneten Gruppe. Sie bezwang zum Auftakt die Kroaten deutlich mit 4:1 und schlugen im Anschluss England mit 4:2, eine der favorisierten Mannschaften der EM. Schlie‎ßlich erreichten sie ein torloses Unentschieden gegen eine weitere Grö‎ße des Weltfu‎ßballs, Frankreich – das Ergebnis sicherte beiden Mannschaften die Teilnahme am Halbfinale.



    Trotz der Niederlage gegen Deutschland bleibt den Rumänen die Qualifikation für die Olympischen Spiele kommendes Jahr, eine Leistung auf die man 56 Jahre warten musste. Auch das EM-Halbfinale an sich zählt zu den historischen Erfolgen der U21. Die Mannschaft, die dem amtierenden Europameister die Stirn bieten konnte, gilt spätestens jetzt als vielversprechende Generation.



    Ein relevantes Detail: die jungen rumänischen Kicker haben sich im Halbfinale den drei letzten Weltmeistern bei den Senioren dazugesellt: Spanien, Deutschland und Frankreich. Ihr Erfolg ist ein Lichtblick für einen grauen Fu‎ßbal auf Ebene der Nationalmannschaft und der Vereine, der in den letzten in die Mittelmä‎ßigkeit abgerutscht ist. Die Stars im Kader der U21 hei‎ßen etwa Ionuţ Andrei Radu (Torwart und Mannschaftskapitän) – Cristian Manea, Ionuţ Nedelcearu, Alexandru Paşcanu, Florin-Bogdan Ştefan, Tudor Băluţă, Alexandru Cicâldău, Dennis Man, Ianis Hagi, Sohn der Spielerlegende und jetzigen Trainers Gheorghe Hagi, Andrei Ivan und George Puşcaş, der besteSchütze der Mannschaft.



    Der ehemalige Nationaltrainer Gheorghe Hagi ist der Gründer und Besitzer der Fu‎ßballschule, die die meisten der genannten Spieler ausgebildet hat. Er glaubt, dass die aktuelle Generation sogar besser sei als seine Generation vor 25 Jahren, die auch als Goldene Generation im rumänischen Fu‎ßball gilt. Sie haben die ganze Zukunft vor sich, ich hoffe, dass sie eine schöne Karriere aufbauen und für Rumäniens Nationalmannschaften spielen können. Wir müssen ihnen gratulieren, ihnen Mut einflö‎ßen, denn sie sind jung und brauchen Unterstützung, Vertrauen, um Leistungen auf höchsten Niveau erbringen zu können. Sie waren dem Endspiel sehr nahe, haben sich mit Deutschland ein Duell auf Augenhöhe geliefert. Diese Generation hat die unsere übertroffen, wir haben nie in einem Halbfinale gestanden”, schätzte Hagi.



    Der Trainer der U21, der ehemalige Nationalspieler Mirel Rădoi, sagte, dass alle seine Spieler stolz auf dieses Turnier sein sollten, denn es bedeutet die Teilnahme an den Olympischen Spielen in Tokio im kommenden Jahr. Mir bleibt die Erinnerung an das Erreichen der Runde der letzten vier, an die Zehntausenden Fans im Stadion und die Millionen von Fernsehzuschauern. Menschen, die weniger an uns geglaubt hatten, haben gesehen, dass wir schöne Ergebnisse erreichen können.” – erklärte der Trainer der rumänischen U21.


  • Nachrichten 22.06.209

    Nachrichten 22.06.209

    Brüssel: Am Ende des sechsmonatigen Vorsitzes Rumäniens im EU-Rat hat Präsident Klaus Iohannis in Brüssel Glückwünsche von den europäischen Staats-und Regierungschefs erhalten. In einer gemeinsamen Pressekonferenz am Freitag, die den Gipfel in Brüssel beendete, hoben der Chef der Europäischen Kommission Jean-Claude Junker und der Vorsitzende des Europäischen Rates Donald Tusk die bemerkenswerten Ergebnisse Rumäniens hervor. Jean-Claude Junker und Donald Tusk bekräftigten im Anschlu‎ß, dass während der rumänischen EU-Ratspräsidentschaft 90 Legislativvorschläge, einschlie‎ßlich derjenigen zu den Au‎ßengrenzen, CO2-Emissionen und dem digitalen Europa erarbeitet wurden. Rumänien habe noch einmal alle Erwartungen überschritten und nach wie vor bewiesen, dass es besser als sein Image sei, sagte Staatchef Klaus Iohannis auf der Pressekonferenz in Brüssel. Im Ansschlu‎ß äu‎ßerte Klaus Iohannis seine Zufriedenheit darüber, dass sich die europäischen Staats- und Regierungschefs auf seinen Vorschlag hin bereit erklärt haben, der Republik Moldau ihrer vollen Unterstützung durch konkrete Ma‎ßnahmen zu versichern. In der zweiten Jahreshälfte wird Finnland den tournusmä‎ßigen Vorsitz im EU-Rat übernehmen.




    Bukarest: Der neue Au‎ßenminister der Republik Moldau Nicu Popescu wird nach Angaben des rumänischen Au‎ßenministeriums am 1. Juli in Bukarest zu einem offiziellen Besuch eintreffen. Am Freitag bekräftigte der rumänische Aussenminister Teodor Meleşcanu in einem Telefongespräch mit seinem moldauischen Amtskollegen die Bereitschaft Bukarests für eine bilaterale Strategische Partnerschaft, die Chişinău auf seinem proeuropäischen Kurs unterstützen soll. Die neue Regierung in Chişinău, die am 8. Juni ins Amt eingeführt wrde und von der proeuropäischen Maia Sandu geleitet wird, übernahm vor einer Woche ihre Vorrechte, nachdem die ehemalige Regierung, die unter Kontrolle des Oligarchen Vladimir Plahotniuc stand, sich weigerte, die Macht zu verlassen.



    Bukarest: Die Hacker, die die Cybernetzwerke der rumänischen Krankenhäuser angegriffen haben, könnten Chinesen sein, so experten des Cyberabwehrzentrums im rumänischen Geheimdienst. In ihrer Analyse berücksichtigen sie die Stunden, zu denen die Hacker aktiv waren und die Hinweise in den Lösegeldmeldungen. Vier Krankenhäuser in Bukarest, Husi, Dorohoi und Alba wurden von einem Cyberangriff mit dem Virus BadRabbit4 betroffen.



    Bukarest: Das 26. Internationale Theaterfestival im mittelrumänischen Sibiu schlie‎ßt am Sonntag seine Tore. Am Samstag erhielten sechs Persönlichkeiten der Theaterwelt einen Stern auf dem Boulevard der Stars. Das Festival, das am 14. Juni begann, hat in diesem Jahr 3300 Künstler und Gäste aus 73 Ländern in die siebenbürgische Stadt gebracht, auf dem Programm standen 540 Veranstaltungen, die in 75 verschiedenen Orten stattfanden. Das Programm umfasst Theater-, Tanz- und Musikaufführungen, Filmvorführungen, Konferenzen, Buchvorstellungen und Ausstellungen. Rund 500 Meisterwerke aus den bekanntesten französischen Museen werden zugleich in Sibiu im grö‎ßten digitalen Museum Rumäniens ausgestellt. Das Festival wird als die grö‎ßte und komplexeste Veranstaltung ihrer Art in Rumänien und sogar in Europa bezeichnet, Radio Rumänien ist einer seiner Koproduzenten.



    Sport: Am Freitagabend hat sich die rumänische Fu‎ßball-Nationalmannschaft bei der U21-EM in Italien und San Marino gegen England mit 4:2 durchgesetzt. In einem von den Fachmedien als sensationell bezeichneten Spiel wurden in den letzten 15 Minuten alle Tore erzielt. In der gleichen Gruppe C besiegte Frankreich Kroatien mit 1:0. Rumänien, das gegen Kroatien im Debütspiel mit 4:1 gewann, führt die Gruppe mit 6 Punkten an, gefolgt von Frankreich. Am Montag kämpfen die beiden Teams um die erste Position, den Einzug ins Halbfinale und damit die Qualifikation für die Olympischen Spiele im nächsten Jahr in Tokio.





  • Nachrichten 16.06.2019

    Nachrichten 16.06.2019

    Die rumänische Premierministerin Viorica Dăncilă hat ihrer Amtskollegin aus der Republik Moldau, Maia Sandu, Unterstützung zugesagt und sie zu ihrem ersten offiziellen Besuch in dieser Eigenschaft nach Bukarest eingeladen. Laut einer Pressemitteilung der Regierung vom Sonntag sei Rumänien zuversichtlich, dass das neue Kabinett in Chisinau die EU-Beitrittsbemühungen fortsetzen und die erforderlichen Reformen sowie das Assoziationsabkommen und das Freihandelsabkommen mit der EU erfolgreich umsetzen wird. Unterdessen haben die Richter des moldauischen Verfassungsgerichts ihre früheren Urteile zur Auflösung des Parlaments und Aberkennung der neuen Regierung aufgehoben. Sie gelten als Handlager der Demokratischen Partei, die am Freitag auf den Regierunganspruch verzichtete. Der Industriemagnat Vlad Plahotniuc, der Drahtzieher hinter der Demokratischen Partei hat das Land verlassen. Nach ihm wird jetzt auch wegen einer Strafanzeige in Russland gefahndet.



    Ein Misstrauensantrag, der von der bürgerlichen Opposition in Rumänien gegen die Regierung der Sozialdemokratischen Partei und der Allianz der Liberalen und Demokraten eingereicht wurde, soll am Dienstag im Parlament diskutiert werden. Demnach brauche Rumänien unverzüglich eine Regierung mit einer proeuropäischen Optik, die sich auf die Entwicklungsprioritäten des Landes konzentriert, nämlich Bildung, Gesundheitswesen, öffentliche Investitionen und die Abrufung europäischer Mittel. Damit der Antrag angenommen werden kann, benötigt er 233 Stimmen, über die die Opposition nicht verfügt. Premierministerin Dăncilă, die auch Interimspräsidentin der Sozialdemokratischen Partei ist, hat ihre Abgeordneten aufgefordert, an der Sitzung teilzunehmen, sich aber der Stimme zu enthalten.



    207 neue Fälle von Masern wurden diese Woche in 19 Bezirken in Rumänien und in der Hauptstadt Bukarest bestätigt, so die vom Nationalen Zentrum für die Überwachung und Kontrolle von Infektionskrankheiten veröffentlichten Daten. Die grö‎ßte Anzahl von Fällen wurde in den Kreisen Suceava, Neamţ und Sălaj unter nicht geimpften Kindern gemeldet. Seit Beginn dieser Epidemie ist die Anzahl der Fälle auf 17.340 gestiegen; bisher sind 64 Menschen gestorben.



    12 Nationalmannschaften, darunter auch Rumänien, nehmen ab Sonntag an der UEFA-U21-Europameisterschaft teil, die von Italien und San Marino ausgerichtet wird. Rumänien spielt in Gruppe C neben England, Frankreich und Kroatien. Rumänien tritt sein erstes Spiel am Dienstag an, es geht gegen Kroatien. Dies ist die zweite Teilnahme an einem Endspiel für Rumänien nach 1998.