Gheorghe Hagi is back in charge of Romania, and his second spell begins on Tuesday evening when his side meet Georgia in a friendly at the Mikheli Meskhi Stadium. It is a sharp reset for Romania and a first look at Hagi’s new stint after he returned to the job on April 20.
The match arrives with both teams carrying recent setbacks. Georgia ended a five-game winless run by beating Lithuania 2-0 last time out, while Romania were beaten 2-0 by Slovakia in their most recent outing. For Georgia, it is also a chance to test themselves against a familiar opponent they have already upset, having beaten Romania 2-1 in Ploiesti five years ago.
That result still stands out because Georgia have so rarely turned their record into something more substantial. They finished 13 points behind Spain and 10 behind Turkey in World Cup qualifying, and they have reached a major tournament only once before, when Willy Sagnol guided them to the knockout stage of the European Championships two years ago. Their competitive record has been uneven, with four wins in their previous 14 competitive fixtures, but Tuesday gives them a home match against a side that is also trying to find its footing.
Romania’s search has been more abrupt. They lost 1-0 away to Turkey in March’s playoff semi-final, which left them waiting at least four more years for an eighth World Cup appearance, their first since 1998. Hagi’s arrival follows the end of Mircea Lucescu’s brief spell, which ran for 18 matches over a 20-month span before he resigned on April 2 after falling ill. Romania’s new coach managed the national team for four matches in 2001, and this return begins with a match that carries more symbolism than a routine friendly usually would.
There is still a question hanging over Georgia’s team. Khvicha Kvaratskhelia looks unlikely to play on Tuesday, even though he was on the pitch for Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League final against Arsenal on Saturday evening. His absence would remove one of Georgia’s most dangerous attacking options at a moment when they are trying to build on their last result and make the most of home advantage.
Romania, meanwhile, are likely to lean on a side that blends experience and pace. Radu Dragusin is expected to anchor the back line, Louis Munteanu is likely to lead the centre, and Dennis Man and Ianis Hagi should provide width and creativity in attack. Daniel Birligea is injured and will miss out. Georgia are expected to start Giorgi Mamardashvili and Georges Mikautadze, which keeps the match anchored around players who can decide it at either end.
The fixture is the first of two friendlies this month, but it is the one that matters most immediately because it starts Hagi’s second chapter in charge and offers an early read on how Romania will look under him. Georgia have the cleaner recent result and the better memory from the last meeting, yet Romania arrive with a renewed coach and enough attacking names to make this more than a ceremonial return. If Kvaratskhelia does not make it, Georgia will have to answer the most obvious question of the night without one of the players who usually supplies it.
