Journalist Dan Udrea, former deputy editor-in-chief of Gazeta Sporturilor and TV producer at Orange Sport, is one of the critical voices who have left or left GSP. He is now working on the launch of a new online sports publication, which will be part of the same press group that publishes HotNews.ro. In the opinion he publishes today for the readers of HotNews.ro, Dan Udrea observes that “Now, when we have found out all the 24 countries that will participate in the European Championship, we can accept the reality that can be argued objectively. Namely: Romania is the weakest national team that will be at the Euro!”.
The Romanian national football team, before Euro 2024Photo: OSCAR DEL POZO / AFP / Profimedia
Doesn’t that sound good at all? Is it unpatriotic? Is it difficult to admit that the data shows that we are starting with the last chance? Is it bad to assume this posture? Or is it an exercise in realism and strength?
On objective data, which we will discuss immediately, we are below Albania, Georgia, Slovenia. What is the basis for this risky statement that we are the weakest rated at Euro 2024?
In terms of value, the cumulative value of players, Georgia is 50% above us
The Transfermarkt website is a relevant landmark in what it means to set footballers’ odds. Of course, calculations are not a sentence, but an exciting starting point. Romania now forms the least valuable national team. With countries such as Georgia, Albania, Slovenia and Slovakia, which will also be at the final tournament, Romania is in last place in the top of the cumulative ratings of the players.
In fact, we are the only national company that does not exceed the barrier of 100 million euros, estimated value. The only one!
For comparison, Georgia, which will be in the Euro for the first time, is above us by 50%. This while Slovenia and Albania are also superior to us by at least 25%.
Top 10 lowest rated nationals:
- Romania – 96 million euros
- Slovenia – 121 millions of euros
- Albania – 123 millions of euros
- Slovakia – 126 millions of euros
- Czech Republic – 150 millions of euros
- Georgia – 150 millions of euros
- Hungary – 166 millions of euros
- Poland – 199 millions of euros
- Serbia – 230 millions of euros
- Switzerland – 230 millions of euros
Ukraine is 4 times as big as us
This is the painting. Whether we like to look at it or not, whether we accept it or not! From here we go on this final tournament.
Let’s also refer to the group we belong to: Belgium, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania. The general impression is that “we have an accessible group”. The level difference looks something like this:
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Slovakia is more valuable by more than 30%
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Ukraine’s lot is rated almost 4 times as high as us
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Belgium is from another world: it is more than twice as well rated as Colombia, and with Colombia we saw what we suffered
Who from us is the starter at Liverpool or at Leipzig, in the Champions League?
Let’s go to another criterion: the individual analysis of the players. This assessment would further disadvantage us. For example, Georgia has a footballer, Kvaratskhelia, who is estimated at a possible transfer almost as much as our entire national team put together.
Slovenia has what we don’t, an undisputed starting striker in a Champions League team, in Sesko, in Leipzig.
Hungary proposes Szoboszlai, footballer of 75 million euros, indisputable holder at Liverpool!
Albanians and Slovaks do not have high-ranking stars, but they have players who play almost match after match in England, Italy, Spain, Holland.
We are good in Serie B, Saudi Arabia and Turkey
We have Drăgușin, who is also in the Premier League, in the UK, but he is more of a reserve. For him, the Premier League is an important success, giving hope and the reward of an impressive work. But, on the whole of a “national team”, the share of a player is implacably limited. Also, we are coming with Ianis Hagi, Horațiu Moldovan and Rațiu, from La Liga, Spain, but reservations. Each player named is, taken separately, a story of effort, success, obstacles overcome. But here we are discussing the strength of a collective, an untamed statistic of success by adding values, as many as possible.
If we look at our undisputed holders, they are either from Serie B, or from Saudi Arabia, Turkey or the domestic championship, a competition that did not have any team in the last edition of the European cup groups.
Can we think like Emeric Ienei?
Let’s be happy that we are at the Euros. But let’s realize, realistically, from what posture we go there. Let’s assume that we are at the lowest level among those present. Just because we start last doesn’t mean we’ll finish last. But it does mean that it takes clarity and an enormous amount of organization and determination to collectively make up for what we individually lack.
It’s not a shame. It is an acceptance that we need to put into practice an expression, valid at any time in life, once spoken by the most gallant character that Romanian football has ever had, Emeric Ienei: “Let’s not have illusions, so that we don’t have disillusions “.
This saying is known, in export circles, as “the theory of reduced expectations”. She’s not necessarily a bad thing. If you use it intelligently, it helps you to position yourself correctly and be able to offer surprises.
Between acceptance of the condition and lack of reason
If we manage to admit our condition, then the Euros will be a celebration for us. Any positive result will be a success and will mean that we have raised our level and progressed.
Conversely, if the lack of correct evaluation will push us to believe that we “must” or “must” play at least the last eight, then any normal result, even the one that would respect the paper calculation, we will turn into a disaster . We’ll feel like we’re at the end of the world again.
The Golden Generation 1994 retires on May 25. Euro 2024 is in June
We still have time until the Euro starts to reflect and possibly give another line of laundry over the green horses that appear from time to time on our optimistic walls. If we’ve ever been to a penalty shootout in a World Cup semi-final, we can’t live on the memories forever.
Our nostalgia will accompany us, with undisturbed fidelity, on May 25, at the National Arena, at the retirement match of the Golden Generation 1994.
From June, however, we have Euro 2024. To enjoy the tournament, we need to accept the real situation. Nostalgia will remain in the stands, alongside one of the most beautiful stories in the history of our sport, which today yearns for new horizons.
Tags: CONTROVERSY sharpest voices world football accept assume Romania rated weakest national team among EURO Germany
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