AFC Champions League quarter-finalists Al Hilal have named Cosmin Olaroiu as their new coach after the Romanian signed a 1 year deal with the club.
Al Hilal media spokesman Ali Al Simrani confirm Olaroiu replaces Marcus Paqueta and will manage the team on July 7.
"We had several choices to choose from that included other Brazilian and European coaches", mentioned Al Simrani.
"However, we chose Mr Olaroiu for his good CV regardless of his nationality. The football committee decided that he is the best coach because he is the young coach and he will be close to the players. Also he is stern and has a strong personality which will help us a lot. We have previously had 2 Romanian coaches in Ilie Balaci and Anghel Iordanescu and enjoyed good success with them. We hope that will continue with Olaroiu".
The 38 year old was successful at his former club Steaua Bucharest after leading them to win the Romanian championship and the Romanian Super Cup in 2006.
He started his career with Gloria Buzau in 1989 before playing for MECON Bucharest, Girueta Bucharest, FC National Bucharest and Universitatea Craiova. In 1997 he joined Korea′s Suwon Samsung Bluewings where he spent 3 seasons before playing 1 year for Japan′s JEF Utd.
After hanging up his boots in 2000, he coached FC National Bucharest, Steaua Bucharest and FCU Politehnica Timisoara.
Al Hilal will meet UAE′s Al Wahda in the quarter-finals of this year′s AFC Champions League and will play the 1st leg in Abu Dhabi on September 19 before hosting the 2nd leg a week later.
24 June 2007
Former Romania captain Gheorghe Hagi has become FC Steaua Bucaresti coach following Cosmin Olaroiu′s decision to leave in favour of a position with Saudi Arabian club Al-Hilal.
Steaua president George Becali said the surprise development on Saturday explaining that he felt compelled to stand aside and allow Olaroiu to take up a lucrative contract in Saudi Arabia.
"I would not oppose Olaroiu′s departure when I saw the salary he stood to earn", mentioned Becali. "I immediately started negotiations with Hagi, who has become Steaua′s new head coach. We have agreed terms and he will start Monday 25 June".
Olaroiu, 38, was at the helm at Steaua since 2006 and guided the capital club to the league title, the Romanian Super Cup and the UEFA Cup semi-finals during his 1st season in charge.
In 2006/07 Steaua finished runners up in the league and reached last 32 of the UEFA Cup after coming 3rd in the UEFA Champions League group stage.
Hagi is probably Romania′s best ever player, winning 125 caps and scoring a record 35 international goals. The 42 year old held the post of national team coach for 5 months in 2001 before similarly short-lived stints at Bursaspor (2003), Galatasaray SK (2004-2005) and FCU Politehnica Timisoara (2006).
Silverware has so far been limited to a Turkish Cup winzzz with Galatasaray however Hagi will be looking to improve on that record by targeting both the Romanian title and qualification for the UEFA Champions League group stage.
10 June 2007
AFC Rapid Bucuresti have revealed Cristiano Bergodi as the successor to Razvan Lucescu, who stepped down as coach of the Romanian Cup winners at the end of the season.
Rapid, who beat FCU Politehnica Timisoara 2-0 to win the cup and earn a place in next season′s UEFA Cup, have agreed a 2 year contract with 43 year old Italian Bergodi.
Bergodi has coached in Romanian since 2005, leading FC National 2000 Bucuresti to the cup final in his 1st season and CFR Ecomax Cluj-Napoca into the UEFA Cup for the 1st time in their history after finishing 3rd in LIGA I.
08 June 2007
Forward Florin Bratu has joined UEFA Champions League hopefuls FC Dinamo 1948 Bucuresti with the Romanian side paying FC Nantes Atlantique a €700,000 fee.
Capped 10 times for Romania, the 27 year old former AFC Rapid Bucuresti player signed a 4 year contract with Dinamo as they are preparing to start their UEFA Champions League campaign in the 2nd qualifying round.
Bratu joined French side Nantes from Rapid in 2004, however spent the 2005/06 season on loan at Dinamo before being loaned to another Ligue 1 club Valenciennes FC for the current campaign.
Meanwhile, 3 more Romanian sides have made coaching changes following Razvan Lucescu's resignation at UEFA Cup contenders AFC Rapid Bucuresti.
SC Vaslui have brought in 39 year old Dorinel Munteanu to replace Viorel Hizo. Romania′s most capped international, Munteanu signed a 2 year contract. He previously coached CFR Ecomax Cluj-Napoca and FC 2000 SA Arges.
Hizo, meanwhile, signed a 3 year contract at FC Ceahlaul Piatra Neamt, even though he will only be in charge if they are playing in LIGA I.
Ceahlaul finished in a relegation place, 4th from bottom of the 18 team LIGA I, however could be spared the drop in the event that promoted FC Delta Tulcea are not awarded a top flight licence.
Czech coach Dusan Uhrin Jr, the son of FC Dinamo Tbilisi coach Dusan Uhrin Sr, was appointed as coach of FCU Politehnica Timisoara.
His predecessor, Valentin Velcea, will be the new coach′s assistant. Uhrin Jr′s FK Mlada Boleslav side finished 2nd and 3rd in the Czech top division in the last 2 seasons.
Razvan Lucescu, The 38 year old son of FC Shakhtar Donetsk coach Mircea Lucescu left Rapid after 3 seasons with the club in which he won the 2006 and 2007 Romanian Cups, led his side to the runners up spot in LIGA I in 2005/06 and the quarter-finals of the UEFA Cup in the same campaign.
He has now returned to FC Brasov, where he started his coaching career. Lucescu′s replacement has yet to be named however the club can expect some major changes before the start of next season.
Their 34 year old forward Viorel Moldovan has retired whilst right sided defender Valentin Badoi has left for FC Steaua Bucuresti. As Romanian Cup winners, Rapid will enter the 1st round of the 2007/08 UEFA Cup.
