Romania: Euro 2016 team preview

In the Romania: Euro 2016 team preview, we’ve compiled the team’s squad and schedule, as well as predicting their chances of how far they’ll advance in the competition.

Romania: Euro 2016 team preview

Manager: Anghel Iordanescu

Captain: Razvan Rat

Romania: Euro 2016 team preview: Fixtures:

Friday, June 10

France vs. Romania, 3pm, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, Sling TV, Sling Latino and WatchESPN (tickets)

Wednesday, June 15

Romania vs. Switzerland, Noon, ESPN, ESPN Deportes, Sling TV, Sling Latino and WatchESPN (tickets)

Sunday, June 19

Romania vs. Albania, 3pm, ESPN2, Sling TV, Sling Latino and WatchESPN (tickets)

SEE MORE: Schedule of Euro 2016 games on US TV and streaming

Romania: Euro 2016 team preview: Squad:

Goalkeepers: Ciprian Tatarusanu (Fiorentina), Costel Pantilimon (Watford), Silviu Lung (Astra)

Defenders: Cristian Sapunaru (Pandurii Targu-Jiu), Alexandru Matel (Dinamo Zagreb), Vlad Chiriches (Napoli), Valerica Gaman (Astra), Dragos Grigore (Al Sailiya), Cosmin Moti (Ludogorets), Razvan Rat (Rayo Vallecano), Steliano Filip (Dinamo Bucharest)

Midfielders: Mihai Pintilii (Steaua Bucharest), Ovidiu Hoban (Hapoel Be’er Sheva), Andrei Prepelita (Ludogorets), Adrian Popa (Steaua Bucharest), Gabriel Torje (Osmanlispor), Alexandru Chipciu (Steaua Bucharest), Nicolae Stanciu (Steaua Bucharest), Lucian Sanmartean (Al Ittihad)

Forwards: Claudiu Keseru (Ludogorets), Bogdan Stancu (Genclerbirligi), Florin Andone (Cordoba), Denis Alibec (Astra)

Romania: Euro 2016 team preview: Overview:

Aside from a collective bleaching of hair in 1998 and eliminating England in 2000, Romania’s recent history in major tournaments is nothing to write home about.

Iordanescu will be hoping his group of players can change that this summer, with the Tricolorii drawn in a group containing the hosts. Indeed, they’ll be involved in the first match of the tournament, up against France in Saint-Denis on June 10.

Romania aren’t really the kind of team you’d like to be facing in that kind of high-pressure encounter. While there’s no denying they don’t possess the wealth of talent to match the big names in this tournament, they’ve become a savvy outfit under their experienced manager. They can kill time, take the sting out of matches and hold out when pinned back for long spells.

They can also counter-attack well. Bogdan Stancu and Gabriel Torje will most likely be stationed on the flanks, and they each possess the pace and trickery to cause problems in wide areas. However, they both have fragile confidence and with Ciprian Marica not available to lead the line, don’t have a prolific striker to supply.

Vlad Chiriches, formerly of Tottenham Hotspur, can be a commanding presence at the back, while the experience of skipper Rat, who has played at Champions League level with Shakhtar Donetsk in the past, will also surely come in handy for this side. Romania certainly have the concentration and spirit to frustrate the likes of Switzerland and Albania too.

The opening game might be an ideal time to face France and if they can take something on what promises to be a nervy night for the hosts then Romania could grown in confidence. It’s likely there’ll be big pressure to perform in their last two matches, though, and it’s questionable whether there is enough in this squad to handle that.

Romania: Euro 2016 team preview: Key Player:

Nicolae Stanciu – Romania is a nation associated with producing footballers with high technical ability and Nicolae Stanciu is the most recent man off that production line.

The Steau Bucharest star may only be 23 years old, but he’s already the heartbeat of this team. With Torje and Stancu in support, Stanciu will be ably supported when Romania seek to press teams and win the ball back high up the pitch. When he’s in possession, the Steau schemer has got the class to thread passes and find the back of the net, with 12 goals in 28 league appearances last term.

Having gone through a rough period of transition, many see Stanciu as the man who can haul Romanian football off its haunches in years to come. Some virtuoso displays here would expedite that process.

Romania: Euro 2016 team preview: Verdict:

They’ll battle, spoil and irritate in their three matches and should have enough to get the better of major tournament debutants Albania. However, the attacking quality needed to ensure they finish as one of the top third placed teams is absent and the Tricolorii will fall short of the last 16.