Gheorghe Hagi

Gheorghe Hagi (born February 5 1965 in S?cele, Constan?a County) is a Romanian football player who played for the Romanian national team in three World Cups. Nicknamed The Maradona of the Carpathians, he is a hero in his homeland. He has won his country's Player of the Year award a record six times, and was recently named Romania's player of the century.

Related Topics:
February 5 - 1965 - S?cele - Constan?a County - Romania - Football - Romanian national team - World Cup - Maradona

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During the 1994 World Cup, Hagi made highlights by scoring vital goals for Romania, including a 35 meter lob against Colombia. Having played for Farul Constan?a (1979/1980 and 1982/83), Luceaf?rul Bucharest (1980/1982), Sportul Studen?esc (1983/1986), Steaua Bucharest (1986/1990), Real Madrid (1990/1992), Brescia (1992/1994) and FC Barcelona (1994/1996), Hagi then joined Galatasaray, the Turkish club team that captured the UEFA Cup title in 2000. Prior to his third retirement in 2001, he won 125 international caps, scoring 35 goals.

Related Topics:
1994 World Cup - Colombia - Constan?a - Bucharest - Sportul Studen?esc - Steaua Bucharest - Real Madrid - Brescia - FC Barcelona - Galatasaray - Turkish - UEFA Cup

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Hagi has since returned to football as a coach. He became the head coach of the Romanian national team in 2001, although he only lasted six months as the team failed to qualify for the 2002 World Cup. He then took over as coach of Turkish first division side Bursaspor but left that club after a disappointing start to the season.

Related Topics:
Football - 2002 World Cup - Bursaspor

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After a 18 month hiatus spent running a coastal Black Sea hotel and appearing in television commercials, he then returned to club management at the helm of the club at which he won his first European trophy, Galatasaray. He resigned from this position, on May 30 2005, at the end of his first season in the role. For many Galatasaray fans, a third place finish in the League (and therefore missing out on a prestigious berth in the 2005/2006 UEFA Champions League competition) was highly disappointing, despite the club's success in the Turkish Cup.

Related Topics:
Black Sea - Galatasaray - May 30 - 2005 - UEFA Champions League

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Hagi is ethnically Aromanian. In March 2004, he was named among the top 125 living footballers by Pelé. Hagi is Adrian Mutu and Alexandra Mutu's godfather.

Related Topics:
Aromanian - March - 2004 - Top 125 living footballers - Pelé - Adrian Mutu - Alexandra Mutu

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