Twenty-four years later, the Romanian footballers have once again made it to the knockout stage of the European Cup, and the duel against the Netherlands in the round of 16 will be of great significance to Ioannis Hedger, the second generation of the star. The 25-year-old midfielder, who is carrying the regrets of his father, Hjelmiao, has vowed to help Romania reach new heights.
Back in 2000, Romania created splendor on the stage of the European Cup, and made it to the last eight. However, in the group stage against Italy, Hedgehog Miu due to a red card left the field, the team also 0-2 defeat, the loss of the "Eastern European king" overshadowed.
The years have gone by and after 24 years Romania is once again on the stage of the knockout stage. Ioannis Hedge inherited his father's former number 10 jersey, a tribute to soccer history. He played for Fiorentina and Henk and joined Rangers in 2020. In the 2020/21 season of the Scottish Premier League, he scored 7 goals in 33 games. Unfortunately, however, his career suffered a setback due to a serious knee injury and his form was poor after his comeback. Last season, he was loaned out to La Liga side Airavis, scoring only 2 goals in 26 games.
Ioannis Hedge played three games for Romania in this year's European Nations Group stage. In the match against Slovakia, he was the hero of the team with a positive performance, grabbing a 12-yard penalty kick. He is still expected to surprise today against the Netherlands.
