In the one-eighth final of the UEFA Europa League, which ended on July 3, Beijing time, the Romanian team lost 0-3 to the Netherlands and did not advance. After the match, Romania's captain Stanciu was interviewed, expressing his disappointment with the result, his pride in his teammates and his expectations for the future.
Stanciu first expressed his disappointment with the result: "We are really disappointed because each of us believed we had the ability to win this game. But that's the way soccer is, sometimes the results don't go our way. Nonetheless, I am still very proud of my teammates, who showed their tenacity and team spirit in this game."
Stanciu then turned the conversation to their supportive fans: "We would like to dedicate all the experience of this game to the fans who have been supporting us and all the Romanians who cheered us on. Their chants and encouragement are what keep us going. I hope we can make them as proud as we were when we heard their chants on the field."
Speaking about his team's performance, Stancho emphasized the importance of unity and giving it all you've got: "We've learned this, and that is that when we are united and give it all we've got on the pitch, we can do great things. Even though we didn't make it to the quarterfinals, I think each and every one of us should be proud of our performance. We showed our strength and potential in this game."
Finally, Stanciu looked to the future of the team: "Even though we weren't able to go far this time, I believe this is just a starting point on the road to revitalization of our national team. It's been a long time since we've achieved this kind of success in an international competition, but this tournament has shown us our potential and hope. I hope that each of us can keep this confidence and fighting spirit and continue to work for a glorious future of Romanian soccer." At the same time, he called on the fans to give more support and encouragement to the team, "Let's join hands and cheer for the future of Romanian soccer!"
