In the one-eighth final of the UEFA Europa League, which ended on July 3, Beijing time, the Romanian team ended their journey in this year's UEFA Europa League with a 0-3 defeat against the Netherlands. After the match, head coach Jordinescu was interviewed by the media, summarizing the match and expressing his high hopes for the team's future.
Jordnescu began by reflecting on the team's efforts and growth over the past two years, "Today we end a great story that began two years ago. We continued this story in Germany with the fans of the national team. The team put in a great effort, but unfortunately we couldn't go further. We wanted more, but we did our best. I would like to thank my players, who showed tenacity and team spirit; I would also like to thank the fans and the Romanians all over the world who supported us, it was your support that made us more determined."
Jordnescu is confident about the future of Romanian soccer: "Romanians need to believe in themselves. If they do, they can work miracles. We need to train and develop a new generation of players, so that these young boys can become role models and inspirations for the fans. They have given it all and their performances give us hope for Romanian soccer."
Speaking about the game, Jordnescu said his team had tried to surprise the Dutch: "We tried to weaken their offense by aggressive pressing and cutting off the opponent's passing lines. In the first 20 minutes of the game, I think we did well and even created some chances. But the Dutch are a strong team with outstanding individual abilities. Once they took the lead, it was very difficult for us to regain the balance of the game. In the end, they won the game through three great goals."
Despite the loss, Iordanescu sees the match as a valuable experience for Romanian soccer: "These are lessons we can use. Our match against the Netherlands showed the deep bond between the Romanian people and the national team, a bond that will inspire us to continue. Maybe this is not just an end, but a new beginning."
