Ahead of Romania's upcoming UEFA Europa League one-eighth final against the Netherlands, head coach Jordinescu attended a pre-match conference where he expressed his expectations for the game and his confidence in the team.
Jordnescu began by emphasizing the enormity of the match, noting, "If you want to make history, you have to be ready to give it your all. No game is easy, especially one that gets you to the quarterfinals. The Dutch are the favorites tomorrow, they have incredible players, but we have our own strengths." He reminded his players not to get carried away by the Dutch performance against Austria and to focus on their own game.
Talking about the glorious history of Romanian soccer, especially the achievements at the 1994 World Cup, Jordnescu said, "Those moments were wonderful. I was there, but it was a different team. We know the team will have to be close to perfect tomorrow to get a good result." He encouraged the players to use history as a motivation to try to equal or even surpass the achievements of their predecessors.
Speaking about the team's lineup changes, Jordnescu revealed, "We have some answers. We have to decide this with my team after training. It's not so important who plays, it's more important what contribution that person can bring. We will have individual discussions and we will continue to communicate tonight and tomorrow morning." He emphasized the balance between team spirit and individual contribution.
On the prospect of reaching the last eight, Jordinescu was full of anticipation: "Reaching the quarterfinals would be excellent. It's hard to put it into words. The important thing is that we are strong, disciplined, organized and decisive, so that something may go in our favor. Tomorrow we will play a historic match. We have the chance to write history and equal our best performance in the Europa League. This is our motivation and the moment we have been expecting and dreaming of for a long time."
Speaking about the team's preparation, Jordnescu said, "I wouldn't say the team will train harder, but we probably have a higher skill level. My goal is to push them to be more focused and play at their best. I'm always eager to understand their emotions, their mindset and make sure they are fully aware of the importance of this moment. That's my priority." He emphasized on focusing on and adjusting the mental state of the players.
Finally, Jordnescu issued a challenge to his players: "I said before this Europa League that I would take responsibility for anything that went wrong, but it was up to them to accept the praise for what they did well. I am not telling them that tomorrow's result depends on them, but I am issuing a challenge to them. I am sure they understood and I will wait for their reaction on the field." He expressed his trust and support for the players and expects them to show the best of themselves in the game.
