Hagi names preliminary squad for Romania’s Nations League opener

Gheorghe Hagi has made his first official move as Romania’s national team coach by naming a preliminary squad of 48 players for the opening Nations League matches.

The 61-year-old coach selected players from Romania’s domestic championship and clubs abroad. He will cut the list before the squad gathers at the National Football Centre in Mogoșoaia, with the final group expected to be decided around September 20.

Romania will open against Sweden at Stockholm’s Strawberry Arena on September 25. The team will then host Bosnia and Herzegovina in Bucharest on September 28, although the match at the National Arena will take place without spectators because of a UEFA sanction.

The schedule continues with an away match against Poland in Warsaw on October 2, followed by a return meeting with Sweden at Bucharest’s National Arena on October 5. The expanded list includes established internationals such as Răzvan Marin, Nicolae Stanciu, Dennis Man, Ianis Hagi and Denis Drăguș, alongside players with little or no senior international experience.