Gheorghe Hagi facts for kids

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Gheorghe Hagi
Personal information
Hagi in 2014
Full name	Gheorghe Hagi
Date of birth	(1965-02-05) 5 February 1965 (age 60)
Place of birth	Săcele, Romania
Height	1.74 m (5 ft 9 in)
Position(s)	Attacking midfielder
Team information
Current team	Farul Constanța (owner)
Youth career
1975–1980	FC Constanța
1980–1982	Luceafărul București
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
1982–1983	FC Constanța	18	(7)
1983–1987	Sportul Studențesc	108	(58)
1987–1990	Steaua București	97	(76)
1990–1992	Real Madrid	64	(16)
1992–1994	Brescia	61	(14)
1994–1996	Barcelona	36	(7)
1996–2001	Galatasaray	132	(59)
Total		516	(237)
International career
1983–2000	Romania	124	(35)
Managerial career
2001	Romania
2003	Bursaspor
2004–2005	Galatasaray
2005–2006	Politehnica Timișoara
2007	Steaua București
2010–2011	Galatasaray
2014–2020	Viitorul Constanța
2021–2025	Farul Constanța
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Gheorghe Hagi (born February 5, 1965) is a famous Romanian football manager and former player. He is known as one of the best players in the world from the 1980s and 1990s. Many people think he is the greatest Romanian footballer ever.

Fans of the Turkish club Galatasaray called him "The Commander." Romanian fans knew him as "The King." He was also nicknamed "The Maradona of the Carpathians." Hagi was a creative player who was great at dribbling, passing, and shooting.

Hagi started his career in Romania with FC Constanța, Sportul Studențesc, and Steaua București. He also played for big clubs like Real Madrid and Barcelona in Spain. He played for Brescia in Italy and Galatasaray in Turkey. Hagi is one of the few players who played for both Real Madrid and Barcelona. He won many titles in four different countries.

For the Romanian national team, Hagi played in three FIFA World Cups (1990, 1994, 1998). He also played in three UEFA European Championships (1984, 1996, 2000). He played 124 games for Romania between 1983 and 2000. This makes him the second most-capped Romanian player ever. He is also Romania's joint all-time top goalscorer with 35 goals.

Hagi is a hero in Romania and Turkey. He was named Romanian Footballer of the Year a record seven times. He is seen as one of the best players of his time. In 2003, UEFA named him Romania's "Golden Player." In 2004, Pelé chose him as one of the 125 Greatest Living Footballers.

After he stopped playing in 2001, Hagi became a manager. He coached the Romanian national team and several clubs in Romania and Turkey. In 2009, he started his own club, Viitorul Constanța. He also created the Gheorghe Hagi Football Academy, which is one of the biggest in Southeastern Europe.

Early Life and Beginnings

Gheorghe Hagi was born on February 5, 1965. His family had a special history, as his grandfather was one of many Aromanians who moved from Greece to Romania. Hagi grew up in Săcele, a village near Constanța.

He loved spending time with his grandfather, who was a shepherd. Hagi often said that his ambition came from his Aromanian background.

Club Football Journey

Starting Out in Romania

Hagi began his football journey at FC Constanța in 1978. He was very talented and joined Luceafărul București for two years. In 1982, at just 17 years old, he played his first top-league game for FC Constanța. He scored his first goal with a powerful shot from far away.

Even though his team was relegated, Hagi showed his amazing skills.

Shining at Sportul Studențesc

Hagi then joined Sportul Studențesc in Bucharest. He became a top scorer in the league for two seasons in a row. In one season, he scored 31 goals, helping his team finish second. He also played in European competitions, scoring a hat-trick against Neuchâtel Xamax.

Success with Steaua București

In late 1986, Hagi moved to Steaua București. He helped them win the European Super Cup by scoring the only goal. Steaua kept him, and he helped them win the Romanian league three times in a row. They also won the Cupa României twice.

Hagi was a key player in Steaua's European success. He helped them reach the semi-finals of the European Cup in 1988 and the final in 1989. He scored many important goals during this time.

Playing in Spain: Real Madrid

After the 1990 World Cup, Real Madrid signed Hagi. He made his La Liga debut in September 1990. He scored his first goal for them soon after. Hagi helped Real Madrid win the Supercopa de España in 1990.

In his second season, he scored more goals, including a hat-trick against Athletic Bilbao. He scored a famous goal from the middle of the field against Osasuna. This goal was later voted one of Real Madrid's most beautiful long-distance goals.

Time in Italy: Brescia

In 1992, Hagi moved to Brescia in Italy. In his first season, the team was relegated. However, in his second season, he helped Brescia win the Anglo-Italian Cup at Wembley. They also got promoted back to the top league.

Back to Spain: Barcelona

After his great performance at the 1994 World Cup, Hagi joined Barcelona. He was coached by his childhood hero, Johan Cruyff. He won another Supercopa de España with Barcelona in 1994.

He scored a memorable goal from the center of the field against Celta Vigo. This goal was nominated as one of Barcelona's most beautiful goals.

Becoming a Legend at Galatasaray

In 1996, Hagi joined Galatasaray in Turkey. Even though he was older, he became very popular there. He helped Galatasaray win four league titles, two Turkish Cups, and two Turkish Super Cups.

His biggest achievement was leading Galatasaray to win the 1999–2000 UEFA Cup in 2000. This made Galatasaray the first Turkish club to win a major UEFA trophy. He also helped them win the 2000 UEFA Super Cup against Real Madrid. Hagi scored many amazing goals for Galatasaray, including a spectacular long-distance shot against AS Monaco in the Champions League.

Hagi played his last professional game on May 26, 2001, scoring two goals. Galatasaray fans loved him and often chanted "I Love You Hagi."

Playing for Romania

Early International Games

Hagi first played for the Romanian national team in 1983 when he was 18. He was chosen for Euro 1984, but Romania did not get past the group stage. He scored his first international goal against Northern Ireland in 1984.

1990 FIFA World Cup

Hagi played in the 1990 World Cup. Romania made it to the Round of 16, where they lost to the Republic of Ireland in a penalty shootout. Hagi scored his penalty kick.

1994 FIFA World Cup Success

Hagi was the captain of Romania at the 1994 World Cup. He helped Romania qualify for the tournament with a dramatic win over Wales. This game is seen as the start of Romania's "Golden Generation" of players.

In the World Cup, Hagi was amazing. He assisted two goals and scored a spectacular goal from 35 meters against Colombia. This goal was listed as one of the most beautiful World Cup goals ever. Romania beat Argentina 3-2, with Hagi scoring and assisting. They reached the quarter-finals but lost to Sweden in a penalty shootout. Hagi was named to the World Cup All-Star Team for his great performances.

Euro 1996 and 1998 World Cup

Hagi played in Euro 1996, but Romania lost all their group games. At the 1998 World Cup, Hagi captained the team again. Romania won their first two games against Colombia and England. To celebrate, the team famously dyed their hair blonde. They lost to Croatia in the Round of 16.

Euro 2000 and Retirement

After the 1998 World Cup, Hagi retired from the national team. But fans and important people convinced him to come back for the Euro 2000 qualifiers. He helped Romania qualify and scored his last two international goals.

At Euro 2000, Romania reached the quarter-finals but lost to Italy. Hagi received a red card in that game. He officially retired from international football in 2001. At that time, his 124 caps were a national record. He still holds the record for most goals for Romania, with 35.

For his contributions, Hagi received high honors from the President of Romania and the Romanian Royal House.

Managerial Career

Coaching Romania and Clubs

After retiring as a player, Hagi became a coach. In 2001, he coached the Romanian national team for a short time. He then managed clubs like Bursaspor and Galatasaray in Turkey. At Galatasaray, he won the Turkish Cup in 2005.

He also coached Politehnica Timișoara and Steaua București in Romania. He often had disagreements with club owners, leading to short coaching spells.

Building Viitorul Constanța

In 2009, Hagi started his own football academy and a club called Viitorul Constanța. He was the president and later became the head coach in 2014. His son, Ianis, made his senior debut for the club.

Viitorul Constanța won their first league title in the 2016–17 season. Hagi also won the Cupa României in 2019 and the Supercupa României in 2019 with Viitorul. He was named Romania Coach of the Year twice.

Leading Farul Constanța

In 2021, Viitorul Constanța merged with Farul Constanța. Hagi became the head coach of the new Farul Constanța team. Under his leadership, Farul won their first league title in the 2022–23 season.

Playing Style

Gheorghe Hagi was a left-footed attacking midfielder. People often compared his playing style to Diego Maradona because of his amazing skills and strong personality. Hagi was quick, creative, and great at dribbling. He could play in many different positions in midfield and attack.

He was known for his first touch, speed with the ball, and ability to get past defenders. Hagi also had great vision and could make precise passes. He was a good scorer from long range and free kicks. Even though he was not very tall, he was strong and could protect the ball well.

Hagi was a very talented player, but sometimes his temper and rebellious attitude caused problems. Despite this, he is remembered as one of the best number 10s of his time.

Personal Life

Gheorghe Hagi is married to Marilena Hagi. They have two children. His son, Ianis Hagi, is also a professional football player. His daughter, Kira Hagi, is an actress. Hagi is also related to fellow Romanian footballer Gheorghe Popescu, who married Hagi's wife's sister.

Hagi even lent his voice to a character named Dagda in the animated movie Epic for the Romanian version.

Honours and Achievements

Hagi won many trophies and awards throughout his career as a player and manager.

Player Honours

Steaua București
- Divizia A: 1986–87, 1987–88, 1988–89
- Cupa României: 1986–87, 1988–89
- European Super Cup: 1986

Real Madrid
- Supercopa de España: 1990

Brescia
- Anglo-Italian Cup: 1993–94

Barcelona
- Supercopa de España: 1994

Galatasaray
- 1.Lig: 1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–2000
- Turkish Cup: 1998–99, 1999–2000
- Turkish Super Cup: 1996, 1997
- UEFA Cup: 1999–2000
- UEFA Super Cup: 2000

Individual Player Awards

Divizia A top scorer: 1984–85, 1985–86
European Cup top scorer: 1987–88
Romanian Footballer of the Year: 1985, 1987, 1993, 1994, 1997, 1999, 2000
FIFA World Cup All-Star Team: 1994
Ballon d'Or: 4th place in 1994
FIFA 100: 2004 (named one of the 125 greatest living footballers by Pelé)
UEFA Jubilee Awards – Greatest Romanian Footballer of the last 50 Years: 2003
Golden Foot Legends Award: 2015

Manager Honours

Galatasaray
- Turkish Cup: 2004–05

Viitorul Constanța
- Liga I: 2016–17
- Cupa României: 2018–19
- Supercupa României: 2019

Farul Constanta
- Liga I: 2022–23

Individual Manager Awards

Romania Coach of the Year: 2015, 2017
Liga I Manager of the Season: 2022–23

Images for kids

Hagi in 2014