Football: Daniel Pancu appointed new coach of Romania's U21 national team
Former Romania international Daniel Pancu has been appointed as the new coach of the U21 national team, replacing Emil Săndoi's leadership who was sacked after a disappointing display at the U21 EURO this year.
Pancu, who has 27 caps for the senior team, has signed a two-year contract with the Romanian Football Federation (FRF). He will lead the U21 team to the 2025 European Championship, which will be hosted by Slovakia.
Daniel Pancu has a wealth of experience in football, having played for clubs such as Rapid Bucharest, Beşiktaş, and CSKA Sofia. He also won eight trophies during his playing career, including the Liga 1 title and the Turkish Cup.
As a coach, Pancu has worked with Rapid Bucharest, Politehnica Iași, and the Romanian U20 team.
Romania's U21 team has been drawn into Group E for the 2025 European Championship qualifiers. They will face Switzerland, Finland, Albania, Montenegro, and Armenia. The qualification campaign will begin in September 2023 and will end in October 2024.
The young tricolors had the home advantage during the recent U21 UEFA European Championship, but lost twice in a row to Spain (0-3) and to Ukraine (0-1). Their last game was a draw against Croatia at Stadionul Steaua in Bucharest, placing them in the last in the group stage.
(Photo source: FRF.ro)
