Famous Romanian football player Gheorghe Hagi, together with four other investors who together opened a sports lounge in Constanta earlier this year, under the name H10 Sport Lounge, now plan to expand the chain nationwide by the end of 2014.

Following the EUR 400,000 investment in the first unit, the chain should expand with nine other units, all opened via franchise. “Our ambition is to become the most popular chain in Romania on the pub & restaurant segment,” said Mihai Negut, another shareholder in H10 Sport Lounge.

The targeted cities for 2014 expansion via franchise are Brasov, Iasi, Timisoara, Cluj, Craiova, Galati, Ploiesti, Sibiu, Arad, Bacau, Oradea and Suceava, and the founders promise a partnership – type of franchise contract, where the partners have some local autonomy.

The H10 Sport Lounge in Constanta was the first of a series of football themed pubs, which will be dedicated to the life of the former footballer. The name comes from his initial and the number 10, his T-shirt number.

The future pubs will be decorated with objects and photographs from Hagi's career, and some will incorporate fan clubs. The shareholders, George Hagi, Mihai Neguţ, Petre Brumă, Vlad Creţu and Răzvan Neguţ are also thinking about expansion abroad with this concept. The former footballer, now 48, also owns the four start hotel Iaki in seaside resort Mamaia.

Hagi, nicknamed the Maradona of the Carpathians, is seen as the greatest Romanian football player of all time. He was the first Romanian to play for top European clubs such as Real Madrid, Barcelona and Galatasaray. Through his outstanding dribbling, vision, execution of passes and shots from distance, he managed to impose himself as one of the world’s best players alongside the likes of Maradona or Pelé.

At the 1994 World Cup, Hagi led the Romanian team to its best international performance, bringing them to the quarterfinals. He made highlights by scoring vital goals for Romania, including a 35-meter lob against Colombia. In 2002, the goal was voted the fifth best in World Cup history, in a poll hosted on FIFAworldcup.com. Hagi, also a former captain for Romania's national team, is known for his famous left foot goals, many of which were scored from distance.

editor@romania-insider.com

(photo source: H10 Sport Lounge)