News from Romania: Please, No Pictures

I have to admit that I have a soft spot for Romanian football. I spent a year living in neighboring Moldova (yes, it is a real place) and just about every weekend I would escape reality by watching a Romanian league game on television. The style of play was always fun to watch. No one ever seemed to play defense and at least once a game a player would be sent off with a red card.

It is the news off the pitch, however, that to paraphrase Jose Mourinho, makes Romania, Romania. The classic story is, of course, about the Romanian player who was traded for beef. That has actually happened more than once. I seem to recall a player being traded for tractor tires too.

Then there is the Australian player who compared playing in Romania to living in hell. He should try living in Moldova. Just kidding. Go there, you’ll love the wine.

This week’s news from Romania involves Steaua Bucharest’s Portuguese goalkeeper Carlos Fernandes who decided to take his frustrations out on a camera man during his team’s second round Champions League match against Slovenia’s NK Gorica last night.

Television pictures showed Fernandes hitting the camera of local sport daily, Gazeta Sporturilor’s photographer who was trying to take shots of the goalkeeper, who was obviously in some distress, sitting on the bench after having twisted his ankle during the pre-match warm-up.

Fernades’s Dennis Rodman act comes as little surprise since he and his teammates have been boycotting that notoriously ruthless (not really) Romanian press for weeks.

Steaua won the match and now play Belgium’s Standard Liege in the third round. Belgian photographers are advised to wear helmets and shin protectors.

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Category: Europe