În preziua debutului nostru în preliminariile EURO 2016, media din Grecia mi-a solicitat un interviu. Vă invit să îl parcurgeţi aşa cum l-am acordat, adică în limba engleză.

1. How do you expect the first game with Greece?
We feel a lot of pressure at home and for this reason we are very motivated. In a way, it’s quite understandable, because Greece beat Romania in the play-offs for the FIFA World Cup 2014 finals. It will be a tough a game and it is very important for us to win and to have a good start in Group F. But we will play a lot of games in this group, this is only the first one!

2. Romania lost the qualification in the World Cup of Brazil from Greece a
few months ago. Do you seek for revenge from Greece in the qualifiers of
Euro 2016?
Look, it is not about revenge! At the end of the day, it is only a game! But of course we would like to show to our fans back home that we are able to beat a team which was in Brasil!

3. Did you see what Greece did in the World Cup of Brazil? Do you think
that you will face a better Greece now?
Yes, I watched all the games! I guess it is pretty difficult to say if Greece is better now, a lot of things changed. What I can promiss you is that Romania is certainly better than last year and we will avoid the mistakes we did!

4. Greece has a new coach. After Fernando Santos there is Claudio
Ranieri.Is it good for you that since Ranieri might not know well his
team?
Well, I doubt that Claudio Ranieri might not know very well his players – he is a huge name in football and I am sure that he prepared very well the game. But we did also!

5. Is Romania a better team now after the elimination from Greece from the
World Cup of Brazil?
Yes, definitely! Not to mention that we might have an advantage because Greece will play without fans. However, we will be on the field, not the fans!

6. Which players of Greece do you think that you should beware of the most
in this game?
Everybody knows that the best player from Greece is… the team, this is how they became European Champions!

7. In Greece there is a former teammate of yours, Kyriakos
Papadopoulos.How do you expect the game against him?
I remember Kyriakos, he is younger than me, but I have a lot of experience. I expect the striker to defeat the defender!

8. What is your estimation of the teams that will qualify from this group
in the Euro 2016 or at least which ones will give a fight for it?
I would say Romania and Greece are in the pole position. However, Hungary and Finland are all the time tough partners!