Hagi Starts Romania Reign in Georgia Vs Romania Friendly
Georgia vs Romania opened with Gheorghe Hagi taking charge of Romania for the first time in his second spell, as the teams met Tuesday evening at the Mikheli Meskhi Stadium. It was the first of two friendly fixtures this month, and it gave Romania a fresh start after a run that ended its World Cup hopes.
Hagi Returns in Tbilisi
Hagi had managed Romania for four matches in 2001, then returned to the dugout on April 20, 2026 for his first match back at the helm. Romania came into the game after losing 2-0 to Slovakia in their most recent outing, a result that followed a 1-0 defeat away to Turkey in March's playoff semi-final.
That loss in March ended Romania's bid for an eighth World Cup appearance and left the country waiting at least four more years to get back to the tournament, with its last World Cup trip coming in 1998. The change in the technical area made this friendly the first chance to see how Hagi would shape the side after Mircea Lucescu's short final spell, which covered 18 matches over a 20-month span.
Georgia's Recent Form
Georgia entered the fixture with a clearer recent edge in results. It had beaten Lithuania 2-0 in its most recent match after a five-game winless streak, while also finishing 13 points behind Spain and 10 points behind Turkey in World Cup qualifying.
That qualifying run left Georgia short of a maiden World Cup berth, though the team has reached one major tournament before and went as far as the knockout stage of the European Championships two years ago under Willy Sagnol. Georgia also beat Romania 2-1 in Ploiesti five years ago, a reminder that the matchup has already produced a narrow result between the sides.
Romania's Selection Clues
Romania had one clear injury absence to manage, with Daniel Birligea out because of injury. Hagi was likely to run the attack through Louis Munteanu in the center, with Dennis Man and Ianis Hagi alongside him, while Radu Dragusin was likely to anchor the back line.
Georgia were also carrying a major selection note, with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia unlikely to be available for Tuesday's match. Even so, Giorgi Mamardashvili and Georges Mikautadze were likely to start, giving the hosts a familiar spine for a friendly that served as the opening fixture in the June window.
