Romania EURO dream brings Mutu, Marica home
Monday, January 18, 2016
Article summary
"EURO is my target," said Adrian Mutu, with the striker and fellow forward Ciprian Marica both returning home to Romania in a bid to make it to this summer's finals.
Article top media content
Article body
Romania forwards Adrian Mutu and Ciprian Marica have moved back home to get first-team football as they look to seize what could be a last chance to play at a UEFA European Championship.
Mutu, 37, and Marica, 30, both featured in Romania's UEFA EURO 2008 squad, and are eager to make it to this summer's finals too.
His nation's joint top scorer at international level with 35 goals – alongside Gheorghe Hagi – Mutu has signed a six-month contract with last season's league runners-up Târgu Mureș as he bids to return to the national team after a three-year absence.
"Of course, EURO is my target and the only way to achieve that is to be in the spotlight and to convince the national-team coach [Anghel Iordănescu] that I deserve to be selected," said Mutu, who has had spells with Juventus, Chelsea and Fiorentina player and most recently played in India with Pune City. "I could have agreed a contract in Japan or Australia, where I also received offers. Now I have to prepare and to play well, and afterwards we will see what happens."
Marica did not play a senior international game in 2015. Beset by injuries, the former Shakhtar, Stuttgart and Schalke man made only seven league appearances during an 18-month spell with Konyaspor, and has elected to return to Romania after a 12-year absence to battle for a UEFA EURO 2016 place, signing a one-year contract with Steaua Bucureşti.
"I chose Romania for Romania," explained Marica, who has scored 25 goals for his national team. "I also chose the team that wanted me most and I will put all of my energy into everything I do."
The return of the two popular forwards is set to add some sparkle to the Romanian league, which resumes in February, and Mutu is well aware that he could be in direct competition with Marica for much more than league points.
"It will be a duel between me and Marica, but it will be for the good of our teams and for us as well," he explained. "I hope to raise the standard of our top division and to prove how much our experience abroad can bring to our team-mates and everyone involved."