Piţurcă's Romania primed for France

Romania coach Victor Piţurcă will look to get the better of France at the fourth attempt as the sides meet for a 15th time in UEFA EURO 2012 Group D.

• Reappointed as Romania coach in June, Piţurca's second spell in charge – from 2004-09 – saw him record three draws against France; 0-0 at UEFA EURO 2008, and then 2-2 at home and 1-1 away in 2010 FIFA World Cup qualifying. The former striker finished his playing career in France with a spell at RC Lens in 1989/90.

• Under Piţurcă's predecessor – and successor in 2009 – Răzvan Lucescu, Romania lost 2-0 in France in their first Group D meeting on 9 October; substitutes Loïc Rémy and Yoann Gourcuff struck in the final seven minutes as a resolute Romania defence crumbled at the death.

• Romania's record in 14 games against France reads W3 D4 L7 (W2 D2 L2 at home).

• After contesting a goalless stalemate in Zurich at UEFA EURO 2008, France and Romania were pooled together again in 2010 World Cup qualifying to similarly inconclusive effect. Romania led 2-0 in Constanta only to draw 2-2 in their first encounter, before holding Les Bleus 1-1 at the Stade de France.

• Romania came out on top in the first two games between the nations, triumphing 6-3 in a friendly in Bucharest on 12 June 1932 and then winning 2-1 in Paris on 22 March 1967.

• Romania have gone nine games – and nearly 40 years – without a win against France since a 2-0 friendly victory in Bucharest on 8 April 1972, in which future national team coaches Anghel Iordănescu and Cornel Dinu scored the goals.