The summer of 1996 is just another bitter memory in the colourful career of Rumania’s quixotic playmaker Gheorghe ‘Gica’ Hagi. At the age of 31, after a frustrating two year spell at Barcelona, Euro 96 was to be Hagi’s swansong, his last great performance on a world stage.

But didn’t work out for the veteran midfielder, known to all as the Maradona of the Carpathians for his uncanny ball skills, blistering shot and penchant for the spectacular both on and off the field of play.

Just as the World Cup in the United States had served to resusitate his then flagging reputation, Hagi needed a five star performance with Rumania to attract the attention of a club capable of meeting his economic expectations and giving him the fredom he needs to reveal his many talents.

Euro 96 was a disaster for Rumania. First France, then Bulgaria and finally Spain sent Hagi’s motly crew away with their tails between their legs and without a solitary point to show for their trouble.

Euor 96 was history for Rumania. And so too, it seemed, was Hagi. His discrete performance in England looked to have put him on the scrapheap for only Mexican side Atlante were prepared to sign the Rumanian. But just when things were looking blacker than ever along came the Turkish club Galatasaray with a million dollar contract.

It was a new dawn for Gica. “I was at rock bottom”, remembers Hagi. “After spending nearly the whole season on the bench in Barcelona and not playing well in the European championships it looked as if Europe had forgotten about Hagi. I only had one offer, from Mexico and I was about to take it when Galatasaray contacted my agent and we came to an agreement.”

And what an agreement it was. Now 32, Hagi is the best paid player in Turkey with a salary of around $800,000 a season. Galatasaray pay all his expenses when he travels back to his home town of Sacale, a tiny village near the Black Sea resort of Constanta, where Hagi first let fly with that magnificent left boot of his.

From local side Farul he signed for Sportul Studentesc where he spent four seasons before finally hitting the big time when he joined Steaua Bucharest in January 1987 giving the Rumanian champions a new lease of life with his creativity on the left flank. Hagi exploded into life at Steaua, scoring and making goals with relative ease.

In his three and half seasons at the club he scored 76 goals in just 97 league games between 1987 and 1990. In the 1988-89 campaign he rattled home 31 goals in 30 games. A star was born. Steaua won three successive league and cup doubles as well as the European Super Cup witrh Hagi in the side although they failed to repeat their European Cup of 1986 when they were thrashed 4-0 was A.C Milan of Van Basten and company in the final in Barcelona in 1989.

Hagi never shook off his Spanish hoodoo. After a brilliant World Cup in Italy in 1990, where David O’Leary’s famous penalty and Packie Bonner’s save saw Ireland through to the quarter finals at the expense of Rumania, Hagi signed for Real Madrid for $4.3 million and became the most expensive player in the history of Rumanian football.

In Madrid, however, things didn’t work out. In two seasons at the Santiago Bernabeu he managed to win just one trophy, the Spanish Super Cup (the Spanish equivalent of the English Charity Shield) in 1990.

Real Madrid finished third that year as Barcelona reeled in the first of four league titles on the trot under Johan Cruyff.

After his failure at Real Madrid he signed for Italian side Brescia. They were relegated in his first season at the club. In his second, and oplaying in Serie B, Hagi regained his confidence and went thrill fans everywhere with his brilliant individual play and spectacular goals in the 1994 World Cup.

Barcelona came knocking on his door and Hagi looked to have signed the last big contract of his career when he joined fellow Rumanian Gica Popescu for a new adventure at the Camp Nou. But what should have been the cherry on the top of a sweet career turned sour and Hagi knows who to blame.

“I wanted to triumph at Barcelona but the coaches and directors didn’t want me for a third season. I’m a player who needs to play games and Cruyff never gave me the continuity. I’d play one game and then the next I wouldn’t even be in the squad. Cruyff prevented the Barcelona fans from seeing the authentic Hagi. I never had his confidence and many times I had to play in a position that didn’t suit me” he recalls.

Whne Johan Cruyff was acked just efore thend of last season the writing was on the wall for Hagi in Bar celona. “There was a bad atmosphere. We could have won the league, the Cup and the UEFA Cup and we ended up with nothing. When he had no chance of winning anything one thing followed another. Cruyff was fired. New signings, big changes....”

But despite his trials and tribulations Hagi has no regrets. “I’m not sorry that I signed for Barcelona. Circumstances stood in my way, just like in Madrid. How could you regret signing for two of the best clubs in the world. What I do regret is signing for Brescia. They promised me they’d make a competitive team and they tricked me.”

At Galatasaray Hagi has all the freedom he needs. “I’m in constant contact with the ball and that what I like. Signings for Galatasaray has given me back my confidence after Euro 96.” Ireland beware.

Rumania have won all of their outings so far in the France 98 World Cup campaign with a rejuvenated Hagi an inspiration to the likes of Popescu, Prodan and Adrian Ilie. Playing for his country brings out the best in Hagi.
“I am very proud to play for my country. We are playing well, we’ve got experienced and young players and it’s a good mix. I we can beat Ireland I think we will qualify but if we lose then it will be open again. You have to win your haome games. If we qualify for another World Cup it will be like a dream come true after England.”

Hagi is back.

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