Gheorghe Hagi said, after Romania’s win over Poland in the fifth round of the Nations League, that the result belongs to the players and that the four matches lost before it are not wiped away by one victory. G4Media reports that he spoke straight after the final whistle on Saturday evening, to Antena 1. It is his first win in an official match of his second term.

Fanatik and MediaInfo give the score as 2-1. G4Media notes the goals by Cicâldău, in the 68th minute, and Dennis Man, in the 72nd, Romania’s first points of this campaign. MediaInfo lists Marcel Regula as Poland’s scorer, in the 82nd minute.

Hagi said, in G4Media’s account: “Happy for the boys, because we needed this victory, which brings confidence, brings enthusiasm, brings joy for them. First of all, they played very well, they fought, we did both phases, exactly what we talked about beforehand. This time, the team looked good.”

He added that the players were more connected, that the defensive phase was “good to very good”, and that when they had the chance they knew how to attack. Then: “I remember what was behind us and it’s hard for me to speak, it’s just a fine victory and that’s all, from here we can start to build.” On mentality, he said there is nothing to build in the players, that Romania has resources, and that a winner’s mentality has to be built.

G4Media writes that more than 45,000 people were at the National Arena, for the return after the 0-6 in Warsaw. Hagi thanked the crowd and said that at home it made the difference. On Florinel Coman, he said this was the first time he had played as a striker, and that a goal of his, in the 59th minute, was disallowed for a foul in the build-up.

Bosnia is next, in Zenica, the last match of the break. G4Media writes the date as 17 October. MediaInfo writes Tuesday, 17 November. In the group B4 table, with one round left, G4Media has Sweden on 13 points, Bosnia on 8, Poland on 4 and Romania on 3. Romania is last and is trying to avoid the relegation play-off into League C.

Image: Wikimedia Commons — the National Arena in Bucharest, 22 November 2012 (Andrei Dan Suciu, CC BY 3.0). The photo is not from Saturday’s match against Poland.

Sources consulted: Hagi after the win over Poland: “It’s just a fine victory” — G4Media; Hagi’s first reaction after Romania 2-1 Poland — Fanatik; Hagi after Romania 2-1 Poland — MediaInfo.