Rangers ace Ianis Hagi blasted after what happened with Romania
Ianis Hagi may be in better form for Rangers after a slow start to the season but he was not able to back this up on international duty.
After being called up for the Romania national team, Hagi had to settle for an appearance off the bench as his side fell to a 1-0 defeat against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Friday (21 March).
The Gers attacker was brought on at half-time but he was not able to change things on the pitch to save his side and a 14th minute goal for the opponents sealed the game.
Hagi offered harsh truth
The season took a bit of time to get going for Hagi who was forced to train away from the first-team squad at the start of the campaign due to a contract dispute with the Gers.
After this was settled, Philippe Clement brought the Romanian international back into the side and he is continuing to get minutes under the interim management of Barry Ferguson.
The 26-year-old has shown his ability to boost his side’s attacking efforts having contributed goals and assists to Rangers this season.
| Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| 20 | 3 | 7 |
However, after coming on at half-time for his national side, former Romanian international Cornel Dinu took no time to offer his honest opinion on Hagi’s standards as he said [via Daily Record]: “I’m afraid Ianis Hagi is never going to get to the stage where he surpasses his father. He is a modest player.
“He had a great chance where all he had to do was pass the ball, but he hesitated and his eventual pass was blocked.
“If you look at the history of football, I don’t think there has even been a boy who has done better than his father. Look at Johan Cruyff for example. It’s the same with Gheorghe Hagi and Ianis.”
Hagi set for Rangers exit
Given just how quality Gheorghe Hagi was throughout his career, it was always going to be a big ask for his son to follow in his footsteps and achieve the same levels.
However, even though Romania lost the game, the criticism on this occasion does feel particularly harsh, especially in the way the comparison was made.
Hagi’s contract at Ibrox expires at the end of the campaign and unless there is a sudden turnaround, he is expected to leave Glasgow.
Given it’s not yet known who the permanent manager will be as the 49ers Enterprises look to complete their takeover of Rangers, this seems very likely to be the case.
However, supporters at Ibrox can surely feel as though they’ve seen some quality in Hagi’s game and he has contributed for them on the pitch.
He may have never reached his Dad’s heights in a struggling Rangers side punching well below their weight but it doesn’t mean he hasn’t shown what he can do either.
With some big Europa League games upcoming for Rangers, Hagi will be hopeful he can still deliver on the pitch and have an impact before he makes his exit.