Romanian media take aim after what Ianis Hagi did away from Rangers
Rangers star Ianis Hagi played the full 90 minutes on international duty for Romania as they thrashed San Marino 5-1 on Monday.
The Rangers man netted his side’s fourth goal of the evening, converting a penalty in the 75th minute.
Although it was a dominant win for Hagi’s international side, the Romanian media did not get too carried away, given it was only against San Marino.
Hagi under fire despite Romania contributions
As Hagi contributed to a big win with his goal, it doesn’t come as much of a surprise that FotMob rated him 8.3, the second-highest rating in his team.
However, the local media were not keen on giving the national side too much praise, with a series of mistakes against San Marino highlighting issues in the team.
The Rangers’ playmaker may have put a penalty away, but he was called out in the first half by Digi Sport for a “poor” shot inside the six-yard box, which went wide.
There was another moment later in the game where Hagi embarrassed himself alongside teammate Alexandru Mitrita as both players stood over a free-kick before they both jumped over the ball, and the latter had to return to pick up the ball after the miscommunication.
After the event, Digi Sport reported that there were “roars of laughter” from the stands after a moment which could have caught Romania out.
Digi Sport also reported that on the Euro Football Show, after Ilie Dumitrescu said Hagi had been good, Radu Naum interjected and asked: “Really? Ianis? In this match?”
Hagi set for Rangers departure
Although Hagi contributed to his side on the international stage, you can understand why the media are not getting too excited, given the level of the opponent.
Hagi is a good player, and the criticism seems to come from a place of knowing he has the quality to reach better standards than he showed.
It’s not the first time the 26-year-old has come under fire during international breaks, with Hagi having been blasted in a harsh comparison to his Dad just days prior.
The winger looks set for a change of scenery this summer as his Rangers contract expires at the end of the campaign, and he is expected to leave Glasgow.
| Appearances | Goals | Assists |
| 20 | 3 | 7 |
However, the Light Blues have some big games in the final stages of the campaign, notably a Europa League quarter-final, which is the only thing left to play for at Ibrox.
Therefore, Hagi needs to make sure he keeps raising his standards and finishes the season on a high under interim boss Barry Ferguson.