Romania national under-21 football team
| Nickname(s) | Tricolorii Mici (The Small Tricolours) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Association | Romanian Football Federation (FRF) | |||
| Head coach | Daniel Pancu | |||
| Captain | Louis Munteanu | |||
| Most caps | Alexandru Pașcanu (29) | |||
| Top scorer | George Pușcaș (18) | |||
| Home stadium | Various | |||
|
| ||||
| Biggest win | ||||
| File:Flag of Armenia.svg Armenia 0–5 Romania File:Flag of Romania.svg (Yerevan, Armenia; 16 November 2004) File:Flag of Azerbaijan.svg Azerbaijan 0–5 Romania File:Flag of Romania.svg (Trabzon, Turkey; 25 April 1995) | ||||
| Biggest defeat | ||||
| File:Flag of Germany.svg Germany 8–0 Romania File:Flag of Romania.svg (Magdeburg, Germany; 9 September 2014) | ||||
| UEFA U-21 Championship | ||||
| Appearances | 4 (first in 1998) | |||
| Best result | Semi-finals (2019) | |||
The Romania national under-21 football team, also known as Romania under-21s or Romania U21(s), is considered to be the feeder team for the Romania national football team. This team is for Romanian players aged under 21 at the start of the calendar year in which a two-year European Under-21 Championship campaign begins, so some players can remain with the squad until the age of 23. As long as they are eligible, players can play for Romania at any level, making it possible to play for the U21s, senior side, and again for the U21s. It is also possible to play for one country at youth level and another at senior level (providing the player has not played a senior competitive game in his previous country.)
History
The U-21 team came into existence, following the realignment of UEFA's youth competitions, in 1976. Romania qualified for the 1998 UEFA European Under-21 Championship, and under Victor Pițurcă reached the quarter-finals, where they were knocked out by the Netherlands. Romania had been 1–0 up, but were eventually beaten 2–1. The Romanian lineup included players like: Cosmin Contra, Bogdan Lobonț, Cătălin Munteanu, Ionel Dănciulescu and Ion Luțu. Romania once again qualified unbeaten for the finals after topping their group in the qualifying series. The Romanians reached semi-final of the UEFA European Under-21 Championship for the first time in their history in the 2019 UEFA Under-21 Euro but eventually lost 4–2 to defending champions Germany who scored twice in the dying moments. Romania qualified for the 2020 Summer Olympics for their first Olympics since 1964. Overall, Romania was a revelation at the tournament, beating both England and Croatia (4-2 and 4–1), and looked on course for a shock before Germany fought back to make the final. Romania U21s do not have a permanent home. They play in stadia dotted all around Romania, in an attempt to encourage younger fans in all areas of the country to get behind Romania. Because of the lower demand compared to the senior national team, smaller grounds can be used.
Competitive record
UEFA U-21 Championship Record
| UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship record | UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship Qualification record | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Pld | W | D* | L | GF | GA | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
| 1978 | did not qualify | 4 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 8 | |||||||
| 1980 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 3 | ||||||||
| 1982 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 12 | ||||||||
| 1984 | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 8 | 12 | ||||||||
| 1986 | 6 | 1 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 7 | ||||||||
| 1988 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 7 | 7 | ||||||||
| 1990 | 6 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 8 | 7 | ||||||||
| 1992 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 9 | ||||||||
| France 1994 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 3 | 13 | 10 | ||||||||
| Spain 1996 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 17 | 10 | ||||||||
| Romania 1998 | Quarter-finals | 3 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 4 | |
| Slovakia 2000 | did not qualify | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 10 | 8 | |||||||
| Switzerland 2002 | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 13 | 5 | ||||||||
| Germany 2004 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 7 | ||||||||
| Portugal 2006 | 10 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 17 | 8 | ||||||||
| Netherlands 2007 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 | ||||||||
| Sweden 2009 | 8 | 4 | 3 | 1 | 11 | 3 | ||||||||
| Denmark 2011 | 10 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 23 | 6 | ||||||||
| Israel 2013 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 6 | ||||||||
| Czech Republic 2015 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 14 | 19 | ||||||||
| Poland 2017 | 10 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 15 | 14 | ||||||||
| Italy San Marino 2019 | Semi-finals | 4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 19 | 4 | |
| Hungary Slovenia 2021 | Group stage | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 10 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 22 | 7 | |
| Romania Georgia (country) 2023 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 4 | Qualified as hosts | |||||||
| Total | 4/24 | 13 | 3 | 4 | 6 | 15 | 18 | 160 | 87 | 31 | 52 | 268 | 181 | |
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Olympic Games
Football at the Summer Olympics was first played officially in 1908. The Olympiads between 1896 and 1980 was only open for amateur players. The 1984 and 1988 tournaments were open to players with no appearances in the FIFA World Cup. After the 1988 Olympics, the football event was changed into a tournament for U23 or U21 teams with a maximum of three older players. See Romania national football team for competition record from 1908 until 1988.
| Olympic Games record | Olympic Games Qualification record ** | ||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Round | Position | Pld | W | D * | L | GF | GA | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | |
| Spain 1992 | did not qualify | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 9 | ||||||||
| United States 1996 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 17 | 10 | |||||||||
| Australia 2000 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 10 | 8 | |||||||||
| Greece 2004 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 7 | |||||||||
| China 2008 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 5 | |||||||||
| United Kingdom 2012 | 10 | 8 | 1 | 1 | 23 | 6 | |||||||||
| Brazil 2016 | 8 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 14 | 19 | |||||||||
| Japan 2020 | Group Stage | 11th | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 14 | 9 | 4 | 1 | 29 | 11 | |
| France 2024 | did not qualify | ||||||||||||||
| United States 2028 | to be determined | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||||||
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- *Denotes draws include knockout matches decided on penalty kicks.
- **Includes both qualification phase and final tournament of UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship.
- ***Gold background color indicates that the tournament was won. Red border color indicates tournament was held on home soil.
EURO 2025
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification | File:Flag of Romania.svg | File:Flag of Finland.svg | File:Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg | File:Flag of Albania.svg | File:Flag of Montenegro.svg | File:Flag of Armenia.svg | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | File:Flag of Romania.svg Romania | 10 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 23 | 10 | +13 | 22 | Final tournament | — | 1–0 | 3–1 | 5–0 | 1–0 | 2–0 | |
| 2 | File:Flag of Finland.svg Finland | 10 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 21 | 8 | +13 | 20 | Play-offs | 2–0 | — | 1–2 | 4–1 | 2–1 | 6–0 | |
| 3 | File:Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Switzerland | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 21 | 12 | +9 | 18 | 2–2 | 1–1 | — | 1–2 | 4–2 | 5–0 | ||
| 4 | File:Flag of Albania.svg Albania | 10 | 5 | 1 | 4 | 12 | 17 | −5 | 16 | 3–2 | 0–0 | 1–3 | — | 2–0 | 1–0 | ||
| 5 | File:Flag of Montenegro.svg Montenegro | 10 | 2 | 1 | 7 | 8 | 19 | −11 | 7 | 2–6 | 1–2 | 0–2 | 1–0 | — | 0–0 | ||
| 6 | File:Flag of Armenia.svg Armenia | 10 | 0 | 2 | 8 | 2 | 21 | −19 | 2 | 0–1 | 1–3 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 0–1 | — |
Results and fixtures
Win Draw Loss
2023
| 17 October 2023 2025 UEFA Q | Romania File:Flag of Romania.svg | 1–0 | File:Flag of Finland.svg Finland | Sibiu, Romania |
| 18:00 | M. Ilie File:Soccerball shade.svg 90+8' | Report | Stadium: Municipal Attendance: 7,654 Referee: Luka Bilbija (Bosnia and Herzegovina) |
| 17 November 2023 2025 UEFA Q | Romania File:Flag of Romania.svg | 5–0 | File:Flag of Albania.svg Albania | Bucharest, Romania |
| 19:30 | Munteanu File:Soccerball shade.svg 7' (pen.) M. Ilie File:Soccerball shade.svg 15' R. Ilie File:Soccerball shade.svg 37' Grameni File:Soccerball shade.svg 55' Danciu File:Soccerball shade.svg 86' |
Report | Stadium: Rapid-Giulești Attendance: 2,234 Referee: Matthew De Gabriele (Malta) |
| 21 November 2023 2025 UEFA Q | Switzerland File:Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg | 2–2 | File:Flag of Romania.svg Romania | Neuchâtel, Switzerland |
| 18:30 | Sanches File:Soccerball shade.svg 23' Dos Santos Correia File:Soccerball shade.svg 88' |
Report | R. Ilie File:Soccerball shade.svg 11' Grameni File:Soccerball shade.svg 32' |
Stadium: Maladière Attendance: 5,359 Referee: Dominik Stary (Czech Republic) |
2024
| 26 March 2024 2025 UEFA Q | Armenia File:Flag of Armenia.svg | 0–1 | File:Flag of Romania.svg Romania | Armavir, Armenia |
| 15:00 | Report | C. Mihai File:Soccerball shade.svg 89' | Stadium: Armavir Referee: Damian Sylwestrzak (Poland) |
| 6 September 2024 2025 UEFA Q | Romania File:Flag of Romania.svg | 1–0 | File:Flag of Montenegro.svg Montenegro | Târgoviște, Romania |
| 18:30 (19:30 EEST) | Report | Stadium: Eugen Popescu Stadium Referee: David Dickinson, (Scotland) |
| 10 September 2024 2025 UEFA Q | Finland File:Flag of Finland.svg | 2–0 | File:Flag of Romania.svg Romania | Tampere, Finland |
| 16.00 UTC | Report | Stadium: Tammelan Stadion Attendance: 2,014 Referee: Kristoffer Hagenes, (Norway) |
| 11 October 2024 2025 UEFA Q | Montenegro File:Flag of Montenegro.svg | 2–6 | File:Flag of Romania.svg Romania | Podgorica, Montenegro |
| 16:00 | Report |
|
Stadium: Podgorica City Stadium Referee: Jérémie Pignard (France) |
| 15 October 2024 2025 UEFA Q | Romania File:Flag of Romania.svg | 3–1 | File:Flag of Switzerland (Pantone).svg Switzerland | Bucharest, Romania |
| 18:00 (19:00 EEST) |
|
Report | Stadium: Stadionul Rapid-Giulești Referee: Marc Nagtegaal (Netherlands) |
Players
Current squad
The following players were called up for the 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship qualification Group E matches against Montenegro and Switzerland on 11 and 15 October 2024 respectively.[1] Note: Names in italics denote players that have been called up to the senior team. Caps and goals are correct as of 15 October 2024, after the match against Switzerland
Recent call-ups
Players born in or after 2002 are eligible for the 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship. The following players have also been called up in the past to the Romania under-21 squad and remain eligible to play in the qualification matches for 2025 UEFA European Under-21 Championship:
- Notes
- INJ = Player withdrew from the squad due to an injury
- SUS = Player is serving suspension
- WD = Player withdrew from the squad
- COV = Player withdrawn from the squad due to positive COVID-19 test
- Names in italics denote players that have been capped for the Senior team.
Coaching staff
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Head Coach | Romania Daniel Pancu |
| Assistant Coaches | Romania Lucian Sânmartean Romania Răzvan Rotaru |
| Goalkeeping Coach | Romania Răzvan Stanca |
| Fitness Coach | Romania Vlad Nicoară |
| Video Analyst | Romania Ovidiu Popescu |
| Doctor | Romania Costin Dan |
| Video Analyst | Romania Ovidiu Popescu |
| Physioterapists | Romania Constantin Crețu Romania Mădălin Tălpălaru |
See also
Footnotes
References
- ↑ "U21 spre EURO 2025 / Lotul României pentru meciurile din luna octombrie, decisive pentru calificarea la Campionatul European" (in română). Romanian Football Federation. 30 August 2024. Retrieved 5 October 2024.
External links
- UEFA Under-21 website Contains full results archive
- The Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation Contains full record of U-21/U-23 Championships.
- FRF.ro