|
Collection of Hagi's Incredible Left Foot Goals Gheorghe Hagi, known as "the Maradona of the Carpathians" was a genius on the field, and his ability to score from free kicks using his deadly left foot is legendary. In his hometown of Constanta, the stadium was re-named in his honor. He began playing his local side, Farul Constanta in 1982. He later joined Sportul Studentesc, in while at Sportul he was the leading scorer in the Divizia A in the 1985-86 season. He was immediately signed by Steaua Bucharest, where he went on to win the European supercup. With Steaua, Hagi led the team to three league and cup doubles. After the 1990 World Cup, he went to Real Madrid, and in 1992 joined Brescia in the Serie A. In 1994 he played for Barcelona with Gica Popescu, and he left Barcelona for Galatasaray in '96. Hagi made his debut for the national side at the age of 18 in 1983. Since then he was been, literally, the cause of the rise of Romanian soccer in the 1990s. His playing style revolutionized the Romanian game - his speed and creativity made those famous counter-attacks possible. At 5'8" tall, wearing size five boots, Hagi is one of the more diminutive players on the field, but in terms of his impact on the game, and the status of Romanian soccer, he is larger than life. By bringing so much respect to Romanian soccer, Hagi opened up opportunities for future players, as clubs from all over Europe come to scout talent in Romania. Hagi, deservedly, was named Romanian player of ... |
