Piturca re-appointed Romania coach
BUCHAREST, Romania -- Victor Piturca has been re-appointed to the job of Romania national coach four years after being fired, a Federation official said Wednesday in Bucharest.
Former Steaua Bucharest coach Piturca, succeeds Anghel Iordanescu who resigned last month after a 1-1 draw with outsiders Armenia in a World Cup qualifier.
Piturca originally coached Romania from 1998, but having led his nation to the Euro 2000 finals left the post before the event over a row with star player Gheorghe Hagi
Piturca, 48, was the only Romanian coach from an initial list of four choices named by the federation as candidates for the job this time.
Mircea Lucescu of Shakhtar Donetsk, Galatasaray's Hagi and Rennes coach Ladislau Boloni declined the chance and Piturca has signed a three-year deal.
Romania, who in October lost 1-0 to the Czech Republic, are second behind the Netherlands on goal difference in their World Cup section, but the Dutch have a game in hand.
"The FRF board has agreed to appoint Piturca as new coach," FRF spokesman Paul Zaharia confirmed.
Zaharia said a contract, under which Piturca gets 250,000 euros ($333,000) annually, would be signed in the next few day and run until the end of 2007.
Romania, who failed to qualify for the 2002 World Cup finals and Euro 2004, host the Dutch on March 26 next year and travel to Macedonia four days later.
Piturca has been out of work after severing his ties with Steaua Bucharest earlier this year.
