People often let star players of bygone eras of the game slip their mind once their career is over. One such star was Gheorghe Hagi!
He was a maestro on the football pitch. Many would have considered him to be an artist whenever he stood tall in the middle of the pitch, ready to paint the game to his liking. During his playing days, he dazzled the world with breathtaking technique and vision that made football seem less like a sport and more like poetry. Hagi's journey from the streets of Romania to the grand stages of European football is nothing short of iconic.
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The former playmaker is considered by many to be the best player to have ever come out of Romania. His lofty rank in the beautiful game is evidenced by the nicknames he has been given over the years. Some refer to him as "the Maradona of the Carpathians", others call him the "Maradona of the East" and to fans of FC Steaua Bucuresti (FCSB), he is known as "Regele" ("King").
It was as though he was born to play football, and the fact that he was recognised as a very talented player as a young boy showed that.
He was born in the small Romanian town of Sacele in 1965. With an innate talent for football, according to the Romania Tour Store, his father Niculae was also a professional footballer who shared his knowledge with his son. While many sons do not quite live up to the expectations set by their fathers, this was certainly not the case with the Hagis.
Hagi impressed even at youth level at Farul Constanta before properly embarking on his professional football journey with FC Sportul Studentesc in 1983. Three years later, he would move to FCSB, where things really began to kick off for the midfield star.
His performances in his native country earned him a move to Real Madrid in 1990. At Los Blancos, he would make 84 appearances, scoring 20 goals and picking up 12 assists. He became a thorn for opposition in Spain as well as the rest of Europe.
He would then move on to Italian side Brescia for two years before joining Barcelona in 1994, where he would also spend two years and win a Spanish Super Cup with the Catalan giants. During his time at the Camp Nou, he played alongside equally magnificent players that included Pep Guardiola, Eusebio, Luis Figo, and many more!
The former Los Blancos star then went on to join Turkish side Galatasaray, with whom he won the top-flight championship on four occasions. He also added two Turkish Cups as well as two Turkish Super Cups to his trophy cabinet. Overall, the former attacking midfielder's club career is something to be marvelled at, and he was Romania's Footballer of the Year on seven occasions.
The ex-Barca man would go on to retire in 2001, but left behind a stunning legacy for all to appreciate.
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