​Journalist Dan Udrea, former deputy editor-in-chief of Gazeta Sporturilor and TV producer for Orange Sport, is one of the critical voices who have left or left GSP. He is currently working on the launch of a new online sports publication, which will be part of the same press group that publishes HotNews.ro. In an opinion piece he publishes today for HotNews.ro readers, Dan Udrea notes that “now that we know all 32 countries that will participate in the European Championship, we can accept a reality that can be objectively argued. Namely: Romania is the weakest national team that will be at the Euro!”.

Doesn’t that sound good at all? Is it unpatriotic? Is it hard to admit that the data shows that we are starting with the last chance? Is it bad to take this pose? Or is it an exercise in realism and strength?

According to objective data, which we will talk about immediately, we are inferior to Albania, Georgia, and Slovenia. What is the basis for this risky claim that we are the weakest ranked for Euro 2024?

According to the cumulative value of players, Georgia is 50% higher than us

The website Transfermarkt is a suitable reference for what it means to set odds for footballers. Of course, calculations are not a verdict, but an exciting starting point. Currently, Romania forms the least valuable national team. With the likes of Georgia, Albania, Slovenia and Slovakia also in the final tournament, Romania sits last in the top overall player rankings.

In fact, we are the only national company that does not exceed the threshold of 100 million euros in estimated value. Only!

For comparison, Georgia, which will be at the Euro for the first time, is ahead of us by 50%. At the same time, Slovenia and Albania also surpass us by at least 25%.

Top 10 citizens of the country with the lowest rating:

• Romania – 96 million euros
• Slovenia – 121 millions of euros
• Albania – 123 millions of euros
• Slovakia – 126 millions of euros
• Czech Republic – 150 millions of euros
• Georgia – 150 millions of euros
• Hungary – 166 millions of euros
• Poland – 199 millions of euros
• Serbia – 230 millions of euros
• Switzerland – 230 millions of euros

Ukraine is 4 times bigger than us

This is a picture. Whether we want to look at it or not, whether we accept it or not! From here we go to this final tournament.

Let’s also turn to the group to which we belong: Belgium, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania. The general impression is “we have an affordable group”. The difference in levels looks something like this:

• Slovakia is more than 30% more expensive

• Ukraine’s lot is valued almost 4 times higher than ours

• Belgium is from another world: it is more than twice the size of Colombia, and with Colombia we saw what we experienced

Which of us will start in Liverpool or Leipzig in the Champions League?

Let’s move on to another criterion: individual analysis of players. This assessment would further disadvantage us. For example, in Georgia there is a football player Kvaratskhelia, who is evaluated for a possible transfer almost like our entire national team combined.

Slovenia has what we don’t, an undisputed starting striker in a Champions League side in Cesko and Leipzig.

Hungary offers Soboslay, a footballer for 75 million euros, the undisputed owner of Liverpool!

Albanians and Slovaks do not have high-ranking stars, but there are players who play almost match after match in England, Italy, Spain, Holland.

We are good in Serie B, Saudi Arabia and Turkey

We have Dragushyn, who also plays in the Premier League in Great Britain, but he is more of a reserve. For him, the Premier League is an important success that gives hope and reward for impressive work. But in general, the share of the player in the “team” is irreconcilably limited. In addition, we will come with Janis Hagi, Horatio Moldovan and Raciu from La Liga, Spain, but with reservations.

Each named player, taken individually, is a story of effort, success, obstacles overcome. But here we are discussing the power of the team, the rampant statistics of success by adding as much value as possible.

If we look at our undisputed champions, they are either from Serie B, Saudi Arabia, Turkey or the domestic league, a competition that did not feature a single team in the last edition of the European Cup groups.

Can we think like Emerick Yeni?

We will be happy that we are at the Euro. But let’s be aware, realistically, from which posture we go there. Let’s assume that we are at the lowest level among those present. Just because we start last doesn’t mean we’ll finish last. But it does mean that it takes clarity and a huge amount of organization and determination to collectively make up for what we lack individually.

It’s not shameful. It is a recognition that we need to put into practice the saying, valid at any time of life, once said by the most courageous character of Romanian football, Emeric Yenei: “Let us have no illusions, lest we have disappointments.”

This saying is known in export circles as the “theory of lowered expectations”. It is not necessarily bad. If you use it wisely, it will help you position yourself well and be able to spring surprises.

Between the acceptance of the condition and the absence of reason

If we manage to recognize our condition, the Euro will be a holiday for us. Any positive result will be a success and will mean that we have raised our level and are progressing.

And vice versa, if the lack of a correct assessment will push us to think that we “must” or “need” to play at least the last eight, then any normal result, even one that would respect the paper calculation, we will turn into a disaster. . We will again feel like we are at the edge of the world.

The Golden Generation 1994 ends on May 25. Euro 2024 in June

We still have time until the euro begins to reflect and perhaps give another line of laundry instead of green horses that appear from time to time on our optimistic walls. If we’ve ever been to a penalty shootout in a World Cup semi-final, we can’t live on the memory forever.

Our nostalgia will accompany us with unwavering loyalty on May 25 at the National Arena, at the match of the 1994 Golden Generation.

But from June we have Euro-2024. To enjoy the tournament, we need to accept the reality of the situation. Nostalgia will remain in the stands along with one of the most beautiful stories in the history of our sport, which today seeks new horizons.