Rangers star Ianis Hagi is not ready to feature for Romania according to national team boss Edi Iordanescu as he hit back in the furious row with the Ibrox favourite’s famous father Gheorghe.
Hagi senior and Iordanescu have locked horns for days after the former Real Madrid and Barcelona icon hit the roof because his son was omitted from Romania's Euro 2024 games this week against Andorra and Belarus. He even suggested the Rangers star - who has returned to action after 13 months out with a knee injury - will never be good enough for the Romania boss.
Now Iordanescu has been forced to detail why he left out Hagi after revealing he personally phoned him to explain his reasons. He said: "I will only comment on this once and I feel compelled to do it because this topic has been amplified so much. When I picked the squad, Ianis Hagi had played a total of 64 minutes after 13 months out.
"The first thing I did was to call Ianis and explain the situation. Throughout his injured period, I kept in constant contact with him. I told him that from our point of view, he is still not at full capacity and at full strength to come and help the national team.
"We have seen all the minutes played since his return at Rangers and we think he still needs time and support. We are with him completely, we are looking forward to his return, but he needs to consolidate at least at club level, to have continuity, so that there are zero risks when we bring him.
"I don't know if there can be a greater form of respect and support for a player than the manager calling you and giving you these explanations. Ianis is a player with great potential, but we believe he still needs time. We thought it wisest to let him continue his recovery with his club team.
"I will be the happiest coach in the world when he is well and returns to the national team. From my point of view, the relationship with Ianis will be totally unchanged. This matter is now closed."
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