Gheorghe Hagi Believes Adrian Mutu will Kick Down The Les Blues France

Romania will have football and political royalty supporting them tonight with former midfielder and coach Gheorghe Hagi set to join state president Traian Basescu among the dignitaries cheering them on in their Group C opener against France.
Hagi's dazzling skills and cultured left foot earned him the sobriquet 'the Maradona of the Carpathians' as well as the honour of being named as Romania's footballer of the century after 125 caps and 35 goals for his country. The current squad might lack a playmaker with a similar cachet, but the 43-year-old has identified Adrian Mutu as one of the players who could become an even bigger hero for Romanian fans during this tournament. "Mutu is a match-winner, there's no doubt about that," added Hagi. "He's at a very good age now with lots of experience. He has overcome a lot of personal problems and even now just before the game against France he has lost his grandmother. But he is a tough character and I expect he will come back strong again and do what he does best – score goals."