Romania manager loses cool over match-fixing claims after making Euros history
Romania boss Edward Iordanescu hit out at wild claims in the Spanish and Italian press that his side could fix a draw with Slovakia to ensure both teams qualified for the knockout stages.
Both teams were gunning for victory in Frankfurt - despite making it through Group E in first and third place, respectively.
Iordanescu declared following the 1-1 draw at Deutsche Bank Park: "There are some people that should apologise to us. It was clear both teams gave their best for 90 minutes, to throw mud to the team, to our dignity, this was shameful, this was not nice. They throw this garbage to us, to the team. We show our character, Romania, all the time."
Iordanescu is now daring to dream after his side made history by becoming the first Romanian side ever to top a group at the European Championships. He said: "Almost the whole stadium was yellow, they followed us to the train station, the hotel, when we went to training. It's absolutely incredible and I really hope this will continue. Romania has found a spirit that it mustn't ever lose again - we want to go as far as we can."
Remarkably, all four teams finished on four points in Group E as Belgium also qualified for the last 16 despite their underwhelming 0-0 draw with Ukraine, who were sent packing.
Slovakia took the lead when Ondrej Duda headed home on 24 minutes but Romania were great value for a point after Razvan Marin fired home an equaliser from the penalty spot.
Blue-haired right-back Andrei Ratiu called Slovakia goalkeeper, Newcastle's Martin Dubravka, into action inside the opening 10 minutes when his curling strike was parried wide of the box - finding the advancing Ianis Hagi who fired over.
Romania
Ex-Watford man Kucka curled a wonderful looping cross into the mixer and it was headed home with aplomb by former Norwich loanee Duda.
However, the lead did not last long. Romania were level when VAR advised referee Daniel Siebert to point to the spot after Hancko brought down Rangers winger Hagi, initially outside of the penalty area. But replays showed there was separate contact inside the box and all-action midfielder Marin gratefully smashed home from 12 yards.
A vicious thunderstorm created wretched conditions and wreaked havoc upon the second half as Romania attacker Denis Dragus went close with a dipping strike from distance that landed on the roof of the net. Slovakia also came close to a winner when Lukas Haraslin's sweetly-struck effort flew inches wide.
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