Romania recorded its second-ever victory at the European Championship and its first in 24 years — a comprehensive 3-0 victory over Ukraine on Monday to hand coach Edward Iordănescu a late birthday present.
Nicolae Stanciu put Romania ahead with an early contender for goal of the tournament when he drove home a long-range strike in the 29th minute to take the lead before halftime.
The game was effectively over by the 60th minute after two quickfire goals from Răzvan Marin and Denis Mihai Drăgus ended the contest.
It was the Triclolours first win at a major tournament since a shock 3-2 triumph over England at Euro 2000. This was an equally surprising result against Ukraine which was hoping to provide excitement for its people amid the backdrop of the war back home. Instead, it was the Romanians who revelled in front of their fans after the final whistle.
It was an emotional match for both sets of players. It was Romania’s first appearance at a major tournament in almost a decade and several of the players were in tears as they recited the national anthem.