EURO 2024: qualifying in eighths and mass arithmetic

The national team plays today a decisive match for the qualification to the round of 16 of EURO 2024. The situation in our group is complicated enough that anything is possible. Against this background, football fans have rediscovered arithmetic and do calculations more like in primary classes. Additions, subtractions, miracles, misfortunes, all are mixed with passion so that after the equal sign they write qualification.

Our team is in a very good position and we have to admit that it is quite difficult to miss qualification. A win or a draw against Slovakia automatically secures qualification. Also, a victory of Belgium against Ukraine guarantees us qualification even if we lose today's match, because according to the calculations from the other groups played until the end of the edition, in the fight for the 3 qualifying places, Croatia is weaker in points than our team, and Hungary can only beat us if we lose 0-5.

The planets are quite well aligned, so reasons for optimism abound. Obviously it's one thing to rank 1st in the group and catch a weaker opponent and another to finish 3rd and play with a very strong team.

This is also known by the players and they are mounted to manage to catch a favorable lane. Denis Drăguş declared that the Romanian national team is playing the match against Slovakia with the thought of victory and first place in group E:

"The family was with us from the beginning, it was important that we could spend an afternoon with them, they loaded us up, we are more than ready for Wednesday's match. I think that all of Europe was amazed by the Romanian supporters. We recovered well, everyone did their job well, we gave everything in this aspect as well and we are ready for Slovakia, We are going to win, to take the 1st place in the group, with this thought we leave, and make the world again happy. After what I saw and felt at this Euro, I would give up several years of my career to play a quarter-final on July 6, when it's my birthday. We are ready to give the last drop on the field, for Romania".

Edward Iordănescu, for his part, sent a message of thanks to the fans whom he wishes to see almost at the last match in the group: "When the Romanian anthem is resounding from tens of thousands of chests in a EURO stadium, in a foreign country, at the end in a match in which we are led, it means that the sacrifice and the fight of the players on the field are not only appreciated by the Romanian supporters, but they united in an overwhelming force all our work and the affection of Romanians everywhere. After the incredible atmosphere in Munich, the lesson came of support and affection from Koln. The most emotional moments for me as a coach so far. I am grateful and thank you on behalf of the entire staff and the national team locker room, on behalf of all our boys!

As promised, this team gives it their all. To the end. Regardless of the day and the opponent, we are Romanians, we are proud of it and we fight to the end!

Sometimes it works out perfectly, sometimes it doesn't. But when we leave the field without any doubt that we gave everything for Romania and for the Romanians, we have every chance that in the next match we will change things on the table! We will recover physically as quickly as possible, we have already gathered the ranks and we will be ready again, with all our heart and our best, to make you proud again! The end is not here, I assure you. And we, together, fight to the end".

Romania won against Ukraine, score 3-0, lost against Belgium, 0-2, and will play today, from 19:00, against Slovakia.