ISTANBUL - Romania's well-known soccer player Gheorghe Hagi signed a two-year contract with Galatasaray Soccer Club on Monday.
Galatasaray Executive Board member Ergun Gursoy said, ''we signed a two-year contract with Hagi. Now that he has become the coach of Galatasaray.''
Hagi, speaking to reporters after the signing ceremony, said he was honored to return to the Galatasaray club as its coach.
Hagi said, ''everyone knows me well. They know I'm a very ambitious person who likes discipline. I'm going to continue with the same principles. My goal as a coach is to develop a team with a spirit for winning, a team that always thinks about winning.''
Hagi said they wanted to get maximum points in the remaining eight weeks in the league.
He said everybody should help and believe in each other.
Gheorghe Hagi is known as ''the Maradona of the Carpathians''. In his hometown of Constanta, the stadium was re-named in his honor. He began playing for his local team, Farul Constanta in 1982. He later joined Sportul Studentesc.
While at Sportul, he was the leading scorer in the Divizia A in the 1985-86 season. He was immediately signed by Steaua Bucharest, where he went on to win the European supercup. With Steaua, Hagi led the team to three league and cup doubles. After the 1990 World Cup, he went to Real Madrid, and in 1992 joined Brescia in the Serie A. In 1994 he played for Barcelona with Gica Popescu, and he left Barcelona for Galatasaray in 1996.
(AY) 22.03.2004