Hagi considers retirement

Romanian star Gheorghe Hagi looks set to retire at the end of the season.

Bucharest newspapers have covered last night's 2-0 win over Cyprus by reporting on the Galatasary midfielder's plans to quit football entirely after Euro 2000.

The 34 year old former FC Barcelona star has played at three World Cup finals and last night's friendly victory came in a stadium recently named in his honour. He is Romania's most capped player with 121 appearances and was outstanding against the Cypriot side.

Hagi is due to finish his club career in Copenhagen with the UEFA Cup final in May when the Istanbul club faces Arsenal. No Turkish club has won a European competition so far.

The player is set for a career in coaching with the national team of Romania if he goes through with his decision to retire but has business ventures as well. He owns a dental practice outside Bucharest and co-owns a Los Angeles pizza restaurant with his brother.

The 'Maradona of the Carpathians' as he is known announced his retirement from international football last August with Euro 2000 matches as his finishing point but one more season in club football now looks unlikely. He made his international debut against Norway in 1983.