Romania
← World Cup build-up
Unoff. friendly
24.01.1990
Stadionul Ilie Oană (Ploiești)
Petrolul
1–5
(Report)

Romania
Hagi (10′, 43′ pen)
Gh. Popescu (23′)
Andone (55′)
Mateut (85′)
Line-up: Lung (Stelea HT) – Petrescu, Iovan (Sandoi 60), Andone, Rotariu – Sabau, Gh. Peopescu (Rednic 60), Hagi (Mateut HT), Lupu (Cheregi 60) – Lacatus (St. Stoica HT), Balint (M. Popa 60).
Training camp
A training camp was arranged in January/February 1990, taking place in France and Italy. This involved friendlies against Olympique Marseille and Pisa. The camp was followed by a friendly against Algeria in Alger.
Unoff. friendly
28.01.1990
Stade Velodrome (Marseille)
Olympique Marseille
2–1

Romania
Iovan
Romania (4-1-3-2): Lung – Petrescu, Andone, Iovan, Rotariu – Sabău, Hagi, Gh. Popescu, Lupu – Balint, Lăcătuş.
Romanian goal scored by Stefan Iovan. This was notably the same team that had played in the final match against Denmark. Camataru, the only player based abroad, missed the training camp because of club duties.
Unoff. friendly
02.02.1990
Pisa
3–0

Romania
Line-up: Lung – Petrescu, Andone, Iovan, Rotariu, Sabau, Hagi, Popescu, Lupu (Cheregi 75′), Lacatus, Balint (St. Stoica 75′).
Unoff. friendly
21.03.1990
Pays Basque
2–2

Romania
Rotariu
Balint
Bilbao
Line-up: Liliac – Petrescu, Sandoi, Iovan, Rotariu, Popescu, Lacatus, Dumitrescu (Crisea 87′), Balint (Popa 80′), Hagi, Musznay.
TBC
Friendly
28.03.1990
Egypt
El-Kass (31′)

1–3
(Facts)

Romania
Timofte (19′)
Balint (23′, 87′)
Cairo International Stadium (Cairo)
Line-up: Liliac – Petrescu, Andone, Rednic, Cristea, Lupu (Dumitrescu 81′), Popescu, Hagi (Mateut 71′), Timofte, Lacatus, Balint.
TBC
Final squad selection
Belodedici remained ineligible due to having defected to Yugoslavia in December 1988. Belodedici now refused to play for Romania, and reportedly feared getting legally persecuted by the authorities after his defection. He had settled in Yugoslavia, and signed for Crvena Zvezda, for whom he made his debut on 18 February 1990 against Vardar Skopje (a).
Jenei did in fact have an excellent replacement for Belodedici in Gheorghe Popescu. He could of course had use for them both, as Popescu in midfield.
There was also a big right back problem. Both Dan Petrescu and Stefan Iovan had been injured and would be unavailable to take part in the World Cup. Petrescu had broken his ligaments in a league match for Steaua on 18 April, after an unfair challenge from Pavel Badea.
Jenei picked two young players in Adrian Popescu and Ionut Lupescu.
It has been claimed that Jenei pondered including two of Romania’s great players from the 80s, who now were well past it, but still active and could bring some experience: Ladislau Bölöni and Marcel Răducanu. Difficult to say how close they actually were.
Arrival in Italy
The Romanian team arrived 29.05. in Telese, near Naples. The team then had a training camp in Telese from 29.05. to 03.06.
After this, the Romanian squad moved to what would be its headquarters for the World Cup, Bisceglie (near Bari).