Source: Liverpool_Echo
James Pearce on LFC's first Europa League opponents Steaua Bucharest
Steaua Bucharest are Liverpool's opening opponents in the group stage of the Europa League at Anfield tomorrow night. James Pearce takes a look at the threat posed by the Romanians[LNB]STEAUA Bucharest have got their money's worth out of new boss Ilie Dumitrescu regardless of how they get on in Group K of the Europa League.[LNB]When the former Tottenham forward returned to his boyhood club last month he refused to accept Steaua's cash and asked for a symbolic payment of one Romanian leu (20p) to take over.[LNB]'He will not be my employee,' confirmed club owner Gigi Becali.[LNB] 'He does not want the club's money. He told me simply 'I am coming but money does not interest me. I just want respect'.'[LNB]Steaua, who face Liverpool at Anfield tomorrow night, are the most decorated club in the history of Romanian football but they have endured a barren few years. They won the last of their record 23 league titles in 2005/06 and have been dogged by instability.[LNB]When Victor Piturca walked out in August just two games into his reign he became the 11th coach to leave Steaua in the last seven years. The manager had only been appointed in May and over the summer had overseen a massive overhaul of the squad with over a dozen new signings.[LNB]Romania legend Gheorghe Hagi claimed that he had turned the job down because he found working under Becali impossible during his previous spell in charge in 2007.[LNB]Becali turned to Hagi's former international team-mate Dumitrescu, who boasts nearly a decade of coaching experience in Cyprus and Greece as well as in his homeland.[LNB]Dumitrescu spent eight years with Steaua as a player before joining Tottenham in 1994 following the World Cup in America.[LNB]He moved on to West Ham and played in Mexico before returning to Steaua to finish his career in 1998 and retired at the age of 29.[LNB]Dumitrescu has enjoyed a solid start with Steaua, who finished fourth last season, currently third in the league after seven games and level on points with leaders and city rivals Dinamo.[LNB]However, Steaua have failed to win in their last three matches and last weekend they were beaten 1-0 at Unirea Urziceni, who Liverpool knocked out of the Europa League at the last 32-stage last season.[LNB]Striker Bogdan Stancu is their top scorer with six goals and they have been tight defensively having conceded just seven times in nine games.[LNB]Steaua reached the group stage of the Europa League by defeating Grasshoppers 4-3 on penalties after the tie finished 1-1 on aggregate.
