5 Eastern European players who dominated on the world stage

#4 Gheorghe Hagi

Gheorghe Hagi was known as 'The Maradona of the Carpathians'

The most famous player ever produced by Romania, Hagi was nicknamed ‘The Maradona of the Carpathians’ which probably tells you a lot about his incredible talents. Over a seventeen-year international career, he was named Romanian Player of the Year on seven occasions and led his country to their best ever World Cup finish – the quarter-finals – in 1994, scoring one of the best goals of the tournament in their group stage match against Colombia.

Blessed with an incredible left foot, Hagi in his prime was one of the best-attacking midfielders on the planet. He could shoot from literally any position or angle, pick out a long-range pass to a teammate on a whim and had unbelievable dribbling skills that allowed him to ghost past his opponents. And at club level, he was one of the most high-profile players to appear for both Real Madrid and Barcelona – his time at the Nou Camp being more memorable, as he played alongside Romario and Hristo Stoichkov as part of Johan Cruyff’s famous team.

Arguably his biggest achievements came with Turkish side Galatasaray, though. Hagi signed for them in 1996/97 after leaving Barcelona and remained there until his retirement in 2001. With Hagi in the side, Galatasaray won the Turkish Super Lig four times in a row, and also captured the UEFA Cup in 2000 and then won the UEFA Super Cup in the next season – defeating Real Madrid.

While Hagi undoubtedly had a dark side – he was sent off for violent conduct on a handful of occasions, could be inconsistent, and was renowned for his arrogance and ability to fall out with his coaches and teammates – he remains one of the most talented players ever produced by Eastern Europe.