Sports Weekend
A roundup of news from sports
Florin Orban, 29.05.2026, 13:45
At the European Rhythmic Gymnastics Championships currently underway in Varna, Bulgaria, the junior competitions have concluded. Two athletes from Romania competed in the apparatus finals. Patricia Stanciu finished sixth in the ball final, while Elisabeta Corduneanu placed fifth in the ribbon final. The competition continues over the weekend with the senior events, which began on Thursday.
Moving on to basketball. In the second game of the National Men’s League finals, U-BT Cluj-Napoca defeated CSM CSU Oradea away score 88-83. The two teams are now tied 1-1, after the Bihor team won the opening game 87-84. The American-born Romanian international Daron Russell was the top performer for Cluj, tallying 17 points, 7 rebounds and 9 assists. For the hosts, Dutchman Emmanuel Nzekwesi stood out with 15 points and 4 rebounds. The final is played in a best-of-five format, with the next two games scheduled to take place in Cluj-Napoca on June 1 and 3.
In the coming days, we will learn the final list of teams that will play next year in the Romanian Football Superleague. The second leg of the matches to maintain or earn promotion to the top tier will take place on Sunday and Monday. On Sunday, in Ovidiu, Farul Constanța will face Chindia Târgoviște. In the first leg of this double-header, held on Dâmbovița’s turf last week, the score was a 3-3 draw. On Monday, FC Voluntari will play at home against FC Hermannstadt. The Sibiu-based team won the first leg 3-2.
Over the weekend, the Romanian national football team will continue its preparations for the friendly matches scheduled for next week. Among the players who answered the call from coach Gheorghe Hagi is Andrei Rațiu, who recently played in the UEFA Conference League final, which his team, Rayo Vallecano, lost to the English side Crystal Palace. In all likelihood, Răzvan Marin, who won the Greek championship with AEK Athens, will also feature on the pitch. The team best represented in the squad is the Superliga champion, Universitatea Craiova, which will provide seven players: Nicușor Bancu, Alexandru Cicâldău, Vladimir Screciu, Tudor Băluță, Adrian Rus, David Matei, and Ștefan Baiaram. Romania will play away against Georgia in Tbilisi on Tuesday, followed by a match against Wales in Bucharest next Saturday. (VP)
