Romania has first representative in UEFA Executive committee

The head of the Romanian Football Federation-FRF Mircea Sandu was named in the UEFA Executive Committee on Friday with 32 votes from 52 voters placing him third among the candidates, before Angel Maria Villar of Spain and Senes Erzik of Turkey.

Other members of the Committee voted today are Joseph Misfud (Malta), Gilberto Madail (Portugal) and Grigori Surkis (Ukraine).

Sandu, 54, is the first representative of Romania in the European football body. He had two previous attempts to get a seat in 1998 and 2000, but failed.

An educated economist, Sandu built his career as a football player and then football official. He’s been heading the FRF since 1990 and saw how Romania’s national team qualified for the 1990, 1994 and 1998 World Cups, the 1996 and 2000 European Championships, but failed to qualified for the 2002 and 2006 World Cups or the 2004 European Championships.

He’s been the subject of intense criticism in Romania for his handling of the Romanian football industry, including accusations that he turned his eye away from widespread corruption in the sector.