Ionuț Radu, response after being accused of refusing the national team: “I did not refuse the national team. I did not turn my back on Romania. This is not a decision made secretly; it is not an unjustified absence.”

Goalkeeper Ionuț Radu explained, in a message posted on Instagram, why he is absent from the national team’s current camp. The footballer claims that he did not refuse the call-up, but that he has been dealing for several months with a medical problem in his right shoulder, for which he needs treatment and rest.

The reaction came after Radu was criticized for his absence, although he played all 90 minutes for Celta Vigo in the match against Levante, which ended 0-0. Head coach Gheorghe Hagi had stated that the decision not to join the squad had belonged to the player.

“In recent days, a great deal of discussion, commentary and accusations have emerged in the public sphere regarding my absence from the current camp of Romania’s national team. I chose not to react immediately, out of respect for the national team, the Federation, my teammates and the people who truly love Romanian football. However, I believe we have reached a point where silence may be misinterpreted, and certain things need to be stated very clearly. I did not refuse the national team. I did not turn my back on Romania. And I have never treated the national team shirt as an unimportant obligation. On the contrary. I am 29 years old and have 11 caps for the senior national team. Every call-up has represented both an honor and a responsibility for me. I have never needed to prove through public statements what I feel when representing Romania. The reality of the medical situation is simple, even though it has been turned into a controversy in the public sphere. For several months, I have been dealing with a problem in my right shoulder, which forced me to continue playing while relying on temporary pain-management solutions, amid a very demanding competitive schedule. This is a medical decision necessary for my health and so that I can continue carrying out my work at the level of performance I desire. My club, Celta Vigo, which gave me the necessary confidence and thanks to which it was possible for me to be called up to the national team, officially informed the Romanian Football Federation about the medical situation, and the representatives of both parties, together with me, communicated and agreed that this period would be used for treatment and recovery. This is not a decision made secretly, it is not an unjustified absence and, even less so, an attempt to avoid the national team. I understand that some people wonder how it is possible for me to play for my club and not be available for the national team. But there is a difference between being able to take the field and needing to treat a medical problem, a difference that I believe everyone should understand. The fact that an athlete continues to play does not mean that they do not have a problem or that they do not need treatment,” the message posted by Ionuț Radu reads.