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| COMMENT: Chivu's football career is all about surprises. Ajax surprised first when they transferred the youngster last fall from Universitatea Craiova (Rom I). After a more hesitant start, which included no less than four red cards, Cristian established himself as the new star of the Amsterdam club. Emerich Jenei, the coach of the Romanian senior team, produced an even bigger surprise when he decided to include Chivu in the squad for EURO 2000. The decision was vehemently contested by the Romanian press, which considered the veteran Stefan Nanu to be a more appropriate pick, but Chivu silenced all his critics with his impressive speed and elegant touches during the finals stage. He featured as a starter in all of Romania's four games at the EURO 2000 tournament, and even managed to score a half bizarre half brilliant goal against England. What does the future hold for this young talent? Chivu said he remains committed to Ajax while the club's president has declared the youngster 'in-transferable', but many think his stay in the Lowlands will be cut short by the likes of Deportivo La Coruna, Internationale Milano and Juventus Torino, all of which are trying to get his signature. Independent appraisers estimated that Chivu's value has increased six fold during EURO 2000 to a cool million, making him one of the most expensive defenders in Europe. |