Romanian national football team struggles to find new coach prior to Euro 2016 qualifier

Another manager has turned down Romania's offer to coach the national team, as the country races against time to fill the empty post, before November's Euro 2016 qualifier against Northern Ireland.

Dorinel Munteanu, Romania's most capped player with 134 internationals between 1991 and 2007, became the second coach to snub the Romanian Football Federation's (FRF) offer.

Munteanu is currently at the helm of Azerbaijan's Gabala, with his agent confirming that the 46-year-old was not interested in the job.

"Romania offered Dorinel Munteanu to lead the national team along with Anghel Iordanescu, but although this is an attractive offer, we refused," said Munteanu's agent Leonid Istrati ."He has a contract with Gabala," added Istraiti.

Earlier, the FRF failed to reach an agreement with Ukrainian champions Shakhtar Donetsk, who refused to allow their coach Mircea Lucescu to combine both jobs.

The Romanian head coach's position became vacant, when Victor Piturca quit after agreeing to join Saudi Arabia's Al Ittihad on a lucrative contract.

Under Piturca, Romania made a solid start to their Euro 2016 qualifying campaign and are second in Group F, with seven points from three matches, two behind surprise leaders Northern Ireland. Their next qualifier is on November 14.

According to local media, former Romania coach Anghel Iordanescu could take charge of the team on a temporary basis.

Iordanescu, 64, led Romania on two occasions, guiding them to the 1994 World Cup quarter-finals, the Euro 1996 finals and the 1998 World Cup finals, during his five-year spell in the 1990's.

Dutchman Bert van Marwijk, who turned down the South Korea coaching job, due to contractual issues in September, has also been linked to the role.