© Reuters 2002

BUCHAREST, Oct 14 (Reuters) - Ilie Dumitrescu has resigned as Romanian under-21 national team coach after only two matches in charge, a Romanian Football Federation (FRF) spokesman said on Monday.

"FRF board accepted Dumitrescu's resignation," the spokesman said. "Deputy coach Gheorghe Mihali will lead Tuesday's Romania under-21 match against Luxembourg."

Former international Dumitrescu took charge of Romania's under-21 national team days before last month's group two opening qualifier 2-1 defeat in Bosnia.

Last week, the Romanian team also lost 1-0 against Norway to leave their chances of qualifying for the European under-21 championship finals looking slim.

Dumitrescu, who coached Romanian first division teams Otelul Galati and Brasov as well as Alki Larnaca of Cyprus in the last two seasons, was a key member of Romania's Golden Generation, which qualified for the 1990 and 1994 FIFA World Cup" finals and for the 1996 European Championships in England.

He retired when he was just 30, but his fans remember his two spectacular goals which sank Argentina in the 1994 FIFA World Cup" in the United States.

Attacking midfielder Dumitrescu was also included in the national squad for the 1998 FIFA World Cup" finals although he saw no action. He scored 20 goals in 62 matches played for Romania.

He moved from Steaua Bucharest to English premier league side Tottenham Hotspur in 1994 and joined West Ham United a year later. He also played at Spanish side Sevilla and at Atlante Ciudad de Mexico.