Archives - June 2009

Semedo Close to an Unexpected Comeback - June 25, 2009

Steaua Bucharest forward, Antonio Semedo, is apparently very close to making a return to Cluj. The 30-year-old right-winger left Cluj in September 2008 after falling out of favour with then coach, Ioan Andone. This departure occurred despite the wishes of the fans, who put on a show of convincing Semedo to stay. However, newly appointed Steaua coach, Cristiano Bergodi, could very well not agree to the move. The Italian tactician worked with Antonio at CFR back in 2006-2007, when Semedo was the Transylvanians' key player.

Negotiations Continue - June 19, 2009

CFR's representatives are currently negotiating the transfers of several players in the Portuguese Superliga, a market well tapped by the Transylvanians in the last three years. Joao Alves (Vitoria Guimaraes), Bruno Amaro, Nuno Pinto (both of Nacional Medeira), and Tiago Gomes (Estrella Amadora) are all rumoured to be possible candidates for a summer transfer to Cluj. On the other end, some of Cluj's players (Emmanuel Kone, Diarrasoubba Vieira, Vitinha, Lacine Traore, Vlad Bujor, Dorin Toma, Andre Galiassi, Dario Flores) are desperately wanted at Unirea Alba Iulia. Negotiations have already begun, though it is unlikely Unirea will opt to buy any contracts. Instead, the option of a loan seems far more feasible. 

Departures - June 17, 2009

Several players will be leaving Cluj this summer. Lars Hirschfeld is set to make a move to Energie Cottbus, a side recently relegated to 2. Bundesliga in Germany. Agustin Viana and Paolo Frangipane, who were both loaned, will also return to their former clubs in Uruguay and Argentina respectively. So far these are the only certain departures from Cluj. A few others, including Eduard Stancioiu, Diego Ruiz, Andre de Galiassi, and Dario Flores also may possibly leave. Emmanuel Kone, Rade Veljovic, Vitinha, and Lacina Traore may be loaned off, with the latter two probably heading off to newly promoted side Unirea Alba Iulia. Cristian Fabbiani, loaned to River Plate, is also unlikely to return and will probably remain in Argentina.

CFR CLUJ WINS THE CUP! - June 13, 2009

CFR won their second ever Romanian Cup after trouncing FC Timisoara 3-0 at Targu Jiu! Due to this magnificent win, the trophy will stay in Gruia for at least another year. The entire team played very well and they truly deserved a victory. Congratulations

Overall, the match was one dominated by CFR and mired by a small minority of the Timisoara fans, who chose not to support their team, but to instead engage in violent acts of hooliganism. It is these vandals who give Timisoara and its true supporters a bad name. On the other hand, CFR's fans continuously encouraged their team, proving that civil behaviour still has a place in Romania's stadiums.

Emil Dica to Cluj - June 12, 2009

Emil Dica will join Cluj this summer after his contract at Rapid Bucharest expired. The 26-year-old has played in over 100 league games for Rapid, scoring four goals. He also earned 15 UEFA Cup caps for the Bucharest side since 2004. Dica tends to play as a central defensive midfielder, though his decent offensive capabilities make him more of an all-round, versatile midfielder.   

Cup Final Preview - June 11, 2009

CFR Cluj will face FC Timisoara in the Romanian Cup Final on June 13th at Targu Jiu. Timisoara is looking to cap off a 2nd place Liga 1 finish with their first ever trophy. Meanwhile, CFR needs to win in order to partially redeem themselves after a very disappointing season. After resting most of the starting players in the match against Medias, Cluj will be able to field their current best possible team. 

Probable Lineup: N. Claro - Tony, Vieira, Alcantara, Pereira - Dani, Muresan - Mara, Peralta, Culio - Y. Kone 

Unirea Urziceni Champions, CFR in the Europa League - June 11, 2009

Unirea Urziceni, a team from a town of 10,000 and who made their Liga 1 debut only in 2006, have won the title. Although they did not play overly spectacular for most of the season, Unirea truly deserved this historic victory and the chance to play in the 2009 Champions' League Group Stage. Timisoara will join them (CL 3rd Round) after having gotten their six points back from FRF, while Dinamo find themselves having to wait yet another year. Dinamo, CFR, Vaslui and Steaua will all play in the Europa League this autumn. Gaz Metan Medias (waiting on the FC Arges relegation verdict), Farul Constanta, CS Otopeni, and Gloria Buzau will play in Liga II next season. 

Gaz Metan Medias - CFR Cluj 2-0 - June 11, 2009

Unfortunately, CFR lost their final match of the Liga 1 2008-2009 season. Using a team composed mostly of reserves, the loss was to be expected especially since the fixture had little meaning for either team. Overall, Medias were better and deserved to win. Their fate is not yet sealed, though. Medias await FC Arges' relegation court decision to find out for certain whether they will play in Liga 1 next year as well. As for Cluj, the match did not really matter, as Conceicao chose to rest his key players for the cup final against Timisoara on the 13th.

New Transfer Rumours - June 8, 2009

CFR Cluj's representatives have travelled to Portugal and Germany to negotiate the transfers of several players. According to the Portuguese press, Nuno Piloto from Academica Coimbra is wanted. Also, it is possible two players from Porto may be loaned to Cluj as part of the Alvaro Pereira deal. Finally, Vlad Munteanu of Wolfsburg, a Romanian playing abroad, may arrive as well.

Trica Returns to Cluj - June 4, 2009

Eugen Trica has returned to Cluj after spending less than six months at Cypriot side, Anorthosis Famagusta. The 32-year-old playmaker has signed for two years, saying: "I promise our fans that next year the title will be ours." The reported transfer fee is the same as when Trica left for Anorthosis in December; €200,000.

It's Final! Alvaro Pereira to Porto - June 3, 2009

Unfortunately, Alvaro Pereira will be leaving Cluj this summer. The Uruguayan international has signed for Porto today. According to the Portuguese press, the transfer fee is rumoured to be €4,500,000 plus 20% of Pereira's next transfer. Antonio Conceicao had this to say: "He's young and he can grow. He has already demonstrated maturity on the field. I can only say that Porto just made an excellent transfer." Alvaro will certainly be missed. His hard work, dedication and passion for the game were unmatched. In short, he was probably the best foreign footballer to have ever played in Liga 1. His replacement will certainly have big boots to fill. Goodbye and farewell, Alvaro! 

Rumours About Cordos Abundant - June 3, 2009

Recently, there have been rumours going about several national and local newspapers that Universitatea Cluj center-back, Andrei Cordos, is wanted at CFR. The 21-year-old would make an interesting addition to CFR's back four, as he is the only Romanian U-21 international playing in Liga II. Currently, Cordos is involved in a contract case against his current club, as he has not been paid for over a month. Even though his chances of winning the case are minimal, he would effectively become a free agent if the court rules in his favour. In any case, the two clubs are said to be negotiating a transfer for the sum of €200,000. The move may also stir much controversy among fans of the two local rivals, who generally view any players who "switch sides" as "traitors". Of course, such silly bickering is petty and without good reason, so the transfer is very much a possibility.

FRF Institutes New Rule: Is it Legal? - June 2, 2009

The Romanian Football Federation's (FRF's) executive committee has made some decisions which could have an important impact on CFR Cluj. The committee's main decision involves putting a quota on domestic players. Every team playing in Liga 1 must, as of the 2009-2010 season, have at least eight Romanian players in the 18-man squad selected for each official match. Incidentally, CFR currently has only five domestic players in the entire 27-man squad (Stancioiu, Panin, Muresan, Deac and Mara). There are two questions at this point: Is FRF's new rule legal, or does it contradict the European law guaranteeing a company's right to hire workers of any EU nationality? If this new rule is implemented, how will it affect CFR's summer transfers and next season's campaign? Anybody who wishes is welcome to comment on the topic "FRF's New Rule" in the CFRCluj.net forum here.

Boris Peskovic to Cluj - June 1, 2009

Slovakian goalkeeper Boris Peskovic has signed with CFR Cluj for the next three years off a free transfer. Playing for Portugal's Academica Coimbra, Peskovic had a great year at the club, finishing seventh in the Superliga. The 33-year-old was quoted as saying: "I want to play regularly at Cluj. I'll need to work hard in order to catch the starting line-up."