CFR Cluj (pronunciation in Romanian: /tʃe.fe.re.kluʒ/) is a Romanian football club from the city of Cluj-Napoca. They were the 2007/2008 season champions of Liga I, Romania's top football league. This is their first championship and the first to be won by a team from outside Bucharest in 17 years, and thus the first non-Bucharest side to qualify for the UEFA Champions League group stages due to Romania gaining an automatic place for the first time. This is a remarkable achievement for the club as just six years earlier, they had been in the third tier of Romanian league football.[1]
The letters in the name stand for "Căile Ferate Române" (Romanian Railroads), the national administration body for railroad transportations.
In 2005, the club received much attention, both at home and abroad, for its commendable performance in the UEFA Intertoto Cup. CFR 1907 Cluj-Napoca reached the final stage of that competition (the first Romanian club to accomplish this) after having knocked out Athletic Bilbao and Saint Etienne. Eventually, CFR lost the final game to the French team of RC Lens. They reached the Group Stage of the Champions League 2008-2009 for the first time, beginning with an unexpected first win on September 16th 2-1 against Champions League regulars A.S. Roma. On the 1 October 2008, in their second ever Champions League match, they produced a 0–0 draw against Premiership leaders, and last year's Champions League finalists, Chelsea F.C.
Early years
The club was founded in 1907, when the city of Cluj was part of Austria-Hungary. The club’s original Hungarian name was Kolozsvári Vasutas Sport Club (K.V.S.C.) and represented the railway workers' team. From 1907 to 1910, the team played in the Municipal Championship of Kolozsvár (today Cluj-Napoca). However, the club did not have any notable achievements during this time.
In 1910, the team won the newly organized Championship of Transylvania. The club consistently finished in second place in that competition between 1911 and 1914, a competition that was interrupted because of the First World War. After the war, Transylvania became part of Romania and the club accordingly changed its name to C.F.R. Cluj, maintaining its links with the national rail organisation. They went on to win two regional titles, in 1918-1919 and 1919-1920.
Between 1934 and 1936, CFR played two seasons in Divizia B, ranking sixth in 1934-1935 and eighth in 1935-1936. In 1936 CFR was relegated to the third league, where the team played for two seasons. The team finished the first season in second place and were ranked fourth after the second season.
After the dissolution of Romania's third league (due to The Second World War), CFR renamed as Kolozsvári AC and played in the Erdely Division of the Hungarian Second League and were promoted to First League. They played in the Hungarian First League between 1941-1944. After the Second World War, CFR played for one season in the third league, earning promotion. In the 1946-47 season, the team merged with another local club, Ferar Cluj, and played in Divizia A for the very first time. Unfortunately, the team lasted only two years in the first league and would not play in the first league for another twenty years.
In 1960, another merger with Rapid Cluj resulted in C.S.M. Cluj. In 1964, the team’s name was changed to Clujeana. In that same year the club’s junior team won the national championship. Three years later, the team’s name was reversed yet again to CFR Cluj.
Stadium
CFR Cluj's play their home games at the Dr. Constantin Rădulescu Stadium which has an all-seated capacity of 25,000. With an investment of 10 million euros, from autumn 2006 till June 2007, the club changed the field to higher quality turf, built a state of the art floodlight and updated its infrastructure. All the work has been completed for the 100th birthday of the Club, when the first official friendly game was played with Benfica Lisbon. In 2008 the club expanded the stadium to a capacity of 25,000. The CFR stadium meets all of UEFA's regulations and can host UEFA Champions League matches.
Current squad
1 Flag of Portugal GK Nuno Claro
2 Flag of Portugal DF Tony (vice-captain)
4 Flag of Romania DF Cristian Panin
5 Flag of Portugal MF Manuel José Vieira
6 Flag of Romania DF Gabriel Mureşan
7 Flag of Argentina MF Sebastián Dubarbier
8 Flag of Argentina MF Sixto Peralta
9 Flag of Côte d'Ivoire FW Traore Lacina
10 Flag of Romania MF Eugen Trică (vicecaptain)
11 Flag of Argentina MF Cristian Sánchez Prette
13 Flag of Canada GK Lars Hirschfeld
14 Flag of Romania MF Alin Minteuan
15 Flag of Brazil DF Hugo Alcântara
17 Flag of Burkina Faso FW Yssouf Koné
18 Flag of Côte d'Ivoire DF Diarrasouba Viera
19 Flag of Argentina MF Emmanuel Culio
20 Flag of Portugal DF Cadú (captain)
22 Flag of Argentina FW Gustavo Oberman
25 Flag of Portugal MF André Leão
27 Flag of Brazil DF André Galiassi
28 Flag of Côte d'Ivoire MF Emmanuel Koné
29 Flag of Brazil FW Didi
30 Flag of Romania DF Dorin Toma
31 Flag of Portugal MF Dani
33 Flag of Uruguay DF Alvaro Pereira
44 Flag of Romania GK Eduard Stăncioiu
77 Flag of Romania MF Ciprian Deac
99 Flag of Argentina FW Diego Ruiz
Next Match: CFR Cluj - Bordeaux (CL)
The letters in the name stand for "Căile Ferate Române" (Romanian Railroads), the national administration body for railroad transportations.
In 2005, the club received much attention, both at home and abroad, for its commendable performance in the UEFA Intertoto Cup. CFR 1907 Cluj-Napoca reached the final stage of that competition (the first Romanian club to accomplish this) after having knocked out Athletic Bilbao and Saint Etienne. Eventually, CFR lost the final game to the French team of RC Lens. They reached the Group Stage of the Champions League 2008-2009 for the first time, beginning with an unexpected first win on September 16th 2-1 against Champions League regulars A.S. Roma. On the 1 October 2008, in their second ever Champions League match, they produced a 0–0 draw against Premiership leaders, and last year's Champions League finalists, Chelsea F.C.
Early years
The club was founded in 1907, when the city of Cluj was part of Austria-Hungary. The club’s original Hungarian name was Kolozsvári Vasutas Sport Club (K.V.S.C.) and represented the railway workers' team. From 1907 to 1910, the team played in the Municipal Championship of Kolozsvár (today Cluj-Napoca). However, the club did not have any notable achievements during this time.
In 1910, the team won the newly organized Championship of Transylvania. The club consistently finished in second place in that competition between 1911 and 1914, a competition that was interrupted because of the First World War. After the war, Transylvania became part of Romania and the club accordingly changed its name to C.F.R. Cluj, maintaining its links with the national rail organisation. They went on to win two regional titles, in 1918-1919 and 1919-1920.
Between 1934 and 1936, CFR played two seasons in Divizia B, ranking sixth in 1934-1935 and eighth in 1935-1936. In 1936 CFR was relegated to the third league, where the team played for two seasons. The team finished the first season in second place and were ranked fourth after the second season.
After the dissolution of Romania's third league (due to The Second World War), CFR renamed as Kolozsvári AC and played in the Erdely Division of the Hungarian Second League and were promoted to First League. They played in the Hungarian First League between 1941-1944. After the Second World War, CFR played for one season in the third league, earning promotion. In the 1946-47 season, the team merged with another local club, Ferar Cluj, and played in Divizia A for the very first time. Unfortunately, the team lasted only two years in the first league and would not play in the first league for another twenty years.
In 1960, another merger with Rapid Cluj resulted in C.S.M. Cluj. In 1964, the team’s name was changed to Clujeana. In that same year the club’s junior team won the national championship. Three years later, the team’s name was reversed yet again to CFR Cluj.
Stadium
CFR Cluj's play their home games at the Dr. Constantin Rădulescu Stadium which has an all-seated capacity of 25,000. With an investment of 10 million euros, from autumn 2006 till June 2007, the club changed the field to higher quality turf, built a state of the art floodlight and updated its infrastructure. All the work has been completed for the 100th birthday of the Club, when the first official friendly game was played with Benfica Lisbon. In 2008 the club expanded the stadium to a capacity of 25,000. The CFR stadium meets all of UEFA's regulations and can host UEFA Champions League matches.
Current squad
1 Flag of Portugal GK Nuno Claro
2 Flag of Portugal DF Tony (vice-captain)
4 Flag of Romania DF Cristian Panin
5 Flag of Portugal MF Manuel José Vieira
6 Flag of Romania DF Gabriel Mureşan
7 Flag of Argentina MF Sebastián Dubarbier
8 Flag of Argentina MF Sixto Peralta
9 Flag of Côte d'Ivoire FW Traore Lacina
10 Flag of Romania MF Eugen Trică (vicecaptain)
11 Flag of Argentina MF Cristian Sánchez Prette
13 Flag of Canada GK Lars Hirschfeld
14 Flag of Romania MF Alin Minteuan
15 Flag of Brazil DF Hugo Alcântara
17 Flag of Burkina Faso FW Yssouf Koné
18 Flag of Côte d'Ivoire DF Diarrasouba Viera
19 Flag of Argentina MF Emmanuel Culio
20 Flag of Portugal DF Cadú (captain)
22 Flag of Argentina FW Gustavo Oberman
25 Flag of Portugal MF André Leão
27 Flag of Brazil DF André Galiassi
28 Flag of Côte d'Ivoire MF Emmanuel Koné
29 Flag of Brazil FW Didi
30 Flag of Romania DF Dorin Toma
31 Flag of Portugal MF Dani
33 Flag of Uruguay DF Alvaro Pereira
44 Flag of Romania GK Eduard Stăncioiu
77 Flag of Romania MF Ciprian Deac
99 Flag of Argentina FW Diego Ruiz
Next Match: CFR Cluj - Bordeaux (CL)
