 | |||
| Full name | SC Fotbal Club CFR 1907 ClujSA | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nicknames | |||
| Short name | CFR | ||
| Founded | 10 November 1907; 118 years ago (10 November 1907) (asKolozsvári Vasutas Sport Club) | ||
| Ground | Dr. Constantin Rădulescu | ||
| Capacity | 22,198[1] | ||
| Owner | Ioan Varga[a] | ||
| President | Iuliu Muresan | ||
| Head coach | Daniel Pancu | ||
| League | Liga I | ||
| 2024–25 | Liga I, 2nd of 16 | ||
| Website | cfr1907 | ||
 Current season | |||
Fotbal Club CFR 1907 Cluj, commonly known asCFR Cluj (Romanian pronunciation:[t͡ʃefeˌreˈkluʒ] or[ˌt͡ʃefereˈkluʒ]) or simplyCFR, is a Romanian professionalfootball club based in the city ofCluj-Napoca,Cluj County, that competes in theLiga I. Founded asKolozsvári Vasutas Sport Club in 1907, whenTransylvania was part ofAustria-Hungary, the club's current name is anacronym forCăile Ferate Române ("Romanian Railways").
Before its promotion to Liga I in2004, CFR Cluj primarily competed in thelower divisions. Since then, the club has increasingly relied onforeign players to achieve success. In the2005–06 season, CFR participated in its firstEuropean competition, theIntertoto Cup, finishing as runners-up. With substantial financial backing from former owner Árpád Pászkány, the club won its first national championship in the2007–08 season, ending a 17-year dominance bycapital-based teams.[6]
Between2017 and2022, "the White and Burgundies" won five consecutiveLiga I championships. The club has secured 17 domestic trophies, all in the 21st century: eight Liga I titles, fiveCupa României, and fourSupercupa României. In addition to becoming a prominent force inRomanian football, CFR qualified three times each for theUEFA Champions League andEuropa League group stages, and twice for theEuropa Conference League group stages.
CFR shares a fierce rivalry with local clubUniversitatea Cluj, with their matches known asDerbiul Clujului. In recent years, the club has also developed less intense rivalries, notably withFCSB, as they frequently compete for the Liga I title.
CFR was founded in 1907, when the city ofCluj-Napoca (thenKolozsvár) was part ofAustria-Hungary, under the nameKolozsvári Vasutas Sport Club ("Kolozsvár Railway Sports Club"). From 1907 to 1910, the team played in the municipal championship. However, the club did not have any notable achievements during this time. In 1911, 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 ofWorld War I. After the war, Transylvania joined Romania and the club accordingly changed its name toCFR Cluj, maintaining its links with the national rail organisation, this time theRomanian state railway carrier,Căile Ferate Române, hence the acronym. They went on to win two regional titles, in 1918–19 and 1919–20.
Between 1920 and 1934 the club did not have any notable achievements. Between 1934 and 1936, CFR played for two seasons in theDivizia B, ranking sixth in the1934–35 season and eighth in the1935–36 season. In 1936, CFR was relegated to theDivizia C, where the team played for two seasons, finishingsecond and 4th, respectively. AfterWorld War II, CFR played for one season in the Divizia C, earning the promotion to the Divizia B. Before the start of the1947–48 season, the team merged with another local club,Ferar Cluj, and played in theDivizia A for thevery first time in history. Unfortunately, the teamlasted only two years in the first league and would not play there again for another 20 years. In 1960, another merger, this time withRapid Cluj resulted inCSM Cluj. In 1964, the team's name was changed toClujeana. In that same year, the club's junior team won the national championship. Three years later, the team's name was reversed yet again toCFR Cluj.
In1969, CFR finished first in Divizia B with 40 points, five more than their rival,Politehnica Timișoara. The conclusive game of that season was a 1–1 draw with Politehnica. Politehnica had a 1–0 lead at half-time, but CFR came back with a fine header.
During the summer of 1969, CFR Cluj advanced to Divizia A under the leadership of coachConstantin Rădulescu. Rădulescu was originally from southern Romania, but he grew to manhood in the atmosphere ofTransylvania. Before coaching, he had played for CFR and another well-known local team,Universitatea Cluj (orU Cluj), during the 1940s. In the1969–70 first league championship, CFR made its debut with a 2–0 victory overASA Târgu Mureș. The next few games did not go as well; although there was a 1–0 win toPolitehnica Iași, there were 2 losses toSteaua București (1–3) andDinamo București (0–2). These and other defeats were a factor in the team's supposed downhill slide. However, the following spring CFR bounced back with a win over ASA Târgu Mureș (1–0), after a goal fromOctavian Ionescu, and averted relegation.
At the beginning of CFR'ssecond season in Divizia A, Rădulescu was replaced byEugen Iordache as head coach. During his tenure, CFR did not do well, and Rădulescu was swiftly brought back. Even so, CFR Cluj found itself again at the bottom of the table before the winter break. The spring of 1971 was somewhat better, although CFR struggled again to avoid relegation. CFR's last game of that season, againstUTA Arad, was a memorable one. CFR led 1–0 at half-time. UTA Arad, however, overturned the match after scoring twice. Nonetheless, the persistence of the players from Cluj was rewarded with a late goal, tying the game at 2–2. UTA went on toplay in the European Cups, but, most importantly, CFR avoided relegation.
The1971–72 season started off badly for CFR. Losses to Dinamo București (1–3);Crișul Oradea (0–1, after a last-minute penalty kick), andJiul Petroșani (1–2 after two regrettable own-goals) meant CFR's demise after the first round of the championship – the team finished at the bottom, with only seven points. CFR's return was dramatic, although inconsistent at times. The team won some important games, such as a 1–0 withUniversitatea Craiova and a 3–0 withPetrolul Ploiești. By the end of the season, however, CFR was again struggling to stay in Divizia A. CFR was tied at half-time after having led with 2–0 in their game againstPolitehnica Iași. In the second half, two late goals from Ionescu and Petrescu saved the team from relegation. When Rădulescu and his players got back home to Cluj, 3,000 fans turned out to celebrate their performance.
During the summer of 1972, CFR made an important transfer.Mihai Adam, from Universitatea Cluj, was traded for Soos. Adam had been twice Romania's top scorer, and was considered one of the best Romanian players of his generation. He and the rest of the team would make the1972–73 season the most successful in CFR's history. The team achieved its highest ranking ever in Romanian football, fifth in Divizia A. Several important results concluded a great season, including a 2–0 victory againstRapid București, a 2–2 draw againstSportul Studențesc București, and another draw, 1–1, with Steaua București. Additionally, the stadium that CFR continues to use even today was built in 1973. To celebrate the completion of the stadium, CFR Cluj played a friendly game againstCuba. The game ended in a 2–1 victory for CFR.
The1973–74 season was a rather bad one for CFR, as it barely saved itself from relegation, ranking 14th at the end of the season. The only notable achievement of that season was Mihai Adam's third title as Romania's top goal-scorer who, even though he was 33 years old, scored 23 goals. The1974–75 season was much like the one before: CFR struggled to avoid relegation, achieving its objectives all the while. The1975–76 season marked CFR's relegation and its last season in Divizia A during the 20th century. A contributing negative factor was the age of the team, with most of its players in their 30s.
During the1977–78 season, CFR attempted to make a comeback. However, the team finished only second inDivizia B, afterBaia Mare. Four years later,CFR slid further down, into the third division,Divizia C. From then on, the team would alternate between the second and third leagues. In 1983, CFR played in Divizia B under its longstanding coach, Dr. Constantin Rădulescu. In the 1990s, CFR struggled financially and found itself more than once on the brink of bankruptcy. Nevertheless, several very talented players were raised, includingCristian Dulca,Attila Piroska,Cristian Coroian, andAlin Minteuan.
In January 2002, a new sponsor, Árpád Pászkány, head of S.C. ECOMAX M.G., founded a new commercial sport society, with ECOMAX M.G. as the primary shareholder. By the end of the 2001–02 season inDivizia C, CFR had been promoted back to Divizia B (later on Liga II).
Thesummer of 2003 was very important for CFR as many new talented players were transferred including Cătălin Bozdog,Adrian Anca,Cristian Turcu, and Sabin Pîglișan. With these players and others, CFR entered the first league aftera successful season in Divizia B. CFR began the season strongly, holding first place for a while. Then the club's main sponsor, Árpád Pászkány, became involved in a public scandal during which Pászkány accused several referees of corruption. The affair plagued the team and resulted in the dismissal of head coachGeorge Ciorceri.
CFR lost several consecutive games before the scandal subsided. After the winter break, Cioceri was replaced byAurel Șunda. In the spring of 2004, Sunda's team had a nearly perfect run, winning 14 out of 15 games, with only one draw. One round before the season's end, CFR was in second place, one point behind theJiul Petroșani in first. But when Jiul was held to a draw byGaz Metan Mediaș, and CFR won their last match 3–0, CFR advanced to the top of the league for the first time in 28 years. In the summer of 2004, CFR acquired many new valuable Romanian players, includingVasile Jula andRadu Marginean.
CFR Cluj'sfirst year back in Divizia A was strong, yet inconsistent. CFR finished sixth after the first half of the 2004–05 championship. It was during this time that CFR played one of its most popular games ever, defeatingDinamo București at home. The final score was 4–2, after two goals each by Adrian Anca and Sorin Oncică. However, the second half of the championship proved disappointing for CFR, as it gathered only 12 points after 15 games. The team finished 11th, avoiding relegation.
The summer of 2005 brought significant change to CFR Cluj. The club's executives signed the team up for theUEFA Intertoto Cup, being CFR's first European adventure. CFR began well, qualifying for the second round after two victories againstFK Vetra (3–2 and 4–1).
Also, the Romanian internationalDorinel Munteanu came to CFR fromSteaua București. Munteanu would have the dual role of player-coach. His first game produced one of CFR's greatest successes. CFR defeatedAthletic Bilbao of Spain 1–0 (although almost all players from Bilbao's side were from the reserve squad) during the second round of the2005 UEFA Intertoto Cup. The only goal of the match was scored byCosmin Tilincă with a header. CFR then lost inBilbao (1–0) but still qualified to the next round after a penalty shootout.
Munteanu's team played the next game at Cluj, against French clubSaint-Étienne. Adrian Anca played one of the greatest games in his career, even though the match ended in a 1–1 draw. Anca hit the crossbar with a header early in the game, and Tilincă pushed the ball into the net from the rebound. Anca then went on to earn a penalty, but did not score. He then hit the crossbar a second time in the second half. The away game, in France, was also an eventful game for CFR Cluj. The game began well for CFR, asCristian Coroian scored from a penalty kick, earned by Adrian Anca. The second half went less smoothly for CFR;Julien Sablé scored for Saint-Étienne, tying the game at 1–1. This was followed by CFR playerLászló Balint's elimination. However, aCosmin Tilincă goal gave the team the ability to tie with the French at the last minute. The game ended in a 2–2 draw, so CFR went on to the next qualifying stage due to its away goals. In the next round CFR easily disposed ofZalgiris Vilnius, 2–1 in Lithuania and 5–1 at home.
For the final match of the 2005 UEFA Intertoto Cup, CFR Cluj's opponent was another French franchise,RC Lens. The first game, at Cluj, ended in a 1–1 draw with both sides having scored from free kicks. Cristian Turcu scored for CFR. The second game was played atLens in front of 30,000 French fans. The Romanian players showed signs of exhaustion and conceded three goals. Player-coach Dorinel Munteanu scored a goal from a free kick in the 89th minute. Thus ended CFR Cluj's Intertoto journey. CFR then finished fifth at the end of the2005–06 domestic season. During the2006–07 season, major changes at the club started to occur. Dorinel Munteanu resigned as player-coach, and was replaced byCristiano Bergodi. Foreign players from Western Europe and South America were transferred. A partnership with Portuguese clubBenfica was signed. On 22 July 2007, CFR Cluj celebrated its centenary year by playing a friendly game against Benfica and inaugurating the new illumination system at its stadium.
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The team's new coach, RomanianIoan Andone, formerly ofOmonia Nicosia andDinamo București, started the2007–08 season well, with CFR Cluj leading the league by eight points halfway through the season and remaining undefeated. Their form was not as good in the second half of the season, and they were overtaken bySteaua București with two games remaining. Even though Steaua crushedGloria Buzau 5–0 in the last matchday, it was not enough to bring the title to Ghencea, since CFR won the derby againstUniversitatea Cluj and won the title, becoming the first team outsideBucharest to win the title in nearly two decades.[8] Three days later, CFR Cluj completed a league and cupdouble, beatingUnirea Urziceni in theRomanian Cup final.
By winning the league, CFR Cluj qualified for the group stage of the2008–09 UEFA Champions League season. They were drawn in Group A againstChelsea of England,A.S. Roma of Italy, andBordeaux of France and given little chance of progressing, with odds of 300–1 being given on them winning the competition.[9] In their opening game, CFR caused a shock by beating Roma in theItalian capital, 2–1,[10] with ArgentineJuan Culio scoring the brace. Expectations were further exceeded by holding the previous season's finalists, Chelsea, to a 0–0 draw.[11]
The end of the2008–09 season saw CFR finish fourth; the team had two coaching staff changes in the second part of the competition and did not manage to secure a second title. The Romanian Cup was kept for a consecutive year at Cluj, and thus they played against Unirea Urziceni (theLiga I champions that season) in the Supercupa României. CFR became the first club not from Bucharest to claim the trophy in2009.
In the2009–10 season, the team won the league title for the second time in its history, exhibiting the heavy investments in the club's infrastructure, management, and squad transfers. Managed by coachAndrea Mandorlini, CFR Cluj also kept the Romanian Cup and qualified for the UEFA Champions League group stage. As a premier, the 2009–2010 CFR Fans' Trophy was awarded toCristian Panin as voted by supporters and football reviewers. The trophy is to be awarded every year by the CFR Cluj fans associations to the player that receives the highest aggregate number of votes online and highest per match rating respectively.[12] The 2010–11 CFR Fans' Trophy was awarded to captainRicardo Cadú and the 2011–2012 CFR Fans' Trophy was awarded to goalkeeperBeto Pimparel.
The2011–12 season brought the league title to Cluj for the third time. Starting under Jorge Costa's supervision, the team maintained a spot in the top three. After a few major defeats close to the end of the season, Costa was replaced by Ioan Andone. Under Andone, CFR won all the remaining matches except for one draw, and finished first. Later that year,FC Dinamo București defeated CFR Cluj in theRomanian Supercup with 6–4 after penalties, handing them their first defeat in a final.
After 2012, poor management saw the club go through a sharp decline, finishing 9th in the2012-13 season, though in the Champions League they performed admirably, finishing 3rd on goal difference in a group withManchester United,Galatasaray andSC Braga with 10 points, a record still standing for a Romanian team. Their Champions League campaign culminated in a 1–0 away win at Old Trafford against Manchester United, with a long shot fromLuis Alberto. They were drawn againstInter Milan in Europa League, where they were eliminated 5–0 on aggregate.
CFR had a quiet 2013–14 season, finishing 5th and earning a Europa League berth, mainly due to the fact that 4th placed Dinamo filed for insolvency and thus were ineligible for European competitions. During this time owner Pászkány faced legal charges and neglected the team, which lead to serious financial difficulties that would culminate in the following seasons.
CFR Cluj began the2014–15 season well, but financial difficulties led toinsolvency which subsequently started a period of poor performances.[13] After failing to fully remunerate five former club players, theRomanian Football Federation decided to deduct 24 points from CFR, which placed them in the last position in Liga I. Many players left the club as a result, andCeferiștii challenged the Federation's decision to theCourt of Arbitration for Sport. In May 2015 the Court ruled in their favour, restoring the deducted points, which helped the team secure a third-place finish in the league championship. CFR Cluj won the2016 Cupa României final played againstDinamo București afterpenalty shootouts,[14] being their first trophy since 2012.
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In early 2017, businessman Marian Băgăcean purchased 62% stake in the club in early 2017.[2] After finishing the2016–17 Liga I campaign on the fourth place the same year on 30 May, CFR Cluj finally got out of insolvency and could participate in European competitions starting with the 2018–19 season again.[15] In June 2017,Dan Petrescu replacedVasile Miriuță as the head coach of the team, with the goal of a European cup return and an ambitious transfer campaign to support it.[16]
On 20 May 2018, "the Railwaymen" won 1–0 over defending championsViitorul Constanța and clinchedtheir fourth Liga I title as they finished one point aboveFCSB in the table.[17] CFR also came victorious in the subsequent2018 Supercupa României played againstUniversitatea Craiova, this time under the management of coachEdward Iordănescu.[18] However, Iordănescu was replaced after just three games andToni Conceição was brought back for his third term as a manager. The club's European campaign was cut short after Luxembourgish sideF91 Dudelange won theUEFA Europa League play-off round 5–2 on aggregate; due to Dudelange'sunderdog status, daily newspaperGazeta Sporturilor regarded CFR's elimination as "the biggest shame in the history of Romanian football".[19]
In May 2019, again under the management of Dan Petrescu, "The Railwaymen" earnedtheir fifth Liga I title. Unlike the previous year, the club had a fruitful run in European competitions. After getting pastAstana andMaccabi Tel Aviv, CFR Cluj defeated Scottish teamCeltic in theChampions League third qualifying round. In theplay-off they metSlavia Prague, but lost both matches 0–1 and were sent to theEuropa League group stages. There, CFR were drawn againstLazio,Rennes and again Celtic. They finished second behind the latter and earned a total of twelve points in the group, a Romanian record in European competitions. In theround of 32, CFR was eliminated bySevilla on theaway goals rule after two draws—the Spaniards went on to win thefinal 3–2 againstInter Milan, on 21 August 2020. On 3 August, CFR Cluj won the third consecutive title and sixth overall, after a final fixture win over rivalsUniversitatea Craiova.[20]
CFR started the2020–21 UEFA Champions League season by beating Maltese sideFloriana. They were then eliminated by Croatian sideDinamo Zagreb at home in apenalty shoot-out. Dropping down to theEuropa League, they made it to the group stage after defeating Nordic sidesDjurgårdens IF andKuopion Palloseura. Drawn withAS Roma,BSC Young Boys, andCSKA Sofia in Group A, they eventually finished third and were eliminated from the competition from the group stage.[21][22] During late 2020, Edward Iordănescu became once again coach of the club after the departure of Dan Petrescu. On 18 May 2021, Iordănescu Jr. managed to win the league title of the2020–21 Liga I season. This was Iordănescu Jr.'s first national title as head coach. In addition, winning the title with CFR thereby allowed the club to play the final of the2021 Supercupa României (i.e. the Romanian supercup) againstUniversitatea Craiova, the winners of the2020–21 Cupa României, which they eventually lost after 2–4 on penalty shoot-out.[23]
Following the end of the season Iordănescu left the club and was replaced byMarius Șumudică. The latter failed to qualify the club for the group stage of either theUEFA Champions League orUEFA Europa League, being consequently dismissed and replaced by the returningDan Petrescu. Under Petrescu, CFR qualified for the group stage of the inauguralUEFA Europa Conference League, competing in Group D with Dutch sideAlkmaar, Czech sideJablonec, and Danish sideRanders.[24] The club debuted with an away 1–0 loss atJablonec nad Nisou in the Czech Republic againstFK Jablonec on 16 September 2021 and consequently on the 4th place in the group after the first fixture.[25] In the second fixture however, the club managed to draw 1–1 with Randers FC and thereby gained its first point in the Europa Conference League.[26] After their away match with Randers, which they lost 1–2, CFR were mathematically eliminated from advancing to the Round of 16 and finished in fourth place in Group D of the inaugural UEFA Europa Conference League season. This outcome remained unchanged despite their eventual 2–0 victory in the last home match against Jablonec, which earned them their first three points in the competition, bringing their total to four.
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While CFR Cluj's European campaign in the 2021–22 season proved to be quite disappointing, the team had an almost flawless domestic season. They secured the top spot in the regular season by accumulating 76 out of 90 possible points, finishing 16 points ahead of the second-place team. During the play-offs, CFR experienced their worst run of form throughout the season, suffering two consecutive defeats against Universitatea Craiova and FCSB, which narrowed the gap between CFR and the latter to just two points. However, CFR swiftly recovered from their setback and embarked on a remarkable winning streak, securing four consecutive victories, including an impressive 6–0 win over FC Argeș. On 14 May, with FCSB's draw against Voluntari, CFR only needed a win in their match against Craiova to clinch the league title, which they accomplished with a 2–1 win. With this triumph, CFR became the team with the most titles won outside the capital (eight) and the only Romanian team in the 21st century to claim five consecutive titles.
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CFR Cluj played its home games on theStadionul Orășenesc Cluj from 1911 - when it was inaugurated - until 1960, when it was demolished, to make way toStadionul Ion Moina back then namedStadionul Municipal. On "Municipal", CFR played from 1960 until 1973.
CFR Cluj presently plays nearly all of its home games at the Dr. Constantin Rădulescu Stadium, which was expanded in 2008 to seat a maximum capacity of 23,500.[1] It meets all of UEFA's regulations and can also hostChampions League matches. In 2006–07, with an investment of €30 million, the club upgraded the field with higher quality turf, built a state of the artlighting system, and updated its infrastructure. All the work was completed for the club's 100th anniversary in 2007, when a friendly game was played against Portuguese sideBenfica.
A 2011 survey has shown that CFR Cluj has the fourth-largest number of supporters in Romania.[27] They have many fans in Cluj-Napoca, but also in some other parts of the country. Since the 2014 withdraw of important groups such as "Patriots" and "Commando Gruia", the fans have a single big group called "Peluza Vișinie", which consists of former members of older groups such as "Romaniacs", "Juvenes", "Gruppo Gara", "Valacchi", "Pride 1907", "Nostra Famiglia", and "1907". There is another group of supporters which consists of ethnic Hungarians who currently sit in the Tribuna 1 sector of the stadium. Their group is named KVSK, which is the Hungarian name of CFR.They had such major conflicts with the Romanians ultras group 'Peluza Vișinie' and decided to go to matches alone. Their support is less vocal and visible, but they are a consistent part of the active fans.
CFR Cluj has a fierce rivalry with their local opponentsUniversitatea Cluj.[28] According to journalist Răzvan Toma, the first match between the two teams was played on 13 October 1920, when CFR thrashed Universitatea 8–0 on a field based in theCentral Park.[29] History and statistics website Romanian Soccer regards a 1–3 loss by CFR (which had just merged withFerar Cluj on 7 December 1947) as the first Liga I meeting between the two teams.[30]
In 2019,Liga Profesionistă de Fotbal's website referred to a match betweenFCSB—formerly FC Steaua București—and CFR Cluj as "the Romanian Derby",[31] a name generally used for the meetings between the former club and their cross-town rivalsDinamo București. This stems from the fact that after the 2000s CFR and FCSB were often some of the main contenders for the national title, and during the late 2010s the rivalry exacerbated further as Dinamo lost its power status. As of 2023, CFR and FCSB have met each other over 70 times in the first division.
Ceferiștii also hold milder rivalries with Dinamo București,Rapid București,Universitatea Craiova, andPolitehnica Timișoara.
CFR Cluj was the subject of a long documentary film directed by Laviniu Lazăr on their2012–13 UEFA Champions League season and the historical victory overManchester United atOld Trafford, titled "The Theatre of Dreams" (Romanian:Teatrul Viselor) which was presented at theFilm Transilvania (TIFF) festival in 2013.[32][33][34]
Notable wins
| Season | Match | Score | |
|---|---|---|---|
| UEFA Intertoto Cup | |||
| 2005 | CFR – Athletic Bilbao | 1 – 0 | |
| UEFA Champions League | |||
| 2008–09 | CFR – AS Roma | 2 – 1 | |
| 2010–11 | CFR – FC Basel | 2 – 1 | |
| 2012–13 | CFR –FC Basel | 1 – 0 | |
| 2012–13 | CFR – Slovan Liberec | 2 – 1 | |
| 2012–13 | CFR – Braga | 3 – 1 | |
| 2012–13 | CFR – Manchester United | 1 – 0 | |
| 2019–20 | CFR – Maccabi Tel Aviv | 1 – 0 | |
| 2019–20 | CFR – Celtic | 4 – 3 | |
| UEFA Europa League | |||
| 2009–10 | CFR – FK Sarajevo | 2 – 1 | |
| 2009–10 | CFR – Copenhagen | 2 – 0 | |
| 2019–20 | CFR –Lazio | 2 – 1 | |
| 2019–20 | CFR – Rennes | 1 – 0 | |
| 2019–20 | CFR –Celtic | 2 – 0 | |
| 2020–21 | CFR – Djurgården | 1 – 0 | |
| 2020–21 | CFR – CSKA Sofia | 2 – 0 | |
| UEFA Conference League | |||
| 2022–23 | CFR – NK Maribor | 1 – 0 | |
| 2022–23 | CFR –Slavia Prague | 2 – 0 | |
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Board of directors[edit]
| Current technical staff[edit]
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In the table below, the current UEFA club ranking position for CFR Cluj is shown based on its currentUEFA coefficient for the ongoing 2024–2025 season.
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Camora (429)Ciprian Deac (79)
Alashkert (16 August 2018, UEFA Europa League Third qualifying round second leg)
Vėtra 1–4 CFR Cluj (26 June 2005, UEFA Intertoto Cup First round second leg)
Bayern Munich (19 October 2010, UEFA Champions League group stage)A.S. Roma 5–0 CFR Cluj (5 November 2020, UEFA Europa League group stage)| Champions | Runners-up | Third place | Promoted | Relegated |
The players inbold were the top goalscorers in the division.
| Season | League | National Cup | Continental | Other | Top scorer(s) | Notes | Name[41] | ||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division (Tier) | Pos | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | Pts | Name | Goals | |||||||||
 Hungarian Football Championship[42][43] | Kolozsvári Vasutas SC (KVSC) / Clubul Sportiv Feroviar Cluj | ||||||||||||||||||
| 1907–08 | District (2) | 3rd | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 45 | 0 | – | |||||||||
| 1908–09 | 3rd | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 4 | 11 | 9 | – | ||||||||||
| 1909–10 | 2nd | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 2[44] | – | ||||||||||
| 1910–11 | Transylvania Ch. | 1st[45] | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 11 | 6 | 6 | – | Kolozsvári Torna Club (KTC) | ||||||||
| 1911–12 | 4th | 8 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 25 | 10 | 9 | – | ||||||||||
| 1912–13 | 1st[46] | 12 | 11 | 1 | 0 | 23 | – | ||||||||||||
| 1913–14 | 2nd | 20 | 34 | – | [47] | ||||||||||||||
| 1914–18 Not involved in any competitions due toWorld War I. In 1918, Transylvania is united with Romania. | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1918–19 | District | 1st | 6 | – | |||||||||||||||
| 1919–20 | 1st | – | |||||||||||||||||
| 1920–21 | 3rd | – | |||||||||||||||||
| Romanian Football Championship[48][49] | CFR Cluj | ||||||||||||||||||
| 1921 | District | 2nd | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 10 | 8 | 8 | – | |||||||||
| 1921–22 | 6th | 14 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 13 | 21 | 10 | – | ||||||||||
| 1922–23 | 4th | 12 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 7 | 14 | 12 | – | ||||||||||
| 1923–24 | 3rd | 9 | 3 | 2 | 4 | 9 | 15 | 8 | – | ||||||||||
| 1924–25 | 3rd | 14 | 6 | 3 | 5 | 16 | 12 | 15 | – | ||||||||||
| 1925–26 | 6th | 18 | 9 | 1 | 8 | 36 | 27 | 19 | – | ||||||||||
| 1926–27 | 6th | 10 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 10 | 18 | 4 | – | ||||||||||
| 1927–28 Not involved in any competitions | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1928–29 | District | 7th | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 5 | 8 | 4 | – | |||||||||
| 1929–30 | 5th | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 10 | 11 | 5 | – | ||||||||||
| 1930–31 Not involved in any competitions | |||||||||||||||||||
| 1931–32 | District | 3rd | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 7 | 9 | 5 | – | |||||||||
| 1932–33 | 2nd | – | [50] | ||||||||||||||||
| 1933–34 | 1st | 32 | 4 | p | |||||||||||||||
| 1934–35 | Div B (2) | B3 | 5th | 14 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 21 | 27 | 11 | p | ||||||||
| 1935–36 | B3 | 8th | 14 | 3 | 1 | 10 | 11 | 28 | 7 | p | |||||||||
| 1936–37 | Div C (3) | S2N | 2nd | 10 | 3 | 6 | 1 | 12 | 10 | 12 | p | ||||||||
| 1937–38 | S1N | 4th | 16 | 8 | 4 | 4 | 39 | 25 | 20 | p | |||||||||
| 1938–39 | District (3) | 1st | p | ||||||||||||||||
| 1939–40 | 1st | p | |||||||||||||||||
| 1940–41 | Div B (2) | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | [51] | ||||||
| Hungarian Football Championship[42] | Kolozsvári MÁV SE | ||||||||||||||||||
| 1940–41 | District | 2nd | 8 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 19 | 11 | 11 | – | |||||||||
| 1941–42 | Nem II (2) | 3rd | 26 | 15 | 2 | 9 | 77 | 51 | 32 | – | |||||||||
| 1942–43 | 3rd | 18 | 9 | 2 | 7 | 32 | 37 | 20 | – | ||||||||||
| 1943–44 | 11th | 26 | 7 | 7 | 12 | 39 | 49 | 21 | – | ||||||||||
| 1944–45 | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | – | [52] | |||||||
| Romanian Football Championship[48] | CFR Cluj | ||||||||||||||||||
| 1945–46 | District | 3rd | – | ||||||||||||||||
| 1946–47 | Div C (3) | C7 | 1st | 16 | 15 | 1 | 0 | 56 | 5 | 31 | – | ||||||||
| 1947–48 | Div B (2) | B4 | 15th[53] | 15 | 10 | 0 | 5 | 40 | 28 | 20 | p | [54] | |||||||
| Div A (1) | 8th | 30 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 48 | 52 | 28 | R16 | Anton Fernbach-Ferenczi | 15 | ||||||||
| 1948–49 | 11th | 26 | 9 | 5 | 12 | 39 | 67 | 23 | R32 | ||||||||||
| 1950 | Div B (2) | B2 | 8th | 22 | 7 | 5 | 10 | 42 | 34 | 19 | p | Locomotiva Cluj | |||||||
| 1951 | B2 | 6th | 22 | 9 | 5 | 8 | 37 | 31 | 23 | R32 | |||||||||
| 1952 | B2 | 4th | 22 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 29 | 24 | 21 | p | |||||||||
| 1953 | B2 | 3rd | 28 | 14 | 7 | 7 | 48 | 32 | 35 | R32 | |||||||||
| 1954 | B2 | 5th | 24 | 10 | 6 | 8 | 33 | 26 | 26 | p | |||||||||
| 1955 | B2 | 7th | 26 | 11 | 3 | 12 | 45 | 38 | 25 | p | |||||||||
| 1956 | B1 | 10th | 24 | 9 | 3 | 12 | 30 | 41 | 21 | R32 | |||||||||
| 1957[55] | B1 | 6th | 12 | 3 | 2 | 7 | 18 | 28 | 8 | – | |||||||||
| 1957–58 | B1 | 14th | 26 | 3 | 5 | 18 | 31 | 71 | 11 | p | CFR Cluj | ||||||||
| 1958–59 | Div C (3) | C5 | 2nd | 18 | 10 | 3 | 5 | 26 | 17 | 23 | R32 | ||||||||
| 1959–60 | Div B (2) | B3 | 8th | 26 | 11 | 2 | 13 | 33 | 36 | 24 | R32 | [56] | |||||||
| 1960–61 | B3 | 8th | 26 | 9 | 7 | 10 | 29 | 41 | 25 | p | CSM Cluj | ||||||||
| 1961–62 | B3 | 7th | 26 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 32 | 31 | 28 | p | |||||||||
| 1962–63 | B3 | 5th | 26 | 10 | 7 | 9 | 40 | 30 | 27 | p | |||||||||
| 1963–64 | B2 | 11th | 26 | 9 | 4 | 13 | 34 | 31 | 22 | R32 | |||||||||
| 1964–65 | B2 | 3rd | 26 | 11 | 5 | 10 | 34 | 22 | 27 | R32 | Clujeana Cluj | ||||||||
| 1965–66 | B2 | 9th | 26 | 7 | 8 | 11 | 31 | 43 | 22 | R16 | |||||||||
| 1966–67 | B2 | 11th | 26 | 8 | 7 | 11 | 26 | 35 | 23 | p | [57] | ||||||||
| 1960–67 Amateur Team in District Leagues; SubstitutedClujeana Cluj (Div B) | CFR Cluj | ||||||||||||||||||
| 1967–68 | Div B (2) | B2 | 5th | 26 | 11 | 3 | 12 | 46 | 37 | 25 | 5R | Romulus Petrescu | 13 | ||||||
| 1968–69 | B2 | 1st | 30 | 16 | 8 | 6 | 57 | 31 | 40 | 5R |  Giannis Matzourakis | 15 | |||||||
| 1969–70 | Div A (1) | 14th | 30 | 10 | 7 | 13 | 29 | 45 | 27 | R32 | Arpad Soos | 8 | |||||||
| 1970–71 | 14th | 30 | 9 | 8 | 13 | 37 | 52 | 26 | R32 | Octavian Ionescu | 9 | ||||||||
| 1971–72 | 13th | 30 | 9 | 7 | 14 | 27 | 37 | 25 | QF | ||||||||||
| 1972–73 | 5th | 30 | 11 | 11 | 8 | 33 | 33 | 33 | R16 | Mihai Adam | 11 | ||||||||
| 1973–74 | 14th | 34 | 11 | 9 | 14 | 40 | 53 | 31 | R32 | Mihai Adam | 23 | ||||||||
| 1974–75 | 15th | 34 | 11 | 10 | 13 | 26 | 34 | 32 | R16 | ||||||||||
| 1975–76 | 17th | 34 | 9 | 10 | 15 | 30 | 39 | 28 | R32 | Mihai Adam | 9 | ||||||||
| 1976–77 | Div B (2) | B3 | 9th | 34 | 14 | 6 | 14 | 38 | 40 | 34 | p | ||||||||
| 1977–78 | B3 | 2nd | 34 | 21 | 8 | 5 | 80 | 21 | 50 | p | |||||||||
| 1978–79 | B3 | 4th | 34 | 16 | 4 | 14 | 48 | 42 | 36 | p | |||||||||
| 1979–80 | B3 | 10th | 34 | 14 | 4 | 16 | 47 | 54 | 32 | p | |||||||||
| 1980–81 | B3 | 8th | 34 | 15 | 4 | 15 | 61 | 48 | 34 | p | |||||||||
| 1981–82 | B3 | 17th | 34 | 10 | 6 | 18 | 37 | 58 | 26 | p | [58] | ||||||||
| 1982–83 | Div C (3) | C10 | 1st | 30 | 20 | 3 | 7 | 64 | 31 | 43 | p | Steaua CFR Cluj | |||||||
| 1983–84 | Div B (2) | B3 | 16th | 34 | 13 | 2 | 19 | 44 | 52 | 28 | p | ||||||||
| 1984–85 | Div C (3) | C11 | 5th | 30 | 14 | 2 | 14 | 37 | 26 | 30 | R32 | ||||||||
| 1985–86 | C9 | 1st | 30 | 20 | 2 | 8 | 87 | 27 | 42 | p | |||||||||
| 1986–87 | Div B (2) | B3 | 17th | 34 | 7 | 8 | 19 | 35 | 56 | 22 | p | ||||||||
| 1987–88 | Div C (3) | C9 | 2nd | 30 | 20 | 3 | 7 | 73 | 29 | 43 | p | ||||||||
| 1988–89 | C11 | 1st | 30 | 18 | 5 | 7 | 66 | 24 | 41 | p | |||||||||
| 1989–90 | Div B (2) | B3 | 18th | 34 | 5 | 10 | 19 | 26 | 66 | 20 | R16 | ||||||||
| 1990–91 | Div C (3) | C11 | 1st | 30 | 20 | 6 | 4 | 77 | 27 | 46 | p | Ilie Lazăr | 25 | CFR Cluj | |||||
| 1991–92 | Div B (2) | B3 | 7th | 34 | 15 | 5 | 14 | 65 | 52 | 35 | p | Ilie Lazăr | 30 | ||||||
| 1992–93 | Div A (2) | S2 | 15th | 34 | 13 | 3 | 18 | 56 | 68 | 29 | p | ||||||||
| 1993–94 | S2 | 12th | 34 | 12 | 6 | 16 | 53 | 57 | 30 | 5R | Cristian Coroian Dănuț Matei | 9 | |||||||
| 1994–95 | S2 | 16th | 34 | 10 | 7 | 17 | 49 | 67 | 37 | 4R | Cristian Coroian | 9 | |||||||
| 1995–96 | Div B (3) | S4 | 1st | 34 | 26 | 3 | 5 | 96 | 20 | 81 | p | Cristian Coroian | 31 | ||||||
| 1996–97 | Div A (2) | S2 | 9th | 34 | 14 | 5 | 15 | 43 | 45 | 47 | 5R | Sorin Oncică | 7 | ||||||
| 1997–98 | Div B (2) | B2 | 16th | 34 | 11 | 5 | 18 | 41 | 57 | 38 | p | ||||||||
| 1998–99 | Div C (3) | C4 | 5th | 36 | 16 | 8 | 12 | 61 | 55 | 56 | p | ||||||||
| 1999–00 | C6 | 10th | 30 | 11 | 6 | 13 | 53 | 49 | 39 | p | |||||||||
| 2000–01 | C7 | 10th | 26 | 10 | 5 | 11 | 37 | 35 | 35 | p | |||||||||
| 2001–02 | C8 | 1st | 26 | 21 | 2 | 3 | 60 | 10 | 65 | R32 | |||||||||
| 2002–03 | Div B (2) | B2 | 6th | 28 | 12 | 10 | 6 | 52 | 26 | 46 | QF | Cosmin Tilincă | 9 | CFR-Ecomax Cluj | |||||
| 2003–04 | B3 | 1st | 30 | 21 | 6 | 3 | 75 | 19 | 69 | 6R | Adrian Anca | 24 | |||||||
| 2004–05 | Div A (1) | 11th | 30 | 9 | 9 | 12 | 33 | 44 | 36 | R16 | Adrian Anca | 11 | |||||||
| 2005–06 | 5th | 30 | 14 | 8 | 8 | 36 | 27 | 50 | R32 | IT | F | Adrian Anca | 6 | ||||||
| 2006–07 | L1 (1) | 3rd | 34 | 21 | 6 | 7 | 59 | 32 | 69 | R16 | Cristian Coroian | 11 | CFR 1907 Cluj | ||||||
| 2007–08 | 1st | 34 | 23 | 7 | 4 | 52 | 22 | 76 | W | UEFA | 2QR | Eugen Trică | 14 | ||||||
| 2008–09 | 4th | 34 | 16 | 11 | 7 | 44 | 26 | 59 | W | UCL | GS | Supercup | W |  Yssouf Koné | 10 | ||||
| 2009–10 | 1st | 34 | 20 | 9 | 5 | 43 | 21 | 69 | W | UEL | GS | Supercup | W | Cristian Bud | 7 | ||||
| 2010–11 | 10th | 34 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 50 | 45 | 45 | QF | UCL | GS |  Lacina Traoré | 7 | ||||||
| 2011–12 | 1st | 34 | 21 | 8 | 5 | 63 | 31 | 71 | R32 | Supercup | F | Pantelis Kapetanos | 12 | ||||||
| 2012–13 | 9th | 34 | 12 | 13 | 9 | 56 | 39 | 49 | F | UCL | GS | Rui Pedro | 7 | ||||||
| UEL | R32 | ||||||||||||||||||
| 2013–14 | 5th | 34 | 13 | 12 | 9 | 44 | 33 | 51 | R32 | Ciprian Deac Derick Ogbu | 6 | ||||||||
| 2014–15 | 3rd | 34 | 16 | 9 | 9 | 49 | 29 | 57 | SF | UEL | 3QR | League Cup | R16 | Grégory Tadé | 18 | ||||
| 2015–16 | 10th | 26 | 9 | 10 | 7 | 31 | 25 | 27[59] | W | League Cup | QF | Cristian López | 13 | ||||||
| 14 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 25 | 13 | 36[60] | Supercup | F | |||||||||||
| 2016–17 | 4th | 26 | 14 | 7 | 5 | 42 | 23 | 43[61] | QF | League Cup | QF | Cristian Bud | 11 | ||||||
| 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 8 | 14 | 33[62] | |||||||||||||
| 2017–18 | 1st | 26 | 18 | 5 | 3 | 42 | 13 | 59 | R32 | Supercup | W |  Emmanuel Culio | 8 | ||||||
| 10 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 12 | 6 | 50[63] | |||||||||||||
| 2018–19 | 1st | 26 | 15 | 9 | 2 | 39 | 16 | 54 | SF | UCL | 2QR | Supercup | F | George Țucudean | 18 | ||||
| 10 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 15 | 4 | 50[64] | UEL | PO | |||||||||||
| 2019–20 | 1st | 26 | 15 | 7 | 4 | 51 | 16 | 52 | R32 | UCL | PO | Supercup | W | Ciprian Deac | 14 | ||||
| 10 | 7 | 2 | 1 | 17 | 7 | 49[65] | UEL | R32 | |||||||||||
| 2020–21 | 1st | 30 | 19 | 7 | 4 | 51 | 16 | 64 | R32 | UCL | 2QR | Supercup | F | Ciprian Deac | 13 | ||||
| 10 | 7 | 1 | 2 | 15 | 5 | 54[66] | UEL | GS | |||||||||||
| 2021–22 | 1st | 30 | 24 | 4 | 2 | 48 | 16 | 76 | R32 | UCL | 3QR | Supercup | F |  Gabriel Debeljuh | 14 | ||||
| UEL | PO | ||||||||||||||||||
| 10 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 18 | 9 | 57[67] | UECL | GS | |||||||||||
| 2022–23 | 3rd | 30 | 20 | 3 | 7 | 54 | 28 | 63 | SF | UCL | 1QR |  Rangelo Janga | 10 | ||||||
| 10 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 11 | 14 | 42[66] | UECL | KPO | |||||||||||
| 2023–24 | 2nd | 30 | 15 | 8 | 7 | 54 | 29 | 53 | QF | UECL | 2QR | Philip Otele | 18 | ||||||
| 10 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 19 | 14 | 46[64] | |||||||||||||
| 2024–25 | 2nd | 30 | 14 | 12 | 4 | 56 | 32 | 54 | W | UECL | PO | Supercup | F | Louis Munteanu | 23 | ||||
| 10 | 4 | 4 | 2 | 17 | 11 | 43[64] | |||||||||||||
| 2025–26 | 12th | 11 | 2 | 6 | 3 | 17 | 21 | 16 | GS | UEL | 3QR | ||||||||
| UECL | PO | ||||||||||||||||||
The footballers enlisted below have had international cap(s) for their respective countries at junior and/or senior level. Players whose name is listed inbold represented their countries at junior and/or senior level while they played for the club or had a significant number of caps and goals accumulated throughout a certain number of seasons for the club itself as well.
Varga is the presumed owner of the fresh champions, a guy with a not-so-happy reputation.
(in Romanian)
