1967-1976: Radulescu Takes Command  

Constantin Radulescu took charge of C.F.R. again just as the team promoted to the second league. Radulescu was originally from southern Romania, but he grew to manhood in the stern atmosphere of Transylvania. Before coaching, he had played for C.F.R. and Universitatea Cluj, during the 1940s. Under his leadership, the ragtag group of players that the club had gathered together managed to finish in last place with only seven points by the winter break. The winter break, however, was to also signal the beginning of an incredible transformation in the team. Despite some indiscipline, the players became more united than ever. Consequently, that spring C.F.R. accumulated win after win. In the end, the club not only avoided relegation, but also achieved an honourable fifth place finish.

Left: CFR in 1968

The 1968-1969 season began in the best possible way with a 0-0 draw and a 3-2 win against top teams Ramnicu Valcea and Politechnica Timisoara, respectively. Then, the team won game after game, reaching top spot. As the victories piled up, so did the enthusiasm. Thousands of spectators went to watch the surprise leaders. Yet, even though C.F.R. was in first by the winter break, several of the players left for various reasons. Still, even with a decimated squad, C.F.R. tied promotion rivals Politechnica Timisoara in a dramatic away game. Politechnica led 1-0 at halftime. Minutes after the start of the second half Petru Emil shot from quite a distance, and the ball went through the opposing goalkeeper’s legs and met the back of the net. However, the referee thought that the keeper would catch the ball, turned around, did not see, and thus did not validate the goal. In spite of the ill luck, C.F.R. came back with a fine header from Árpád Soos, and the fixture ended at 1-1. 

Below left: CFR in 1968. Notable players include Marius Bretan, Augustin Tegean, and Ioannis Matzurakis. Right: Training for the match.

That game was to prove conclusive, as C.F.R. finished first in Divizia B with forty points, five more than Politechnica Timisoara. After twenty years, the club could again play among the elite.

Above left: Steaua's stars are coming to Cluj! Right: The next day...

In addition, the top goalscorer in Divizia B that season was C.F.R.’s Greek footballer Ioannis Matzurakis. Matzurakis was then traded to football powerhouse Rapid Bucharest, and he later realized a career as a successful coach in the Greek first league.

Above left and center: Match Reviews of the 1970s. Far right: Dr. Constantin Radulescu on the bench.

Dr. Constantin Radulescu used the following players in the 1968-69 championship: Nagel, Lengyel, Hasmasan-Tegean, Dragomir, Soos, Manu, Gocan-Roman, V. Alexandru, Stancelm, Visan, Petru Emil-Matzurakis, Zanea, M. Bretan, Balas, R. Petrescu, Marian Popescu, Pona, and Strat. The team was young and Radulescu was an attack-minded coach who used an ultra-offensive 4-3-3 formation.

Left: Augustin Tegean. Center: CFR - UT Arad match preview. Right: Dr. Constantin Radulescu

In the 1969-1970 championship, C.F.R. made its debut with a victory, 2-0 over ASA Târgu Mures. The next few results, however, were less than spectacular. Apart from a 1-0 win over Politehnica Iasi, there were losses to Steaua Bucharest (1-3) and Dinamo Bucharest (0-2). Unfortunately, these and other defeats were a factor in the team's downhill slide. Still, the following spring C.F.R. bounced back with a 1-0 win over ASA Târgu Mures, after a lovely goal from Octavian Ionescu, and managed to avoid relegation. In the 1969-1970 season, the starting eleven were generally as follows: Moldovan - Lupu, Dragomir, Soos, Roman, Cojocaru, M. Bretan, Tegean, Visan, O. Ionescu, Szoke.

Right: CFR playing Universitatea Craiova

At the start of C.F.R.’s second season in Divizia A, Constantin Radulescu was replaced by Eugen Iordache as head coach. After several poor results, Radulescu was swiftly brought back. Even so, C.F.R. Cluj found itself again at the bottom of the table before the winter break. The spring of 1971 was somewhat better, although the side still found itself on the brink of relegation. Due to the situation in the standings, the last game of the season would decide if C.F.R. would earn a spot in the top flight for another year or suffer the agony of demotion. The last game of the season, against UT Arad, was a memorable one. After being down a goal at the break, UTA managed to score twice. Nonetheless, the persistence of the players from Cluj was rewarded with a late goal, tying the game at 2-2. UT Arad went on to play in the European Cups, but, most importantly, C.F.R. avoided falling into mediocrity.

The 1971-1972 season began, yet again, poorly. Losses to Dinamo Bucharest (1-3); Crisul Oradea (0-1, after a last-minute penalty kick), and Jiul Petrosani (1-2 after two unfortunate own-goals) were the highlights of a disappointing autumn campaign. By the winter break the team was in dead last with only seven points. In spite of everything, the team’s rise in the spring was spectacular. The team won some important games, such as  1-0 with Universitatea Craiova and 3-0 with Petrolul Ploiesti. Nevertheless, these wins were not enough to clear the drop zone. For the second consecutive season the outcome was to be determined during the last game. C.F.R. was tied at half-time after having led by a 2-0 margin in their game against Politehnica Iasi. In the second half, two late goals from Ionescu and Petrescu saved the team from the second league. To their evident surprise, when Radulescu and his players returned to Cluj, three thousand fans appeared to celebrate their feat.

Above left: 1972-73 season promotional poster. Center: Dr. Radulescu alongside top goalscorer, Mihai Adam. Right: The local derby, CFR - Universitatea.

During the summer of 1972, C.F.R. concluded a transfer of utmost importance. Mihai Adam, from Universitatea Cluj, was brought in. Adam had been twice Romania's top goalscorer, and was considered one of the best Romanian players of his generation. He and the rest of the team would make the 1972-73 season one of the most glorious in C.F.R.’s history. Several important results concluded a great season, including a 2-0 victory against Rapid Bucharest, a 2-2 draw against Sportul Studentesc Bucharest and another draw, 1-1, with Steaua Bucharest. The team achieved what was then its highest ranking in Romanian football: fifth. Nonetheless, the team could have finished higher in the final standings, and perhaps even played in a European cup, if not for the infamous Bochum incident. At that time, only the two communist-backed Bucharest teams, Steaua and Dinamo, could travel outside of Romania`s borders in order to play in tournaments and friendly matches. However, near the end of the season C.F.R. was also given that opportunity. The team was to travel by train the entire distance to Bochum, Germany, in order to play a friendly match against the local 1.Bundesliga side. The team played very well, but still yielded 3-1. At any rate, by the time the players got back to Cluj, they had accumulated so much fatigue from the long journey that their results in the league games to come were very poor. Was this trip an olive branch offered by the Bucharest clubs, or was it a calculated strategy to derail the team from Cluj?

Above left: CFR in 1972. Right: Onward Cluj!

The 1972-1973 squad was generally as follows: Gadja – Lupup, Dragomir, Penzes (Szoke), Roman – Marius Bretan, Cojocaru (Visan) – Sorin Bretan, Tegean (pripici), Adam, Petrescu (Bucur).

Below left: CFR - Cuba 2-1, CFR Stadium, 15 000 in attendance. Right: The big win at Rapid in 1973.

Additionally, the stadium that C.F.R. continues to play on even today was built in 1973. To celebrate the successful completion of the stadium, C.F.R. Cluj played a friendly against the Cuban National Football Team. The game ended in a 2-1 victory.

The 1973-74 season was a rather poor one for C.F.R., as the club 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. Even though Adam had reached the age of thirty-three, when most footballers are past their prime, he still managed to score twenty-three goals. C.F.R.'s poor ranking in 1974 was somewhat due to the existence of an unjust rule in Romania at the time. Every year the champion would be allowed to take three of the best players in the league from other teams at no cost. As a result, C.F.R. offensive midfielder, Augustin Tegean, one of the team's stars, was forced to leave for Universitatea Craiova 

Below left: Running out of the dressing rooms in time for the second half. Right: Augustin Tegean

The 1974-75 season was much like the one before: a constant uphill battle to avoid the fall into inferiority. Due to his persistent criticism of the local government's lack of interest in sport, Constantin Radulescu was in fact suspended from coaching. His friend, Nicolae Szaboszloy took over the reins of the team. Still, Szaboszloy quickly realized the advantages of having his luckless friend continue at C.F.R. as a "technical associate". The season began well with victories at Galati and with Sportul Studentesc at Bucharest, but a disastrous spring campaign led to a poor final showing.

The next year, and despite the fact that most of C.F.R.'s players were over thirty years of age, the team found itself in first place after several rounds. Victories with Dinamo (3-1) and UT Arad (2-0) as well as a 2-2 draw at Poli Timisoara were critical in this rise. However, the centralized government in Bucharest began to worry that C.F.R. would forever remain a thorn in the side of the big Bucharest clubs, Steaua and Dinamo. A fierce media and political campaign was launched to tarnish the club's image and destroy their morale. These external factors, as well as the club's lack of talented young players and resources, led to catastrophe. In the next match, C.F.R. was able to hold Rapid Bucharest to 0-0 at the break, but Rapid scored four unanswered in the second half and eventually won. This was to be merely the first sign of the coming tragedy. In the final fixture of the season, deciding who would relegate, C.F.R. faced Metalul Resita. Even though the Transylvanians dominated, Resita somehow managed to score a goal off a long-distance effort. In the second half the game became tied up at one-a-piece. C.F.R. needed the win to stay in Divizia A. Attack after attack followed. The injured Mihai Adam even asked to go on and try his luck, while Gostileanu missed an open-net chance from only two meters out. Nothing more could be done and the match ended in a 1-1 draw. It was a dark day for football in Cluj. Not only had C.F.R. relegated, but Universitatea as well. It was the worst year for Transylvanian football. 

Thus, the 1975-76 season marked C.F.R. Cluj’s relegation and its last season in Divizia A in the 20th Century. 

        Next match:

Sept. 11/2010

7th Round 2010/11

Rapid - CFR Cluj  

Cluj-Napoca

Aug. 2 8/2010 

CFR Cluj-Pandurii

2-1

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