Marius Șumudică Appointed New CFR Cluj Coach, Seeks Reinforcements

Marius Șumudică is the new head coach of Romanian football club CFR Cluj, with club financier Ioan Varga confirming a deal has been struck. Șumudică takes over from Antonio Folha, who was dismissed after a short tenure marked by a significant defeat.

Folha's departure followed a heavy 5-0 loss to Tromsø in the first leg of the Europa Conference League third qualifying round. Șumudică, who previously managed CFR Cluj in the summer of 2021, accepted the offer quickly. Varga stated that the new coach is eager for success and has already submitted a list of four to five players he wishes to acquire for the squad, with the club aiming to bring them in starting next week.

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I met with Șumudică today (Saturday), we shook hands, he is CFR's new coach. He wasn't hard to convince, he wanted to come, he is hungry for performance.

This marks Șumudică's second stint with CFR Cluj. His previous tenure ended abruptly following the team's elimination from the Europa League after losses to Red Star Belgrade. The separation at that time was reportedly tense, with Șumudică being denied entry to the stadium shortly after the second leg match, indicating a strained relationship with the club's management.

CFR Cluj is not playing this weekend as their derby match against Universitatea Cluj has been postponed. However, Șumudică faces an immediate challenge. His first game in charge will be a critical return leg against Tromsø in Norway on Thursday, with the team needing to overcome a substantial deficit to advance in the Conference League.

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He said he wants 4-5 players, and I promised him he will have them available starting next week!