CFR Cluj crowned champion of Romania
Champion before the last disputed stage, CFR Cluj, has been awarded with the champion of League I trophy at the match played at home. Vaslui has completed the second position.
Articol de Paul Poteraşi, 22 Mai 2012, 07:26
CFR's players kicked off the celebration at the end of the match with Steaua (1-1), when they received the champion medals and a League trophy at a ceremony held on Sunday evening on the stadium "Dr. Constantin Radulescu ".
After the match , Cluj players have welcomed the audience and some of them have enjoyed winning the trophy with their families, who had access on the field on this occasion.
"I created in Cluj an extraordinary emulation. I am proud to live in Cluj, in Transylvania, we devote the last trophy won because you deserve it. We proved throughout the country that we are the best and we are champions of Romanian football. Forza CFR.
"We promise that we will win trophies because at the CFR a mentality of champions was implemented. We thank these wonderful players, coaches, to Arpad Paszkany ... Please join us and we promise further trophies" addressed CFR President to the public Cluj, Iuliu Muresan, before the awarding of medals and trophy.
Financier Arpad Paszkany mentioned in his speech also the former technician of Cluj, Jorge Costa.
"It's a wonderful evening, the third title in a short time was not possible without you. We need to honour those who have brought this title into the lawn. Let’s honour also Jorge Costa, who had an important contribution and big applause for Andone.
"Thank you because you supported us, you are the soul of this club and this team. Perhaps Cluj has two football teams, but there is only one champion in Transylvania, CFR," said, according to Mediafax, Arpad Paszkany.
After the two speeches, CFR Cluj players received the team jerseys, medals and championship rings, the first awarded being Rafael Bastos and the last one captain Ricardo Cadu.
At the end of the ceremony, Cluj players have made a champagne bath, on the tune "We Are The Champions" and under a shower of confetti.
Also, there was a firework, and according to the President of CFR Cluj, Iuliu Mureșan, the players will make a tour of the city with a bus decker.
The ceremony was attended by over 20,000 spectators.
CFR Cluj won the Romanian league, after the Friday's victory, score 3-2, obtained in displacement, with the University of Cluj, in a match replayed in the XXXI stage of League 1.
Cluj team won the third title of champion of Romania in the history after those won at the end of the season 2007/2008 and 2009/2010, under the leadership of technical Ioan Andone, respectively Andrea Mandorlini.
Their record also includes three Cups of Romania, in 2008, 2009 and 2010 and the Romanian Super cup in 2009 and 2010.
| Clasamentul Ligii 1 | ||||||||
| Poziţia | Echipă | Meciuri | Victorii | Egaluri | Înfrângeri | Golaveraj | Puncte | Adevăr |
| 1 | CFR Cluj | 34 | 21 | 8 | 5 | 63-31 (32) | 71 | (+20) |
| 2 | FC Vaslui | 34 | 22 | 4 | 8 | 58-29 (29) | 70 | (+19) |
| 3 | Steaua Bucureşti | 34 | 19 | 9 | 6 | 47-26 (21) | 66 | (+15) |
| 4 | Rapid Bucureşti | 34 | 18 | 10 | 6 | 54-29 (25) | 64 | (+13) |
| 5 | Dinamo Bucureşti | 34 | 18 | 8 | 8 | 57-32 (25) | 62 | (+11) |
| 6 | Oţelul Galaţi | 34 | 15 | 7 | 12 | 34-29 (5) | 52 | (+1) |
| 7 | U Cluj | 34 | 11 | 14 | 9 | 46-37 (9) | 47 | (-4) |
| 8 | Pandurii Tg Jiu | 34 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 47-40 (7) | 47 | (-4) |
| 9 | Concordia Chiajna | 34 | 13 | 6 | 15 | 42-52 (-10) | 45 | (-6) |
| 10 | FC Braşov | 33 | 12 | 6 | 15 | 37-33 (4) | 42 | (-6) |
| 11 | Astra Ploieşti | 34 | 11 | 8 | 15 | 36-43 (-7) | 41 | (-10) |
| 12 | Gaz Metan Mediaş | 33 | 11 | 8 | 14 | 39-52 (-13) | 41 | (-10) |
| 13 | Petrolul Ploieşti | 33 | 10 | 9 | 14 | 42-42 (0) | 39 | (-9) |
| 14 | Ceahlăul Piatra Neamţ | 33 | 10 | 9 | 14 | 34-46 (-12) | 39 | (-9) |
| 15 | FCM Tg. Mureş | 33 | 8 | 11 | 14 | 33-45 (-12) | 35 | (-16) |
| 16 | Voinţa Sibiu | 34 | 8 | 8 | 18 | 24-45 (-21) | 32 | (-19) |
| 17 | Sportul Studenţesc | 33 | 5 | 12 | 16 | 30-55 (-25) | 27 | (-24) |
Legend:
Teams marked in green go in Champions League qualifiers.
Teams marked with blue go to the Europa League qualifiers.
Teams marked with red demote.
Petrolul-Sportul, Brasov-Targu Mures and Ceahlau-Gaz Metan parties will be played on Monday.
Vaslui accuses the champion
FC Vaslui won with 1-0 (0-0) on the University of Cluj-Napoca in the last stage of League I of football and assured its presence in the Champions League preliminaries.
The only goal was scored by Vasile Buhăescu (61).
Before the match, Wesley (FC Vaslui) was awarded the trophy for the top scorer of the League I season 2011-2012, with 27 goals.
The representatives of the Vice champion said that the result of the competition is unfair.
"It's the second time we are pushed aside. In recent years we have had dirty championships, bribed. If we had won a championship with briberies, we would have given fire to the stadium. For CFR, it is a dirty title, that swarms of laziness . If it had been a correct championship, Vaslui would have been the champion.
"In Romania you cannot won a fair championship. I am baffled; I thought we could get the title. Vaslui is the most beautiful and best team at the moment," said Adrian Porumboiu, the team sponsor.
Adrian Porumboiu harshly accused the President of the Central Commission of Referees, Ion Crăciunescu, whom he sees responsible for what happens in Romanian football and said that he will never forgive him, because he "shattered his dream of winning the championship".
FC Vaslui coach, Augusto Inacio, said that his team is the true champion of Romanian football.
"We deserve all the congratulations for their work in the last four months. CFR won the championship due to a non-existent penalty. We are the true champions of this league. We are not champions on paper, but we feel the best. I fought against enemies and against money.
“We always played with the clean conscience; we made a good job here, a team effort. However, we have all the reasons to be happy, it is the best ranked team yet," said Augusto Inacio.
The champion does not go straight to the Champions League groups
From 2012-2013 edition of the Champions League, the champion of Romania will not go directly into the competition groups.
This happens after five years during which the team that was needed in Romanian championship reached the group stage directly.
In the new season of Champions League, CFR Cluj will be qualified in the third preliminary round.
Cluj team will have the seeded status and will fight to get into the play-off Champions League.
If it is eliminated in the third preliminary round, it will be redistributed by UEFA in the Europa League play-off.
If the Romanian champions are eliminated in play-off Champions League, it will be placed directly into the Europa League groups.
For Romania’s vice Champion, the qualification into the Champions League groups will be a more difficult task because it will enter in the third preliminary round in the so called "non-champions" tournament.
Vaslui will not be seeded, situation in which will be found also the vice champion of Greece, of Denmark, FC Bruges (Belgium) and Motherwell FC (Scotland).
So, Adrian Porumboiu’s team will face one of four favorite bands of the Third Qualifying round: Dinamo Kiev (Uraina), Fenerbahce (Turkey), FC Bruges (Belgium) and AEK Athens (Greece).
If it is eliminated in this phase of the competition, Vaslui will be sent to the Europe League play-off.
The qualification for Champions League play-off will bring as possible opponents teams like Braga (Portugal), Dynamo Kiev (Ukraine), Spartak Moscow (Russia) and Fenerbahce (Turkey).
The good thing is that elimination in this round of the competition will bring their presence in the Europa League groups.
Steaua, Dinamo and Rapid go into Europa League qualifying.
Translated by Alexandra-Diana Mircea
MTTLC, Bucharest University
