In the land of Count Dracula, something stirs. CRF Cluj's first title of any acclaim was the championship of Transylvania in 1910, their most recent the Romanian national title in 2008. Two titles, 98 years apart and one club in the making. The Irish novelist Bram Stoker wrote about Dracula 10 years before the formation of Cluj. Both are worthy tales of fiction. Cluj's story is a tale of a winding journey through time that will tonight carry this smallish club to Rome's Olympic Stadium to face AS Roma in the Champions League.
On such nights, points and a pot of money is available. Cluj must avoid the probablity of a stake to their heart against a Roma side that is fit for purpose. But such stories are old news for Cluj. In defying the odds, Cluj have cornered the market. They lifted their national title and cup for the first time last season. They were the first team to win the league from outside of Bucharest in 17 years, and they gained the riches of a spot in the Champions League group stages.
Steaua Bucharest won the European Cup in 1986. They have been the superior side in Romania, but finished one point behind Cluj last season. All this comes after they competed in Romania's third division six years ago. Their club badge is dominated by a huge train. It is an image that reeks of connotations of Romania's communist past, but their side's work ethic has hardly evaporated with the dissolution of the old Eastern bloc.
Cluj have realised the value of free enterprise in spending ?60million (Dh313m) over the past four years signing a host of players from outside Romania. They employ men from Argentina, Brazil and Portugal. Their Portuguese captain Ricardo Cadu led the squad into Rome airport yesterday morning perhaps after travelling on a wing and a prayer. They also have a new coach in the Italian Maurizio Trombetta, who recently replaced Ioan Andone. Despite his unwarranted success with the club, the club's rulers were unhappy with shaky league form that left them nearer the nether regions of the league.
Trombetta had assistant jobs at Napoli and Perugia before washing up in Romania to help Andone. He must fix poor domestic form, but a first foray in the Champions League is a welcome diversion. Like Count Dracula, Cluj will hope to rise again tonight. @Email:dkane@thenational.ae
