CFR Cluj appoints Portuguese Antonio Folha as head coach

CFR Cluj confirmed the appointment of former Portuguese international Antonio Folha as the club's head coach on 15 June 2026. He signed a contract lasting until the end of the season with an option to extend for another year. Folha previously played for FC Porto and other clubs and coached Porto B and Portimonense, accumulating 119 matches as a staff member in Portugal.

Folha arrived in Cluj with three Portuguese assistants, including former player Dani Soares, and began intensive training sessions focused on ball possession and rapid ball recovery rather than pure physical work. Under the supervision of club vice‑president Ciprian Deac and sporting director Ricardo Cadu, the team will train locally until 28 June before heading to a 10‑day pre‑season camp in Slovenia, playing friendlies against NK Aluminij, Olimpija Ljubljana, FC Noah and Karpaty Lviv.

In his first interview, Folha stressed the club's ambition to compete for the league title, noting the need to replace a central defender and a forward after the departures of Matei Ilie and Alibek Aliev. He also highlighted unexpected financial difficulties at the club, describing the situation as harder than anticipated. Despite the challenges, he pledged to give everything to make CFR Cluj champions again.