After leaving CFR Cluj, Dan Petrescu is about to take on a tradition team! It was recommended by a “golden balloon”
Article by Cosmin Nistor – published on Saturday, September 20, 2025, 16:54 / Updated on Saturday, September 20, 2025 16:55
CSKA Sofia has come into discussions with Dan Petrescu (57 years old), the former coach of the Transylvanians from CFR Cluj, to replace the Dusan Kerkez Bosnian (49 years old).
Until the appointment of a new technician, the team will be interim prepared by Valentin Iliev (former player in Romania at FCU Craiova, FCSB and Craiova University).
Hristo Stoichkov at personally recommended Dan Petrescu
The legendary Hristo Stoichkov is the one who proposed to the leadership of the Bulgarian club on the former defender of the Star and the national of Romania. Moreover, the former winner of the Golden Ball would have intermediated the first discussions between the two parties, notes Sportal.bg.
Impressive career of coach
In Romania, Dan Petrescu also prepared FC National, Student Sport (in two mandates), Rapid București, Unirea Urziceni and ASA Târgu Mureș and CFR Cluj (4 mandates). Abroad, he trained bands such as: Wisla Krakow (Poland), Kuban Krasnodar (two mandates) and Dinamo Moscow (Russia), Jeonbuk Hyundai (South Korea), Al-Arabi and Al Nasr (Gulf area), Jiangsu Suning and Guizhou Hengfeng (China), but also Kayseris (Turkey).
Its record is a consistent one: 5 champion titles of Romania, a Cup of Romania, a Super Cup of Romania, the China Cup and a promotion in the first league in Russia.
Player's career
Before stating as a coach, Dan Petrescu was one of the most important Romanian right -wing defenders in the 1990s.
He debuted at Steaua București, where he won three champion titles (1985/86, 1987/88, 1988/89) and three Cups of Romania (1986/87, 1987/88, 1988/89). After a brief experience in Scornicești, he left for Italy, Foggia and Genoa, and in 1994 he took the step in the Premier League at Sheffield Wednesday.
However, the most important period of his career spent it in Chelsea, between 1995 and 2000, where he quickly became a basic man. In the London T -shirt conquered:
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1x UEFA Cup Cup (1997/98)
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1X Europe Super Cup (1998/99)
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2x FA Cup (1997, 2000)
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1X Cup of the England League (1998)
He later evolved for Bradford and Southampton, withdrawing in 2003 at the Bucharest National FC.
For the national team of Romania, Petrescu has collected 95 selections and scored 12 goals, participating in two world championships (1994, 1998) and two European championships (1996, 2000).
