EXCLUSIVE “You have to come up with something new!” » What has not worked in the Sabău-U Cluj relationship? “By repeating certain methods, players are no longer receptive”
Article by Remus Dinu – Published on Saturday, 18 October 2025, 23:36 / Updated on Saturday, 18 October 2025 23:37
Defeated without right of appeal by FC Botoșani, score 0-2, The University of Cluj could no longer turn Ioan Ovidiu Sabău out of the waythe one who submitted his resignation at the end of Saturday's game. The club accepted the request of “Moță”, so the “red caps” were left, officially, without a coach.
Sabău had also tried to leave the University two weeks ago, after the unexpected failure at Miercurea Ciuc (1-2). Turned out of the way by the decision makers of the club, the 57-year-old technician temporarily continued in the position, but the inevitable happened after the defeat with FC Botoșani.
The premature breakup between Sabău and U Cluj occurs less than a year after the outstanding performance of the previous season – led by “U” for a period – when the Transylvanians qualified for the play-offs and later for the preliminaries of the European cups.
What didn't work at “U” anymore? Mircea Rădulescu, about Sabău's departure: “As a coach, you always have to come up with something new”
In an interview given to Gazeta Sporturilor on Saturday evening, Professor Constantin Rădulescu, former head of the Federal Coaching School, addressed the subject of Sabău's departure from the head of the “students”.
The 84-year-old “veteran”, former selector of the first national team, also spent time at Craiova University, Rapid or Sportul, tried to find a possible explanation for U Cluj's decline this season.
“I had countless opportunities to participate in symposia, conferences, congresses… And during the breaks, I was talking to one and another from neighboring countries, from countries with achievements in terms of performance. There is a wisdom that I learned from many: in professional football, it is not necessary that the methods with which you manage to have a performance can be repeated in order to have the same performances again.
Why? Because erosion factors intervene. You always have to keep the players mentally fresh. By repeating certain methods, they tend not to be as responsive, and it shows.
I don't know and I don't want to accuse Neluțu of anything, whom I respect very much… But I ran into this phenomenon, sometimes I tried to orientate myself.
As a professional coach, you always have to come up with something new, whether it's formation, training, training cycle, evaluations, there are many things. The methods should not be fixed, in a rigid manner, because they lower the morale of the players“, declared Mircea Rădulescu, in dialogue with GSP.ro.
Mircea Rădulescu commented on Sabău's departure from “U”
Done, Sabău has left U Cluj
Ioan Ovidiu Sabău, the coach of U Cluj, submitted his resignation at the end of the match lost at home against FC Botoșani, score 0-2. Dissatisfied with the way his students express themselves lately, Ioan Ovidiu Sabău said it's time for a change.
Following the request made this evening by coach Ioan Ovidiu Sabău, FC Universitatea Cluj accepted the amicable termination of the contract. The decision taken by mutual agreement is to be formalized as soon as possible. FC Universitatea Cluj would like to thank Ioan Ovidiu Sabău for the work he has done at the club this term, crowned with the qualification in the Conference League at the end of last season.
– Communicated by the University of Cluj
