“It's not like that in Italy”

Many footballers have impressed this season in the U Cluj shirt, but Andrei Coubiș is at the top. The young man raised and educated in Italy, a true force of nature who trained at AC Milan and did not get a chance to play at Sampdoria, came to U Cluj at the beginning of 2026.

He did not catch the winter training in Antalya under the command of Cristiano Bergodi. It's just that from the first moment he entered the starting formula, he never came out! Rarely such a thing, such an impact.

Not only was he among the great players of the Superliga, but the late Mircea Lucescu also called him to the first representative team. Coubiș also got over the less inspired statements against the national team, he already made his debut in a match, the friendly with Slovakia (0-2), and Gică Hagi, the new coach, also called him in the tricolors' lineup. And the “King” has big plans with Andrei, the one with Moldovan origins, Milanese by birth.

Well done, ambitious, fearless, Coubiș has big plans for U Cluj as well. He is among those who appreciated the outstanding season with the “Red Caps”, but who experienced the disappointment of failure, because he still did not win a trophy.

Andrei Coubiș, cold reaction after the fight for the event: “Happy that we qualified in the Europa League preliminaries, disappointed because we had to beat everyone”

– Andrei, did you expect it to go so well in your first half year at U Cluj?
– Honestly, no. I expected to have a lot less minutes, but with God's help, everything went as it should. And I'm happy about it.

– Do you feel regret for losing the event or joy that you finished high, in 2nd place, played the final of the Cup, impressed in many matches this spring?
– I'm very happy that we finished 2nd and qualified for the Europa League qualifiers… But I'm very disappointed that we had to beat everyone. That's it, in football sometimes you do well, sometimes badly.

– What is your goal for the next season?
– To repeat the performance of the season that is just ending, to play as a starter, to do it as well as possible and to take the team as high as we can. The objective is to qualify for Europe, like this year.

500thousands of euros is Andrei Coubiș's share according to transfermarkt

What did Andrei Coubiș regain at U Cluj

– Did you expect to adapt to U so quickly?
– Honestly, no. As I said before, after the experience in Serie B, I started not to have so much confidence in myself, but here, thanks to my colleagues, supporters and friends who stayed by my side, I felt very good, like at home.

– Can U fight for the title next year?
– Of course, that's what we want.

– What impressed you in Romania during your first half year in Cluj?
– Supporters! Our supporters are, from what I have seen, very strong.

– How is football in Romania compared to that in Italy?
– What I tell everyone is that tactics make a lot of difference. There is less tactics here, but the level is good anyway.

150thousands of euros is the amount that U Cluj paid to Sampdoria to acquire Coubiș

Andrei Coubiș's unforgettable moment in the first season in Cluj

– What is the moment of your soul in 2026?
– I can say when I won ten matches in a row. Then it was a very OK period. And in the city, with the supporters, when they recognized you, it was very nice.

– What does it mean for you to play for the Romanian national team?
– It's a great honor. I am very happy that the new coach, Gheorghe Hagi, called me and I can't wait to prove what I can do.

– Which footballer is your role model and why?
– I don't have any role models, but I really like Virgil van Dijk. I say he is the best defender in history.

2029is the year in which Coubiș's contract with U Cluj expires, according to the commitment that will come into force this summer

What Andrei Coubiș likes in Cluj Napoca: “It's clean, orderly. In Italy it's not like that…”

– How has your personal life changed in 2026?
– It has changed a lot, being used to it in Italy. I came to another country, another language, even if I speak Romanian. It was very strange, shall we say, but I got used to it.

– What do you like most about Cluj, the people of Cluj?
– I really like the city, it's very clean, it's orderly. I was very impressed, that in Italy it is not like that. And I say again about the supporters and the love they send us, that love for “U” Cluj.

– How do you see Romania and the Romanians now living in Cluj?
– It's a very beautiful country! Everything is OK, it's a very peaceful country, I didn't have any problems.

19 matches, 2 goals and an assist was collected by Coubiș for U Cluj in the first half of the year in black and white