“We will give everything to become champions”

CFR Cluj's new technician spoke about the goals he set, his relationship with Jorge Costa, his impressions of Romanian football, but he also sent a message to the fans from “Gruia”.

Antonio Folha: “There is a lot of talent in Romania”

– Welcome to CFR Cluj! How does it feel to start this chapter at the club?
– I feel very satisfied because I represent this club. I want to thank everyone who was involved in the project so that I could come to CFR. I come with enormous ambition, because I know that CFR is a big club with many titles. I come with an enormous joy to work and an enormous responsibility to form a very competitive team, ready to fight in every match to be able to achieve the club's goals.

– What are the main goals and ambitions with us?
– I think that a club like CFR always has the duty to fight for titles, because it is a big club in Romania. Obviously, as a coach, together with the staff, we will give our best to be able to reach those goals. The CFR has not won the title for several years. We know it is difficult, there are many good teams in Romania, but we will work hard to give our best. And our potential is limitless. We always want to win the games in front of us so we can reach the goals. Of course, the goals of a big club are always to be champions, and we will do everything to achieve that. Whether we will be or not, I don't know, but we will try and give everything to become champions.

– You spent many years at FC Porto as a player and coach and worked with Jorge Costa, who coached CFR Cluj. How does it feel to have another team in common with him?
– It's a difficult feeling, because Jorge is no longer with us. I started football at Porto, in the club's youth teams, alongside Jorge Costa, when I was 12-13 years old. We played together for many years, Under 15, 16, 17, 18, A team and national team. We were friends off the field and it was a very hard loss. The fact that I came here is a beautiful coincidence, and what I hope is to be as successful as he is.

– CFR Cluj has a strong tradition of Portuguese players and coaches over the years. Did you know this before you got here?
– Yes, clearly. I followed Jorge Costa's career as a coach, especially since he was my colleague. I knew that many players I knew from Portuguese football had passed through here. CFR is the club with the most Portuguese in Romania for the last 20 years. I know this history, I know the responsibility it entails, and I believe that the Portuguese who passed through here left an excellent mark. They left a rich legacy, and from here comes this symbiosis in the choice of Portuguese footballers. Those who passed by did good things. So yeah, I knew that.

– What are your impressions of Romanian football and what do you expect from this new experience?
– My belief is that there is a lot of talent in Romania. I had the opportunity to play alongside some Romanian footballers. Players like Ion Timofte at Porto, (Basarab) Nică Panduru…I played with excellent…Liviu Ciobotariu, with whom I was a colleague at Standard Liege. I met Romanians of high quality. What I am waiting for now is a highly competitive and valuable championship.

– How would you describe your football philosophy? What kind of identity do you want the team to have?
– I hope that my team will be able to apply what we propose: a game in which we control the game through possession of the ball and unbalance the opponents. This is my biggest philosophy as a coach: dominating the game with the ball at the feet, with a very competitive and aggressive team in a good way in front of goal. I want a team that is passionate about the game, able to play beautifully, press aggressively when they don't have the ball and be extremely pragmatic in their pursuit of the goal. You will meet the players for the first time, with a few training sessions in Cluj, followed by the training camp in Slovenia.

– What are the priorities in this pre-season period?
– Some of them I already know, because I watched a few of the team's matches. At this point we will begin work to understand exactly which players will continue at the club. After that, we will plan everything together with the management to form a strong, ambitious and elevated team at the level of a club that always fights for the title. We will use this first phase to discuss with the club structure to determine the best organizational strategy.

– How important is this period in terms of implementing your ideas and building relationships with the batch?
– It is extremely important. The pre-season largely defines future success. It's the ideal time to get to know each other and to give the players time to understand, adopt and apply my game philosophy and ideas in matches. We need to make the most of this training camp to cement our style of play for the future.

– And finally, do you have a message for CFR Cluj fans?
– The only thing I can say is that I will be one of them. From now on I am a “CFRist”! I will fight with all my strength, together with the technical staff, to give the best to this club, i.e. results and victories. We will do our best. No one can promise to win every game, but there is one thing that is mandatory about my teams: on the field we have to give absolutely everything. When we work like this, we are much closer to our goals. Therefore, starting today, I am one of them.

VIDEO. Antonio Folha, the first interview given as a coach of CFR Cluj

Antonio Folha is an important name in Portuguese football. A former Lusitanian international, he is considered a legend of Porto, a club for which he played almost 200 matches in his playing career.

After retiring, he began his coaching career and was active in the Portuguese club's academy and youth teams, later reaching the bench of the second team. He also coached Portimonense.