Article by Adrian Duţă – Published on Thursday, 08 January 2026 19:58 / Updated on Thursday, 08 January 2026 20:32
Iuliu Mureșan, the president from CFR Clujclarified that coach Daniel Pancu was the one who decided not to take on Ciprian Deac (39 years old) in the training camp in Spain.
Although the decision belonged to Pancu, it was not the coach who informed Deac that he would not be taken to the training camp. Iuliu Mureșan was the one who conveyed the choice made by the coach to the midfielder.
The president of Transylvania declared that Deac will finish his contract due in the summer. Then, according to the agreement between the two, the legend from CFR Cluj would occupy a position in the management of the club.
Iuliu Mureșan: “Daniel Pancu told us that it would not be elegant for Ciprian Deac to stay out of certain games, at 10 to 10, or to enter only for a few minutes”
“The decision was strictly the staff's, not mine or the club's. Daniel Pancu told us that it would not be elegant for Ciprian Deac to stay out of certain games, at 10 to 10, or to enter only for a few minutes.
The coaches don't think he can play another official game because of his age. I can't appreciate that. I partially agree with her, not totally. He is under contract until the summer and should have been allowed to finish his contract. We weren't supposed to have this discussion normally, but it was insisted and we had no choice.
I told Deac to see his contract through and finally accept a position at the club. We got along with him. He will remain in the club and will be very active.
He is an intelligent man, otherwise he would not have become a great footballer. We also want to organize a retirement match for them. He had a bitter taste because he also felt in training that it is no longer the same.
At Botoșani, he was not introduced even for a minute, although we had a thinned out team.
Pancu considered that he could no longer rely on Deac at CFR Cluj. Photo: Imago Images
Pancu excluded Deac. But he didn't have the courage to tell her in person? Mureșan: “I communicated the decision to Cipri”
I told Cipri that he was no longer part of the plans. Since then we have discussed that he found a place in the cube. His reaction was normal. These are normal things. A player who has reached the age of 40 must retire”, said Mureșan, on Digi Sport Special.
7 championshipswon Deac with CFR Cluj
Iuliu Mureșan: “Deac will continue in the club from the summer, we will announce in which position”
“He said anyway that he didn't want to ask for the extension, he realized that others were coming behind. He will not play for another club. He remains at the club until the summer as a player, then we organize a retirement game for him and then he will continue in management, we will announce later in which position.
He doesn't want to be a coach. He didn't start his classes. We got along with him, there is no problem. He prepares very well, he is an example of professionalism. He will join the squad and train with the squad. He finishes his contract in the normal way”, Iuliu Mureșan also declared.
505 matcheshas Ciprian Deac in the shirt of CFR Cluj
Ciprian Deac and Mario Camora with the Romanian Betano Cup trophy / Photo: Cristi Preda GSP
