A big name wants to return to the Super League, after 12 years: “I love the club, I love Romania!”
Article by Alexandru Tomuțiu – Published on Thursday, 08 January 2026 19:51 / Updated on Thursday, 08 January 2026 20:06
Ricardo Cadu (44), the former central defender and captain from CFR Clujsaid he wants to return to Gruia in the summer.
Ricardo Cadu left CFR in 2014, after having collected 250 matches, 30 goals and two decisive assists in the shirt of the “railwaymen”. He retired in 2021, and from 2022 he is with Pacos Ferreira in Portugal's second division, where he has fulfilled the roles of assistant, scout and sporting director.
Ricardo Cadu wants to return to CFR Cluj: “I spoke with Iuliu Mureșan”
Cadu said he loves CFR and is waiting for the call from Gruia to become the team's new sporting director. He claims that he spoke with Iuliu Muresan in October, when he was returning as president.
“When Iuliu Muresan came, I spoke with him and I really want to go back to CFR. I love Romania, I love CFR. I worked as a sports director for two years and I am ready to be at a club like CFR.
I didn't talk about going back to the club. I know it was talked about, but no one talked to me. Of course I want to go”, said Ricardo Cadu, on the show “Digi Sport Special”.
Ricardo Cadu is very loved in Gruia
Ricardo Cadu, about the situation of Ciprian Deac: “He really deserves respect”
Asked how he would have managed the situation of Ciprian Deac, left out of the team by Cluj, Cadu answered:
“So that everyone would be satisfied, I would have spoken to Deac and told him the situation. We must speak to him, let the coach, the management, come and tell him that he is no longer needed. We must speak to the person, it cannot be done secretly.
We played together for a long time. Indeed, it is a forced retirement, but in football that is, he also has an age. It happens. As a player it's hard to understand that you've reached the end: you've played all your life and you may think you can, but the coaches and management may have a different opinion.
Ciprian Deac
I know it's hard, he really deserves respect for what he did at CFR. But I can't talk, because I don't know what's going on at CFR. My opinion is that it should be well managed, we are not talking about any player, but about Ciprian, who did what he did at CFR. I can't speak, I really don't know.
Honestly, I didn't think he would play so much at CFR. He and the Camora are two people who really deserve respect.”
