Article by Marius Mărgărit – Published Tuesday, February 24, 2026, 3:14 p.m. / Updated Tuesday, February 24, 2026, 3:14 p.m.
The series of nine consecutive victories in the Superliga achieved by CFR Cluj seems torn from a sci-fi movie, causing Andrei Nicolescu, the president of Dinamo, to say that “it seems like a team from another planet at the moment”.
Moreover, the Transylvanians also hold the international record for 2026, with 7 victories from as many matches in the championship, a performance that puts them above the world's biggest forces in this regard.
The previous series of 9 consecutive victories in the championship was also recorded by CFR Cluj, in the 2021/2022 season, under the command of Dan Petrescu, between stages 13 and 21.
Daniel Pancu: “We started with the “airing” of the lot”
In an exclusive dialogue with GSP.ro, coach Daniel Pancu (48 years old), who has been associated with this unprecedented series for the last 5 seasons, remembers how it was at the beginning: “It was a cold day when I went out for the first training session with the team. There were many languages being spoken, many players, many groups.
The team was coming after the defeat in overtime with Dinamo. There was, like that, a generalized hopelessness, the team's morale was down. I had to get it from somewhere and I started by doing a “ventilation” of the lot.
There were too many highly paid footballers who had no chance to play. They were confusing me, I had players that I didn't have enough of and I had to pray that they would do a sprint in training! They had such a state of lethargy…
Professionally they were not good at all, I didn't like their reaction, the way they prepared. Many were also dissatisfied. But, little by little, I started to impose my style”.
Pancu's principles: “Self-imposed discipline and respect”
The technician admits that “although I had confidence in myself, I knew that I would also need a little chance. And I had it, in Craiova, at least, when I escaped with that 1-1. And it was in about two matches. In addition, I also had another kind of luck.
I had the four I had trained in my youth, Hindrich, Matei Ilie, Perianu and Louis Munteanu, who knew me, they knew what my principles were. And that helped me enormously to make myself understood by the boys”.
Referring to Louis Munteanu, Pancu says that “he had very few bad games with me. In fact, I don't even know if he had any! Maybe with Slobozia, but he was coming after an injury. In the meantime he left, and he still helped us financially. And that brought a state of tranquility that mattered a lot.”
The coach remembers that “from the first time I asked them for discipline, but self-imposed, plus respect! Because I told them that I have high demands from some very well-paid professional players for Romania. These are the principles I have always had, since I started coaching, at Rapid, 8 years ago.
The methodology is the same, I am the same. Maybe, I should say, that I'm a little more mature in interpersonal relations, I've learned to close my eyes to some things, including in the relationship with the leaders. But I'm the same.”
“In the locker room, I talk, I motivate them!”
Daniel Pancu says that “in the dressing room, I talk. I try to convey a lot to them and I feel that my messages reach them. It's about my energy and in training, that's where this is cultivated. My message to them, especially for home matches, it's like the wheels of the coach must shake for the opponents when Gruia goes up!
And when they get here and see that trophy case, their panties must be shaking. And I don't think it's a coincidence that out of six home games we have as many wins. A team that after the round was in 13-14th place, with only two successes in 15 stages”.
“With Metaloglobus I felt that the team was one with me!”
When do you think it really clicked and you felt the team was on the right track? He says that “at the match with Metaloglobus I really felt it. That I have a team that transmits strength. When I came, it was a big problem. If they conceded a goal, they didn't come back, they didn't have the mood, they weren't united.
It was a team that had conceded 28 goals in the first 15 stages. A team that has the strength to come back after conceding is a strong team. And we insisted on this idea: if someone gives us a goal, we should score two, if we score two, score three, if we score three, we should score four!
Yes, even though I was coming after that 4-1 victory with FCSB, at the National Arena, with Metaloglobus I felt for the first time that the team was one with me. We scored, we came back straight away, and they led, we came back again and won.
As proof, even now, with Petrol, they tied us, but we didn't panic, we gave the second one as well. But, very importantly, we wouldn't have achieved any of this if the players weren't of great value. That gave me courage, I knew that individually they had quality, that they had nothing to look for where I found them”.
“We have come a long way, but now I fear nothing!”
Referring to Nicolescu's statement, Pancu says that “we are not a team from another planet, that such series of invincibility have been seen before. But it seems so because we come from a long way. Well, from the Slobozia match to the last one, with Petrolul, there is a big difference in the expression of the team.
It seems like a good choice now, but then, in the beginning, it was a risk. Not that I don't like challenges like that. But wait, for now we are still not sure even in the play-off! So we will play these two games as well, with the intention of getting there, because I think we deserve it.
And if we succeed, yes, we can even think about a place in the European Cups. To have a chance at 1st place, to fight for the title, we should maintain this streak, but already it would be something fantastic, for the Book of Records. The important thing is that now I'm not afraid of anything!
I see the boys coming to training, getting ready. I see that we manage to put what we train on the field, that they are united. And that gives me confidence. Now, for about a week, I motivate them differently. I am comparing which trips and on which pitches we would play in the play-offs compared to what it would be in the play-outs.
And we want to play in the light, in the most beautiful stadiums, with the most beautiful and strongest opponents! Because I think this is where we belong. I like what I see, this streak of wins, but again, I haven't achieved anything yet. Mathematically, we are not in the play-off, there is still work to do!”.
