Ioan Ovidiu Sabău says that at U Cluj there has been a big change compared to his mandate: “They helped less”
Article by Mihai Șovei – Published Tuesday, April 14, 2026 7:58 p.m. / Updated Tuesday, April 14, 2026 8:23 p.m.
Ioan Ovidiu Sabău (58 years old), the former coach of U Cluj, spoke about the very good course of the “red caps” in the play-offs, but also about the chances of winning the title of champion.
The team from Transylvania is in first place in the play-off, after the decisive victory over the University of Craiova, score 4-0. This has led him to state that his former side are the main favorites in the Superliga title fight.
Ioan Ovidiu Sabău: “U Cluj can also do the event”
“U Cluj can also do the event, not just take the title, as it looks. It has a competitive and numerous batch compared to last year. Last year, we had only one team, those coming off the bench helped us less. It is clear that some changes have been made, the expectations are different, there is no longer a relegation team. It's a stable team at the moment.
I'm glad what's happening at U Cluj, because I know what experiences I had with those fans. In addition, there are a lot of players that I have brought in, I have trained, that I have become very attached to. It seems to me a normal matter to enjoy their successes”, declared Ioan Ovidiu Sabău, according to prosport.ro.
“I consider U Cluj the favorite for the title, but there are still three teams that can cause problems. One is Craiova, which as much as possible can be at the level of U Cluj. Craiova may have a little more experience, but in terms of motivation and state of mind, U Cluj is far ahead.
Cristiano Bergodi has carried forward what we have built with the club and the staff. He is a well-trained coach who adapted very quickly to the players. He knew what to do to get results.
U Cluj has more modesty and aggression, here I think they dominate. I think that Dinamo can also confuse the others, because they have a valuable team. I think he can step into that role of referee in the title fight. He has the strength to confuse them all”, added Ioan Ovidiu Sabău.
For Transylvania, the match in stage number 5 of the play-off, on Dinamo's field, scheduled for April 18, follows. Only 3 days later, Cristiano Bergodi's students go to Mioveni for the match against FC Argeș in the Romanian Cup.
Ranking in the play-offs:
