The Portuguese recipe continues to work in Romania

More success for Portuguese legion in Eastern Europe

Every Romanian team that qualified for European competition next season has at least one Portuguese player in the squad.

Bruno Fernandes, a defender born in Lisbon who plays for the Guinea-Bissau national team, became champion in Liga I with his team Unirea Urziceni, while the Portuguese colony at CFR Cluj conquered the Romanian Cup for the second successive year.

Cluj’s Portuguese defender Tony was voted the best left-back in the last season of Liga I by Romanian daily ProSport.

It seems that in Romania a successful Portuguese recipe really exists. Below is a list of all the Romanian clubs who have qualified for Europe and their Portuguese players/coaches.

Nevertheless, it was not all good news. Gloria Buzau, who finished rock bottom of Liga 1, had seven players and one coach from Portugal. All was in vain as a catastrophic season ended with relegation for Buzau.

by Catalin Parfene

Unirea Urziceni (champions)

Bruno Fernandes: 19 matches in Liga I

FC Timisoara (runners-up in Liga I and in Romanian Cup)

Milhazes: 13 matches in Liga I, 2 in UEFA Cup – left during the season

Taborda: 4 matches

Dinamo Bucharest (3rd place)

Bruno Simao: 10 matches

CFR Cluj (4th place, Romanian Cup winners)

Dani: 30 matches / 1 goal in Liga I, 5 matches / 1 goal in Champions League

Tony: 20 m in Liga I, 4 matches in CL

Cadu: 18 matches / 1 goal in Liga I, 6 matches in CL

Nuno Claro: 11 matches in Liga I, 1 match in CL

Andre Leao: 5 matches

Antonio Semedo: 4 matches – left for Steaua during the season

Manuel Jose: 4 matches – left during the season

Antonio Conceicao (Toni) & Luis Baltazar: coaches from early April onwards

FC Vaslui (5th place)

Hugo Luz: 25 matches / 1 goal in Liga I, 4 in UEFA Cup

Steaua Bucharest (6th place)

Tiago Gomes: 24 matches in Liga I, 6 in CL

Semedo: 24 matches / 3 goals in Liga I, 6 in CL