CFR Cluj owner denies rumors of coach Marius Șumudică's departure

CFR Cluj owner Neluțu Varga has denied rumors suggesting that head coach Marius Șumudică plans to leave the club. Varga stated he spoke with the coach two days prior to 27 October 2026 and found him very involved in his duties. He described the speculation about a departure as nonsense and affirmed there is no question of Șumudică leaving.

Ioan Varga also addressed the rumors, denying them and stating there is no basis for claims that the coach would depart. He emphasized that he and Șumudica speak regularly and maintain a good relationship. This response follows a report from gsp.ro, cited by ProSport, which claimed Șumudică told his staff he wanted to find another job by the end of the year.

Șumudică took over CFR Cluj while the club was undergoing insolvency proceedings. He has cited significant issues with squad depth and training conditions since his arrival. The club operated under a transfer ban but completed 11 signings on the final day of the market after the restriction was lifted. Șumudică noted that he had to find players in a single day due to these transfer problems.

The coach has been vocal about the resources available to the team. He claimed the squad lacks recovery methods such as infusions or vitamins, receiving only aspirin. Șumudică also stated that his opponents often have two or three more days of rest than his team. He defined the club's primary objective for the season as avoiding relegation to prevent bankruptcy.

Tensions regarding the schedule have also emerged. Ioan Varga criticized the fixture list, calling it a joke and claiming it was intended to destroy the club. He stated he could not watch the recent match against Dinamo because he was abroad handling business matters. Despite this, he described the 2-2 draw as a fair result and congratulated the players and Șumudică.

In the SuperLiga round 13 match against Dinamo, CFR Cluj drew 2-2. Andrei Cordea scored in the 26th minute and Cristian Ignat added a goal in the 61st minute for CFR Cluj. Dinamo responded with goals from Cătălin Cîrjan in the 78th minute and Dean Zandbergen in the 81st minute. This result followed a 1-3 loss to Universitatea Cluj on 8 October and a 1-0 win against FC Argeș on 12 October, as well as a 1-0 defeat to UTA on 18 October.

Looking ahead, Șumudică announced he will field junior players and the second team in the upcoming Romanian Cup match against Universitatea Cluj. The match is scheduled for Wednesday at 21:30 and will be broadcast on Prima Sport 1 and PrimaPlay.ro.