Man, sit down and hold on tight, because what I found out today from the boys at Fane's terrace left me speechless! CFR Cluj, the team that made us proud in the Champions League, got a 200,000 euro fine from UEFA and, on top of that, is threatened with exclusion from European competitions for the next two seasons! It was announced on Friday, June 12, and we're talking about a suspended sanction - meaning if they have arrears older than 90 days in the next two years, that's it, bye-bye Europe! And they're not alone: the Kosovars from Ballkani got the same punishment, while Budućnost Podgorica and Ordabasy Shymkent got off with just a one-season suspension. It's like we're back in the 2000s, when everyone was racking up debts and then running away from them!
Neluțu Varga, the owner, immediately jumped in and said to FANATIK: "Everything that needs to be paid, we will pay. Of course we'll pay the UEFA fine." Good job, boss, but as they say: easy with the promises, because we've heard stories before. Ever since I got my 2008 BMW, I know how fast the installments pile up and how hard they are to pay. Same with CFR: the financial crisis is getting worse and worse. ProSport writes that Varga is selling players like crazy: defender Matei Ilie, 23, is ready to leave for Kasimpasa in Turkey for 500,000 euros. Bro, 500 grand for a player who can hold the defense? Mioara asks me why I don't have money for vacation, and they're pulling stunts like this!
And that's not all: 10 players have filed memos with FIFA due to salary arrears! Alibek Aliev terminated his contract and is signing with Sheriff Tiraspol, goalkeeper Mihai Popa (25) and Mohammed Kamara (28) are also on their way out, with Kamara already joining Rapid. I mean, the squad is going down the drain, bro! How can you perform when players are fleeing you like the plague? It reminds me of when I tried to put together a football team in the neighborhood and all the guys would go to Fane's terrace instead of coming to practice.
CFR finished the 2025/2026 season in 3rd place in the SuperLiga and will play in the UEFA Conference League qualifiers, from the 2nd round, as a seeded team. The new coach, Portuguese Antonio Folha, has the mission to qualify the team for the group stage, but with so many departures and money on the rocks, it's like trying to win a race with my 2008 BMW, without oil and with square wheels. Let's see, cuz, what happens. Until then, I'm going to tell Brian to stop watching CFR matches, maybe he can find a more stable team. Who pays the fine? Us, the fans, with our nerves and hope.
