Benfica Partnership With Romania Team

took this from the UEFA site ... for those who think we may get a link with Benfica .. heres what they already do in Romania

Cluj may not be the name that springs to most football fans' lips when discussing Romanian football. But they have their own claims to fame. They are the oldest Romanian Liga 1 club and celebrate their 100th birthday this season. Last year they even finished third in the top flight, breaking the usual Bucharest hegemony in the process.

Portuguse interest
More unusual still, they boast a squad including ten players from Portugal. A UEFA Cup tie between Anorthosis Famagusta FC and Cluj would not usually generate much attention outside Cyprus and Romania. But as the second qualifying round tie kicks off this evening, football fans in Portugal might pay more than a passing interest in the result.

Back on top
Cluj, from the biggest city in Transylvania, did not reach the top flight until 1947 and it was only in January 2002 when local tycoon Arpad Paszkany took over the then third division club that their rise began. They returned to the highest level after a 28-year absence in 2004, reached Romania's first UEFA Intertoto Cup final and in 2006/07 finished a club-best third in the league. Much of the success last season is down to a partnership set up last summer with SL Benfica, which has more than a little to do with the bulk of the club's 18 foreigners being Portuguese. The Eagles faced Cluj in a centenary friendly last month before loaning them promising Chilean forward Nicolás Canales.

'Wonderful spirit'
Club executive president Dr. Iuliu Muresan explained: "We chose Portuguese players ... because their way of playing is similar to ours. The mentality is also almost the same, so they have every opportunity of adapting. And as well as their skills the Portuguese are cheaper than many Romanians of similar ability." Among those Portuguese exiles is full-back Manuel José, who signed from Boavista FC for €300,000 a year ago. "It's very good to have so many countrymen in a club so far away from home," he told uefa.com. "We have a wonderful spirit and the Portuguese influence is very positive for the squad. At the beginning it was very difficult because there were only four Portuguese players. But since them some more have arrived and we have built a wonderful partnership between us."

Now the supporters recognise the excellent job done by the Portuguese playersManuel José, Cluj defender
Scepticism overcome
Of course they had to overcome some initial doubts, but they were soon dispelled. "At first the fans and Romanians in general looked at us with some scepticism," Manuel José said. "Now the supporters recognise the excellent job done by the Portuguese players. We are now respected as the results were very good last season. Obviously it is easier for the Portuguese players who arrived recently because we are already settled here to welcome them. They even have started to speak Romanian earlier. We are now like a big family as our daily life outside the club is mostly spent together, with our wives. We are always together."

Ambition
The benefits were seen last season, when Cluj earned a UEFA Cup debut. Manuel José is not ashamed to state the contribution he feels the Portuguese contingent made. "In the first season with the Portuguese influence we ended up in third place. It was an historic achievement. We're challenging for the title which is outstanding for a club like Cluj. That's our objective for the current season."

Paraíso
Former player and now Cluj sports director Alexandru Matei sums up the transformation to a club with a €20m budget targeting a domestic double and UEFA Champions League qualification. "In January 2002 we were in a pitiful situation," he said. "We played in the third division, we did not have balls, kit nor even a bus. It was a disaster from financial point of view. When we travelled to away matches, we took even salami with us, because there was no money for normal meals. Today, at CFR were are in, I might say, Paradise." Or, as much of the squad might say, Paraíso.