Soccer-CFR Cluj double gives small Romanian sides hope

By Radu Timofte

BUCHAREST, May 12 (Reuters) - Not content with ending a 101-year trophyless drought with a first title, Romania's unheralded CFR Cluj put their more illustrious rivals into the shade at the weekend by completing a league and cup double.

Romania's oldest club has only played seven seasons in the top flight but the team's fans were rewarded for their patience when they were able to celebrate a stunning league title and Romanian Cup victory in an amazing four-day period.

"Nobody in Cluj dared to dream of such happiness in a whole century," coach Ioan Andone, who become the second Romanian manager to complete the double with two different teams, told Reuters on Monday.

Dubbed the "Romanian Chelsea" for fielding 27 foreign players during the course of the season, CFR Cluj beat local rivals Universitatea Cluj 1-0 last Wednesday to prevent Steaua Bucharest from claiming a 24th title by a single point.

On Saturday, the new league champions beat Unirea Urziceni 1-0 in the cup final, setting off mass celebrations around the city of 300,000 that lasted well into the night.

"We have proved that provincial sides are able to halt the supremacy enjoyed by the Bucharest clubs, which had not been threatened for a long time," Andone added.

In 1991, Universitatea Craiova were the last team from outside the capital to win the league title as Bucharest giants Steaua, Dinamo and Rapid dominated Romanian soccer for the last two decades.

"CFR Cluj have paved the way for players from Portugal, Brazil, Sweden, Argentine, Bolivia, Chile and Canada to display professionalism and character during some difficult moments in the title race," Andone added.