The Petrolul Courier
Market15 Jan 2029
Petrolul say no — this time
The offer from CFR Cluj for Benjamin Kanurić was heard out and sent back the same day. First bids are rarely meant to succeed; they are meant to find out how loudly the door closes.
Market15 Jan 2029
José Malheiro asks to leave Petrolul
“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.
Transfer targets15 Jan 2029
The paperwork begins on Antonio Borduşanu
A medical, a signature, a shirt held up in front of a sponsor’s board. Petrolul have done the hard part with Dinamo Bucharest, and the part that remains is the part supporters actually see.
Squad15 Jan 2029
A falling-out at Petrolul
Valentin Creţu and a teammate went at it, and not about football. Training grounds are small places and a long season makes them smaller.
Transfer targets15 Jan 2029
Door shut on Mathis Lainé
Petrolul asked and Stade Brestois said no without discussing a figure. It is the least ambiguous answer in football and the one clubs most often come back to test.
Market15 Jan 2029
Daniel Mitrita steps up from the Petrolul academy
There is no fee, no unveiling and no agent on the steps. Daniel Mitrita has been at this club since he was a boy and is now, formally, one of the first-team squad — which for a local readership beats any signing of any size.
Market15 Jan 2029
One of our own: Ciprian Man joins the Petrolul first team
Clubs spend fortunes looking for players and occasionally find one down the corridor. Ciprian Man is that, and the reception he gets on his first appearance will be different in kind from the one any signing receives.
Squad15 Jan 2029
A row about effort at Petrolul
Somebody said out loud what several people thought about how hard another man trains, and Cornel Râpă was in the middle of it. The one dressing-room argument that is genuinely about football.
Squad15 Jan 2029
Jairo Martínez stays put
“The easiest signature of my career.” Jairo Martínez and Petrolul agree another 3 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.
In brief
- The dugout When it matters, Benjamin Kanurić plays
- The dugout A promise honoured at Petrolul
- Squad A season on the outside for Benjamin Kanurić