Less than a day after confirming his move to Romanian top-flight outfit Universitatea Cluj, Ugandan international and defender Elio Capradossi has raved and pledged to help the team win the country’s top championship, after their failed attempt last season.
In an exclusive interview with Footy-Africa the 29-year-old made his targets clear, asserting that he would maximise his two-year contract to get his new team to battle for the premier glory, which has evaded them for over a century.
In the recently concluded campaign, Universitatea Cluj finished fourth in both the regular season and the playoffs, clinching a spot to the UEFA Conference League knockout round, and Capradossi is ready for the challenge.
“This is another opportunity to continue playing at the top level after so many years. The challenge and kind of situation at the team is familiar, as I’ve been in it before so my target is to help the team cross that line,” he exclusively told Footy-Africa in an interview.
“I know what I can offer to the team, and all I need is to work hard and play well. And, when the entire team plays well then there’s no doubt that we can win the league and also perform well in the Conference League. This is my goal,” the central defender buoyantly added. “Look, I’ve been playing (at Cittadella) really well, and kept raising my levels as the season went by. Again, no doubt that I will make an impact, together with my new teammates, and we will try to lift some silverware next season, that’s the target and our job.”
Last season at Cittadella, Capradossi whose Transfermarkt valuation has dropped to €100,000, featured in 16 matches, having joined them midway. Before that, he had played six and 17 times for Lecco Calcio and Cagliari during the 2023/24 and 2022/23 seasons, respectively.
In the past, he has played for other Italian clubs, including SSC Bari, SPAL, Spezia, and AS Roma, where he spent his youth career. In total, he has played over 150 matches for these teams.
At the international level, Capradossi, who debuted for the Uganda Cranes (senior team) last year, has earned seven caps, which came in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers as well as the 2025 Africa Cup of Nations qualification matches. Meanwhile, at the U-17 and U-21 youth levels, he represented Italy.
