Ciprian Deac

Deac once again returned to CFR Cluj in January 2017. He played 15 matches and netted six goals in the remaining of the season, his good display drawing interest from fellow league team FC Steaua București.

He nevertheless chose to stay with the Alb-vișinii and was offered the number 10 shirt ahead of the 2017–18 campaign. He recorded his first goal of the season in a 1–0 away win over Concordia Chiajna on 17 September 2017. Deac contributed with five goals and eleven assists, with the side claiming the fourth national championship in its history.

In August 2017, following a six-year absence, he was selected by Christoph Daum for the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualifying matches against Armenia and Montenegro. Deac scored his first goal for the national team in a 1–1 draw with Denmark on 8 October 2017.

On 23 June 2015, Deac signed a two-and-a-half-year contract with Kazakhstan Premier League side FC Aktobe. Following the conclusion of the 2015 season, Deac was transfer listed by Aktobe.

On 20 December, he scored two goals against FC Vaslui. Although he was sent off, his team won the game with a 3–2 victory, with Nicolae Grigore scoring the winning goal in extratime. On 7 April 2012, Deac scored a goal in the 5–0 thrashing of CFR Cluj.

On 30 May 2012, Deac returned to CFR Cluj, where he signed a contract for three years.

In the summer of 2011, Deac was loaned to Liga I team, Rapid Bucureşti for the 2011–12 campaign. Schalke hoped he would regain his form that brought him to the international level.

Deac made his international debut for Romania in March 2010, and scored his first goal for the nation seven years later in a 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification match with Denmark.

On 27 August 2010, Deac signed for the German club Schalke 04 on a three-year contract. The reported transfer fee was €3 million. He made his debut for Die Königsblauen on 14 September, in a Champions League game against Olympique Lyonnais. He only played in the first half, and had a poor performance. He had a very sporadic season in Germany, only appearing in six games, and not putting in very convincing performances.

He was part of Romania's preliminary Euro 2008 squad, but missed out on the final list led by manager Victor Pițurcă. On 5 March 2010, Deac finally earned his first cap for the full side in a friendly match against Israel.

Deac was loaned out to Oţelul Galaţi during the 2008 half-season where he made fifteen appearances scoring two goals.

Because of his good performances at Oțelul, Deac was preserved in the CFR Cluj roster for the 2008–09 season. In the first part of the season he made nine appearances. The lack of playing time lead him to consider leaving the club. But with the upcoming new coach Dušan Uhrin, Jr., Deac gave up this plan, receiving assurances that he would be used more. In the 2009–10 season, the team managed to win the league title for the second time in its history, the coach being Andrea Mandorlini who said "Deac has grown into an incredible manner, quantitatively and qualitatively". In the 2010 Super Cup match Deac helped the team prevent a defeat, pushing the game into the penalty shootout. After the match, he was chosen as Man of the match.

Deac made his debut for the Romania under-21 team against France on 1 June 2007, with the match ending 1–1.

Deac was finally signed by CFR Cluj during the 2005–06 season, and made his Liga I debut on 6 August 2006 against Unirea Urziceni in a 4–0 victory. During the 2006–07 season led by coach Cristiano Bergodi, he only made eleven appearances for them finishing third place in the Championship. The highlight of his career began in 2007–08 the team's new coach, was Ioan Andone, formerly of Dinamo Bucureşti who won both the Championship and the Cup.

Ciprian Ioan Deac (Romanian pronunciation: [t͡ʃipriˈan iˈo̯an ˈde̯ak] or [deˈak] ; born 16 February 1986) is a Romanian professional footballer who plays as a winger or an attacking midfielder for CFR Cluj and the Romania national team.