Hope springs eternal..

I had a conversation with someone the other day, who said he was completely disillusioned with football, and its overpaid, pampered stars. The Olympics had put them to shame, he said. Football was losing its identity.

I had to agree.

So the last place I thought I'd see something to change my mind is the Champions League draw, a tournament that epitomises much that is wrong with the modern game.

CFR Cluj. Ever heard of them? I certainly hadnt, but given their placing in Group A, alongside the likes of European superheavyweights such as Chelsea, AS Roma, and Bordeaux, I decided to give them a look.

And what they have achieved is quite remarkable.

Untin 2005, Cluj generally found themselves around the 2nd and 3rd tiers of Romanian Football. But in 2005, things changed, with their first promotion to the top division since 1976. And that heralded big changes.

Their first European adventure followed, with entry into the much alligned Intertoto Cup. And what an adventure it was, with Cluj defeating the likes of Atletico Bilbao and St Etienne on their way to the final, only to bravely lose to Lens.

The following season, Cluj went for the domestic title. To do so, they brought in foreign players to play alongside their homegrown stars - a policy now common-place in England. But in Romania, it was relatively unheard of. A partnership with Benfica from Portugal also followed.

It paid dividends.

Cluj eventually won a domestic double, though it went right to wire, on the final day. Both Dinamo and Steaua Bucharest came close, but Cluj were the victors. And three days later, Cluj won the Romanian cup.

The Romanian top division had been dominated by both clubs from Bucharest for 17 years, making it all the remarkable for Cluj to come in and take the title.

The Champions League now awaits Cluj, and there was a time where no-one could have predicted that. Only six years ago, Cluj were in the third tier of English football.

And in terms of Uefa's European coefficent points from the last five seasons - Cluj have the lowest amount in the competition, compared to Chelsea, who have the highest. That promises to be a fascinating match.

Can you imagine any teams from the lower echlons of Championship, or beyond the 'Big Four', for that matter, doing anything similar to Cluj? Not without a sugar daddy behind them. And thats the saddest thing of all - money now dominates football, just look at the rise of Chelsea. QPR wont be far behind them, you feel, but only because of the money behind them.

You can't see Nottingham Forest, a club with great history and traditions, making any great strides. They just dont have the financial clout to compete.

But the rise of CFR Cluj does give some hope - even if it is outside of England.