 Later Țârlea would go on to play for Universitatea Cluj for four seasons, helping to get the team promoted from the third-highest to the second-highest league.He played 61 games and scored 3 goals and during the winter of 2005-2006, he transferred to city rivals CFR in the Liga 1, the top division of Romania.He failed to win a place in the starting eleven and, after six matches in one-year and a half, he moved to Politehnica Iași for a short period before joining Petrolul Ploiești.