This career high was followed by dry years: he did not reach the final table of 64 at the 2007 World Championships in St Petersburg and failed to qualify to the 2008 Summer Olympics. He took coaching duties for the junior team at CSM Oradea and as assistant coach to Nicolae Ille. In 2010 he left his club amid controversy that resulted from his behaviour at the Romanian national championship, where CSM Oradea lost their team title. He transferred afterwards to CSU Târgu Mureș.