Cornel Cernea (born 22 April 1976) is a Romanian goalkeeping coach and former professional footballer who played as a goalkeeper, and is currently goalkeeping coach at Liga I club Sepsi OSK.

Cernea played for Grivița IRA until 1997, when he joined the Divizia B team Minerul Motru. In 1999, he returns to Grivița IRA but after only few weeks joins Petrolul Ploiești and makes Divizia A debut. In 2003, he joins Oțelul Galați for a couple of seasons, before being bought by Steaua București in 2005 for a fee of €75,000. His last team being Progresul Bucuresti he retired in 2014.

Petrolul Ploiești

• Divizia B: 2002–03

Oțelul Galați

• Cupa României runner-up: 2003–04

Steaua București

• Divizia A: 2005–06
• Supercupa României: 2006

• Cornel Cernea – UEFA competition record (archive)
• Cornel Cernea at RomanianSoccer.ro (in Romanian)
• Cornel Cernea at Soccerway