FC Universitatea Craiova
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| 'Universitatea Craiova' | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Full name | FC Universitatea Craiova | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nickname(s) | Blue Lions The Champions of a Great Love |
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| Founded | 1948 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Ground | Stadionul Ion Oblemenco, Craiova | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Capacity | 31 000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Chairman | Adrian Mititelu | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Manager | Stefan Stoica | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| League | Liga I | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Divizia A 2004-05 | Divizia B, 1st | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Contents |
[edit] History
Sport Club Universitatea Craiova was created in 1948. In 5 september 1948 the football team UNSR Craiova lost its first match against the team of Filiasi, counting for the regional championship. Craiova’s first coach was Nicolae Polojinschi.
The team name had then been changed to CSU Craiova (1950) , Stiinta Craiova (1950) and finally Universitatea Craiova in 1966.
The lineup used in the first year of second division (1954) was: Stoica, Urucu, Venus, Vulpe, Lupu, Dreasca, Parvulet, Rizu, Razga, Dumitrescu, Ciulova, Anutescu, Briac, Lambru, Capitanu, Ionita, Buldur, D. Popescu, Firu, Matei, Iliescu, Babarada, Padureanu, Coicea, coach Nicolae Oteleanu. In 1964 Universitatea Craiova promotes to first division. Coaches Nicolae Oteleanu and Eugen Preda were using the following players: Dumitrescu (cpt.), Vasilescu, Papuc, Geleriu, Lungan, Deliu, Barbulescu, Tetea, Ganga, Anton, Lovin, Onea, Visan, C.Stanescu, A.Stanescu, Stanciu. The first Romanian Championship title had been won in the 1973/1974 season. Coaches Constantin Cernaianu and Constantin Otet used the players: Oprea, Paul Manta, Niculescu, Badin, Deselnicu, Velea, Strîmbeanu, Ivan, Nita, Balaci, Berneanu, Taralunga, Oblemenco, Balan, Pana, Boc, Stefanescu, Marcu, Stancescu, Kiss, Chivu, Negrila, Constantinescu.
In 1977 and 1978, Universitatea won the Romanian Cup with following players : Boldici, Berneanu, Tilihoi, Stefanescu, Purima, Donose, Balaci, Beldeanu, Crisan, Negrila, Cartu, Marcu, Camataru, coach Constantin Deliu (1977) and Boldici, Lung, Ungureanu, Tilihoi, Stefanescu, Purima, Donose, Balaci, Ticleanu, Beldeanu, Cartu, Camataru, Marcu, with Ilie Oana and C. Deliu as coaches.
The second title of national champions was brought by : Boldici, Lung, Negrila, Tilihoi, Stefanescu, Ungureanu, Balaci, Beldeanu, Crisan, Donose, Camataru, Geolgau, Cartu, Irimescu, Purima si Ciupitu (coaches Valentin Stanescu and Ion Oblemenco). With the same players, in 1981, Universitatea won the Romanian Cup and the Romanian Championship, leaded by Ion Oblemenco and Tica Otet.
The team reborn was in 1990/1991, when Universitatea won the national Championship for a fourth time helped by the following players: Prunea, Manaila, Sandoi, Adrian Popescu, Mogosanu, Ciurea, Olaru, N. Zamfir, Badea, Pigulea, Craioveanu, Neagoe, coaches Sorin Cartu and Fane Cioaca, then wins in 1993 the Romanian Cup with Marian Bondrea and N. Zamfir as coaches.
[edit] Craiova Maxima
The 1982/1983 season has been, without doubt, the best in the history of "The Champion of a Great Love" a nickname used for Universitatea by the media, because of the tremendous love and immense passion that always surrounded the team. That magnificent side stayed fresh for long time in the memory of Romanian fans, regardless their sympathy for other clubs.
That season, under the management of Constantin Otet and Nicolae Ivan, Universitatea Craiova reached the semifinals of the UEFA Cup defeating big names of European football like AC Fiorentina (runners-up in Italian Serie A), Girondins Bordeaux (France), and FC Kaiserslautern (Germany). In the first European Cup semifinal ever played by a Romanian club, Universitatea played against Benfica Lisbon (Portugal), two times European Champions and three times European Champions finalists. After two draws the Portuguese side advanced to the final thanks to the goal away rule. Since then no other Romanian team had managed to qualify for the UEFA Cup semifinals. Ilie Balaci and Rodion Camataru were among the great players of Craiova Maxima, but also Stefanescu, Crisan, Geolgau, Beldeanu, Donose, Lung etc.
[edit] Traditional Enemies
Since the beginning members of Universitatea Craiova hated all teams from Bucharest because they represented all that symbolizes the dark side in Romanian football:
- Political influence
- Corruption
- Match Fixing/Predetermined Results
- Before the revolution of 1989 Steaua was the team of the army leaders and Dinamo was the team of police and secret services.
- Dinamo's name is derived from the youth of the communist party of the Soviet Union and Steaua means "Star", from the Soviet Union flag.
- Before that revolution nobody was allowed to win against these two teams. Also they succeded to make an european competition to dissappear, the top European Goalscorer title which UEFA decided to stop as this title because some Dinamo players won by forgery that competition due to astronomical predetermined scores in games.
Universitatea Craiova throughout history was among the only one to fight against their domination and controlling schemes. An example is when Gica Popescu was incorporated into the Romanian army and forced to play for Steaua, however he came back to Universitatea shortly.
[edit] National performances
- 4 times winners of the Romanian Championship: 1974, 1980, 1981, 1991
- 5 times Second Place: 1973, 1982, 1983, 1994, 1995
- 7 times Third Place: 1967, 1975, 1977, 1984, 1986, 1990, 1993
- Romanian Cup : 6 times Romanian Cup Winners: 1977, 1978, 1981, 1983, 1991, 1993
- 1977 • 2 - 1 with Steaua Bucureşti
- 1978 • 3 - 1 with Olimpia Satu-Mare
- 1981 • 6 - 0 with Politehnica Timişoara
- 1983 • 3 - 1 with Politehnica Timişoara
- 1991 • 2 - 1 with FC Bacău
- 1993 • 2 - 0 with Dacia Unirea Brăila
- 5 times Romanian Cup runners-up: 1975, 1985, 1994, 1998, 2000
[edit] International performances
- UEFA Cup semifinalist in 1983
- participated in 4 editions of the European Champions' Cup
- participated in 14 editions of the UEFA Cup
[edit] Starting Lineup
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[edit] 2006/2007 Squad
| Number | Player | Position | Previous club | |
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| Goalkeepers | ||||
| 1 |  |
Mircea Alex Bornescu | GK | Caracal, Romania (2005) |
| 2 | |
Mihai Neagoe | GK | Primăvara (2005) |
| 3 | |
Nicolae Bănică | GK | Primăvara (2005) |
| Defenders | ||||
| 4 | |
Madalin Marius Ciucă | CD/RD | Caracal (2005) |
| 5 | |
Dorel Stoica | CD | Rhyl (2005) |
| 6 | |
Cătălin Petre Crăciunescu | CD | Pandurii (2005) |
| 7 |  |
Josh Mitchell | CD/LD | Sydney (2005) |
| 8 | |
Dragos Tiberiu Stăvaru | CD | Primăvara (2004)
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| 10 | |
Valerian Gârlă | CD/LD | Primavara (2005) |
| Midfielders / Wingers | ||||
| 11 | |
Ovidiu Dananae | RW/MC | Primavara (2004) |
| 12 | |
Daniel Cristian Velcovici | LW/MC | Caracal (2005) |
| 13 |  |
Richard Williams | MC | Caracal (2005) |
| 14 | |
Andrei Ionescu | RM/MC | PSV Eindhoven (2005) |
| 9 |  |
Stefan Barboianu | CD | - |
| 16 | |
Razvan Daniel Fritea | MC/LW | Jiul Petroşani (2005) |
| 17 | |
Bogdan Piko | MC | Interstear Sibiu (2006) |
| 18 | |
Constantin Gărgălie | AM | Minerul Mehedinti (2006) |
| 19 | |
Joshua Rose | LW | New Zealand Knights (2003) |
| Forwards | ||||
| 20 | |
Mihai Dina | CF | Caracal (2005) |
| 21 | |
Florin Costea | F | CSM Râmnicu Vâlcea (2005) |
| 23 | |
Lucian Pîrvu | F | Ergotelis (2006) |
| 24 | |
Stelian George Stemat | F | Segarcea (2005) |
| 25 | |
Michael Baird | CF | Queensland Roar FC (2005) |
| 26 | |
Cosmin Gângioveanu | CF | Primavara (2005) |
| Manager | ||||
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Stefan Stoica | |||
[edit] Notable former players
[edit] Goalkeepers
- Paul Manta, Boldici, Lung, Crişan, Prunea, Nematu, Preda, Guso
- Bornescu
[edit] Defenders
- Marin Marcel, I. Constantinescu, Sames, Badin, Boc
- Deselnicu, Ciupitu, Smarandache, Negrilă, Tilihoi, Ştefănescu
- Ungureanu, Purima, Bumbescu, V. Mănăilă, Cioroianu, Săndoi
- Gh. Popescu, N. Zamfir, A. Popescu, M. Rada, Vasc, Papură, Olăroiu
- Bătrânu, Vochin, Stoican, Bărcăuan, Frăsineanu, Chivu, M. Mitu
- Bolohan, Mitriţă, I. Rada, I. Stancu, Daouda
- Ciuca, D. Stoica, Richard Williams
[edit] Midfielders
- Ozon, Cricitoiu, Zbârcea, N. Ivan, Strâmbeanu
- Ţicleanu, Donose, Balaci, Beldeanu, Irimescu, Stângă, Badea
- Gigi Ciurea, Ceauşilă, Gabi Popescu, D. Bica, Olaru, Trică, S. Cristescu, I. Luţu, Buia, Doru Nicolae, Liţă Dumitru, H. Cioloboc
- Moisescu, Dumitraşcu, R. Niculescu, Ad. Pigulea, A. Calin, M. Sava
- Domocoş, Soava, Pitu, Grigorie, Alexa, Bundea, Pleşan, Schumacher
- A. Ionescu
[edit] Forwards
- Sfarlogea, Martinovici, Nita, Iulian Bălan, Nedelcu II
- Ţarălungă, Ion Oblemenco, Marcu, V. Piţurca
- Geolgău, Crişan, Cămătaru, Cârţu, Bicu, O. Popescu
- Neagoe, Ştefan Stoica, Agalliu, Bita
- Craioveanu, Gane, Ungur, Ioan Ganea, Fl. Carstea
- Cl. Niculescu, V. Iacob, I. Savu, Vlădoiu, N'Jock,Lutu
[edit] Famous Coaches
Victor Piturca- Constantin Otet
- Sorin Cartu
- Mircea Rednic
[edit] External links
- Official Website
- Official fan club page
- Sezione page (fans' site)
- Stiinta Craiova
- U.Craiova - Liga 1
