FC Petrolul Ploiești

Petrolul Ploiești
Full name Fotbal Club Petrolul Ploiești
Nickname(s)
  • Petroliștii (The Oilmen)
  • Galben-albaștrii (The Yellow-Blues)
  • Lupii galbeni (The Yellow Wolves)
Short name Petrolul
Founded
  • 1924 (1924)
    as FC Juventus București
Ground Ilie Oană
Ground Capacity 15,073[1]
Owners Veolia
Petrolul Ploiești Supporters Association
Chairman Cristian Vlad
Coach Octavian Grigore
League Liga III
2016–17 Liga IV, Prahova County, 1st (promoted)
Website Club website

Fotbal Club Petrolul Ploiești (Romanian pronunciation: [peˈtrolul ploˈjeʃtʲ]), commonly known as Petrolul Ploiești, or simply as Petrolul, is a Romanian professional football club based in Ploiești, Prahova County, currently playing in the Liga III.

Founded in 1924 in Bucharest as Juventus, following the merger of Triumf and Romcomit, the team was relocated in 1952 to the city of Ploiești, north of its traditional home, and changed names on numerous occasions throughout history.[2] Domestically, its honours include four national titles and three national cups.

In recent history, after a period of notable domestic performances, Petrolul became insolvent in February 2015,[3] and dissolution followed one year later. However, its supporters and club legends refounded and enrolled it in the Liga IV, the fourth tier of the Romanian football league system.[4]

Petrolul's current home colors are yellow and dark blue. Accordingly, the players are nicknamed "the Yellow Wolves" and play their home games at the 15,500-seater Ilie Oană Stadium.

History

Founding and early years

Founded in 1924, the Latin tradition cultivated by Juventus București was illustrated by its emblem, which was based on the history of the foundation of Rome, where a she-wolf nursed Romulus and Remus.[2] Their first national title came six years after establishment, as Juventus were champions in the 1929–30 season. After the reorganisation of the Romanian football's division structure, the club played seven consecutive campaigns in Liga I, from 1933 to 1940. Following World War II, they were promoted once again to first division, having finished in 1st place in the final Liga II season prior to the outbreak of war. From 1946–1952, Juventus had 6 consecutive seasons in Liga I.

Period Name
1924–1947 Juventus București
1947–1948 Distribuția București
1948–1949 Petrolul București
1949–1950 Competrol București
1950–1951 Partizanul București
1951–1952 Flacăra București
1952–1956 Flacăra Ploiești
1956–1957 Energia Ploiești
1957–1992 Petrolul Ploiești
1992–1993 FC Ploiești
1993–2016 Petrolul Ploiești
2016–2017 Petrolul 52 Ploiești
2017– Petrolul Ploiești

The team changed its name numerous times, being known as Distribuția, Competrol, Petrolul, Partizanul and Flacăra. In 1952 the club moved to Ploiești, and changed its name to Flacăra Ploiești accordingly.

They have won the Romanian top division four times, the last time in the 1965–66 season.

Their best European performance to date was reaching the quarter-finals of the Inter-Cities Fairs Cup in 1962–63. After eliminating Spartak Brno (Czechoslovakia) and Leipzig XI (German Democratic Republic), they were finally defeated by Hungarian side Ferencvárosi TC. In the 1995–96 season they also managed to defeat Welsh side Wrexham narrowly over two games.

Mild success followed by bankruptcy (2011–2016)

Petrolul fans at the 2013 Romanian Cup Final in Bucharest

As winners of the 2010–11 Liga II's Seria II, Petrolul Ploiești were promoted to the first division following a seven-year absence.

Under the management of Cosmin Contra, their first season since return saw them finishing third in the league table, as well as claiming the national cup for the third time in their history. Consequently, Petrolul earned a spot in the second qualifying round of the 2013–14 UEFA Europa League, with the club playing its first European match since 1995. After defeating Víkingur Gøta and Vitesse Arnhem, they were eliminated in the play-off round by Swansea City.

The team received consistent media attention after signing former Romanian internationals Adrian Mutu and Ianis Zicu in January 2014,[5] a move which would later be considered a "failure".[6] During the same month, it was announced that German automobile manufacturer Opel would become Petrolul's shirt sponsor.[7] Petroliștii had the chance to qualify for their second consecutive Cupa României final, but lost the semi-final against rivals Astra Giurgiu 2–1 on aggregate.[8] Petrolul came third in the Liga I once more, while the fans challenged Răzvan Lucescu, considering that he wasn't a suitable replacer for Contra, who left Petrolul in March to join Spanish side Getafe.[9]

In the next season's European participation, "the Yellow Wolves" confronted Czech club Viktoria Plzeň in the Europa League third qualifying round. After a draw in Ploiești, Petrolul impressively beat Viktoria scoring four goals and conceding only one.[10] However, Petrolul yet again missed the chance of advancing to the group stage after losing the play-off against Dinamo Zagreb. In September 2014, head coach Lucescu was sacked and Mutu left the club as a free agent.[11][12] On 25 November, president Daniel Capră, general director Marius Bucuroiu and five other persons faced preventive detention for 24 hours, being suspected of tax evasion and money laundering.[13] This marked the start of the decline, as the criminal offences made by the club's officials caused Petrolul to lose important players and face a period of instability.[14] In February 2015, the club entered insolvency and eventually finished the season on the sixth place in Liga I.[15]

More players left the club in the summer of 2015 and coach changes became frequent.[16] Petrolul quickly landed on the last place in the league table, where it stayed until the last game of the season. Finally, in the summer of 2016 the team was declared bankrupt.[4]

Refounding (2016–)

After being dissolved in 2016, fans and club legends immediately refounded the team as ACS Petrolul 52 Ploiești and enrolled it in the Liga IV, the fourth tier of the Romanian football league system.[4]

During early 2017, it was reported that the Romanian subsidiary of French company Veolia would takeover the club.[17] On 16 June 2017, with financial support from the company, ACS Petrolul 52 Ploiești leased FC Petrolul brand from the Municipality of Ploiești for €30,000 and returned to the former name of FC Petrolul Ploiești,[18] targeting a return to the first division in the 2019–20 season.[19]

Grounds

The new Ilie Oană Stadium

Petrolul Ploiești plays its home matches at the Ilie Oană Stadium. Ranked as a UEFA Category 4 stadium, it can host UEFA Europa League semi-finals and UEFA Champions League group stage matches.[20] It was inaugurated in September 2011 and has a current capacity of 15,073 spectators.[1] The construction is built on the site of the former Ilie Oană Stadium, which was completed in 1937, and is named after Ilie Oană, an important coach in Petrolul's history.

Milestones

Support

Petrolul supporters displaying a 3D choreography

Petrolul Ploiești has a large fanbase in the Prahova County region and their attachment is renowned in Romania, despite the team's ups and downs.[22] The biggest ultras group is Lupii Galbeni ("the Yellow Wolves"), since 1996, and other smaller groups like Peluza Latină ("The Latin Stand") or Knot exist. At matches, they sing the club's chant, whose lyrics were written by George Nicolescu.

Petrolul Ploiești fans have established a close friendship with the supporters of Vitesse Arnhem.[23]

Rivalries

Petrolul's traditional and historic rival is Rapid București. Petrolul and Rapid fans have maintained a strong rivalry, despite long periods of not meeting when one or the other were playing in the second division. Petrolul won the 1965–66 Divizia A, while Rapid finished second. The following season, Rapid won its first national title after a match played on the old Ilie Oană Stadium. These events are believed to have started the rivalry.[24]

Petrolul maintains a mild rivalry with Astra Giurgiu, its former local enemy. Astra promoted for the first time to the Divizia A in 1998. It played in Ploiești until September 2012, when it was moved to Giurgiu by its owner, Ioan Niculae. Even after relocation, the rivalry has continued between the governances of the clubs.[25]

Rivalries with Steaua București and Dinamo București also exist.

Honours

Domestic

Leagues

Cups

Players

First team squad

As of 9 August 2017

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
4 Romania DF Mihai Velisar
6 Romania MF Paul Antoche
7 Romania MF Alexandru Ciocâlteu
9 Romania FW Adrian Vintilă
10 Romania MF Claudiu Tudor (Captain)
11 Romania MF Nini Popescu
12 Romania GK Mirel Bolboașă
14 Romania FW Georgian Păun
15 Romania DF Alberto Olaru
17 Romania MF Dragoș Gheorghe
19 Romania FW Cosmin Lambru
23 Romania MF Alexandru Puchea
25 Romania DF Daniel Chiriță
No. Position Player
28 Romania FW Sergiu Arnăutu
33 Romania MF Marius Chindriș
— Romania GK Ionuț Marinică
— Romania GK Raul Botezan
— Romania DF Gabriel Frîncu
— Romania DF Jean Prunescu
— Romania DF Valentin Țicu
— Romania DF Alexandru Vagner
— Romania DF Răzvan Catană
— Romania MF Tiberiu Nițescu
— Romania FW Roland Stănescu
— Romania FW George Dumitru
— Romania FW Tudor Şaim

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
— Romania DF Roberto Alecsandru
— Romania DF Alexandru Radu
No. Position Player
— Romania GK George Nițache

Club officials

As of 30 January 2017

European record

The club have participated in 8 editions of the club competitions governed by UEFA, the chief authority for football across Europe, and 12 editions of European competitions overall.

Competition S P W D L GF GA GD
UEFA Champions League / European Cup 3 8 2 1 5 8 15 −7
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup / European Cup Winners' Cup 2 6 2 2 2 4 7 −3
UEFA Europa League / UEFA Cup 3 14 7 2 5 25 20 +5
UEFA Intertoto Cup[26] 1 6 1 1 4 6 14 −8
Inter-Cities Fairs Cup[27] 3 13 9 0 4 14 11 +3
Total 12 47 21 6 20 57 67 −10

Kit manufacturers and shirt sponsors

Period Kit manufacturer Shirt partner
1924–1999 Unknown Unknown
1999–2001 Meding Sport Petrom
2001–2003 Adidas
2003–2004 Lotto
2005–2008
2008–2009 Unknown Petrom
2009–2010 Consiliul Local Ploiești
2010–2011 Hummel
2011–2012 Adidas
2012–2013 Macron Romprest
2013–2014 Puma Opel[7]
2014–2015 Nike
Alexandrion
2015–2016 Superbet[28]
2016–2017 Errea Viking Pruszyński
2017–2018 Joma Veolia

Managers

References

  1. 1 2 "Stadion" [Stadium] (in Romanian). FC Petrolul Ploiești. Archived from the original on 5 July 2016.
  2. 1 2 "Istorie" [History]. FC Petrolul Ploiești (in Romanian). Archived from the original on 6 May 2016.
  3. ↑ "Insolvența, un nou ȋnceput, nicidecum finalul!" [Insolvency, a new beginning, not the end!] (in Romanian). FC Petrolul Ploiești. 7 February 2015. Retrieved 7 February 2015.
  4. 1 2 3 "Noul Petrolul porneşte la drum în liga a patra. Mărcile au revenit la Primăria Ploieşti, care le va ceda noului club" [New Petrolul starts its way in the fourth division. The brand returned to the local government of Ploieşti, which will yield it to the new club] (in Romanian). Digi Sport. 11 July 2016. Retrieved 9 February 2017.
  5. ↑ "Ambitious Mutu back in Romania with Petrolul". UEFA. 14 January 2014.
  6. ↑ "Transferurile lui Mutu și Zicu, criticate de fostul antrenor al Petrolului: "Au fost un eșec!"" [The signings of Mutu and Zicu, criticised by a former coach: "They were a failure!"]. DigiSport (in Romanian). 26 September 2014.
  7. 1 2 "Parteneriat FC Petrolul – Opel" [FC Petrolul – Opel Partnership]. FC Petrolul Ploiești (in Romanian). 15 January 2014.
  8. ↑ "Am ratat dramatic finala Cupei României!" [We dramatically missed the Romanian Cup final!]. FC Petrolul Ploiești (in Romanian). 16 April 2014.
  9. ↑ "Scandal la Ploiești! Suporterii au întrerupt antrenamentul și a fost nevoie de intervenția jandarmilor" [Scandal in Ploiesti! The fans have stopped the training and the policemen intervened]. DigiSport (in Romanian). 17 April 2014.
  10. ↑ "Petrolul and Hajduk heroics stun Europe". UEFA. 7 August 2014.
  11. ↑ "Răzvan Lucescu nu mai este antrenorul Petrolului" [Răzvan Lucescu is not Petrolul's coach anymore]. FC Petrolul Ploiești (in Romanian). 16 September 2014.
  12. ↑ "FC Petrolul a reziliat contractul cu Adrian Mutu" [FC Petrolul broke Adrian Mutu's contract]. FC Petrolul Ploiești (in Romanian). 26 September 2014.
  13. ↑ "Finanțatorul Dan Capră și directorul general al Petrolului, Marius Bucuroiu, reținuți pentru 24 de ore!" [Petrolul's president Dan Capră and general director Marius Bucuroiu, arrested for 24 hours!]. DigiSport (in Romanian). 25 November 2014.
  14. ↑ "Colaps total la Ploieşti. Mandate de arestare pentru acţionarii clubului în dosarul de evaziune fiscală. Reţinerea finanţatorului Capră provoacă plecarea unor jucători importanţi" [Total collapse at Ploieşti. Warrants for the club's shareholders in the tax evasion case. The arrest of president Capră causes the departure of some important footballers]. ProSport (in Romanian). 26 November 2014.
  15. ↑ "Eșec la final de campionat" [Fail at the end of the championship]. FC Petrolul Ploiești (in Romanian). 27 May 2015.
  16. ↑ "Despartire de Pablo de Lucas, Sebastián Gallegos, Ioan Filip si Victor Astafei" [Pablo de Lucas, Sebastián Gallegos, Ioan Filip and Victor Astafei left the team]. FC Petrolul Ploiești (in Romanian). 28 May 2015.
  17. ↑ "BOMBĂ în fotbalul românesc! Un grup francez lider mondial preia o echipă cu 4 titluri! Obiectiv clar: bătaia cu granzii în Liga 1" [INCREDIBLE NEWS in Romanian football! A French transnational company takesover a team with 4 national titles!]. Gazeta Sporturilor (in Romanian). 8 April 2017. Retrieved 8 April 2017.
  18. ↑ "După UTA şi FC Argeş, fotbalul românesc "recâştigă" şi Petrolul! ACS Petrolul 52 devine Petrolul cu 4 titluri şi 3 cupe după ce a câştigat licitaţia achiziţionării celor 6 mărci" [After UTA and FC Argeş, Romanian football "regains" Petrolul as well! ACS Petrolul 52 becomes Petroull with 4 national titles and 3 cups after winning the auction of the 6 brands] (in Romanian). ProSport. 16 June 2017. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
  19. ↑ "Ce uneşte şi ce desparte Petrolul, Oţelul, U Cluj şi Farul după ce au promovat în Liga 3. Buget, principii şi obiective similare pe termen scurt, strategii şi ţinte diferite pe termen lung" [What unites and separates Petrolul, Oţelul, U Cluj and Farul after they have promoted in League 3. Budget, similar short-term principles and objectives, different long-term strategies and targets] (in Romanian). ProSport. 26 June 2017. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
  20. ↑ "Stadionul Ilie Oană din Ploieşti, cotat de UEFA la patru stele" [Ilie Oană from Ploieşti, ranked as a UEFA Category 4 stadium]. Adevărul (in Romanian). 10 May 2012.
  21. ↑ "Petrolul s-a întors acasă" [Petrolul is back at home]. FC Petrolul Ploiești (in Romanian). 24 September 2011.
  22. ↑ "Nebunie la meciul Petrolului din Liga a 4-a! "Găzarii" s-au impus pe un stadion cu peste 6.000 de spectatori care au făcut show" [Crazy match in the fourth league! "The Oilmen" won after being assisted by over 6,000 spectators in a great atmosphere]. Gazeta Sporturilor. 27 August 2016. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
  23. ↑ "Rivalitatea Petrolul – Steaua, exportată în Olanda. Suporterii "găzarilor" şi cei ai echipei Vitesse Arhnem, mesaje "de dulce" la derby-ul local cu NEC Nijmegen, a cărei galerie este înfrăţită cu cea stelistă" [Petrolul – Steaua rivalry, exported to the Netherlands. "The Oilmen" and the fans of Vitesse Arnhem, "gentle" wishes at the local derby against NEC Nijmegen, whose supporters have a friendship with Steaua] (in Romanian). ProSport. 9 April 2017. Retrieved 9 April 2017.
  24. ↑ "Petrolul-Rapid, un derby pe stil vechi" [Petrolul-Rapid, a classic derby]. evz.ro (in Romanian). 16 August 2014.
  25. ↑ "Fanii Petrolului jigniţi dur de Ioan Niculae! Patronul Astrei se ia şi de clubul din Ploieşti: "Nu are nici un palmares"" [Petrolul's fans, insulted by Ioan Niculae! He also talks about the club from Ploiești]. Gazeta Sporturilor (in Romanian). 16 April 2014.
  26. ↑ The Intertoto Cup was founded in 1961–62, but was only taken over by UEFA in 1995. Petrolul have participated in the 1990 edition. The results are included in the total statistics.
  27. ↑ There is a controversy concerning the value of Inter-Cities Fairs Cup. While it is viewed as the predecessor to the UEFA Cup, it was not organised by UEFA. Consequently, UEFA do not recognise the competition as a major honour.
  28. ↑ "Parteneriat între FC Petrolul Ploieşti şi Superbet" [Partnership between Petrolul Ploiesti and Superbet]. FC Petrolul Ploiești (in Romanian).
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