FCSB
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| Full name | Fotbal Club Steaua Bucureşti | ||
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| Nickname(s) | Ros-Albaştrii ('The Red and Blues') Militarii ('The Army Men') Magica Steaua ('Magic Steaua') Viteziştii ('The Speeders') | ||
| Founded | 7 June 1947 | ||
| Ground | Stadionul Ghencea, Bucharest, Romania | ||
| Capacity | 27,063[1] | ||
| Chairman |  George Becali | ||
| Head Coach | Gheorghe Hagi | ||
| League | Liga I | ||
| 2006-07 | Liga I, 2nd | ||
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FC Steaua Bucureşti is a Romanian football club based at Stadionul Ghencea, Bucharest. Founded on 7 June 1947 as ASA Bucureşti, the club changed its name several times before settling on Steaua in 1961.
Being the only Romanian football team and the first in Eastern Europe to have won the European Cup, in 1986, together with the European Super Cup in 1987, Steaua is the most successful football club in Romania. Alongside the two European trophies, they are also the current record holders for National Championships, Romanian Cups and Romanian Super Cups.
The club is historically known as the Romanian Army sports club. The football department separated, however, from the the entire sports club in 1998. At the moment, its only links to the Army are the historical tradition and their home ground, Stadionul Ghencea, which still belongs to the Ministry of National Defence.
History
Steaua were founded on 7 June 1947, at the initiative of several officers of the Romanian Royal House, through a decree signed by General Mihail Lascăr, High Commander of the Romanian Royal Army, under the name of ASA Bucureşti (Asociaţia Sportivă a Armatei Bucureşti; Army Sports Association). The club was formed as a sports society with seven initial sections, including a football section, coached by Coloman Braun-Bogdan.[2]. They were renamed CSCA (Clubul Sportiv Central al Armatei – English: Central Sports Club of the Army) in 1948, then to CCA (Casa Centrală a Armatei, English: 'Central House of the Army') in 1950.[3]
In 1949, CSCA won its first trophy, the Romanian Cup, defeating CSU Cluj 2–1 in the final. Under the name of CCA, the club entered the high-life of Romanian football by winning three Championship titles in a row in 1951, 1952 and 1953, along with their first Championship-Cup Double in 1951. The 1950s were years of great domestic performances, in which the famous CCA Golden Team crystallized itself, a team which was sometimes confused with the National Team of Romania itself[4]. 1956 was one of CCA's most prestigious years, when, in addition to winning the title, the team, coached by Ilie Savu, entered a tournament in England where they beat Luton Town 4–3 (whom they had already defeated 5–1 in a friendly in Bucharest one year earlier), drew 1–1 against Arsenal, drew 3–3 with Sheffield Wednesday and lost 5–0 against Wolverhampton Wanderers. On 22 April 1956, the Romanian national team beat Yugoslavia 1-0 in Belgrade with a team comprised only of CCA players. In 1957, the team made their first European Cup appearance, eliminated by BV Borussia Dortmund after a 3rd match play-off in Bologna.
In 1961 CCA changed name once again to CSA Steaua Bucureşti (Clubul Sportiv al Armatei Steaua – English: Army Sports Club Steaua). The name Steaua is Romanian for The Star and was adopted because of the presence, just like in any other Eastern-European Army team, of a red star (turned yellow now, to symbolize Romania's tri-colour red, yellow and blue flag) on their badge. On 9 April 1974, Steaua's current home, Stadionul Ghencea, was inaugurated with a friendly match opposing OFK Beograd that ended 2-2.[5] Up to that date, Steaua had played its home matches on either two of Bucharest's largest stadiums, Republicii and 23 August.
Internally, fierce rivalry with teams like Dinamo Bucureşti, Petrolul Ploieşti and UTA Arad made it more and more difficult for the military team to reach the title, the 1970s and 1980s seeing them win the title only three times under their new name. However, during that same period, Steaua won eight National Cups, ultimately being nicknamed the cup specialists.
Under the leadership of coaches Emerich Jenei and Anghel Iordănescu, Steaua had an impressive Championship run in the 1984-85 season, which they eventually won after a six-year break. What followed was an absolutely astonishing European Cup season. After knocking-out Vejle BK, Honved FC, Kuusysi Lahti FC and RSC Anderlecht, they were the first ever Romanian team to make it into a European Cup final. On 7 May 1986, at the Estadio Ramon Sanchez Pizjuan in Seville, Spanish champions FC Barcelona were clear favourites, but after a goalless draw, legendary goalkeeper Helmuth Duckadam saved all four penalties taken by the Spaniards, making Steaua the first Eastern-European team to conquer the supreme continental trophy. An additional European Super Cup was won that year in front of SK Dinamo Kiev and, surprisingly for those who thought of these performances as an isolated phenomenon, Steaua remained at the top of European football for the rest of the decade, managing one more European Cup semifinal in 1987-88 and one more European Cup final in 1989, lost 4-0 in front of AC Milan. This happened next to their four additional national titles (1985-86, 1986-87, 1987-88, 1988-89) and four national cups (1984-85, 1986-87, 1987-88, 1988-89). In addition, from June 1986 to September 1989, Steaua ran a record 104-match undefeated streak in the championship, setting a world record for that time and a European one still standing.[6]
The 1989 Romanian Revolution led the country towards a free open market and, subsequently, several players of the great 1980s team left for other clubs in the West. Gheorghe Hagi went to Real Madrid CF for a record $ 4,300,000 fee[7] which stands up to this day for the national championship, Marius Lăcătuş to AC Fiorentina, Dan Petrescu to Foggia Calcio, Silviu Lung to CD Logrones, Ştefan Iovan to Brighton & Hove Albion FC, Tudorel Stoica to RC Lens and so on. After a short pull-back, a swift recovery followed and Steaua managed a six consecutive championship streak between 1992-93 and 1997-98 to equalize the 1920s performance of Chinezul Timişoara and also three more cups in 1995-96, 1996-97 and 1998-99. Other records highly regarded by the fans were the eight year and six month long undefeated streak in front of arch-rivals FC Dinamo Bucureşti, which counted 19 matches in both the championship and the Romanian Cup, and the 17 year and 7 month long undefeated league run at Ghencea against the same Dinamo.[8]. On international level, they also managed to make it to the UEFA Champions League group stage three years in a row between 1994-95 and 1996-97, remaining even today the only Romanian team to have participated in this competition.
In 1998, the football club separated from CSA Steaua and changed their name for the last time to FC Steaua Bucureşti (Fotbal Club Steaua Bucureşti),[9] being led by Romanian businessman Viorel Păunescu. Păunescu performed poorly as a president and soon the club was plunged into debt. George 'Gigi' Becali, another businessman, was offered the position of vice-president, in hope that he would invest money in the club. Becali eventually purchased the majority share in 2002 and turned the governing company into SA (Romanian equivalent for PLC) in January 2003.[10] Even though contested by the majority of Steaua fans because of his controversial character which saw him turn to politics further on, Becali has so far had inspired management plans for the club, also aided by former Chief Executive Mihai Stoica.
Under former Italian glory Walter Zenga's leadership the team qualified for the UEFA Cup group stage and further on became the first Romanian team to make it to the European football spring since 1993 (also Steaua's performance). Zenga was sacked with three matchdays to go in the Divizia A (current Liga I), but Steaua eventually won the title, performance repeated the following year, when, under coaches Oleg Protasov (July – December) and Cosmin Olăroiu (January – May), they also managed to make it to the UEFA Cup Semifinals (dramatically knocked out by Middlesbrough FC after having eliminated local rivals AFC Rapid Bucureşti in an epic all-Romanian Quarter Final) and to win the Romanian Supercup (1-0 against the same Rapid Bucureşti in July 2006), the latter being the club's 50th trophy in its 59 year-old history.
Crest and Colours
ASA Bucureşti was founded by the Royal Army on 7 June 1947[11] , at which date the club had no official crest. During their first season, ASA wore blue shirts, red shorts and yellow socks, to symbolize Romania's tri-colour flag.[12]
As communists assumed total control of the country on 30 December 1947, the Royal Army was transformed into the People's Army and ASA automatically with it. Being inspired by the Red Army, the new Ministry of Defence decided to create a crest for the club, along with the change of name to CSCA, consisting in an A-labeled red star (symbol of the Red Army) on a blue disc. Also, the yellow was gradually given up, so that the official remained, up to this day, the red and the blue.
Two years later, the change of name to CCA brought with it a new crest comprised of the same red star labeled CCA surrounded by a crown of laurel. The all-present star motif on the crest finally had its saying over the new name of Steaua as up 1961. It was opted for a badge which, redesigned, remains up to this day the club's symbol: the red and blue striped background with a golden star in the middle, to symbolize to Romanian tri-colour flag. The shape for the emblem which Steaua has now was redesigned in 1974, loosely inspired by that of FC Barcelona, once the team moved to Stadionul Ghencea.
Following the 1989 revolution, the Army decided to break all links to the defunct communist regime, so in 1991 CSA Steaua had a last change of crest with an eagle also present on the Ministry of Defence coat of arms and also on Romania's. As FC Steaua appeared in 1998, the club added two yellow stars on top of the CSA Steaua badge signifying its 20 titles of champion won, along with the 'Fotbal Club' specification.
2003 was the year of the last change of crest, decided by the new Board of Administration run by George Becali, which was a return to the old badge of 1974-1991, redesigned with the two yellow stars on top.
Shirt Sponsors
- 1988-1990: Ford
- 1990-1991: Castrol
- 1991-1994: Philips
- 1994: CBS
- 1995: BRCE
- 1996-1997: Bancorex (formerly BRCE)
- 1997-1999: Dialog (currently Orange)
- 2000-2002: BCR
- 2006: RAFO
Kit Manufacturers
The Stadium
Steaua plays its home matches at the Stadionul Ghencea, a football stadium situated in South-Western Bucharest. Part of Complexul Sportiv Steaua, it was inaugurated on 9 April 1974 when Steaua played a friendly match against OFK Beograd,[13] at which time it was the first football-only stadium ever built in Communist Romania, with no track and field facilities. Thus, with the help of Steaua's noisy supporters, the stands located very close to the pitch, can create an atmosphere unique in Romania and otherwise intimidating for the visiting team.
The original capacity was 30,000 on benches, but in 1991 when the plastic seats were installed, the capacity dropped to 27,063, along with 126 press seats, 17 personal boxes of 12 seats each and 733 armchairs. The floodlighting system, with a density of 1400 lux, has been inaugurated in 1991.[14]
Today, following two general renovations in 1996 and 2006 in order to host UEFA Champions League games, Ghencea is the most modern stadium in Romania offering some state-of-the-art facilities such as: a four-star establishment with all the facilities required for the team, internet for the press-room, 17 cameras for video surveillance, electrically heated pitch, an automated irrigation system, and a modern scoreboard capable of playing replays.[15] Lately there have been talks for increasing the capacity to either 45,000 or 60,000 with the company that, among others, has worked on building stadia such as Commerzbank-Arena in Frankfurt and renovating ones as Olympiastadion in Berlin.[16]
Romania is also a tenant. The first game played by the national team at Ghencea was in March 1977 against Turkey. Since then other 59 games were played, the last one in October 2006 against Belarus. Also, several matches from the 1998 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, including the final, have been hosted by the arena.
Current Season (2007-08)
Squad
As of 30 June 2007 Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Squad Changes
- In
Eric Bicfalvi - Signed from CS Jiul Petroşani - EUR 300,000;- Mihai Pintilii - Signed from CS Jiul Petroşani - EUR 400,000;
- Valentin Bădoi - Signed from FC Rapid Bucuresti - EUR 550,000;
- Mihai Guriţă - Signed from FC Farul Constanta - EUR 100,000;
- Cosmin Vâtcă - Signed from FC Oţelul Galaţi - EUR 500,000;
- Adrian Neaga - Signed from Seongnam Ilhwa Chunma - EUR 615,000;
Ifeanyi Emeghara - Signed from FCU Politehnica Ştiinţa Timişoara - EUR 1,200,000;
Paweł Golański - Signed from Korona Kielce - EUR 1,000,000;
Rubén Martín Pulido - Signed from Getafe CF - free;
- Out
- Daniel Opriţa - Signed with FC Dinamo Bucureşti - free;
- Stelian Stancu - Signed with FCU Politehnica Ştiinţa Timişoara - EUR 200,000;
- Sorin Paraschiv - Signed with Rimini Calcio - EUR 500,000;
Élton José Xavier Gomes - Signed with Al Nasr - EUR 500,000;
Cyril Théréau - Signed with RSC Anderlecht - EUR 2,900,000;
- Out on loan
- Valentin Simion - On Loan to FC Gloria Buzău
- Alin Liţu - On Loan to FC Gloria Buzău
- Alexandru Tudose - On Loan to FC Gloria Buzău
Management
- Manager: Gheorghe Hagi
- Assistant Managers: Massimo Pedrazzini, Mihai Teja
- Goalkeeping Coach: Zoltán Jaskó
- Fitness Coach: Horea Codorean
- Medic: Radu Paligora
- Masseur: Cătălin Fandel
Administration
- President: Valeriu Argăseală
- Honorary President: Viorel Păunescu
- Vicepresident: Iulian Ghiorghişor
- General Manager: Adrian Ilie
- Scouting Manager: Gabriel Popescu
Board Room
- Chairman: George Becali
- Vice-Chairman: Teia Sponte
- Board Room Members: Lucian Becali, Vasile Geambazi
- Censor: Victor Manole, Mariana Istudor
- Supplementary Censors: Virgil Laurenţiu Găman, Maria Apostoiu
- Stock Holders: Vasile Geambazi (37%), Constantin Geambazi (30%), Cătălin Ciubotă (26%), Tomaida Bădescu (4%), Marius Ianuli (3%)[17] *
(*)It is assumed though that, given George Becali's influence over the club, these stock holders have been ellected by Becali himself as trustworthy people.
Youth Centre Staff
- Youth Centre Manager: Leonard Strizu
- Physiotherapist: George Mărculescu
- Fitness Coach: Ciprian Prună
- Group Coaches: George Mărculescu, Adrian Bumbescu, Constantin Dumitriu, Lajos Sătmăreanu, Vasile Aelenei, Ştefan Sameş, Petre Mihai, Florea Voinea, Horea Codorean, Bogdan Iovan, Gigel Gheorghe
Team Honours
International
National
(*) Steaua gave up the trophy in 1990
Unofficial
- Cupa Toamnei: 1949
- Trofee De Goedendag (Brugse Metten): 1987
- Norcia Winter Cup: 1999
Players
- Romanian Player of the Year*: Ion Dumitru (1973), Ion Dumitru (1975), Ştefan Sameş (1979), Marcel Răducanu (1980), Helmuth Duckadam (1986), Gheorghe Hagi (1987), Nicolae Dică (2006)
- Liga I Top Goalscorer: Ion Alecsandrescu (1956), Gheorghe Constantin (1959-60), Gheorghe Constantin (1960-61), Gheorghe Constantin (1961-62), Cornel Pavlovici (1963-64**), Gheorghe Tătaru (1970-71**), Anghel Iordănescu (1981-82), Victor Piţurcă (1987-88), Gavril Balint (1989-90), Ilie Dumitrescu (1992-93), Ion Vlădoiu (1995-96), Sabin Ilie (1996-97), Claudiu Răducanu (2002-03)
- European Champions Cup Top Goalscorer: Gheorghe Hagi (1987-88**)
- European Bronze Boot: Victor Piţurcă (1987-88)
(*) as awarded by Gazeta Sporturilor (**) title split
Former Glories
Notable Players throughout History
see also Category:Steaua Bucharest players
- Goalkeepers: Ion Voinescu, Costică Toma, Vasile Iordache, Necula Răducanu, Helmuth Duckadam, Silviu Lung, Bogdan Stelea, Martin Tudor, Vasily Khomutovsky;
- Defenders: Vasile Zavoda, Alexandru Apolzan, Victor Dumitrescu, Emerich Jenei, Ştefan Sameş, Teodor Anghelini, Florin Marin, Ştefan Iovan, Miodrag Belodedici, Adrian Bumbescu, Ilie Bărbulescu, Dan Petrescu, Gheorghe Popescu, Nicolae Ungureanu, Daniel Prodan, Iulian Filipescu, Anton Doboş, Mirel Rădoi, George Ogăraru;
- Midfielders: Ştefan Onisie, Tiberiu Bone, Anghel Iordănescu, Vasile Aelenei, Tudorel Stoica, Mihail Majearu, László Bölöni, Gheorghe Hagi, Basarab Panduru, Constantin Gâlcă, Ilie Dumitrescu, Iosif Rotariu, Dorinel Munteanu, Nicolae Dică;
- Strikers: Ion Alecsandrescu, Nicolae Tătaru, Francisc Zavoda, Gheorghe Constantin, Cornel Cacoveanu, Iosif Petschovsky, Gheorghe Tătaru, Ion 'Liţă' Dumitru, Marcel Răducanu, Victor Piţurcă, Marius Lăcătuş, Gavril Balint, Adrian Ilie, Ion Vlădoiu, Adrian Neaga;
Manager History
see also Category:Steaua Bucharest managers
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Statistics
All-time Performance
(*) include UEFA Champions League (**) up to 2007-08 season (***) does not include qualifying round results UEFA RankingClub Ranking for 2007-08 Euro Season (Previous year rank in italics, UEFA Club Coefficients in parentheses)
RecordsPersonal
National
International
Highest Transfer Fees Received
Highest Transfer Fees Paid
Support The largest concentration of fans are in Bucharest, notably in areas adjacent to the arena, covering the whole southern half of Bucharest, a city geographically divided by the Dâmboviţa River. Also, the club has an important fan base inside the country, where several towns are reknown for counting vast majorities of Steaua sympathisers, and outside the borders, among Romanian emigrants. The Steaua Ultras movement began in 1995, when the bases of Armata Ultra (AU), the first Ultras group from Bucharest (and the second in Romania), were set. The group quickly reached an impressive number of members, but, in 2001, they dissolved due to internal problems. Currently Steaua's supporters are not lead by a single group. The most important part of them are located in the Peluza Nord (North End), some others taking their place in the Peluza Sud (South End), where several groups work together. More recently, as of 2006, the supporters have formed their own official supporters' association, following the example of most European clubs. Asociaţia Independentă a Suporterilor Stelişti (AISS; Steaua Supporters' Independent Association) was formed as a legal entity with its stated goals of 'protecting the interests and image of Steaua supporters', as well as 'identifying and promoting the club's perennial values'. RivalriesRivalry with DinamoSteaua against FC Dinamo Bucureşti has been the leading Romanian football derby in the last 60 years, as Steaua and Dinamo are the two most successful football teams in the country. It has also been and still is a match between the former clubs of the Romanian Army (Steaua) and the Ministry of Internal Affairs (Dinamo). Not once have there been famous clashes between different factions of supporters of them, in the streets as well as inside the stadium. The heyday was reached before a match kick-off in 1997, when Dinamo fans set a sector of Ghencea Stadium's South End (where they were assigned) on fire.[22] Between October 1991 and April 2000, Steaua enjoyed their moment of glory, counting 19 undefeated official matches in front of their rivals, both in the championship and the cup. Rivalry with RapidThe second rivalry is with AFC Rapid Bucureşti. Several matches in the last years between Steaua and Rapid have ended in serious clashes between fans[23] fueled by racial adversities, as Steaua's supporters envision Rapid's neighbourhood, Giuleşti, as one inhabited by a serious percentage of Roma ethnics. Rivalry has become even fiercer since Steaua outpassed Rapid in an all-Romanian UEFA Cup quarter final in 2006. Other RivalriesMilder and historical rivalries are also with non-Bucharest teams such as FC Universitatea Craiova and FCU Politehnica Timişoara. Footnotes
References
External links
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