FC U Craiova 1948
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| Full name | Fotbal Club Universitatea Craiova 1948 | ||
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| Nickname(s) | Studenții (The Students) Leii din Bănie (The Lions from Bănie) | ||
| Short name | U Craiova | ||
| Founded |
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| Ground | Aripile | ||
| Capacity | 1,000 | ||
| Owner | Adrian Mititelu | ||
| Chairman | Marcel Iancu | ||
| Manager | Nicolò Napoli | ||
| League | Liga III | ||
| 2017–18 | Liga IV, Dolj County, 1st (promoted) | ||
| Website | http://www.fcuniversitatea.ro/ | ||
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Fotbal Club Universitatea Craiova 1948, commonly known as FC U Craiova, is a Romanian football club based in Craiova, Dolj County, and currently a member of the Liga III.
The team was created in 1991, promptly after the CS U Craiova sports club dissolved its football department. It continued the Universitatea Craiova tradition for the next two decades, but was reorganised multiple times, and retroactively deemed as an unofficial successor. The only major honour won by FC U is the 1992–93 Cupa României.[note 1]
FC U Craiova was disaffiliated by the Romanian Football Federation on 14 May 2012, following their temporary banishment since 20 July 2011, and consequently retired from every competition. The Romanian Court confirmed that the 2012 dissafiliation was legal and in September 2014 the team was officially declared bankrupt.[3] The club was reestablished in 2017 and commenced play in the fourth league.
History
In 1991, Universitatea Craiova won for the last time the Championship and the Romanian Cup, under Sorin Cârţu as coach. In the same year, the sports club CS Universitatea Craiova dissolved its football section[4] and Fotbal Club Universitatea Craiova informally continued their tradition. Until 1994, the club was still controlled by the Ministry of National Education.
In the following years, Craiova became a middle-table team, with rather poor performances.
At the end of the 2004–05 season they were relegated to the second football division for the first time in the club's history, returning to the first league after the following season.
Exclusion from FRF
On 20 July 2011, the club was temporarily excluded by the Romanian Football Federation[5] for failing to withdraw their dispute with former coach Victor Piţurcă from a civil court, as per article 57 of the FRF statute which states that the Football Federation solves all the sports lawsuits.[6] However, the article allows disputes regarding employment contracts to be adjudicated in civil court.[7] The exclusion decision was approved by the FRF General Assembly on 14 May 2012.[8] All of the squad players were declared free agents and signed with other clubs.
An investigation was started by the National Anticorruption Directorate on 22 October 2011, against the heads of the Romanian Professional Football League and of the Football Federation, as well as against the Executive Committee members of the FRF, on charges of official misconduct in the case of the exclusion.[9][10] The Football Federation, the Professional Football League, and members of the Executive Committee reportedly had some of their properties seized by the National Anticorruption Directorate.[11] On 14 May 2012, the Executive Committee validated the temporary exclusion decision taken on 20 July 2011.[12]
Temporary re-affiliation
On 22 June 2012, the Bucharest Court of Appeal ruled that the exclusion of FC U Craiova from FRF was illegal.[13] On 15 November 2012, the Court ruled that the validation decision was also illegal.[12] Although the club was invited to sign up in the Liga II for the 2012–13 season,[14] the owner of the club refused this invitation.[15]
On 2 March 2013, the club announced that it filed a request to rejoin the competitions, starting from the 2013–14 season.[16] It will play in Liga II. Universitatea Craiova officially rejoined the competition on 27 August 2013, when defeated SCM Argeşul Piteşti in the fourth round of the Romanian Cup, qualifying to the fifth round of the competition.
Final disaffiliation
In April 2014 the High Court of Cassation and Justice confirmed that the Romanian Football Federation "acted in accordance with regulations and statutes in force when members voted to exclude the club".[17]
On 9 June 2016, justice has decided that CS Universitatea Craiova is the rightful owner of record, brand and logo of Craiova football. However, FC U Craiova's owner, Adrian Mititelu, announced his intentions to continue his dispute for the record, brand and logo of Craiova football, claiming that between 2011 - when his team has been disaffiliated - and 2017, the current year, he never conceded the rights for the record, brand and logo of Craiova football to any person, and that, between 1991 and 2013, no team named CS Universitatea Craiova existed.
Rebirth
In the summer of 2017, the club was refounded as FC U Craiova 1948 and enrolled in Liga IV.[18] Mititelu claims that its team is the real Universitatea Craiova and that it holds all the record, from 1948 to the present.
Support
FC U Craiova is supported by the Peluza Sud 97 ultras. Due to the strong division among the Universitatea fans in the city, the other ultras groups either support CS Universitatea Craiova or remain neutral.
In March 2018, FC U Craiova supporters attending a friendly game between Romania and Sweden at the Stadionul Ion Oblemenco booed Universitatea Craiova player Alexandru Mitriță upon being substituted out.[19] As a response CSU Craiova fans symbolically used insecticide to "get rid of the stench" left over by Peluza Sud 97 ultras.[20]
FC U's main rival is FC Dinamo București. The rivalry was amplified in 2002 and 2005 when Dinamo transferred an important group of players from Craiova.[citation needed] Other rivalries of FC U are with Steaua București and CSU Craiova, the latter rivalry because FC U claims the history of Universitatea.
Honours
Note: As of November 2017, LPF attributes all Universitatea Craiova trophies won between 1948 and 1991 to the CS Universitatea Craiova entity.[1] FC U's only major trophy would be the 1992–93 Cupa României, although it is also claimed by CS U.[2]
Domestic
Leagues
- Runners-up (1): 1994–95
- Winners (1): 2005–06
- Winners (1): 2017–18
Cups
Friendly
Norcia Winter Cup Italy
- Winners: 2003
European record
| Competition | S | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UEFA Champions League / European Cup | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 3 | –1 |
| UEFA Cup Winners' Cup / European Cup Winners' Cup | 1 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 6 | +1 |
| UEFA Europa League / UEFA Cup | 4 | 8 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 9 | –6 |
| UEFA Intertoto Cup | 2 | 8 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 15 | 11 | +4 |
| Total | 8 | 22 | 7 | 5 | 10 | 27 | 29 | – 2 |
Current squad
- As of 22 February 2018
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Club officials
Board of directors
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Current technical staff
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Notable former coaches
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References
- ^ As of November 2017, LPF attributes all Universitatea Craiova trophies won between 1948 and 1991 to the CS Universitatea Craiova entity.[1] FC U's only major trophy would be the 1992–93 Cupa României, although it is also claimed by CS U.[2]
- ^ a b "Informare cu privire la palmaresul CS U Craiova" [Information about the records of CS U Craiova] (in Romanian). LPF.ro. 10 November 2017. Retrieved 8 February 2018.
- ^ a b "Marcel Popescu vrea Cupa la Craiova după 25 de ani: "În faza asta nu mai există bun şi rău"" [Marcel Popescu wants the Cup in Craiova after 25 years: "At this point there is no good or bad"] (in Romanian). Digi Sport. 14 March 2018. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
- ^ "FC Universitatea Craiova este istorie! Tribunalul Brașov i-a dat lovitura decisivă lui Mititelu". stiridesport.ro. 17 September 2014.
- ^ "Șah la rege" (in Romanian). Craiova-Maxima.ro. 4 April 2017. Retrieved 14 March 2018.
- ^ "Hotărâri ale Comitetului Executiv al FRF". FRF. 20 July 2011. Archived from the original on 22 July 2011. Retrieved 9 September 2011.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Somaţie trimisă Fotbal Club U Craiova". FRF. 13 July 2011. Archived from the original on 14 September 2011. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Statutul Federatiei Romane de Fotbal" (PDF). FRF. 26 February 2010. Archived from the original (PDF) on 10 October 2011. Retrieved 15 September 2011.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "Universitatea a MURIT, trăiască Ştiinţa! Maşinăria de vot a lui Sandu a mers perfect". ProSport. 15 May 2012. Retrieved 15 May 2012.
- ^ "DNA a început urmărirea penală faţă de Comitetul Executiv al Federaţiei Române de Fotbal". Antena3. 22 October 2011. Retrieved 26 October 2011.
- ^ "Şefii FRF, învinuiţi de DNA în dosarul cu privire la dezafilierea Universităţii Craiova". Antena3. 26 October 2011. Retrieved 26 October 2011.
- ^ "DNA a pus sechestru pe sediile FRF şi LPF". RTV.net. 4 April 2012. Retrieved 15 May 2012.
- ^ a b "O nouă victorie pentru Craiova la Tribunal! Sentinţa este una executorie şi produce efecte imediate". ProSport. 15 November 2012. Retrieved 15 November 2012.
- ^
"CURTEA DE APEL: Dezafilierea Universităţii Craiova, ILEGALĂ!". Realiteatea.net. 22 June 2012. Archived from the original on 25 June 2012. Retrieved 22 June 2012.
{{cite web}}: Unknown parameter|deadurl=ignored (|url-status=suggested) (help) - ^ "FRF va invita oficial clubul Universitatea Craiova să se înscrie în Liga a II-a". Mediafax. 16 July 2012. Retrieved 15 November 2012.
- ^ "Mititelu nu vrea să înscrie Universitatea Craiova în Liga a II-a". Libertatea. 26 June 2012. Retrieved 15 November 2012.
- ^ "FC Universitatea Craiova se intoarce in fotbalul romanesc". Ediţie Specială. 2 March 2013. Retrieved 3 March 2013.
- ^ http://jurnalul.ro/sport/fotbal-intern/frf-a-castigat-procesul-cu-fc-universitatea-craiova-dezafilierea-din-2011-s-a-facut-in-conditii-legale-665659.html
- ^ Ultima oră: "verde" pentru echipa lui Mititelu în Liga a 4-a
- ^ "ROMÂNIA - SUEDIA 1-0 // Mitriță, afectat de reacția fanilor: "Nu e firesc!" + E în dubiu pentru derby-ul cu CFR Cluj" [ROMANIA - SWEDEN 1-0 // Mitriță, affected by fans' reaction: "It's not normal!" + His presence is in doubt for the derby with CFR Cluj]. Gazeta Sporturilor (in Romanian). 28 March 2018. Retrieved 30 March 2018.
- ^ "Au folosit insecticid! Fanii Craiovei din Liga 1 au dezinfectat peluza ocupată la meciul cu Suedia de suporterii echipei lui Mititelu" [They used insecticide! Liga 1 fans of Craiova have disinfected the place where the supporters of Mititelu's team stayed at the match against Sweden] (in Romanian). ProSport. 30 March 2018. Retrieved 30 March 2018.