Club Overview

FC Steaua Bucureşti (pronounced [ˈste̯awa]) is a Romanian professional football club from Ghencea, south-west Bucharest. They are the most successful Romanian football team in European competitions as well in the Romanian Liga I (23 championship wins). They became the first Eastern European team to win the UEFA Champions League being victorious in the 1986 European Cup final.

The club is historically known as the Romanian Army sports club. The football department separated, however, in 1998. At the moment, its only direct link to the Army is their home ground, Stadionul Ghencea, property of the Ministry of National Defence.

Club History

Steaua was founded on 7 June 1947, at the initiative of several officers of the Romanian Royal House. The establishment took place following a decree signed by General Mihail Lascăr, High Commander of the Romanian Royal Army. The club's first name was ASA Bucureşti (Asociaţia Sportivă a Armatei Bucureşti – Army Sports Association). It was formed as a sports society with seven initial sections, including football, coached by Coloman Braun-Bogdan. ASA was renamed CSCA (Clubul Sportiv Central al Armatei – Central Sports Club of the Army) in 1948 and CCA (Casa Centrală a Armatei – Central House of the Army) in 1950.

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 managed to win three Championship titles in a row in 1951, 1952 and 1953, along with their first Championship-Cup Double in 1951. During the 1950s, the so-called CCA Golden Team became nationally famous. In 1956, the national team of Romania, comprised exclusively of CCA players, took on Yugoslavia in Belgrade and won 1–0.[dead link] During the same year, CCA, coached by Ilie Savu, was the first Romanian team to enterprise a tournament in England where they achieved noteworthy results against the likes of Luton Town FC, Arsenal FC, Sheffield Wednesday FC and Wolverhampton Wanderers FC.

At the end of 1961 CCA changed its name once again to CSA Steaua Bucureşti (Clubul Sportiv al Armatei Steaua – Army Sports Club Steaua). The club's new name translates The Star and was adopted because of the presence of a red star, symbol of most East-European Army clubs, on their crest. A poor period of almost two decades followed in which the club claimed only three championships (1967–68, 1975–76, 1977–78). Instead, the team won nine national cup trophies, for which matter they gained the nickname of cup specialists. Also during this period, on 9 April 1974, Steaua's current ground, Stadionul Ghencea, was inaugurated with a friendly match opposing OFK Beograd. Up to that date, Steaua had played its home matches on either two of Bucharest's largest multi-use stadia, Republicii and 23 August.

Under the leadership of coaches Emerich Jenei and Anghel Iordănescu, Steaua had an impressive Championship run in the 1984–85 season, which they won after a six-year break. Subsequently, they were the first Romanian team to make it to a European Cup final, which they won in front of FC Barcelona on penalties (2–0 thanks to goalkeeper Helmuth Duckadam succeeding to save all four penalties taken by the Spaniards), after a goalless draw. Steaua therefore became the first Eastern-European team to claim the title of European champions. An additional European Super Cup was won in 1987 in front of SK Dinamo Kiev. 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 to 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). Furthermore, 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.

The 1989 Romanian Revolution led the country towards a free open market and, subsequently, several players of the 1980s team left for other clubs in the West. After a short pull-back, a quick recovery followed and Steaua managed a six consecutive championship streak between 1992–93 and 1997–98 to equalise the 1920s performance of Chinezul Timişoara and also three more cups in 1995–96, 1996–97 and 1998–99. At 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, at the moment, the only team in Romania to have participated in this competition.

Steaua celebrating a goal as seen from Peluza NordIn 1998, the football club separated from CSA Steaua and changed their name for the final time to FC Steaua Bucureşti (Fotbal Club Steaua – Football Club Steaua), being led by Romanian businessman Viorel Păunescu. Păunescu performed poorly as a president and soon the club was plunged into debt. George 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 public in January 2003.

Because of his controversial character, he has been contested by the majority of Steaua fans. The team qualified for the UEFA Cup group stage in the 2004–05 season and further on became the first Romanian team to make it to the European football spring since 1993 (also Steaua's performance). The next season, they reached the UEFA Cup semi-finals in 2005–06, where they were eliminated by Middlesbrough FC thanks to a last minute goal and thereafter qualified for the following UEFA Champions League seasons after a ten year break. In the 2007–08 season Steaua have qualified again in the group stage of UEFA Champions League. Nationally, they gained two titles in 2004–05 and 2005–06 and the Romanian Super Cup in 2006, the latter being the club's 50th trophy in its 59 year history.

Club Rivalries

Dinamo Bucuresti, Rapid Bucuresti

Stars of the Current Squad

1 GK Rufay Zapata

3 DF Dorin Goian (vice-captain)

4 DF Paweł Golański

5 DF Ionuţ Rada

7 MF János Székely

8 MF Ovidiu Petre

9 FW Pantelis Kapetanos

10 MF Rafał Grzelak

11 FW Romeo Surdu

12 GK Ciprian Tătăruşanu

14 MF Juan Toja

15 DF Alexandru Tudose

16 MF Bănel Nicoliţă

17 DF Eugen Baciu

18 DF Petre Marin (3-rd captain)

19 MF Andrei Ionescu

20 DF Miguel Tininho

21 MF Răzvan Ochiroşii

24 DF Sorin Ghionea (captain)

25 MF Mihai Onicaş

26 MF Eric Bicfalvi

28 FW Bogdan Stancu

30 DF Ifeanyi Emeghara

31 DF Emil Ninu

33 GK Cezar Lungu

99 FW Krum Bibishkov

Club Legends

Gheorghe Hagi, Marius Lacatus, Helmuth Duckadam, Emerich Jenei

Most Appearances

Most Goals

Player Recognition & Awards

Team Honours

Domestic

Romanian League:

Winners (23) (record): 1951, 1952, 1953, 1956, 1959–60, 1960–61, 1967–68, 1975–76, 1977–78, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1997–98, 2000–01, 2004–05, 2005–06 Runners-up (13): 1954, 1957–58, 1962–63, 1976–77, 1979–80, 1983–84, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1991–92, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2006–07, 2007–08

Romanian Cup:

Winners (20) (record): 1948–49, 1950, 1951, 1952, 1955, 1961–62, 1965–66, 1966–67, 1968–69, 1969–70, 1970–71, 1975–76, 1978–79, 1984–85, 1986–87, 1987–88,[85] 1988–89, 1991–92, 1995–96, 1996–97, 1998–99 Runners-up (7): 1953–54, 1963–64, 1976–77, 1979–80, 1983–84, 1985–86, 1989–90

Romanian Supercup:

Winners (5) (record): 1993–94, 1994–95, 1997–98, 2000–01, 2005–06 Runners-up (2): 1998–99, 2004–05

European

European Cup / UEFA Champions League:

Winners (1): 1985–86 Runners-up (1): 1988–89 Semi-finalists (1): 1987–88

European Super Cup:

Winners (1): 1986

UEFA Cup:

Semi-finalists (1): 2005-06

International

Intercontinental Cup:

Runners-up (1): 1986

Club Management

Steaua has always been known as the club of the Romanian Army, who founded it in 1947 as a sports society. The Army continues to own the society, called CSA Steaua Bucureşti at the moment.

The football department however, in order to comply with UEFA rules, separated and turned private in 1998, owned and financed by a non-profit organization called AFC Steaua Bucureşti, chaired by businessman Viorel Păunescu.

In January 2003, the club turned public, under the leadership of investor and current politician George Becali, who had already purchased 51% of the society's shares and later on acquired the rest to become owner of the club. At present Becali has no official link to the club, as he gradually renounced his shares. However, the facts that the current shareholders, that include several nephews of his, are people loyal to him and that he is still in charge of Steaua are obvious. An unofficial explanation for this situation is represented by the heavy amount of unpaid taxes added up by the former governing company, AFC Steaua Bucureşti, whose payment towards the tax authority was avoided this way by transferring its assets to the new-formed company, with the old association going on liquidation bankruptcy.

George Becali is currently a highly controversial person, whose involvement in the life of the club and the team has often been described as authoritarian and dictatorial by both the media and the fans. Such decisions as threatening to sell the Steaua brand towards the tax authority following a scandal of unpaid taxes, using the club to promote the New Generation Christian Democrat Party, which he runs, banning Queen music from being played during stadium events on grounds of Freddie Mercury's sexual orientations and also various coach sackings (culminating with the one of Gheorghe Hagi) are only few of the reasons of a certain current state of resentment on behalf of the majority of fans towards Becali.

Uniforms

Stadium

Steaua played its three first matches in history at the defunct Venus stadium. Opened in 1931, the venue had previously been in the property of ASC Venus Bucureşti, a club disbanded in 1949. After the ground's demolition through order of the Communist regime, Steaua had played its home matches on either two of Bucharest's largest multi-use stadia, Republicii (built in 1926 and put down in 1984 to make room for the erection of the Casa Poporului) and 23 August (built in 1953). Of these two, 23 August (current Lia Manoliu) was mostly used when two matches between Bucharest clubs were scheduled in the same matchday or for important European matches, while Republicii for regular matches inside the championship.

Steaua currently 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, at which time it was the first football-only stadium ever built in Communist Romania, with no track and field facilities.

The original capacity was 30,000 on benches. A general renovation occurred in 1991. This included installing seats, which dropped the capacity to 28,139, inaugurating a floodlighting system and erecting a VIP personal box section.

After a second renovation, in 2006, which included refurbishing the turf, Ghencea is one of the two stadia in Romania (along with Stadionul Dr. Constantin Rădulescu qualified to host UEFA Champions League events, being a third category arena according to the UEFA classification system. Lately, there have been talks for increasing the capacity to either 45,000 or 60,000.

Romania is also a tenant. The first game played by the national team at Ghencea was in March 1977 against Turkey. 59 other games have been played ever since, the last one occurring 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.

The stadium, built through order of the Ministry of National Defence inside a former military base and was long used by CSA Steaua. Currently, FC Steaua are the only tenants. Despite lobbying from the current FC Steaua Board of Administration, the venue is still under Romanian Army ownership, but has been leased on a 49 year-long period to the football club as of 2006.

Sponsors

Important Links

www.SteauaFC.com

References