CS Gaz Metan Mediaș facts for kids
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| Full name | Clubul Sportiv Gaz Metan Mediaș | |||
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| Short name | Gaz Metan | |||
| Founded | 1945 as Karres Mediaș |
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| Dissolved | 2022 | |||
| Ground | Gaz Metan | |||
| Capacity | 7,814 | |||
| 2021–22 | Liga I, 16th of 16 (relegated) | |||
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Gaz Metan Mediaș was a professional football club from Romania. It was based in Mediaș, a town in Sibiu County.
The club started in 1945 as Karres Mediaș. For most of its history, it played in the second division of Romanian football. They also played 16 seasons in Liga I, which is the top league in Romania. In 1951, they reached the final of the Romanian Cup but lost to CCA București.
Gaz Metan also played in European competitions for the first time in 2011. They won against KuPS from Finland and Mainz 05 from Germany. Later, they were knocked out by Austria Wien in the UEFA Europa League play-off round. The club stopped playing in 2022. But some former players and coaches started a new club, ACS Mediaș 2022. They want to keep the football spirit alive in Mediaș.
Contents
History of Gaz Metan Mediaș
How the Club Started (1945–1950)
The club began in 1945 as Karres Mediaș. They played in the Romanian Second League. In 1947, the team moved up to Divizia A, the top league. The club's name also changed to CSM Mediaș that same year.
In their first season in Divizia A, they finished 11th out of 16 teams. The next season (1948–1949) was tough. The club had money problems and poor training conditions. Players complained to the press and the Romanian Football Federation.
A factory called Zorile Roșii (Red Dawn) took over the club. The team's name changed to Zorile Roșii Mediaș. Later that season, they joined with another team, Vitrometan Mediaș. Then, Ateliere Gaz Metan took over, and the name became Gaz Metan Mediaș. The team was sent back down to Liga II that same season.
A Strong Second League Team (1950–1999)
During this time, the club changed its name many times. It was called Partizanul, Flacara, Energia, Gaz Metan, and CSM Mediaș. In 1963, it finally went back to Gaz Metan Mediaș.
In 1951, the club achieved its best result ever. They reached the Romanian Cup final. This was amazing because they were a second division team. Their coach was the famous Ștefan Dobay.
In the final, Flacăra Mediaș lost 3–1 in extra time to CCA București (now Steaua București). Coman scored the only goal for Flacăra Mediaș. After this, Gaz Metan mostly played in Divizia B. They became a well-known team in this league.
They were sent down to Divizia C in 1972 and again in 1976. But each time, they quickly moved back up to Divizia B. They stayed in Divizia B until 1992. In 1992, they were relegated to Divizia C for the third time.
But the team worked hard and got promoted back to Divizia B after just one year. They won their group in the third league by 5 points. Back in Divizia B, Gaz Metan continued to play well. They finished 7th, then 11th, and then 4th in 1995–96. This was their best finish in 20 years. The next season, they finished 3rd, showing they wanted to return to the top league.
Return to the Top League (2000–2014)
The year 2000 brought great success for Gaz Metan. They were promoted to Divizia A after 51 years! Coach Jean Gavrilă led them to win their group in the 1999–2000 Divizia B. They were 11 points ahead of the second-place team.
The team that achieved this historic promotion included players like Filip, Roșca, Ciurar, Grigore, Grasu, Lungu, Șomfălean, Vasile, Zotincă, Boroncoi, Callo, Hanc, Ioan, Moldovan, Pătru, Stoica, Vitan, Boloban, Boaru, and Găldean.
However, being away from the top league for so long was a shock. Gaz Metan finished last (16th) in their first season back. They only had 3 wins, 9 draws, and 18 losses. They scored 21 goals and let in 42, ending with only 18 points.
In the 2001–02 season, the team was back in the second league. They tried to rebuild and finished 12th. By 2002–03, they were fighting for promotion again. They finished 3rd, just missing out on moving up.
It seemed Gaz Metan was back to being a strong Liga II team. They were now aiming for promotion, not just staying in the middle of the table. In the following years, they finished 4th (2003–04), 2nd (2004–05), 4th (2005–06), and 6th (2006–07). In 2005, they almost got promoted but finished with the same points as Jiul Petroșani.
In 2008, led by coach Cristian Pustai, a former Gaz Metan player, the team finally got promoted to Liga I again. This was 8 years after their last time in the top league. The team included players like Ștețca, Grillo, Lazăr, Zaharia, Buzean, Dudiță, Eric, Hoban, Curtean, Boaru, and C.Prodan.
In the 2008–09 season, they finished 15th. This was the last spot that would normally lead to relegation. But because of a problem with another team, Gaz Metan stayed in the first league. The 2009–10 season saw them finish 10th, far from the relegation zone. This was a new club record, completing 3 seasons in a row in Liga I.
The team finished 7th in the 2010–11 season. This earned them a spot in the UEFA Europa League, their first time in a European competition. Gaz Metan reached the play-off round of the 2011–12 UEFA Europa League. They beat KuPS from Finland (2–1 total score) and Mainz from Germany (4–3 on penalties). They lost to Austria Wien (2–3 total score) in the play-offs.
At home, Gaz Metan reached the Romanian Cup semi-finals in the 2011–12 season. They were knocked out by Dinamo București on away goals. They finished 13th in the league. In the next two seasons, they stayed in the top league, finishing 10th in 2012–13 and 13th in 2013–14.
Tough Times and Club's End (2014–2022)
The 2014–15 season brought big changes. The number of teams in the top league was cut from 18 to 14. This meant 6 teams would be relegated. Gaz Metan finished 13th, just below the safety line. They returned to Liga II after 7 years in the top league. This was their longest run in Liga I, with their best-ever finish (7th place) and their first European competition.
Gaz Metan proved to be a strong team again. They got promoted back to the top league after just one season in the second division. The 2015–16 team included players like Greab, Romeo, Cristea, Zaharia, Buzean, P.Iacob, Danci, Munteanu, Bic, Petre, and Gavra.
The 2016–17 season was busy for the team. They finished 7th in the regular season, just missing the play-off spots. They played in the play-out round and finished 2nd (8th overall). The club also faced serious money problems and had to go into a special financial process.
In 2017, the club tried to spend less money. In the 2017–18 season, they finished 12th. This was just above the relegation zone, with the same points as the team in 13th place.
Under coach Edward Iordănescu, Gaz Metan reached its highest-ever finish in the 2019–20 season. They made it to the play-offs and finished in 6th place. The next season (2020–21) was difficult. There were many changes in leadership, staff, and players. The team finished in the bottom half of the table.
The 2021–22 season was the club's last. They had huge debts from previous years due to poor management. The team had points taken away many times. They finished the season with a very low score of -38 points. This led to the club's end.
Home Stadium
Gaz Metan played its home games at the Municipal Gaz Metan Stadium. The stadium could hold 8,000 people, with half of the seats covered. It had a heated playing field and bright floodlights. The stadium was approved for early rounds of UEFA club games and international U21 matches.
The stadium was greatly improved in 2010. The entire playing field was replaced. New covered stands were built, making the stadium's capacity 7,814 seats.
Supporters and Rivals
Gaz Metan had many fans in Mediaș and especially in Sibiu County. The main fan groups were called Lupii Negri (The Black Wolves) and Commando Mediensis.
Rivalries
Gaz Metan had important rivalries with football clubs from Sibiu. These included teams like Șoimii Sibiu, Inter Sibiu, FC Sibiu, and Voința Sibiu. The current team from Sibiu is FC Hermannstadt. These two clubs first played each other on April 17, 2018. It was a Romanian Cup semi-final, and many fans came to watch.
Club Achievements
League Titles
- Liga II
- Winners (2): 1999–2000, 2015–16
- Runners-up (5): 1946–47, 1952, 1954, 2004–05, 2007–08
- Liga III
- Winners (3): 1972–73, 1976–77, 1992–93
Cup Achievements
- Cupa României
- Runners-up (1): 1951
European Games Record
The club played in the qualifying rounds of the UEFA Europa League once. Here's how they did:
- 2QR: Second qualifying round
- 3QR: Third qualifying round
- PO: Play-off round
| Season | Round | Opponent | Home | Away | Aggregate |
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| 2011–12 | 2QR |  KuPS |
2–0 | 0–1 | 2–1 |
| 3QR |  Mainz 05 |
1–1 (aet) | 1–1 | 2–2 (4–3 p) | |
| PO |  Austria Wien |
1–0 | 1–3 | 2–3 |
League History Table
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Famous Former Players
These players have played for their country or have played over 100 games for CS Gaz Metan Mediaș.
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Famous Former Managers
Ștefan Dobay- Cristian Dulca
- Leontin Grozavu
- Nicolae Kovács
- Cristian Pustai
- Ferenc Rónay
- Ioan Sabău
- Gheorghe Mulțescu
- Edward Iordănescu
Dušan Uhrin Jr.
See also
In Spanish: Club Sportiv Gaz Metan Mediaș para niños
