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CS Universitatea Craiova facts for kids

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Universitatea Craiova
CS Universitatea Craiova logo.svg
Full name U Craiova 1948 Club Sportiv SA
Nickname(s)
  • Alb-albaștrii (The White-Blues)
  • Juveții (The Oltenia People)
  • Știința (The Science)
  • Campioana unei mari iubiri
    (The Champion of a Great Love)
  • Leii din Bănie
    (The Lions from Bănie)
Short name U Craiova
Founded
  • 5 September 1948; 76 years ago (5 September 1948) (as UNSR Craiova)
  • 2013; 12 years ago (2013) (refounding)
Ground Ion Oblemenco
Ground Capacity 30,983
Owners Mihai Rotaru (95%)
Adrian Andrici (5%)
Chairman Mihai Rotaru
Head coach Mirel Rădoi
League Liga I
2024–25 Liga I, 3rd of 16

Universitatea Craiova is a professional football club from Craiova, Romania. People also call them U Craiova or CS U Craiova. They play in Liga I, which is the top football league in Romania.

The club started in 1948 as part of a bigger sports club called CSU Craiova. They were part of this club until 1991. During that time, Universitatea Craiova won four national league titles and five Romanian Cups. After 1991, another team, FC U Craiova, took over. However, this team faced problems and was later seen as not being the official continuation of the original club.

In 2013, the original sports club started its football team again. This new team claims the history and trophies of the first Universitatea Craiova. Many court decisions and the Romanian football league (LPF) support this. In 2018, "the White and Blues" won the Romanian Cup. This was their first trophy since the club was restarted. In 2021, they won their first Supercupa României.

On the European stage, Universitatea Craiova has done very well. They reached the semi-finals of the 1982–83 UEFA Cup and the quarter-finals of the 1981–82 European Cup. They were the first Romanian team to reach a UEFA semi-final. They are also the only Romanian team to have beaten at least one club from each of the five strongest European football countries: England, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain. "The Students" play their home games at the Stadionul Ion Oblemenco, which can hold 30,929 fans. They have strong rivalries, especially with Dinamo București.

Club History

How Football Started in Craiova (1921–1958)

Football began in Craiova in 1921. The first two teams were Craiovan Craiova and Rovine Grivița Craiova. In 1940, these two teams joined together to form FC Craiova. This team was very successful before World War II. They even won the Romanian football championship in 1942–43. However, the Romanian Football Federation (FRF) and LPF do not officially recognize this title.

In 1948, teachers and students from the new university in Craiova started CSU Craiova. This was a sports club with many different sections, including football. The football team was first called UNSR Craiova. They played their first official match on September 5, 1948, but lost 6–3.

In 1950, the football team changed its name to CSU Craiova, like its parent club. In 1953, the club was renamed Știința Craiova. A year later, in 1954, Știința was promoted to the second league for the first time. They went back down to the third league after one season and stayed there until 1958.

Universitatea Becomes Stronger (1958–1970)

Ion Oblemenco 4
Ion Oblemenco, a famous player for the club

In 1958, Știința was promoted to the second league again. They had a close fight for promotion against Unirea Râmnicu Vâlcea. In their first season back in the second league, Craiova finished 13th. Over the next few seasons, they improved their rankings.

In the 1963–64 season, the Students won promotion to the top league, Divizia A. This was a big moment for the club. The team was coached by Nicolae Oțeleanu.

Their first season in Divizia A was tough, but they avoided being sent back down by just one point. The next season, Știința finished eighth. They were starting to build a team that could compete for the championship.

In the summer of 1966, the club's name changed from Știința Craiova to Universitatea Craiova. But fans still often shouted "Hei, hei, hai Știința!" to cheer on their team.

The team had mixed results in the following years but always stayed in the first division. They finished third in 1966–67 and fourth in 1969–70.

The "Champion of a Great Love" (1970–1979)

Constantin Cernaianu
Constantin Cernăianu led the club to its first league title in 1974
Universitatea Craiova 1973-1974
U Craiova in the 1972–73 season

In the 1970s, Craiova built a strong team with players like Ion Oblemenco, Petre Deselnicu, and Lucian Strâmbeanu. In the 1972–73 season, they finished with the same points as Dinamo București. But they lost the championship because Dinamo had a better goal difference.

This season gave them a new nickname: "the Champion of a Great Love." The poet Adrian Păunescu created this name. It meant that even though Dinamo won the title, Craiova was the true champion in the hearts of the fans.

In the 1973–74 season, Universitatea Craiova finally won the league title. They were one point ahead of Dinamo. This made them the first university team in Europe to win a national title. Dinamo was seen as the favorite team of the communist government. So, Universitatea's win was seen as a victory for pure football against unfair influences. The team was coached by Constantin Cernăianu and Constantin Oțet.

The 1974–75 season was their first time playing in the UEFA European Cup. They finished third in the league. In 1977, Craiova won the Romanian Cup for the first time. They beat Steaua București in the final.

In 1978, Universitatea won the Romanian Cup again. They finished sixth in the league. The 1978–79 season ended with them in fourth place. In the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup, they were knocked out in the first round.

Craiova Maxima (1979–1991)

Universitatea Craiova 1980-1981
U Craiova in the 1980–81 season, when they won the Double

Craiova Maxima (The Maximum Craiova) was the club's second golden generation. This team had many talented players who also played for the Romania national football team. Some of these players were Ilie Balaci, Rodion Cămătaru, Costică Ștefănescu, and Silviu Lung.

At the end of the 1979–80 season, Universitatea Craiova won the Romanian championship for the second time. They also played in the UEFA Cup, beating teams like Wiener SC and Leeds United.

Ilie Balaci 2
Ilie Balaci, a key player for Universitatea, was named Romanian Footballer of the Year in 1981 and 1982.

In the 1980–81 season, the team achieved a historic "double." They won both the league championship and the Romanian Cup. This success led them to the 1981–82 European Cup. There, Craiova Maxima became even more famous. They beat Olympiacos and KB, reaching the quarter-finals. They were stopped by Bayern Munich, but this was a huge achievement for Romanian football.

In the 1982–83 season, Universitatea Craiova made history again. They became the first Romanian team to reach a European Cup semi-final. They beat strong teams like Fiorentina, Bordeaux, and Kaiserslautern. In the semi-final, they played against Benfica, a very famous Portuguese team. After two draws, Benfica went to the final because of the away goals rule. In the league, Craiova finished second again.

Throughout the rest of the 1980s, Universitatea Craiova consistently finished in the top five of the league. They also played in European competitions every year. They beat teams like Real Betis, Olympiacos, AS Monaco, and Galatasaray. However, they never got past the third round. In 1985, they lost the Romanian Cup final to Steaua București.

In 1991, CS Universitatea Craiova won its last Romanian Cup and league title before a big change happened.

Changes and Rebuilding (1991–Present)

Universitatea Craiova League Performance
Chart of CS Universitatea Craiova's league performance 1955–2018

In 1991, the original CS Universitatea Craiova sports club stopped its football section. A new club, Fotbal Club Universitatea Craiova, continued playing. This club won a Romanian Cup in 1993 and reached three other finals. However, due to problems with management, they were sent down from the top league in 2005. This ended 41 years of playing in Divizia A.

In 2011, the Romanian Football Federation temporarily stopped FC Universitatea Craiova from playing. All their players became free to join other clubs.

In 2013, the local authorities in Craiova, with help from former players, restarted the football section of the original CS U Craiova. This new CS U Craiova claims to own all the history and trophies of the first Universitatea Craiova. This was confirmed by courts in 2016 and by the LPF in 2017.

On August 14, 2013, CS Universitatea Craiova was officially allowed to join the Romanian Football Federation again. They started playing in Liga II, the second tier of Romanian football. They won their first game 6–1 in the Romanian Cup. In the 2013–14 Liga II season, CS Universitatea Craiova was promoted back to Liga I after 23 years. The other team, FC U Craiova, was permanently stopped from playing, but later reappeared in 2017.

After being promoted, Universitatea finished fifth in the 2014–15 season. They finished fourth in the 2016–17 season, which meant they could play in European competitions again. In the UEFA Europa League, they played against the Italian team A.C. Milan and were knocked out.

On May 27, 2018, Universitatea won its first trophy since restarting. They beat Hermannstadt 2–0 in the Cupa României final. A month later, the club's name was officially changed to U Craiova 1948 Club Sportiv SA. As cup winners, they played in the 2018 Supercupa României, but lost 0–1 to CFR Cluj.

On August 3, 2020, Universitatea Craiova almost won their first national league title since 1991. They played against CFR Cluj, but CFR Cluj won the game 3–1 and became champions.

Home Stadiums

Old Stadionul Ion Oblemenco (1967)

New Stadionul Ion Oblemenco
The new Stadionul Ion Oblemenco

The old Ion Oblemenco Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium in Craiova. It was first called Central Stadium. It was mainly used for football matches and could hold up to 25,252 people. The stadium opened on October 29, 1967, with a match between the national teams of Romania and Poland.

This stadium hosted many important matches during the Craiova Maxima era. These included the 1981–82 European Cup quarter-final against Bayern Munich and the 1982–83 UEFA Cup semi-final against Benfica. After the death of Universitatea Craiova legend Ion Oblemenco in 1996, the stadium was named in his honor. The stadium was renovated in 2008 and completely taken down in 2015.

New Stadionul Ion Oblemenco

The new Ion Oblemenco Stadium has 30,929 seats. It opened on November 10, 2017, with a friendly match between Universitatea Craiova and the Czech club Slavia Prague.

Fan Support

Universitatea Craiova has many fans in Craiova and the Oltenia region. They are the third most supported team in Romania, after FCSB and Dinamo București.

There are many fan groups, but in 2013, fans became divided. This was because it was unclear which of the two clubs was the true Universitatea. Some groups chose to support CS Universitatea Craiova, while others supported FC U Craiova. Later, in 2017, one group decided to stay neutral.

After CS Universitatea Craiova gained most of the official records, many new fan groups were formed. These include Peluza Nord Craiova: North Lions, Vechiul Spirit Ultras, Nord Oltenia, Gruppo Sibiu, Gruppo Capitala, Ponsiona and UNU MAI UNIT.

In March 2018, during a friendly game, some FC U Craiova supporters booed a CS U player. In response, CS U fans used a symbolic gesture to show their disapproval of the other group's actions.

Rivalries

Universitatea Craiova - Dinamo Bucuresti, 1973
Supporters at a match between Universitatea Craiova and Dinamo București in 1973.

Universitatea Craiova has a big rivalry with Dinamo București. This rivalry started at the end of the 1972–73 season. Both teams had the same number of points, but Dinamo won the title because of a slightly better goal difference.

Another event that added to the rivalry happened on October 21, 2004. During a match between Craiova and Dinamo, a Craiova fan leader threw a Craiova scarf at Claudiu Niculescu. Niculescu had moved from Craiova to play for Dinamo, which fans saw as a betrayal.

Știința also has smaller rivalries with three other clubs from Bucharest: Steaua București, FCSB, and Rapid București. They also had local rivalries with teams like Extensiv Craiova and, more recently, FC U Craiova. In the 2010s, a minor rivalry started with Pandurii Târgu Jiu, another team from the Oltenia region.

Honours

Note: As of November 2017, LPF says that all Universitatea Craiova trophies won between 1948 and 1991 belong to this club. The ownership of these trophies is still debated with FC U Craiova 1948. However, a court decision from July 10, 2023, confirmed that the historical record until the end of the 1990–91 season belongs to CS U Craiova.

Domestic Competitions

  • Divizia A / Liga I
    • Winners (4): 1973–74, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1990–91
    • Runners-up (4): 1972–73, 1981–82, 1982–83, 2019–20
  • Divizia B / Liga II
    • Winners (2): 1963–64, 2013–14
    • Runners-up (1): 1960–61
  • Divizia C / Liga III
    • Winners (1): 1957–58
  • Cupa României
    • Winners (7): 1976–77, 1977–78, 1980–81, 1982–83, 1990–91, 2017–18, 2020–21
    • Runners-up (2): 1974–75, 1984–85
  • Supercupa României
    • Winners (1): 2021
    • Runners-up (1): 2018

European Competitions

European Competition Results

Important Wins

Season Match Score
UEFA Cup / Europa League
1973–74 Craiova – Italy Fiorentina 1 – 0
1979–80 Craiova – England Leeds United 2 – 0
1979–80 Craiova – West Germany Borussia Mönchengladbach 1 – 0
1982–83 Craiova – Italy Fiorentina 3 – 1
1982–83 Craiova – France Bordeaux 2 – 0
1982–83 Craiova – West Germany Kaiserslautern 1 – 0
1983–84 Craiova – Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Hajduk Split 1 – 0
1984–85 Craiova – Spain Real Betis 1 – 0
1984–85 Craiova – Greece Olympiacos 1 – 0
1986–87 Craiova – Turkey Galatasaray 2 – 0
1986–87 Craiova – Scotland Dundee United 1 – 0
European Cup Winners Cup
1977–78 Craiova – Soviet Union Dynamo Moscow 2 – 0
1985–86 Craiova – France AS Monaco 3 – 0
European Cup / Champions League
1981–82 Craiova – Greece Olympiacos 3 – 0
1981–82 Craiova – Denmark KB Copenhagen 4 – 1
UEFA Intertoto Cup
1996 Craiova – Slovakia Spartak Trnava 2 – 1
UEFA Conference League
2022–23 Craiova – Ukraine Zorya Luhansk 3 – 0
2024–25 Craiova – Slovenia NK Maribor 3 – 2

Players

First Team Squad

No. Position Player
1 Romania GK Silviu Lung Jr. (3rd captain)
3 Ukraine DF Oleksandr Romanchuk
4 Romania MF Alexandru Crețu
5 Georgia (country) MF Anzor Mekvabishvili
6 Romania MF Vladimir Screciu (Vice-captain)
7 Cuba MF Luis Paradela (on loan from Saprissa)
8 Romania MF Tudor Băluță
9 Palestinian National Authority FW Assad Al Hamlawi
10 Romania MF Ștefan Baiaram
11 Romania DF Nicușor Bancu (Captain)
12 Equatorial Guinea DF Basilio Ndong
14 France MF Lyes Houri
15 Croatia DF Juraj Badelj
16 Romania FW Jovan Marković
17 Costa Rica FW Carlos Mora
No. Position Player
18 Romania MF Mihnea Rădulescu
19 Romania DF Vasile Mogoș
20 Romania MF Alexandru Cicâldău (4th captain)
21 Romania GK Laurențiu Popescu
22 Spain DF Iago López
23 Portugal MF Samuel Teles
24 Serbia DF Nikola Stevanović
25 Romania DF Darius Fălcușan
27 Romania FW David Barbu
29 Romania MF Luca Băsceanu
30 Romania MF David Matei
31 Romania GK Matei Goga
33 Romania GK Alexandru Glodean
36 Romania DF Florin Gașpăr
77 Ukraine GK Pavlo Isenko

Players on Loan

No. Position Player}
Romania FW Ștefan Bană (to Oțelul Galați until 30 June 2026)

Club Officials

League Performance History

1989–Present

Famous Former Players

Universitatea Craiova Players at Major Tournaments

2015 Africa Cup of Nations

2024 Africa Cup of Nations

2024 UEFA European Football Championship

Famous Former Managers

Romania

  • Romania Gavril Balint
  • Romania Constantin Gâlcă
  • Romania Gheorghe Mulțescu
  • Romania Eugen Neagoe
  • Romania Victor Pițurcă
  • Romania Laurențiu Reghecampf
  • Romania Emil Săndoi

Bulgaria

  • Bulgaria Ivaylo Petev

Greece

  • Greece Marinos Ouzounidis

Italy

  • Italy Cristiano Bergodi
  • Italy Devis Mangia

Images for kids

See also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: U Craiova 1948 Club Sportiv para niños

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