History of Universitatea Craiova (football) facts for kids
Universitatea Craiova was a famous Romanian football club from Craiova, Dolj County. Between 1948 and 1991, Universitatea won four national titles and five national cups. It was also the first Romanian team to reach the semi-finals of a major European competition. This made them a very important club in the country.
The team was originally the football part of the CSU Craiova sports club. In 1991, the club changed its structure. Another team, FC U Craiova, continued its traditions for a while. However, this team faced problems and was stopped from playing in 2012.
In 2013, the original sports club started its football team again. This new team, CS Universitatea Craiova, says it carries on the history and wins of the old Universitatea Craiova. Some court decisions and the Romanian Football League agree with this. But another team, FC U, also claims to be the true successor. This means there's still some debate about the club's history.
Contents
History of the Club
Early Years of Football in Craiova (1921–1958)
Football in Craiova started in 1921 with teams like Craiovan Craiova. In 1940, two teams joined to form FC Craiova. This team won the Romanian championship in 1942–43. However, this title is not officially recognized today.
In 1948, a group of teachers and students created CSU Craiova. This was a sports club with many sections, including football. The football team was first called UNSR Craiova. Their first official game was on September 5, 1948, where they lost 6–3. The team wore white and blue shirts.
In 1950, the football team changed its name to CSU Craiova. In 1951, they won their first official Romanian Cup match 6–0. In 1953, the club changed its name again to Știința Craiova. One year later, in 1954, Știința moved up to the second division of Romanian football. They only stayed there for one season before going back to the third division until 1958.
Universitatea Becomes a Rising Team (1958–1970)
| Name | Period |
| UNSR Craiova | 1948–1950 |
| CSU Craiova | 1950–1953 |
| Știința Craiova | 1953–1966 |
| Universitatea Craiova | 1966–1991 |
| Universitatea Craiova | 2013–present |
In 1958, Știința moved up to the second league again. They had a tough fight but managed to win promotion. In their first season back, they finished 13th. But they improved in the following years, finishing 10th, 2nd, and 4th.
In the 1963–64 season, Știința finally won promotion to the top league, Liga I. It was a very close race, but they made it! This big step was thanks to coach Nicolae Oțeleanu and a dedicated group of players.
Their first season in the top league was hard, but they managed to avoid being relegated. The next season, they finished 8th. This showed they were building a strong team.
In 1966, the club changed its name from Știința Craiova to Universitatea Craiova. This is the name that fans remember and love. Even with the new name, supporters often chanted "Hei, hei, hai Știința!" during games.
Over the next few years, Universitatea had mixed results but always stayed in the first division. They finished 3rd in 1966–67 and 4th in 1969–70. These years were important for building the team that would become famous in the next two decades.
"The Champion of a Great Love" (1970–1979)
In the 1970s, Craiova had a strong team led by Ion Oblemenco. Other important players included Petre Deselnicu and Lucian Strâmbeanu. The team finished 6th in 1970–71 and 8th in 1971–72.
In the 1972–73 season, Universitatea almost won the league title. They finished with the same points as Dinamo București, but Dinamo won because of a better goal difference. This season gave the team its famous nickname: "the Champion of a Great Love." The poet Adrian Păunescu created this name. He suggested that Craiova lost the title under unfair circumstances.
In the 1973–74 season, the title fight was again between Universitatea and Dinamo. This time, Craiova won the title! They were the first university team in Europe to win a national football title. This was a huge achievement because Dinamo was seen as a team favored by the government at the time. Universitatea became a symbol of fair play and the "people's team."
The team that won the first title was coached by Constantin Cernăianu and Constantin Oțet. Key players included Ilie Balaci, Ion Oblemenco, and Costică Ștefănescu.
In 1974–75, Universitatea played in the UEFA European Cup for the first time. They lost to a Swedish team but finished 3rd in the league. In 1976, the team finished 6th.
In 1977, in Ion Oblemenco's last season, Universitatea won the Romanian Cup for the first time. They beat Steaua București in the final. This was a great way for Oblemenco's generation to say goodbye. They also finished 3rd in the league.
In 1978, Universitatea won the Romanian Cup again, beating Olimpia Satu Mare. The 1978–79 season ended with a 4th place finish in the league. In Europe, they were knocked out early from the UEFA Cup Winners' Cup.
Craiova Maxima (1979–1991)
Craiova Maxima ("The Maximum Craiova") was the club's second "golden generation." This team achieved the best results in the club's history, especially in European competitions. Many players from this team also played for the Romania national football team. Some of these stars included Ilie Balaci, Rodion Cămătaru, Costică Ștefănescu, and Silviu Lung.
In the 1979–80 season, Universitatea won the Romanian championship for the second time. The team, coached by Valentin Stănescu and Ion Oblemenco, also had a great run in the UEFA Cup. They beat teams like Wiener SC and Leeds United before being stopped by German side Borussia Mönchengladbach.
The team continued its success in the 1980–81 season. They won both the league and the cup, achieving a historic "double." This success qualified them for the 1981–82 European Cup. Here, Craiova Maxima became even more famous. They beat Olympiacos and KB. They were finally stopped in the quarter-finals by Bayern Munich. This was a huge achievement for Romanian football at the time.
Playing in European competitions often made the team tired for the domestic league. They finished 2nd in the league but qualified for the UEFA Cup. In the 1982–83 season, they made history again. They became the first Romanian team to reach a European Cup semi-final!
Under coaches Constantin Oțet and Nicolae Ivan, 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, Universitatea finished 2nd again.
In the following years, Universitatea Craiova remained a top team in Romania. They consistently finished in the top half of the league. They also continued to play in European competitions. They beat teams like Real Betis, AS Monaco, and Galatasaray. However, they didn't reach the semi-finals again. In 1985, they lost a Romanian Cup final to Steaua București.
In 1991, CS Universitatea Craiova reached the top of Romanian football again. They won both the championship and the Romanian Cup. Players like Florin Prunea, Emil Săndoi, Pavel Badea, and Gheorghe Craioveanu were part of this winning team. Coaches Sorin Cârţu and Ștefan Cioacă led them to this success.
Changes and Challenges (1991–2011)
In 1991, Universitatea Craiova won its last national title and Romanian Cup. In the same year, the CS Universitatea Craiova sports club changed its football section. A new club, Fotbal Club Universitatea Craiova, continued its traditions.
After some disappointing results in European competitions, FC Universitatea Craiova won the 1992–93 Cupa României and finished high in the league. They then played in the 1993–94 European Cup Winners' Cup but were eliminated by Paris Saint-Germain.
In the next seasons, Craiova finished second in the league in 1993–94 and 1994–95. They also lost two cup finals in 1994 and 1998. They continued to play in European competitions like the UEFA Cup and Intertoto Cup.
In the 2000s, Universitatea Craiova reached a Cup final in 2000. They also played in the UEFA Cup and Intertoto Cup. For the next five seasons, Craiova finished between 4th and 8th place. However, they were relegated from the top league in 2005.
The team returned to the top league after one season in the second division. For the next three years, Craiova finished between 7th and 9th place. In the 2008–09 season, with coach Nicolò Napoli, Craiova had a good run. They beat rivals like Dinamo and almost qualified for the 2009–10 UEFA Europa League.
In 2010–11, Craiova was relegated again. The club then faced serious problems. In July 2011, the club was temporarily stopped from playing by the Romanian Football Federation. This happened because they didn't follow the rules about solving disputes. In May 2012, this decision was made permanent. All the players became free to join other clubs.
The Club's Rebirth (2013–Present)
FC U Craiova's Journey
In the summer of 2013, two teams, FC Universitatea and CS Universitatea, both joined the second division league. They played against each other twice that year, with both games ending in a 0–0 draw.
CS Universitatea had more stable funding and moved up to the top league that year. FC Universitatea, however, stopped playing in the competition. The company running the team went bankrupt.
In 2017, Adrian Mititelu, who used to own FC Universitatea, started a new company. His team was allowed to play in the top regional league. This team had many young players and some experienced ones who had played for the club before. In 2021, they were promoted to Liga 1 and later won the title in the second division.
CS U Craiova's Return
In the summer of 2013, local officials in Craiova, with support from Pavel Badea, restarted the football section of CS U Craiova. This new CS U team claimed to own all the history and trophies of the original Universitatea. This was confirmed by court decisions in 2016 and by the Romanian Football League in 2017. So, CS Universitatea Craiova is considered the rightful owner of the club's history.
On August 14, 2013, CS Universitatea Craiova was officially allowed to join the Romanian Football Federation. After solving some issues, the club entered the second division. After being promoted, Universitatea finished 5th in the top league in 2014–15.
A 4th place finish in 2016–17 meant the club returned to European competitions. In the third qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League, they played against the famous Italian team A.C. Milan. Craiova lost 0–3 over two games and left the competition. On May 27, 2018, Universitatea won its first trophy since being refounded. They beat a second-division club, Hermannstadt, in the Cupa României final.
