CS Pandurii Târgu Jiu


Clubul Sportiv Pandurii Lignitul Târgu Jiu, commonly known as Pandurii Târgu Jiu, or simply as Pandurii, is a Romanian professional football club based in Târgu Jiu, Gorj County, currently playing in the Liga II.
Founded in 1962, following the merger of Flacăra-Unirea Târgu Jiu and CIL Târgu Jiu, Pandurii is one of the four Romanian clubs that represent the country at the European Club Association. Domestically, Gorjenii have never won any major honour, but finished as runners-up in the league at the end of the 2012–13 season and lost a League Cup final in 2015. They qualified for the first time in a European competition in 2013, playing in the UEFA Europa League and reaching the group stage.
The colors of the team are white and blue.

History

Founding and lower divisions (1962–2005)

Pandurii Târgu Jiu was founded in August 1962, after the merger of the two big rivals from the town, Flacăra-Unirea Târgu Jiu and CIL Târgu-Jiu. The club entered the fourth division of Romanian football, with a strong objective, to promote immediately in the third division. And the target was reached, Pandurii gaining the promotion to Divizia C in June 1963. Their first game in this division was played on 1 September 1963, against Siderurgistul Hunedoara. Pandurii won by a big margin, 6–0, goals scored by Chițu, Nelu Băloi, Melinte and Vasilescu.
In the first years, Pandurii finished constantly in the first half of the standings, so the club decided to attack a promotion to Divizia B. In the 1976–77 season, with a young team and with Titus Ozon as coach, the dream came true. Pandurii dominated the competition, climbed from the first stages on top of the standings and won the promotion to the second division. But this level was a much bigger hat to wear for Pandurii, who relegated the next season back to Divizia C.
The following years, the team changed frequently the division, promoting to Divizia B and relegating after a few years. They played in Divizia B between 1979 and 1983 then between 1986 and 1991. After a decade in Divizia C, in 2000 the team promoted again in the second league, and in 2004 finished second, behind Sportul Studențesc.

Beginning years in the top league (2005–2011)

The performance from the last seasons was an incentive for the management who decided to push for the first presence of Pandurii in Divizia A. With Emil Săndoi as coach, and with a young group of players like Tiberiu Lung and Sorin Vintilescu but also with some experienced players like, Florin Popete, Robert Vancea and Romulus Buia, the team won the promotion.
It was difficult to maintain its position in Divizia A, and Pandurii finished their first season in the 15th place, right below the relegation line. But the Romanian Football Federation decided at the end of the season not to give Sportul Studențesc their licence for the following year, and kept instead the first team under the line, Pandurii. With the bullet dodged, the management decided to enforce the team, so the relegation shouldn't be a problem.
Alexandru Păcurar, Ciprian Vasilache and Liviu Mihai were brought, and the team finished 11th in the 2006–07 season. They kept their position at the middle of the table for the next seasons.
In 2010, they finished below the line but avoided the relegation after the withdrawal of Internațional Curtea de Argeș, team that ended tenth but the owner decided to disband the club. With a lot of players from Internațional Curtea de Argeș like Vlad Chiricheș, Mihai Pintilii, and Dan Nistor, Pandurii were 13th the following season.

Ascent and first European participation (2011–2013)

In the 2011–12 season the team reached the highest place in history, finishing seventh. For a while, they were fifth and the fans hoped for Europa League.
The following season saw Pandurii finishing as Liga I runners-up for the first time ever, qualifying for the 2013–14 UEFA Europa League, the club's first ever European participation. After defeating Levadia Tallinn, Hapoel Tel Aviv and Braga, Pandurii entered the Group stage, being drawn into Group E with F.C. Paços de Ferreira, FC Dnipro and ACF Fiorentina.

Achieving performance (2013–2017)

On 10 March 2015, with Edward Iordănescu as coach Pandurii defeated FC Dinamo București in the semi-finals of the new established competition Cupa Ligii, to qualify for their first ever cup final. On their way to play the final they beat one of the Romanian giants FC Petrolul Ploiești at Ilie Oană Stadium. In the final FC Steaua București beat Pandurii at Arena Națională stadium but with a controversial penalty in the beginning of the match.
In the 2015–16, season of Liga I Pandurii had many achievements along the season with the same coach and players like UEFA Europa League winner Cristian Săpunaru, Dan Nistor, Ioan Hora and Mihai Răduț and Narcis Răducan as president. In April 2015 they became the first team to win a match in Liga I with the new play-off, play-out system. On 6 February 2016, they secured both a place in the competition play-offs and a place in a European competition next year with a victory with ASA 2013 Târgu Mureș. During this season they had the most matches without a defeat, about 10 games. At the end of the season, Pandurii finished on the podium as third-place qualifying for the second time in UEFA Europa League, but this time in the third qualifying round.

Back to the lower leagues (2017–present)

Although the team had a fairly good start for the season 2016–17, with players like Lucian Sânmărtean or George Țucudean coming at the club, and playing in the summer against Maccabi Tel Aviv F.C. in Europa League, problems occurred in the second half of the season. The main sponsor started having problems and for this reason they did not fund the team anymore. Many players have left the team so the young players from the second team where brought to the first team along with other players from elsewhere. Unfortunately after 12 seasons in Liga 1 Pandurii relegated for the first time since the 2005 promotion but fought to avoid it until the last round.
For the 2017–18 Liga II, Pandurii has been prepared with some players promoted from the second team or from the youth teams and moved to Motru until the new stadium was completed.

Ground

The club play its matches at the new Tudor Vladimirescu Stadium, opened in 2019.

Honours

Domestic

Youth

Rankings

This is the UEFA club's coefficient as of 1 November 2018:
Pos.TeamPoints
304 Universitatea Craiova3.190
305 Dinamo București3.190
306 Pandurii Târgu Jiu3.190
307 Politehnica Iași3.190
308 Târgu Mureș3.190

Players

First team squad

Other players under contract

Out on loan

Club officials

Board of directors

RoleName
President Marin Condescu
Special Administrator Marin Golea
Sporting Director Camilian Floroiu
Secretary Mihai Stelescu
Team Manager Adelin Șolea
Youth Center Director Florin Bejinaru
Scouting Director Jean-Willy Ngoma

Current technical staff

RoleName
Manager Călin Cojocaru
Assistant Manager Cristian Popescu
Goalkeeping Coach Eugen Cățelu
Fitness Coach Florin Rasoveanu
Club Doctor Ionuț Pantiș
Masseurs Paul Ungureanu
Storeman Constantin Tudor

Records and statistics

Domestic

SeasonTierDivisionPlaceCupa României
2019–202Liga II19th
2018–192Liga II15th
2017–182Liga II14th
2016–171Liga I13th 'Round of 16
2015–161Liga I3rdRound of 16
2014–151Liga I9thQuarter-finals
2013–141Liga I7thQuarter-finals
2012–131Liga I2ndRound of 16
2011–121Liga I7thQuarter-finals
2010–111Liga I13thRound of 16
2009–101Liga I15thRound of 32
2008–091Liga I11thQuarter-finals
2007–081Liga I12thQuarter-finals

SeasonTierDivisionPlaceCupa României
2006–071Liga I11thSemi-finals
2005–061Divizia A15thRound of 16
2004–052Divizia B 1st 'Round of 32
2003–042Divizia B 2ndRound of 32
2002–032Divizia B 12th
2001–022Divizia B 9th
2000–012Divizia B 6thRound of 32
1999–003Divizia C1st 'Round of 32
1998–993Divizia C5th
1991–923Divizia C11th '
1990–912Divizia B 16th
1989–902Divizia B 14th

European Cups history

SeasonCompetitionRoundOpponentHomeAwayAggregate
2013–14UEFA Europa League2Q Levadia Tallinn4–00–04–0
2013–14UEFA Europa League3Q Hapoel Tel Aviv1–12–13–2
2013–14UEFA Europa LeaguePO Braga0–12–0 2–1
2013–14UEFA Europa LeagueGroup E Fiorentina1–20–34th
2013–14UEFA Europa LeagueGroup E Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk0–11–44th
2013–14UEFA Europa LeagueGroup E Paços de Ferreira0–01–14th
2016–17UEFA Europa League3Q Maccabi Tel Aviv1–31–22–5

;Notes
Competition
UEFA Europa League2143471419−5
Total2143381419−5

Notable former players

The footballers enlisted below have had international cap for their respective countries at junior and/or senior level and/or more than 100 caps for CS Pandurii Târgu Jiu.
;Romania
;Romania
;Bosnia and Herzegovina
;Brazil
;Congo
;Cyprus
;Czech Republic
;Ivory Coast
;Lithuania
;Nigeria
;Portugal
;Slovenia