FC U Craiova 1948


FC U Craiova 1948 is a Romanian football club based in Craiova, Dolj County, and currently a member of the Liga II
In 1991, promptly after the CS Universitatea Craiova sports club dissolved its football department, Fotbal Club Universitatea Craiova took its place in the first division. It was generally considered the same entity with the old club, and continued its tradition for the next two decades, but was reorganised multiple times and retroactively deemed an unofficial successor. FC U's only major honour would be the 1992–93 Cupa României, although it also claims the four national titles and five national cups won between 1948 and 1991.
FC U Craiova was disaffiliated by the Romanian Football Federation in May 2012, following their temporary banishment since July 2011, and consequently retired from every competition. The Romanian Court confirmed that the 2012 disaffiliation was legal and in September 2014 the team was officially declared bankrupt. The club was reestablished in 2017 and commenced play in the fourth league, and is currently one of the two entities asserting the history of the original club, along with first division side CS Universitatea Craiova.

History

In 1991, Universitatea Craiova won for the last time the Championship and the Romanian Cup, under Sorin Cârţu as coach. In the same year, the sports club CS Universitatea Craiova dissolved its football section and Fotbal Club Universitatea Craiova informally continued their tradition. Until 1994, the club was still controlled by the Ministry of National Education.
In the following years, Craiova became a middle-table team, with rather poor performances.
At the end of the 2004–05 season they were relegated to the second football division for the first time in the club's history, returning to the first league after the following season.

Exclusion from FRF

On 20 July 2011, the club was temporarily excluded by the Romanian Football Federation for failing to withdraw their dispute with former coach Victor Piţurcă from a civil court, as per article 57 of the FRF statute which states that the Football Federation solves all the sports lawsuits. However, the article allows disputes regarding employment contracts to be adjudicated in civil court. The exclusion decision was approved by the FRF General Assembly on 14 May 2012. All of the squad players were declared free agents and signed with other clubs.
A criminal investigation was started by the National Anticorruption Directorate on 22 October 2011, against the heads of the Romanian Professional Football League and of the Football Federation, as well as against the Executive Committee members of the FRF, on charges of official misconduct in the case of the exclusion. On 14 May 2012, the Executive Committee validated the temporary exclusion decision taken on 20 July 2011.
In April 2014 the High Court of Cassation and Justice confirmed that the Romanian Football Federation "acted in accordance with regulations and statutes in force when members voted to exclude the club". The criminal case against the president of the FRF was also dismissed in 2017.

Reaffiliation and subsequent bankruptcy

On 22 June 2012, the Bucharest Court of Appeal ruled that the exclusion of FC U Craiova from FRF was illegal. On 15 November 2012, the Court ruled that the validation decision was also illegal. Although the club was invited to sign up in the Liga II for the 2012–13 season, the owner of the club refused this invitation.
On 2 March 2013, the club announced that it filed a request to rejoin the competitions, starting from the 2013–14 season, in Liga II. However, at the same time, the local authorities from the city of Craiova created another football team, called CS Universitatea Craiova, claiming the right to continue the team that was removed from Liga I in 2011. A new legal battle soon started between the two. Eventually CS Universitatea was acknowledged as owner of the "Universitatea Craiova" brand and was allowed to list the record of Universitatea Craiova between 1948 and 1991, but not with the record for the next 20 years, that FC Universitatea is now allowed to claim.
In the meantime, in the summer of 2013, both FC Universitatea and CS Universitatea officially rejoined the Liga II competition, Series II. The first match of this team was the victory against SCM Argeşul Piteşti in the fourth round of the Romanian Cup, qualifying to the fifth round of the competition. FC Universitatea and CS Universitatea competed in the same league and met in two games that year, both ended 0–0. With a more stable and sustainable financing, CS Universitatea promoted to Liga I that year, while FC Universitatea withdrew from the competition. The company operating the team went bankrupt, so FC Universitatea no longer appeared in any competition.

Rebirth

In 2017, Adrian Mititelu created a new company and his team was allowed to participate in the top regional tier of Dolj County, which it won in the first year and was promoted to Liga III.

Support

FC U Craiova is supported by the Peluza Sud 97 ultras. Due to the strong division among the Universitatea fans in the city, the other ultras groups either support CS Universitatea Craiova or remain neutral.
In March 2018, FC U Craiova supporters attending a friendly game between Romania and Sweden at the Stadionul Ion Oblemenco booed Universitatea Craiova player Alexandru Mitriță upon being substituted out. As a response CS Universitatea Craiova fans symbolically used insecticide to "get rid of the stench" left over by Peluza Sud 97 ultras.
FC U's main rival is FC Dinamo București. The rivalry was amplified in 2002 and 2005 when Dinamo transferred an important group of players from Craiova. Other rivalries of FC U are with Steaua București and CS Universitatea Craiova, the latter rivalry because FC U claims the history of Universitatea.

Honours

Note: As of November 2017, LPF attributes all Universitatea Craiova trophies won between 1948 and 1991 to the CS Universitatea Craiova entity. FC U's only major trophy would be the 1992–93 Cupa României, although it is also claimed by CS U Craiova. Another court order from 2018 suggested that neither of the current clubs actually hold the original honours.

Domestic

Leagues

Norcia Winter Cup Italy
Competition
UEFA Champions League / European Cup1210123−1
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup / European Cup Winners' Cup 1420276+1
UEFA Europa League / UEFA Cup4803539−6
UEFA Intertoto Cup284221511+4
Total82275102729– 2

Players

First team squad

Out on loan

Club officials

Board of directors

RoleName
Owner Adrian Mititelu
President Marcel Pușcaș
Sporting Director Robert Săceanu

Current technical staff

RoleName
Manager Eugen Trică
Assistant Managers Adrian Filip
Ovidiu Dănănae
Goalkeeping Coach Valentin David
Fitness Coach Dan Vasilică
Club Doctor Genel Cernitu
Masseur Mihai Ciobanu
Storeman Constantin Băzăvan

League history

SeasonTierDivisionPlaceCupa României
2019–203Liga III 1st 'Round of 32
2018–193Liga III 2nd
2017–184Liga IV 1st '
2013–142Liga II12th 'Round of 32
2010–111Liga I15th 'Quarter-finals
2009–101Liga I13thQuarter-finals
2008–091Liga I7thRound of 16
2007–081Liga I9thRound of 32
2006–071Liga I9thRound of 16
2005–062Divizia B 1st 'Round of 16
2004–051Divizia A16th 'Semi-finals
2003–041Divizia A4thRound of 32

SeasonTierDivisionPlaceCupa României
2002–031Divizia A7thRound of 32
2001–021Divizia A7thRound of 32
2000–011Divizia A8thRound of 16
1999–001Divizia A13thFinal
1998–991Divizia A13thRound of 16
1997–981Divizia A8thFinal
1996–971Divizia A11thSemi-finals
1995–961Divizia A4thRound of 32
1994–951Divizia A2ndSemi-finals
1993–941Divizia A2ndFinal
1992–931Divizia A3rdWinners
1991–921Divizia A4thSemi-finals

Notable former coaches