RC_Despre+Steaua

=FC Steaua Bucureşti=

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(Redirected from [|Steaua Bucuresti]) • //Have questions? [|Find out how to ask questions and get answers.]// •Jump to: [|navigation], [|search] //Militarii// (The Army Men) //Magica Steaua// (Magic Steaua) //Viteziştii// (The Speedsters) || [|Bucharest], [|Romania] ([|Capacity] 28,000) || This article is about the football club. For the sports club, see [|CSA Steaua Bucureşti] The club is historically known as the [|Romanian Army] sports club. The football department separated, however, in 1998. At the moment, its only direct link to the Army is their home ground, [|Stadionul Ghencea], property of the [|Ministry of National Defence]. hide] * [|1] [|History] 
 * = Steaua ||
 * =  ||
 * ~ [|Full name] || Fotbal Club Steaua Bucureşti ||
 * ~ [|Nickname(s)] || //Roş-Albaştrii// (The Red and Blues)
 * ~ Founded || [|7 June] [|1947] ||
 * ~ Ground || [|Stadionul Ghencea],
 * ~ Chairman ||  [|George Becali] ||
 * ~ Head Coach ||  [|Marius Lăcătuş] ||
 * ~ League || [|Liga I] ||
 * ~ [|2007–08] || Liga I, 2nd ||
 * = || ||  ||  ||  ||
 *  ||
 *  ||
 * **Home colours** || || ||  ||  ||  ||
 *  ||
 *  ||
 * **Away colours** || || ||
 * =  //[|Current season]// ||
 * **Away colours** || || ||
 * =  //[|Current season]// ||
 * FC Steaua Bucureşti** is a [|Romanian] professional [|football] [|club] from Ghencea, south-west [|Bucharest]. They are the most successful Romanian football team ever in European competitions as well in the [|Romanian Liga I] (23 championship wins).They became the first [|east European] team to win the [|European Cup] being victorious in [|1986 European Cup final].
 * ==Contents==
 * [|2] [|Crest and colours]
 * [|3] [|Stadium]
 * [|4] [|Support]
 * [|5] [|Current squad]
 * [|5.1] [|Reserves team]
 * [|5.2] [|Out on loan]
 * [|5.3] [|Notable players throughout history]
 * [|6] [|Manager history]
 * [|7] [|Honours]
 * [|7.1] [|Domestic]
 * [|7.2] [|International]
 * [|8] [|External links] ||

[[|edit]] History
//Main article: [|History of FC Steaua]// //Steaua// was founded on [|7 June] [|1947], at the initiative of several officers of the Romanian Royal House. The establishment took place following a decree signed by General [|Mihail Lascăr], High Commander of the [|Romanian Royal Army]. The club's first name was **ASA Bucureşti** (//Asociaţia Sportivă a Armatei Bucureşti// – //Army Sports Association//). It was formed as a [|sports society] with seven initial sections, including football, coached by [|Coloman Braun-Bogdan].[|[1]] **ASA** was renamed **CSCA** (//Clubul Sportiv Central al Armatei// – //Central Sports Club of the Army//) in 1948 and **CCA** (//Casa Centrală a Armatei// – //Central House of the Army//) in 1950.[|[2]] In 1949, CSCA won its first trophy, the [|Romanian Cup], defeating [|CSU Cluj] 2–1 in the final. Under the name of **CCA**, the club managed to win three [|Championship] titles in a row in [|1951], [|1952] and [|1953], along with their first Championship-Cup Double in 1951. During the 1950s, the so-called //CCA Golden Team// became nationally famous.[|[3]] In 1956, the [|national team of Romania], comprised exclusively of CCA players, took on Yugoslavia in Belgrade and won 1–0.[|[4]] [//[|dead link]//] During the same year, CCA, coached by [|Ilie Savu], was the first Romanian team to enterprise a tournament in [|England] where they achieved noteworthy results against the likes of [|Luton Town FC], [|Arsenal FC], [|Sheffield Wednesday FC] and [|Wolverhampton Wanderers FC].[|[5]]  The official entrance to Steaua's Stadionul Ghencea At the end of 1961 **CCA** changed its name once again to **[|CSA Steaua Bucureşti]** (//Clubul Sportiv al Armatei Steaua// – //Army Sports Club Steaua//).[|[6]] [//[|dead link] – [|history]//] The club's new name translates //The Star// and was adopted because of the presence of a [|red star], symbol of most East-European Army clubs, on their crest. A poor period of almost two decades followed in which the club claimed only three championships ([|1967–68], [|1975–76], [|1977–78]). Instead, the team won nine national cup trophies, for which matter they gained the nickname of //cup specialists//.[|[7]] Also during this period, on [|9 April] [|1974], Steaua's current ground, [|Stadionul Ghencea], was inaugurated with a friendly match opposing [|OFK Beograd].[|[8]] Up to that date, Steaua had played its home matches on either two of Bucharest's largest multi-use stadia, //Republicii//[|[9]] [//[|dead link]//] and //[|23 August]//.[|[10]] Under the leadership of coaches [|Emerich Jenei] and [|Anghel Iordănescu], Steaua had an impressive Championship run in the [|1984–85] season, which they won after a six-year break. Subsequently, they were the first Romanian team to make it to a European Cup final, which they won in front of [|FC Barcelona] on [|penalties] (2–0 thanks to goalkeeper [|Helmuth Duckadam] succeeding to save all four penalties taken by the Spaniards), after a goalless draw. Steaua therefore became the first Eastern-European team to claim the title of European champions. An additional [|European Super Cup] was won in 1987 in front of [|SK Dinamo Kiev]. Steaua remained at the top of European football for the rest of the decade, managing one more European Cup semifinal in [|1987–88] and one more European Cup final in [|1989] (lost 4–0 to [|AC Milan]). This happened next to their four additional national titles (1985–86, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1988–89) and four national cups ([|1984–85], [|1986–87], [|1987–88], [|1988–89]). Furthermore, from June 1986 to September 1989, Steaua ran a record 104-match undefeated streak in the championship, setting a world record for that time and a European one still standing.[|[11]] The [|1989 Romanian Revolution] led the country towards a free open market and, subsequently, several players of the 1980s team left for other clubs in the West. After a short pull-back, a quick recovery followed and Steaua managed a six consecutive championship streak between [|1992–93] and [|1997–98] to equalise the 1920s performance of [|Chinezul Timişoara][|[12]] and also three more cups in 1995–96, 1996–97 and 1998–99. At international level, they also managed to make it to the [|UEFA Champions League] group stage three years in a row between [|1994–95] and [|1996–97], remaining, at the moment, the only team in Romania to have participated in this competition. <span style="BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 2px; DISPLAY: inline-block; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 2px; FONT-SIZE: 0px; BORDER-LEFT-COLOR: #0000ff; BACKGROUND-IMAGE: none; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 2px; BORDER-BOTTOM-COLOR: #0000ff; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; CURSOR: hand; BORDER-TOP-COLOR: #0000ff; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 2px; BORDER-RIGHT-COLOR: #0000ff"> Steaua celebrating a goal as seen from Peluza Nord In 1998, the football club separated from **CSA Steaua** and changed their name for the final time to **FC Steaua Bucureşti** (//Fotbal Club Steaua// – //Football Club Steaua//),[|[13]] being led by Romanian businessman Viorel Păunescu. Păunescu performed poorly as a president and soon the club was plunged into debt.[|[14]] [|George Becali], another businessman, was offered the position of vice-president, in hope that he would invest money in the club. Becali eventually purchased the majority share in 2002 and turned the governing company public in January 2003.[|[15]] Because of his controversial character, he has been contested by the majority of Steaua fans.[|[16]] The team qualified for the [|UEFA Cup] group stage in the [|2004–05] season and further on became the first Romanian team to make it to the European football spring since [|1993] (also Steaua's performance). The next season, they reached the UEFA Cup semi-finals in [|2005–06], where they were eliminated by [|Middlesbrough FC] thanks to a last minute goal and thereafter qualified for the following [|UEFA Champions League] seasons after a ten year break. In the 2007–08 season Steaua have qualified again in the group stage of [|UEFA Champions League]. Nationally, they gained two titles in [|2004–05] and [|2005–06] and the [|Romanian Super Cup] in 2006, the latter being the club's 50th trophy in its 59 year history.[|[17]] 

[[|edit]] Crest and colours
<span style="BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 2px; DISPLAY: inline-block; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 2px; FONT-SIZE: 0px; BORDER-LEFT-COLOR: #0000ff; BACKGROUND-IMAGE: none; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 2px; BORDER-BOTTOM-COLOR: #0000ff; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; CURSOR: hand; BORDER-TOP-COLOR: #0000ff; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 2px; BORDER-RIGHT-COLOR: #0000ff"> Crests of Steaua throughout its history ASA Bucureşti was founded by the Royal Army on [|7 June] [|1947],[|[18]] at which date the club had no official crest. As communists assumed total control of the country on [|30 December] [|1947],[|[19]] the Royal Army was transformed into the People's Army and ASA automatically with it. Being inspired by the [|Red Army], the new Ministry of Defence decided to create a crest for the club, along with the change of name to CSCA, consisting in an A-labeled [|red star] (symbol of the Red Army) on a blue disc.[|[20]] [//[|dead link]//] Two years later, the change of name to CCA brought with it a new crest comprised of the same red star labeled CCA surrounded by a crown of laurel.[|[21]] [//[|dead link]//] The all-present star motif on the crest finally had its saying over the new name of //Steaua// as up 1961.[|[22]] [//[|dead link]//] It was opted for a badge which, redesigned, remains up to this day the club's symbol: the red and blue striped background with a golden star in the middle, to symbolize to Romanian tricolour flag.[|[23]] [//[|dead link]//] The shape for the emblem was redesigned in 1974, once the team moved to [|Stadionul Ghencea].[|[24]] [//[|dead link]//] Following the [|1989 Romanian Revolution], the Army decided to break all links to the defunct communist regime, so, in 1991, [|CSA Steaua] had a last change of crest with an eagle also present on the [|Ministry of Defence] coat of arms and also on Romania's. As FC Steaua appeared in 1998, the club added two yellow stars on top of the CSA Steaua badge signifying its 20 titles of champions won, along with the //Fotbal Club// specification. 2003 was the year of the last change of crest, decided by the new Board of Administration run by [|George Becali], which was a return to the old emblem of 1974–1991, redesigned with the two yellow stars on top. During their first season, 1947–48, Steaua wore yellow and red striped shirts with blue shorts, to symbolize Romania's tricolour flag.[|[25]] Starting with the following season and with the Army's change of identity from the Royal Army to the People's Army, the yellow was gradually given up, so that the official colours remained, up to this day, the red and the blue. Steaua has never had a standard playing kit. However, the most widely used throughout time was the combination of red shirts, blue shorts and red socks. Other variants have been all-red, all-blue and also shirts in vertical red and blue stripes during the 1960s and 1970s.[|[26]] [//[|dead link]//] Other kit colours have very rarely been used. Exceptions were the [|1986 European Cup Final] in which Steaua wore, for the only time in their history, an all-white kit, the 1999–00 away kit (yellow and red) and the 2005–06 third kit (yellow and black). The 2007–08 home kit, the same as in the previous season, consists in vertical-striped red and blue shirts with red shorts and socks, while the away strip is all-blue. Various combinations of these kits also occur. Steaua's kit is currently manufactured by [|Nike], which was contracted in 2002, after a long partnership with [|Adidas].[|[27]] In 1988, Steaua was the first football team from Romania to display the name of a Western company, [|Ford].[|[28]] Several other sponsors succeeded thereafter: [|Castrol], [|Philips], [|CBS], Bancorex (initially BRCE), Dialog (currently [|Orange]), [|BCR] and RAFO. As of September 2007, the club's new shirt sponsor is [|CitiFinancial], with a one-year contract valuing EUR 1.3 million.[|[29]] 

[[|edit]] Stadium
//Main article: [|Stadionul Ghencea]//<span style="BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 2px; DISPLAY: inline-block; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 2px; FONT-SIZE: 0px; BORDER-LEFT-COLOR: #0000ff; BACKGROUND-IMAGE: none; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 2px; BORDER-BOTTOM-COLOR: #0000ff; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; CURSOR: hand; BORDER-TOP-COLOR: #0000ff; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 2px; BORDER-RIGHT-COLOR: #0000ff"> Stadionul Ghencea Steaua played its three first matches in history at the defunct //Venus// stadium.[|[30]] [//[|dead link]//] Opened in 1931, the venue had previously been in the property of [|ASC Venus Bucureşti], a club disbanded in 1949.[|[31]] After the ground's demolition through order of the Communist regime, Steaua had played its home matches on either two of Bucharest's largest multi-use stadia, //Republicii// (built in 1926 and put down in 1984 to make room for the erection of the [|Casa Poporului])[|[32]] [//[|dead link]//] and //[|23 August]// (built in 1953). Of these two, 23 August (current //Lia Manoliu//) was mostly used when two matches between Bucharest clubs were scheduled in the same matchday or for important European matches, while Republicii for regular matches inside the championship.[|[33]] [//[|dead link]//] Steaua currently plays its home matches at the **Stadionul Ghencea**, a [|football] [|stadium] situated in South-Western Bucharest. Part of //Complexul Sportiv Steaua//, it was inaugurated on [|9 April] [|1974] when Steaua played a friendly match against [|OFK Beograd],[|[34]] at which time it was the first football-only stadium ever built in Communist Romania, with no track and field facilities.[|[35]] [//[|dead link]//] The original capacity was 30,000 on benches. A general renovation occurred in 1991. This included installing seats, which dropped the capacity to 28,139,[|[36]] inaugurating a floodlighting system[|[37]] [//[|dead link] – [|history]//] and erecting a VIP personal box section. After a second renovation, in 2006, which included refurbishing the turf, Ghencea is one of the two stadia in Romania (along with [|Stadionul Dr. Constantin Rădulescu][|[38]]) qualified to host [|UEFA Champions League] events, being a third category arena according to the [|UEFA classification system].[|[39]] Lately, there have been talks for increasing the capacity to either 45,000 or 60,000.[|[40]] [|Romania] is also a tenant. The first game played by the national team at Ghencea was in March 1977 against [|Turkey]. 59 other games have been played ever since, the last one occurring in October 2006 against [|Belarus].[|[41]] Also, several matches from the [|1998 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship], including the final, have been hosted by the arena. The stadium, built through order of the [|Ministry of National Defence] inside a former military base and was long used by [|CSA Steaua].[|[42]] [//[|dead link] – [|history]//] Currently, FC Steaua are the only tenants. Despite lobbying from the current FC Steaua Board of Administration, the venue is still under [|Romanian Army] ownership, but has been leased on a 49 year-long period to the football club as of 2006.[|[43]] 

[[|edit]] Support
See also [|Steaua Fans]<span style="BORDER-TOP-WIDTH: 2px; DISPLAY: inline-block; BORDER-LEFT-WIDTH: 2px; FONT-SIZE: 0px; BORDER-LEFT-COLOR: #0000ff; BACKGROUND-IMAGE: none; BORDER-BOTTOM-WIDTH: 2px; BORDER-BOTTOM-COLOR: #0000ff; VERTICAL-ALIGN: middle; CURSOR: hand; BORDER-TOP-COLOR: #0000ff; BORDER-RIGHT-WIDTH: 2px; BORDER-RIGHT-COLOR: #0000ff"> Peluza Nord in 2005 As Steaua is, judging by performances, the most successful Romanian football team, they enjoy the biggest support among Romanian football fans. A survey conducted in June 2007 suggested that the Ghencea-based team accounts for approximately 42% of all Romanian football lovers, as opposed to the following two ranked teams, [|Dinamo], with 12%, and [|Rapid], with 9%.[|[44]] The largest concentration of fans are in [|Bucharest], notably in areas adjacent to the arena, covering the whole southern half of Bucharest, a city geographically divided by the [|Dâmboviţa River].[|[45]] Also, the club has an important fan base inside the country, where several towns are renowned for counting vast majorities of Steaua supporters, and outside the borders, among Romanian emigrants. The Steaua [|Ultras] movement began in 1995, when the bases of **Armata Ultra** (AU), the first Ultras group from Bucharest (and second in Romania after [|FC Politehnica 1921 Ştiinţa Timişoara]'s //Commando Viola Ultra Curva Sud//),[|[46]] were set. The group quickly reached an impressive number of members, but, in 2001, they dissolved due to internal problems. Currently Steaua's supporters are comprised of several groups, most of them located at the //Peluza Nord// (North End) (Sharks Ferentari, Tineretului Korps, Titan Boys, Nucleo, Gruppo Tei, Skins Berceni, Insurgenţii, Armata 47, Ultras Colentina, Gruppo Est Voluntari, Triada, Roosters,etc.), with some other ones taking their place at the //Peluza Sud// (South End) (Ultras, Stil Ostil, Glas, Vacarm, Banda Ultra, etc). More recently, as of 2006, the supporters have formed their own official association, called **AISS** (//Asociaţia Independentă a Suporterilor Stelişti// – //Steaua Supporters' Independent Association//). AISS was formed as a legal entity with its stated goals of //protecting the interests and image of Steaua supporters//, as well as //identifying and promoting the club's perennial values//.[|[47]] A heavy debated topic about the fans is the one related to [|racism]. Stemmed from their rivalry with [|FC Rapid Bucureşti], whose fans are often envisioned as [|Roma] ethnics,[|[48]] the issue degenerated on certain situations in several incidents between factions of supporters of Steaua and Rapid.[|[49]] Also, the [|UEFA Champions League 2005–06] qualifying match against [|Shelbourne FC], resulted in a one-matchday pitch suspension for Steaua during the same European season, after racial chants were heard from the crowd.[|[50]] Lately, crowd turbulence has been one of the club's main problems. During the last three seasons, 11 [|Liga I] matchday suspensions and one in the [|UEFA Cup] have been dictated against the Ghencea-based club out of reasons such as crowd trouble, racial chants or torch lighting. Steaua's most important rivalry is the one against [|FC Dinamo 1948 Bucureşti]. **Marele Derby** (//The Great Derby//) has been the leading Romanian football encounter in the last 60 years, as Steaua and Dinamo are the two most successful football teams in the country.[|[51]] With 41 titles won altogether (Steaua–23; Dinamo–18), the two clubs have won 23 of the last 26 seasons.[|[52]] It is also a match between the former clubs of the [|Romanian Army] (Steaua) and the [|Ministry of Internal Affairs] (Dinamo). Several clashes between different factions of supporters have often occurred and still occur inside and outside the stadium. The heyday was reached before a match kick-off in 1997, when Dinamo's fans set a sector of [|Stadionul Ghencea]'s //Peluza Sud//, where they were assigned, on fire.[|[53]] Between October 1991 and April 2000, Steaua counted 19 undefeated official matches in front of their rivals, both in the championship and the cup. Just as well, a period of 17 years and 7 months has been recorded in which Dinamo did not manage to win away against Steaua in the domestic league.[|[54]] The second most important rivalry is the one with [|FC Rapid Bucureşti]. Several matches in the last years between Steaua and Rapid have also ended in serious clashes between fans.[|[55]] Rivalry has become even fiercer since Steaua outpassed Rapid in an all-Romanian quarter final of the [|UEFA Cup 2005–06] season. The local sports newspapers said that the 2 teams were liked up in this quarter final by the line of the number 41 tram which links the Ghencea Stadium to the Valentin Stanescu Stadium. Milder and historical rivalries are also with non-Bucharest teams such as [|FC Universitatea Craiova], [|FC Politehnica 1921 Ştiinţa Timişoara], [|FC Petrolul Ploieşti] and [|CFM Universitatea Cluj].[|[56]] Between 1993 and 1998, their run of six consecutive national titles won equaled the one of [|Chinezul Timişoara] from the 1920s. Internationally, they are the only domestic club to have won a European Cup ([|European Champions Cup] in 1986 and the [|European Super Cup] in 1987) and to have qualified inside a UEFA final (European Champions Cup in [|1986] and [|1989]). For three years and three months (June 1986 – September 1989), Steaua counted a number of 104 unbeaten matches in the league, establishing, at that moment, a former world record and a European one still standing. Also inside the national league, they counted 112 matches between November 1989 and August 1996 of unbeatability at [|Stadionul Ghencea] in Liga I. Their run of 17 straight wins in 1988 is another record, equal to the one held by Dinamo as of one year later.[|[57]] [|Tudorel Stoica] is the player with the most appearances for Steaua in Liga I, a record unlikely to be broken in the nearby future, as none of the current players have entered the top 10 so far.[|[58]] [//[|dead link]//] The club's all-time top scorer in the league is [|Anghel Iordănescu] with 146 goals, a record that also looks solid, out of the same reason as above-mentioned.[|[59]] [//[|dead link]//] Other records are currently owned by former players such as [|Dorinel Munteanu] (most national [|caps] – 131) or [|Gheorghe Hagi] (most goals scored for [|Romania] – 35; most appearances of a Romanian player in the European cups – 93).[|[60]] Gheorghe Hagi also holds a record for the most expensive transfer abroad from the national league, with USD 4,300,000 paid by [|Real Madrid CF] to Steaua in 1990.[|[61]]