FC Steaua Bucureşti
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Fotbal Club FCSB (), commonly known as FCSB, is a Romanian professional
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
club based in
Bucharest Bucharest ( , ; ro, București ) is the capital and largest city of Romania, as well as its cultural, industrial, and financial centre. It is located in the southeast of the country, on the banks of the Dâmbovița River, less than north of ...
. It has spent its entire history in the top flight of the Romanian league system, the
Liga I The Liga I (; ''First League''), also spelled as Liga 1, is a Romanian professional league for men's association football clubs. Currently sponsored by betting company Superbet, it is officially known as the SuperLiga. It is the country's top ...
. The original ''Steaua București'' football team was founded in 1947 and belonged to the
Ministry of National Defence {{unsourced, date=February 2021 A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...
, through the namesake
CSA Steaua București Clubul Sportiv al Armatei Steaua București, commonly known as CSA Steaua București () or simply Steaua, is a major multi-sports club based in Bucharest and run by the Ministry of National Defence. It is one of the most successful clubs in Roma ...
sports club. In 1998, the football department and its facilities were separated from the latter and taken over by a group of shareholders in a post-Ceaușescu privatisation scheme, allegedly leading to one of the shareholders acquiring full ownership five years later. However, CSA Steaua București has been in conflict with the football club since 2011, claiming that it was a new and separate entity; this resulted in multiple court cases and the forced change of the name from ''FC Steaua București'' to ''FC FCSB'' in early 2017. Domestically, when taken together with the disputed pre-2003 honours, the club has won the Liga I 26 times,
Cupa României The Cupa României ( en, Romanian Cup) is a Association football, football cup competition for List of football clubs in Romania, Romanian teams which has been held annually since 1933–34 Cupa României, 1933–34, except during World War II. I ...
24 times,
Cupa Ligii The Cupa Ligii ( en, League Cup) was Romania's secondary club football tournament. Like the Cupa României, it was played on a knockout (single elimination) basis. History It is unclear when the competition was first created, as there are no ...
two times, and
Supercupa României The Supercupa României ( en, Romanian Supercup) is a Romanian football championship contested by the winners of the Liga I and the Cupa României. It is usually played at the Arena Națională in Bucharest. The competition started off in 1994, ...
six times—all competition records. Internationally, they have won the
European Cup The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competit ...
and
European Super Cup The UEFA Super Cup is an annual super cup football match organised by UEFA and contested by the winners of the two main European club competitions; the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League. The competition's official name was originall ...
, both in 1986. They reached the European Cup final once again in 1989, when they were defeated by
AC Milan Associazione Calcio Milan (), commonly referred to as AC Milan or simply Milan, is a professional football club in Milan, Italy, founded in 1899. The club has spent its entire history, with the exception of the 1980–81 and 1982–83 seasons ...
. Throughout their history, the ''Roș-albaștrii'' also played the final of the Intercontinental Cup, the quarter-finals of the
European Cup Winners' Cup The UEFA Cup Winners' Cup was a European football club competition contested annually by the winners of domestic cup competitions. The cup was, chronologically, the second seasonal inter-European club competition organised by UEFA. The tournam ...
and the semi-finals of the
UEFA Cup A cup is an open-top used to hold hot or cold liquids for pouring or drinking; while mainly used for drinking, it also can be used to store Solid, solids for pouring (e.g., sugar, flour, grains, salt). Cups may be made of glass, metal, porcela ...
. FCSB's home ground is
Arena Națională Arena Națională () is a retractable roof football stadium in Bucharest, Romania. It opened in 2011 on the site of the Stadionul Național (1953), original National Stadium, which was demolished between 2007 and 2008. The stadium hosts major fo ...
, having moved here from the Ministry of National Defence-owned Stadionul Ghencea. Initially, the club played in the colours of the Romanian tricolour, but the team became associated with the red and blue scheme after yellow soon lost its importance. Recently, some kits have begun reintegrating the latter colour. The club has a long-standing rivalry with neighbouring
Dinamo București A dynamo is a magnetic device originally used as an electric generator. Dynamo or Dinamo may also refer to: Places * Dinamo (Moscow Metro), a station of the Moscow Metro, Moscow, Russia * Dinamo (Yekaterinburg Metro), a station of the Yekaterin ...
, with matches between the two being commonly referred to as the " Eternal Derby" or the "Romanian Derby".


History

''ASA București'' (''Asociația Sportivă a Armatei București'' – "Army Sports Association") 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 Mihail Lascăr (; November 8, 1889 – July 24, 1959) was a Romanian general during World War II and Romania's Minister of Defense from 1946 to 1947. He was born in Târgu Jiu, Gorj County, Kingdom of Romania, and graduated from the Infantry O ...
, High Commander of the
Romanian Royal Army The Romanian Land Forces ( ro, Forțele Terestre Române) is the army of Romania, and the main component of the Romanian Armed Forces. In recent years, full professionalisation and a major equipment overhaul have transformed the nature of the Lan ...
. It was formed as a
sports society A sports club or sporting club, sometimes an athletics club or sports society or sports association, is a group of people formed for the purpose of playing sports. Sports clubs range from organisations whose members play together, unpaid, and ...
with seven initial sections, including football, coached by
Coloman Braun-Bogdan Coloman Braun-Bogdan (13 October 1905 – 15 March 1983) was a Romanian football midfielder and football manager. Born in Arad, Arad County, which was at the time part of Austria-Hungary, he made a name for himself as one of the best Roman ...
.Dida, Alexandru (21–12–2001), ''Steaua fotbalului românesc'', Pro TV Magazin, nr.51/IV, pp.62–63 ''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. In 1949, ''CSCA'' won its first trophy, the
Cupa României The Cupa României ( en, Romanian Cup) is a Association football, football cup competition for List of football clubs in Romania, Romanian teams which has been held annually since 1933–34 Cupa României, 1933–34, except during World War II. I ...
, defeating CSU Cluj 2–1 in the final. Under the name of ''CCA'', the club managed to win three
Championship In sport, a championship is a competition in which the aim is to decide which individual or team is the champion. Championship systems Various forms of competition can be referred to by the term championship. Title match system In this system ...
titles in a row in
1951 Events January * January 4 – Korean War: Third Battle of Seoul – Chinese and North Korean forces capture Seoul for the second time (having lost the Second Battle of Seoul in September 1950). * January 9 – The Government of the United ...
,
1952 Events January–February * January 26 – Black Saturday in Egypt: Rioters burn Cairo's central business district, targeting British and upper-class Egyptian businesses. * February 6 ** Princess Elizabeth, Duchess of Edinburgh, becomes m ...
and
1953 Events January * January 6 – The Asian Socialist Conference opens in Rangoon, Burma. * January 12 – Estonian émigrés found a Estonian government-in-exile, government-in-exile in Oslo. * January 14 ** Marshal Josip Broz Tito i ...
, along with its first Championship–Cup
double A double is a look-alike or doppelgänger; one person or being that resembles another. Double, The Double or Dubble may also refer to: Film and television * Double (filmmaking), someone who substitutes for the credited actor of a character * Th ...
in 1951. During the 1950s, the so-called "CCA Golden Team" became nationally famous. In 1956, the
Romania national team Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and ...
(composed exclusively of CCA players) played
Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...
in
Belgrade Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...
and won 1–0. In the same year, CCA, coached by
Ilie Savu Ilie Savu (9 January 1920 – 16 November 2010) was a Romanian footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He was Steaua București's first goalkeeper. Playing career Born in Cornățelu, Dâmbovița County, Romania, Savu began his career at 1 ...
, became the first Romanian team to participate in a tournament in England, where it achieved noteworthy results against the likes of
Luton Town Luton Town Football Club () is a professional association football club based in the town of Luton, Bedfordshire, England, that competes in the Championship, the second tier of the English football league system. Founded in 1885, it is nicknam ...
,
Arsenal An arsenal is a place where arms and ammunition are made, maintained and repaired, stored, or issued, in any combination, whether privately or publicly owned. Arsenal and armoury (British English) or armory (American English) are mostly ...
,
Sheffield Wednesday Sheffield Wednesday Football Club is a professional association football club based in Sheffield, South Yorkshire, England. The team competes in League One, the third tier of the English football league system. Formed in 1867 as an offshoot of ...
and
Wolverhampton Wanderers Wolverhampton Wanderers Football Club (), commonly known as Wolves, is a professional football club based in Wolverhampton, England, which compete in the . The club has played at Molineux Stadium since moving from Dudley Road in 1889. The club's ...
. At the end of 1961, ''CCA'' changed its name once again to ''
CSA Steaua București Clubul Sportiv al Armatei Steaua București, commonly known as CSA Steaua București () or simply Steaua, is a major multi-sports club based in Bucharest and run by the Ministry of National Defence. It is one of the most successful clubs in Roma ...
'' (''Clubul Sportiv al Armatei Steaua'' – "Army Sports Club Steaua"). The club's new name translated to ''The Star'' and was adopted because of the presence of a
red star A red star, five-pointed and filled, is a symbol that has often historically been associated with communist ideology, particularly in combination with the hammer and sickle, but is also used as a purely socialist symbol in the 21st century. I ...
, a symbol of most East European Army clubs, on its 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 it gained the nickname of "cup specialists". Also during this period, on 9 April 1974 Steaua's ground, Stadionul Ghencea, was inaugurated with a friendly match against
OFK Belgrade OFK Beograd ( sr-Cyrl, ОФК Београд – Омладински фудбалски клуб Београд, English: ''Belgrade Youth Football Club'') is a Serbian professional football club based in Belgrade, more precisely in Karaburma, ...
. Under the leadership of coaches
Emerich Jenei Emerich Jenei or Imre Jenei (also known as Emeric Jenei or Ienei; 22 March 1937) is a Romanian former Football (soccer), football player and coach of Hungarians in Romania, Hungarian ethnicity. He is considered one of Romania's best Managers, a ...
and
Anghel Iordănescu Anghel Iordănescu (; born 4 May 1950), also known as "Tata Puiu", is a Romanian former footballer and former manager of the Romania national team, who played as a forward. In 2007, Iordănescu retired from football, and the following February ...
, Steaua had an impressive Championship run in the 1984–85 season, which it won after a six-year break. Subsequently, Steaua became the first Romanian club to reach a European Cup final, which it ultimately won against
Barcelona Barcelona ( , , ) is a city on the coast of northeastern Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within ci ...
on
penalties Penalty or The Penalty may refer to: Sports * Penalty (golf) * Penalty (gridiron football) * Penalty (ice hockey) * Penalty (rugby) * Penalty (rugby union) * Penalty kick (association football) * Penalty shoot-out (association football) * Penalty ...
(2–0 thanks to goalkeeper
Helmuth Duckadam Helmut Robert Duckadam (; born 1 April 1959) is a Romanian retired footballer who played as a goalkeeper. He was dubbed "the Hero of Seville" due to his performance in the 1986 European Cup Final, won by his club Steaua București, where he s ...
saving 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 The UEFA Super Cup is an annual super cup football match organised by UEFA and contested by the winners of the two main European club competitions; the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League. The competition's official name was originall ...
was won in 1987 against
Dynamo Kyiv Football Club Dynamo Kyiv (, ) is a Ukrainian professional Association football, football club based in Kyiv. Founded in 1927 as a Kyivan football team of republican branch of the bigger Soviet Union, Soviet Dynamo Sports Club, Dynamo Sports Soc ...
. Steaua remained at the top of European football for the rest of the decade, managing one more European Cup semi-final in 1987–88 and one more European Cup final in
1989 File:1989 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Cypress Street Viaduct, Cypress structure collapses as a result of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, killing motorists below; The proposal document for the World Wide Web is submitted; The Exxo ...
(lost 4–0 to
Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...
). Notably, this was in addition to its 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. The
Romanian Revolution The Romanian Revolution ( ro, Revoluția Română), also known as the Christmas Revolution ( ro, Revoluția de Crăciun), was a period of violent civil unrest in Romania during December 1989 as a part of the Revolutions of 1989 that occurred i ...
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 equalize the 1920s performance of
Chinezul Timișoara Chinezul Timișoara was a football club that played both in the Romanian and the Hungarian championship during its existence. It was based in Timișoara, Romania (at the time of foundation Temesvár, Austria-Hungary). History The club was establ ...
and also three more cups in 1995–96, 1996–97 and 1998–99. At an international level, the club also managed to reach the
UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competit ...
group stage three years in a row between 1994–95 and 1996–97. In 1998, the football club separated from CSA Steaua and changed its name to ''FC Steaua București'', being led by Romanian businessman Viorel Păunescu. Păunescu performed poorly as a president and soon the club was plunged into debt. George Becali, another businessman, was offered the position of vice-president in the hope that Becali would invest money in the club. In 2003, Becali allegedly managed to gain control over the club by turning it from non-profit to a public share company. Because of his controversial character, he has been challenged by the majority of Steaua fans. The team qualified for the
UEFA Cup A cup is an open-top used to hold hot or cold liquids for pouring or drinking; while mainly used for drinking, it also can be used to store Solid, solids for pouring (e.g., sugar, flour, grains, salt). Cups may be made of glass, metal, porcela ...
group stage in the 2004–05 season and became the first Romanian team to make it to the European football spring since
1993 File:1993 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: The Oslo I Accord is signed in an attempt to resolve the Israeli–Palestinian conflict; The Russian White House is shelled during the 1993 Russian constitutional crisis; Czechoslovakia is peace ...
(also Steaua's performance). The next season, Steaua reached the UEFA Cup semi-finals in 2005–06, where it was eliminated by
Middlesbrough Middlesbrough ( ) is a town on the southern bank of the River Tees in North Yorkshire, England. It is near the North York Moors national park. It is the namesake and main town of its local borough council area. Until the early 1800s, the a ...
thanks to a last-minute goal. Steaua thereafter qualified for the following Champions League seasons after a ten-year break, and in 2007–08 Steaua again reached the group stage of the Champions League. Nationally, the club won two titles—in 2004–05 and 2005–06—and the
Supercupa României The Supercupa României ( en, Romanian Supercup) is a Romanian football championship contested by the winners of the Liga I and the Cupa României. It is usually played at the Arena Națională in Bucharest. The competition started off in 1994, ...
in 2006, the latter being the club's 50th trophy in its 59-year history. In
2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fact ...
, Steaua won its 24th national title, and also subsequently reached the 2013–14 UEFA Champions League group stage. It repeated the former performance in each of the next two years, being awarded the championship in
2014 File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
and
2015 File:2015 Events Collage new.png, From top left, clockwise: Civil service in remembrance of November 2015 Paris attacks; Germanwings Flight 9525 was purposely crashed into the French Alps; the rubble of residences in Kathmandu following the Apri ...
. After the
Ministry of National Defense {{unsourced, date=February 2021 A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...
sued the club, claiming that the
Romanian Army The Romanian Land Forces ( ro, Forțele Terestre Române) is the army of Romania, and the main component of the Romanian Armed Forces. In recent years, full professionalisation and a major equipment overhaul have transformed the nature of the Lan ...
were the rightful owners of the Steaua logo, colours, honours and name, the Executive Committee of the
Romanian Football Federation Romanian Football Federation (), also known by its acronym FRF, is the sports governing body, governing body of association football, football in Romania. They are headquartered in the capital city of Bucharest and affiliated to FIFA and UEFA sinc ...
approved an application to modify the name of the club from "FC Steaua București" to "FC FCSB" on 30 March 2017, following more
judiciary The judiciary (also known as the judicial system, judicature, judicial branch, judiciative branch, and court or judiciary system) is the system of courts that adjudicates legal disputes/disagreements and interprets, defends, and applies the law ...
sentences.
CSA Steaua București Clubul Sportiv al Armatei Steaua București, commonly known as CSA Steaua București () or simply Steaua, is a major multi-sports club based in Bucharest and run by the Ministry of National Defence. It is one of the most successful clubs in Roma ...
had previously announced they would refound their football department in the summer of the same year. However, owner Becali announced that his team would retain the original honours and UEFA coefficient, and was also hopeful of recovering the name in the near future. Between
2016 File:2016 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Bombed-out buildings in Ankara following the 2016 Turkish coup d'état attempt; the impeachment trial of Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff; Damaged houses during the 2016 Nagorno-Karabakh ...
and
2019 File:2019 collage v1.png, From top left, clockwise: Hong Kong protests turn to widespread riots and civil disobedience; House of Representatives votes to adopt articles of impeachment against Donald Trump; CRISPR gene editing first used to experim ...
, FCSB finished each time as runners-up in the league, thus becoming the first club in Romania to do so for four consecutive years. On 5 July 2019, yet another unfavorable ruling was handed out against the team. According to it, CSA Steaua would be the rightful entity to assert the honors up until 2003, however, the decision is not definitive.


Crest and colours

During its first season, 1947–48, Steaua wore yellow and red striped shirts with blue shorts, to symbolize Romania's tricolor flag. 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 colors remained, up to this day, the red and the blue. As communists assumed total control of the country on 30 December 1947, the Royal Army was transformed into the People's Army and ASA automatically with it. Being inspired by the
Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army (Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, after ...
, 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 A red star, five-pointed and filled, is a symbol that has often historically been associated with communist ideology, particularly in combination with the hammer and sickle, but is also used as a purely socialist symbol in the 21st century. I ...
(symbol of the Red Army) on a blue disc. Two years later, the change of name to CCA brought with it a new crest consisting of the same red star labeled CCA surrounded by a crown of laurel. The all-present star motif on the crest finally had its saying over the new name of ''Steaua'' as up 1961. 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. The shape for the emblem was redesigned in 1974, once the team moved to Stadionul Ghencea. Following the
Romanian Revolution The Romanian Revolution ( ro, Revoluția Română), also known as the Christmas Revolution ( ro, Revoluția de Crăciun), was a period of violent civil unrest in Romania during December 1989 as a part of the Revolutions of 1989 that occurred i ...
, the Army decided to break all links to the defunct communist regime, so, in 1991,
CSA Steaua CSA may refer to: Arts and media * Canadian Screen Awards, annual awards given by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television * Commission on Superhuman Activities, a fictional American government agency in Marvel Comics * Crime Syndicate of Amer ...
had a last change of crest with an eagle also present on the
Ministry of Defence {{unsourced, date=February 2021 A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...
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. In 2003, the new Board of Administration run by George Becali decided to change the crest, which was a return to the old emblem of 1974–1991, redesigned with the two yellow stars on top. The club started to use acronym of the name FCSB before the official change of the name in 2017. 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. Other kit colours have very rarely been used. Exceptions were the
1986 European Cup Final The 1986 European Cup Final was a football match held at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium, Seville, on 7 May 1986 that saw Steaua București of Romania defeat Barcelona of Spain in a penalty shoot out after 120 minutes of play could not separ ...
in which Steaua wore, for the only time in their history, an all-white kit, the 1999–00 away kit (yellow and red), the 2005–06 third kit (yellow and black), the 2008–2010 away kit (a shade of neon yellow-green), the 2010–12 and 2014–16 away kit (all-yellow), the 2012–14 away kit ( all-sky blue or sky blue shirts with dark navy blue shorts and socks). For the 2016–17 and 2017–18 seasons, the away kit was all-white. For the 2018–19 and 2019–20 seasons the away kit was ice blue with a darker shade on sleeves. For the 2020–21 and 2021–22 seasons, the kit is all-white again. The
Ministry of National Defense {{unsourced, date=February 2021 A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...
sued Steaua in 2011, claiming that the
Romanian Army The Romanian Land Forces ( ro, Forțele Terestre Române) is the army of Romania, and the main component of the Romanian Armed Forces. In recent years, full professionalisation and a major equipment overhaul have transformed the nature of the Lan ...
were the rightful owners of the Steaua logo, among others. The
Supreme Court A supreme court is the highest court within the hierarchy of courts in most legal jurisdictions. Other descriptions for such courts include court of last resort, apex court, and high (or final) court of appeal. Broadly speaking, the decisions of ...
found in the army's favour, and on 3 December 2014 stripped the football club of its badge. Steaua were forced to play their next home game, against
CSM Studențesc Iași CSM may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Cantigas de Santa Maria'', a collection of medieval Galician-Portuguese vernacular songs and poems in praise of the Virgin Mary * Chaos Space Marines, in the ''Warhammer 40,000'' fictional universe * ...
, without it on the stadium scoreboard. A new badge was unveiled in January 2015, an eight-sided star containing the letters "FCSB", which would eventually become the official name of the club in 2017.


Kit manufacturers and shirt sponsors

Its kit is manufactured by
Nike Nike often refers to: * Nike (mythology), a Greek goddess who personifies victory * Nike, Inc., a major American producer of athletic shoes, apparel, and sports equipment Nike may also refer to: People * Nike (name), a surname and feminine give ...
, who have held the contract since 2002, after a long partnership with
Adidas Adidas AG (; stylized as adidas since 1949) is a German multinational corporation, founded and headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, that designs and manufactures shoes, clothing and accessories. It is the largest sportswear manufactur ...
. First team shirt sponsors have been betting company Betano since 2022. Previous sponsors include
Ford Ford commonly refers to: * Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford * Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river Ford may also refer to: Ford Motor Company * Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company * Ford F ...
,
Castrol Castrol is a British oil company that markets industrial and automotive lubricants, offering a wide range of oil, greases and similar products for most lubrication applications. The name ''Castrol'' was originally just the brand name for com ...
,
Philips Koninklijke Philips N.V. (), commonly shortened to Philips, is a Dutch multinational conglomerate corporation that was founded in Eindhoven in 1891. Since 1997, it has been mostly headquartered in Amsterdam, though the Benelux headquarters i ...
,
CBS CBS Broadcasting Inc., commonly shortened to CBS, the abbreviation of its former legal name Columbia Broadcasting System, is an American commercial broadcast television and radio network serving as the flagship property of the CBS Entertainm ...
, Bancorex (initially BRCE), Dialog (currently
Orange Orange most often refers to: *Orange (fruit), the fruit of the tree species '' Citrus'' × ''sinensis'' ** Orange blossom, its fragrant flower *Orange (colour), from the color of an orange, occurs between red and yellow in the visible spectrum * ...
), BCR, RAFO,
CitiFinancial Citigroup Inc. or Citi (stylized as citi) is an American multinational investment bank and financial services corporation headquartered in New York City. The company was formed by the merger of banking giant Citicorp and financial conglomerat ...
and City Insurance..


Stadium

Steaua played the first three matches in its history at the defunct ''Venus'' stadium. Opened in 1931, the venue had previously been in the property of
Venus București Venus is the second planet from the Sun. It is sometimes called Earth's "sister" or "twin" planet as it is almost as large and has a similar composition. As an interior planet to Earth, Venus (like Mercury) appears in Earth's sky never fa ...
, a club disbanded in 1949. After that ground's demolition through order of the Communist regime, Steaua played its home matches at any one of Bucharest's three largest multi-use stadia: ANEF, ''Republicii'' (built in 1926 and demolished in 1984 to make room for the erection of the Casa Poporului) and '' 23 August'' (built in 1953). Of these two, 23 August (later renamed ''Național'') 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 in the championship. From 1974 to 2015, Steaua played its home matches at the Stadionul Ghencea, a
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
stadium A stadium ( : stadiums or stadia) is a place or venue for (mostly) outdoor sports, concerts, or other events and consists of a field or stage either partly or completely surrounded by a tiered structure designed to allow spectators to stand o ...
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 OFK Beograd ( sr-Cyrl, ОФК Београд – Омладински фудбалски клуб Београд, English: ''Belgrade Youth Football Club'') is a Serbian professional football club based in Belgrade, more precisely in Karaburma, ...
, at which time it was the first football-only stadium ever built in Communist Romania, with no
track & field Track and field is a sport that includes athletic contests based on running, jumping, and throwing skills. The name is derived from where the sport takes place, a running track and a grass field for the throwing and some of the jumping events ...
facilities. The stadium was built through order of the
Ministry of National Defence {{unsourced, date=February 2021 A ministry of defence or defense (see spelling differences), also known as a department of defence or defense, is an often-used name for the part of a government responsible for matters of defence, found in states ...
inside a former military base and was long used by
CSA Steaua CSA may refer to: Arts and media * Canadian Screen Awards, annual awards given by the Academy of Canadian Cinema & Television * Commission on Superhuman Activities, a fictional American government agency in Marvel Comics * Crime Syndicate of Amer ...
. The original capacity was 30,000 on benches. A general renovation occurred in 1991; this included installing seats, which dropped the capacity to 28,365. After a second renovation in 2006, Ghencea was able to host
UEFA Champions League The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competit ...
events, being a 'Category 3' arena according to the UEFA classification system. The
Romania national team Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and ...
was also a tenant for numerous fixtures. From 2011, Steaua played European games and its most important domestic games at the newly constructed
Arena Națională Arena Națională () is a retractable roof football stadium in Bucharest, Romania. It opened in 2011 on the site of the Stadionul Național (1953), original National Stadium, which was demolished between 2007 and 2008. The stadium hosts major fo ...
, and from March 2015, played exclusively at the Arena Națională.


Support

Steaua has the largest number of supporters of any team in Romania. A survey conducted in June 2007 suggested that the club accounts for approximately 42% of all Romanian football lovers, far greater than the teams ranked second and third,
Dinamo București A dynamo is a magnetic device originally used as an electric generator. Dynamo or Dinamo may also refer to: Places * Dinamo (Moscow Metro), a station of the Moscow Metro, Moscow, Russia * Dinamo (Yekaterinburg Metro), a station of the Yekaterin ...
, with 12%, and
Rapid București Rapids are sections of a river where the river bed has a relatively steep gradient, causing an increase in water velocity and turbulence. Rapids are hydrological features between a ''run'' (a smoothly flowing part of a stream) and a '' cascade' ...
, with 9%. 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
Dâmbovița River Dâmbovița can refer to these places in Romania: * Dâmbovița County * Dâmbovița (river) * Dâmbovița Center The Dâmbovița Center (also named Casa Radio) is an unfinished building in Bucharest, Romania, near Cotroceni, on the shore of t ...
. 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 Timișoara, Politehnica Timișoara's ''Commando Viola Ultra Curva Sud''), were set. The group quickly reached an impressive number of members, but, in 2001, they dissolved due to internal problems. Steaua's supporters then divided into several groups, some of them being located at the ''Peluza Nord'' ("North End" – ''Titan Boys'', ''Nucleo'', ''Insurgenții 1998'', ''Skins 1996'', ''Combat'', ''Tornado 47'', ''Armata 47 Vest''), while some other ones taking their place at the ''Peluza Sud'' ("South End" – ''Vacarm'', ''Glas'', ''E.R.A.'', ''Hunters'', ''Outlaws'', ''Shadows'', ''Roosters'', ''T.K.'', ''Tinerii Sudiști''). Several important groups such as ''Stil Ostil'', ''Ultras'', ''Banda Ultra and ''South Boys'' retired from attending Steaua's matches due to the club's constant abuses towards them and, mainly, to the current ownership of Steaua. More recently, as of 2006, the supporters have formed their own official association, called AISS (''Asociația Independentă a Suporterilor Steliști'' – "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". Steaua's ''Peluza Nord'' and ''Peluza Sud'' fan groups no longer support the current team, as a sign of protest. The ''Peluza Sud'' have instead started to attend the matches of CSA Steaua București (football), CSA Steaua. However, an online voting, poll conducted by Sport.ro in 2017 has shown that of the 120,000 voters, 95% consider FCSB to hold the real Steaua identity.


Rivalries

Steaua's most important rivalry is the one against
Dinamo București A dynamo is a magnetic device originally used as an electric generator. Dynamo or Dinamo may also refer to: Places * Dinamo (Moscow Metro), a station of the Moscow Metro, Moscow, Russia * Dinamo (Yekaterinburg Metro), a station of the Yekaterin ...
. ''Eternal derby (Romania), Eternul derby'' ("The Eternal Derby") has been the leading Romanian football encounter since 1948, as Steaua and Dinamo are the two most successful football teams in the country. There have been more than 150 matches played so far between Steaua and Dinamo in the Romanian League, the Romanian Cup and also the Romanian Supercup. With 44 titles combined (Steaua – 26; Dinamo – 18), the two sides have won 36 more than the third-most successful Liga I club, AS Venus București, Venus București. It is also a match between the former clubs of the
Romanian Army The Romanian Land Forces ( ro, Forțele Terestre Române) is the army of Romania, and the main component of the Romanian Armed Forces. In recent years, full professionalisation and a major equipment overhaul have transformed the nature of the Lan ...
(Steaua) and the Ministry of Interior and Administrative Reform (Romania), 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. On 16 August 2016, during Steaua's Champions League play-off 0–5 loss to Manchester City F.C., Manchester City, undercover Dinamo fans displayed a huge message saying ''Doar Dinamo București'' ("Only Dinamo Bucharest"), which was labelled one of the biggest pranks in football history. 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. The second-most important rivalry was with
Rapid București Rapids are sections of a river where the river bed has a relatively steep gradient, causing an increase in water velocity and turbulence. Rapids are hydrological features between a ''run'' (a smoothly flowing part of a stream) and a '' cascade' ...
, often called ''FC Steaua București–FC Rapid București rivalry, Bucharest derby''. Several matches throughout the years between Steaua and Rapid have also ended in serious clashes between fans. The conflict has become even fiercer after Steaua outpassed Rapid in an all-Romanian quarter-final of the 2005–06 UEFA Cup. The local sports newspapers said that the two teams were linked up in this quarter-final by the line of the number 41 tram which links the Ghencea Stadium to the Stadionul Giulești-Valentin Stănescu (1939), Valentin Stănescu Stadium. Milder and historical rivalries are also with non-Bucharest-based teams, such as CFR Cluj, CS Universitatea Craiova, Universitatea Craiova, FC Politehnica Timișoara, Politehnica Timișoara, FC Petrolul Ploiești, Petrolul Ploiești, FC Universitatea Cluj, Universitatea Cluj and a recent one with FC Astra Giurgiu, Astra Giurgiu.


Ownership and finances

Steaua has previously been known as the club of the Romanian Land Forces, Romanian Army, which founded it in 1947 as a
sports society A sports club or sporting club, sometimes an athletics club or sports society or sports association, is a group of people formed for the purpose of playing sports. Sports clubs range from organisations whose members play together, unpaid, and ...
. The Army continues to own the sports society, named
CSA Steaua București Clubul Sportiv al Armatei Steaua București, commonly known as CSA Steaua București () or simply Steaua, is a major multi-sports club based in Bucharest and run by the Ministry of National Defence. It is one of the most successful clubs in Roma ...
. The football department, however, separated and turned private in 1998, owned and financed by a non-profit organization called AFC Steaua București, chaired by businessman Viorel Păunescu. In January 2003, the team allegedly turned public under the leadership of investor and former politician Gigi Becali, George Becali, who had already purchased 51% of the society's shares and later on acquired the rest to become the owner of the club. At present, Becali has no official links with FCSB, as he gradually renounced his shares. However, the facts that the current shareholders, that include several nephews of his, are people loyal to him and that he is still in charge of FCSB are obvious. An unofficial explanation for this situation is represented by the heavy amount of unpaid taxes added up by the former governing company, AFC Steaua București, whose payment towards the tax authority was avoided this way by transferring its assets to the new-formed company, with the old association going on liquidation bankruptcy. George "Gigi" Becali is a highly controversial figure at FCSB, whose involvement in the life of the club and the team has often been described as authoritarian and dictatorial by both the media and the fans.


Popular culture

As Steaua is currently the most popular football team in Romania, a good number of musicians or TV and film directors have inspired themselves from ideas linked to the Ghencea-based club. Popular reference, however, appeared only after the Romanian Revolution, as before, mass-media programmes were mostly being controlled by the former communist regime. The 2002 Romanian film ''Furia'' depicts scenes in which Steaua and Dinamo gangs of supporters are fighting on the streets after a direct match between the two sides. Prima TV comedy show ''Mondenii'' often airs sketches parodying Steaua owner George Becali, the players and other representatives around the club. Pro TV series ''La bloc'' aired an episode in which characters Nelu and Costel are displayed as representing Steaua in a parking lot match against two other neighbours representing Dinamo. Several other examples from music can be attributed as Steaua-related. Apart from club anthems played throughout time by ''Marcel Pavel'', ''Bere Gratis'', ''Gaz pe Foc'', an album was released in 2006 as a compilation by ''Mircea Vintilă'', ''Chicanos'', ''Bogdan Dima'' and several other artists. ''Delikt'' and ''Ultras'' are two former hip hop bands whose members ranked the defunct Armata Ultra' brigade and would always show up displaying fan materials. Also, ''Voltaj'', in their song 'MSD2', make reference to the fans in the line "''Poți să fii câine sau poți fi stelist''" ("You can be a dog or you can be a Steaua fan"). One of the most famous pop-culture references about the club is the association with Scooter (band), Scooter's song ''Maria'', first sung spontaneously in 2003 by the fans in Peluza Nord after the team would score. Ever since, it has been adopted as an unofficial club anthem and is being played at the stadium at every match, sung together by the supporters. Nonetheless, the song is beginning to lose popularity, mainly because it has become too commercial and many fans do not feel bonded with it any more.


Honours


Domestic


Leagues

*
Liga I The Liga I (; ''First League''), also spelled as Liga 1, is a Romanian professional league for men's association football clubs. Currently sponsored by betting company Superbet, it is officially known as the SuperLiga. It is the country's top ...
/ Divizia A **Winners (26) – Record: 1951 Divizia A, 1951, 1952 Divizia A, 1952, 1953 Divizia A, 1953, 1956 Divizia A, 1956, 1959–60 Divizia A, 1959–60, 1960–61 Divizia A, 1960–61, 1967–68 Divizia A, 1967–68, 1975–76 Divizia A, 1975–76, 1977–78 Divizia A, 1977–78, 1984–85 Divizia A, 1984–85, 1985–86 Divizia A, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1992–93, 1993–94 Divizia A, 1993–94, 1994–95 Divizia A, 1994–95, 1995–96 Divizia A, 1995–96, 1996–97 Divizia A, 1996–97, 1997–98, 2000–01 Divizia A, 2000–01, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2012–13 Liga I, 2012–13, 2013–14 Liga I, 2013–14, 2014–15 Liga I, 2014–15 **Runners-up (19): 1954 Divizia A, 1954, 1957–58 Divizia A, 1957–58, 1962–63 Divizia A, 1962–63, 1976–77 Divizia A, 1976–77, 1979–80 Divizia A, 1979–80, 1983–84 Divizia A, 1983–84, 1989–90 Divizia A, 1989–90, 1990–91 Divizia A, 1990–91, 1991–92 Divizia A, 1991–92, 2002–03 Divizia A, 2002–03, 2003–04 Divizia A, 2003–04, 2006–07 Liga I, 2006–07, 2007–08 Liga I, 2007–08, 2015–16 Liga I, 2015–16, 2016–17 Liga I, 2016–17, 2017–18 Liga I, 2017–18, 2018–19 Liga I, 2018–19, 2020–21 Liga I, 2020–21, 2021–22 Liga I, 2021–22


Cups

*
Cupa României The Cupa României ( en, Romanian Cup) is a Association football, football cup competition for List of football clubs in Romania, Romanian teams which has been held annually since 1933–34 Cupa României, 1933–34, except during World War II. I ...
**Winners (24) – Record: 1948–49 Cupa României, 1948–49, 1950 Cupa României, 1950, 1951 Cupa României, 1951, 1952 Cupa României, 1952, 1955 Cupa României, 1955, 1961–62 Cupa României, 1961–62, 1965–66 Cupa României, 1965–66, 1966–67 Cupa României, 1966–67, 1968–69 Cupa României, 1968–69, 1969–70 Cupa României, 1969–70, 1970–71 Cupa României, 1970–71, 1975–76 Cupa României, 1975–76, 1978–79 Cupa României, 1978–79, 1984–85 Cupa României, 1984–85, 1986–87 Cupa României, 1986–87, '' 1987–88'', 1988–89 Cupa României, 1988–89, 1991–92 Cupa României, 1991–92, 1995–96 Cupa României, 1995–96, 1996–97 Cupa României, 1996–97, 1998–99 Cupa României, 1998–99, 2010–11 Cupa României, 2010–11, 2014–15 Cupa României, 2014–15, 2019–20 Cupa României, 2019–20 **Runners-up (8): 1953 Cupa României, 1953, 1963–64 Cupa României, 1963–64, 1976–77 Cupa României, 1976–77, 1979–80 Cupa României, 1979–80, 1983–84 Cupa României, 1983–84, 1985–86 Cupa României, 1985–86, 1989–90 Cupa României, 1989–90, 2013–14 Cupa României, 2013–14 *
Cupa Ligii The Cupa Ligii ( en, League Cup) was Romania's secondary club football tournament. Like the Cupa României, it was played on a knockout (single elimination) basis. History It is unclear when the competition was first created, as there are no ...
**Winners (2) – Record: 2014–15 Cupa Ligii, 2014–15, 2015–16 Cupa Ligii, 2015–16 *
Supercupa României The Supercupa României ( en, Romanian Supercup) is a Romanian football championship contested by the winners of the Liga I and the Cupa României. It is usually played at the Arena Națională in Bucharest. The competition started off in 1994, ...
**Winners (6) – Record: 1994 Supercupa României, 1994, 1995 Supercupa României, 1995, 1998 Supercupa României, 1998, 2001 Supercupa României, 2001, 2006 Supercupa României, 2006, 2013 Supercupa României, 2013 **Runners-up (6): 1999 Supercupa României, 1999, 2005 Supercupa României, 2005, 2011 Supercupa României, 2011, 2014 Supercupa României, 2014, 2015 Supercupa României, 2015, 2020 Supercupa României, 2020


International

*
European Cup The UEFA Champions League (abbreviated as UCL, or sometimes, UEFA CL) is an annual club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) and contested by top-division European clubs, deciding the competit ...
**Winners: 1985–86 European Cup, 1985–86 **Runners-up: 1988–89 European Cup, 1988–89 *
European Super Cup The UEFA Super Cup is an annual super cup football match organised by UEFA and contested by the winners of the two main European club competitions; the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League. The competition's official name was originall ...
**Winners: 1986 European Super Cup, 1986 * Intercontinental Cup **Runners-up: 1986 Intercontinental Cup, 1986


Rankings

These are the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) club's points as of 31 October 2022: This is the UEFA coefficient, UEFA club's coefficient as of 7 November 2022:


Players


First team squad


Out on loan


Notable players throughout history


Club officials


Board of directors

* *


Current technical staff

* *


Statistics and records

Steaua currently boasts itself with the most impressive pedigree in Romania. With 72 seasons spent in
Liga I The Liga I (; ''First League''), also spelled as Liga 1, is a Romanian professional league for men's association football clubs. Currently sponsored by betting company Superbet, it is officially known as the SuperLiga. It is the country's top ...
, they are one of only two teams to have played only in the first national league, along with
Dinamo București A dynamo is a magnetic device originally used as an electric generator. Dynamo or Dinamo may also refer to: Places * Dinamo (Moscow Metro), a station of the Moscow Metro, Moscow, Russia * Dinamo (Yekaterinburg Metro), a station of the Yekaterin ...
(71 seasons). At the same time, the club is the current record holder for the number of national championships (26), Cupa României, national cups (24), Supercupa României, national super cups (6) and the Cupa Ligii, national league cup (2). Between 1993 and 1998, its run of six consecutive national titles won equaled the one of
Chinezul Timișoara Chinezul Timișoara was a football club that played both in the Romanian and the Hungarian championship during its existence. It was based in Timișoara, Romania (at the time of foundation Temesvár, Austria-Hungary). History The club was establ ...
from the 1920s. Internationally, it is the only Romanian club to have won continental trophies (the UEFA Champions League, European Champions Cup in 1986 and the
European Super Cup The UEFA Super Cup is an annual super cup football match organised by UEFA and contested by the winners of the two main European club competitions; the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Europa League. The competition's official name was originall ...
in 1986) and to have played in the final of the European Cup (in 1985–86 European Cup, 1986 and 1988–89 European Cup, 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 world record and a European one still standing. Also inside the national league, the club counted 112 matches between November 1989 and August 1996 of invincibility at Stadionul Ghencea in Liga I. Its run of 17-straight wins in 1988 is another record, equal to the one held by Dinamo as of one year later. 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-ten so far. The club's all-time top scorer in the league is
Anghel Iordănescu Anghel Iordănescu (; born 4 May 1950), also known as "Tata Puiu", is a Romanian former footballer and former manager of the Romania national team, who played as a forward. In 2007, Iordănescu retired from football, and the following February ...
with 146 goals, a record that also looks solid, out of the same reason as above-mentioned. Other records are currently owned by former players such as Dorinel Munteanu (most national cap (football), caps – 134) or Gheorghe Hagi (most goals scored for Romania national football team, Romania – 35; most appearances of a Romanian player in the European cups – 93).


European cups all-time statistics


Notable coaches

The following coaches have all won at least one major trophy with Steaua București: :''Table correct as of 31 August 2020''
Notes:
Caretaker coach.


References


External links

*
FCSB
at UEFA {{DEFAULTSORT:FCSB Association football clubs established in 2003, FCSB Sport in Bucharest, FCSB FC Steaua București, Liga I clubs Military association football clubs in Romania Football clubs in Bucharest 1947 establishments in Romania Unrelegated association football clubs UEFA Champions League winning clubs, Steaua UEFA Super Cup winning clubs, Steaua