CSO Băicoi

Clubul Sportiv Orășenesc Băicoi, commonly known as CSO Băicoi or simply as Băicoi, is a Romanian football club based in Băicoi, Prahova County, currently competes in Liga III, the third tier of Romanian football.

History

Early History and Lower Leagues Football (1923–1977)

The first football club in Băicoi was founded in 1923, as reported by the newspaper "Ecoul Sportiv" about the first football match in Băicoi – "Sunday, 15 July 1923, a football match was played on the field of the Club Sportiv Băicoi, between Băicoi and Principesa Ileana Câmpina teams".

The club changed its name in 1924 to Româno-Americană Băicoi, being financially sustained by the Romanian-American Oil Company through Băicoi oil extraction scaffold, and continued the football activity in the interwar period and after the Second World War in the Prahova District and Regional Championships.

In 1948 was renamed Sindicatul Petrolist (Petroleum Syndicate), which later became the Partizanul Sovrom Petrol (1950), Flacăra (1952), Energia (1956), and from 1957 Petrolul Băicoi.

After a constant presence in the top tier of regional football, Petrolul, even though finished in 9th place, was relegated at the end of 1960–61 season, due to the Ploiești Regional Championship was reduced to a single series of fourteen teams

in the 1963–64 season, Petrolul Băicoi won the Series II-a of Câmpina District Championship, but lost the promotion finishing 4th in the Series I at the final tournament held at Ploiești.

Petrolul, coached by Theodor Beffa, promoted to Ploiești Regional Championship at the end the 1965–66 season and played the following two seasons in the West Series of the Regional Championship ranking 4th ( 1966–67) and 6th ( 1967–68), under the leadership of Gheorghe Gavriloaie.

In the next nine seasons, Petrolul played in the new Prahova County Championship always being a top-table team, finishing twice as runners-up, in 1969–70 and 1971–72 (coach Petre Babone) seasons and three times in 3rd place, in 1970–71, 1972–73 and 1973–74 seasons.

Petrolul managed to get on the stage of Romanian football at the end of the 1976–77 season winning the County Championship and the promotion play-off against Forestierul Covasna (2–0 at home and 1–2 away), the Covasna County Championship winner. The squad led by Mihai Opatchi was composed of Paul Constantinescu, Ion Tudose – Liviu Istrate, Ion Nemeș, Ion Pop, Gabriel Simionescu, Alexandru Șerban, Adrian Șandru, Tiberiu Argăseală, Adrian Aelenei, Ion Bogaciu, Adrian Ciufu, Alexandru Bucică, Adrian Filcea, Gheorghe Despa, Sorin Corbu, Dan Grigore, Ion Niculescu, Ștefan Ocheșelu, Marin Niculescu, Ion Sima and Alexandru Stancu.

National Leagues Experience and Decline (1977–2019)

Petrolul played in the following decade in Divizia C, and the best performances achieved were 6th place in the 1977–78 and 1980–81 championship editions, being coached during this period by Mihai Opatchi, Vasile Florea, Adrian Aelenei and Gheorghe Pahonțu. Also, the club was renamed Petrolul FSH Băicoi in 1984, as F.E.H.S Băicoi (Fabrica de Echipamente Hidraulice și Scule – ) started to financially support the team.

In the summer of 1989, F.E.H.S withdraw the financial support offered to and Petrolul enter in decline, relegating at the end of the 1989–90 season after finishing last in its series and continued to play for the next seventeen years on the first stage of the Prahova County Championship.

In the 2006–07 season, The Oilmen suffered another relegation after finished in the bottom position of the league table with just four victories all season.

In the 2015–16 season, Petrolul, guided by Eugen Codreanu as player-coach, won Liga V – Prahova County, returning to the fourth tier after a nine-year absence. Despite a solid 2016–17 campaign, which ended with a 7th-place finish, financial difficulties emerged as the oil scaffold union reduced its support. The club ceded its place in Liga IV to CS Câmpina and enrolled in the fifth league, finishing 13th in the 2017–18 season.

In the 2018–19 season, Petrolul competed in Liga V – Prahova County, won the league, and secured promotion to Liga IV. The 2019–20 season ended with a 13th-place finish.

CSO Băicoi and the Return to the Third League (2019–Present)

CSO Băicoi was founded in 2019 by the Băicoi City Hall and entered Liga V – Prahova County, winning the competition and earning promotion to Liga IV. After Petrolul Băicoi ceased activity in 2021, CSO Băicoi assumed the local football legacy, continuing the tradition in the town.

In the 2021–22 season, the club finished 17th, narrowly avoiding relegation. In the 2022–23 season, after earning just one point in the first two rounds, Marian Teodorescu was dismissed, and Nouraș Nicorescu was appointed as the new head coach in September 2022. Nicorescu remained in charge until the end of the first half of the season, after which he was replaced by Robert Lungu. Following this change, the team improved and eventually finished the season in 5th place.

In the 2023–24 season, with Valentin Lazăr appointed as head coach, CSO Băicoi won Liga IV – Prahova County and qualified for the promotion play-off to Liga III. The team triumphed against the Giurgiu County winners, FC Bolintin Malu Spart, with a 3–3 draw in the first leg at Bolintin Vale and a 2–1 victory in the return leg at Băicoi.

The team led by Valentin Lazăr finished the 2024–25 regular season of Liga III in 2nd place in Series VI and also placed 2nd in the series play-off. Despite qualifying for the promotion play-off, it was disqualified for not meeting the Romanian Football Federation’s requirements regarding youth teams.

Honours

Liga III
*Runners-up (1): 2024–25

Liga IV – Prahova County
*Winners (2): 1976–77, 2023–24
*Runners-up (3): 1969–70, 1971–72, 2020–21

Liga V – Prahova County
*Winners (2): 2015–16, 2018–19

Players

First team squad

Out on loan

Club officials

Board of directors

Current technical staff

League history

References

External links

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Băicoi
1923 establishments in Romania
Association football clubs established in 1923
Liga III clubs
Liga IV clubs
Football clubs in Prahova County