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FCV Farul Constanța (), commonly known as Farul Constanța or simply as Farul, is a Romanian professional
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
club based in the city of
Constanța Constanța (, , ) is a city in the Dobruja Historical regions of Romania, historical region of Romania. A port city, it is the capital of Constanța County and the country's Cities in Romania, fourth largest city and principal port on the Black ...
,
Constanța County Constanța () is a Counties of Romania, county (județ) of Romania on the Bulgaria–Romania border, border with Bulgaria, in the Dobruja region. Its capital city is also named Constanța. Demographics In 2021, it had a population of 655,997 ...
, that competes in the
Liga I Liga I (; ''First League''), also spelled as Liga 1 and officially known as SuperLiga for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Romania and the highest level of the Romanian football league system. Contested by 1 ...
. ''Farul'' translates as "the Lighthouse" in
Romanian Romanian may refer to: *anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania **Romanians, an ethnic group **Romanian language, a Romance language ***Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language **Romanian cuisine, traditional ...
, alluding to the fact that the city is situated on the
Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal sea, marginal Mediterranean sea (oceanography), mediterranean sea lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bound ...
coast. Established in 1920 as ''SPM Constanța'', the team had spent over 40 seasons in the first league before merging with Viitorul Constanța in 2021. The highest position it achieved prior to the merger was fourth place on three occasions, and it also played a
Cupa României The Cupa României () 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. It is the Romania ...
final in
2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...
. Farul won its first Liga I title at the end of the 2022–23 season, or the second overall if Viitorul's record is considered. Farul Constanța is known for its
academy An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of tertiary education. The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, founded approximately 386 BC at Akademia, a sanctuary of Athena, the go ...
, which was inherited from
Gheorghe Hagi Gheorghe Hagi (; born 5 February 1965) is a Romanian professional football manager and former player, who is currently the owner of Liga I club Farul Constanța. Deployed as an attacking midfielder, Hagi was considered one of the best players in ...
, the joint top goalscorer of the Romania national team. Hagi is also the controlling shareholder of the company and coaches the senior team. The club traditionally played its matches at Farul Stadium, but now uses the smaller Viitorul Stadium in
Ovidiu Ovidiu (, historical name: ''Canara'', ) is a town situated a few kilometres north of Constanța in Constanța County, Northern Dobruja, Romania. Ovidiu is quite small, with a population of 13,968 as of 2021, and many wealthy inhabitants of Consta ...
until a new home ground will be built.


History


Early years (1920–1949)

The club was founded in 1920 as SPM Constanța (Serviciul Porturi Maritime – Maritime Port Services) and played under this name until 1946, when it was renamed PCA Constanța (Porturi Comunicații Ape – Ports Marine Communication).


Ascent (1949–1960)

The modern history of the football club from Constanța began in 1949, when the city's two teams (Dezrobirea Constanța and PCA Constanța) merged to form Locomotiva PCA. The new club was registered for the
Divizia B The Liga 2, most commonly spelled as Liga II, is the second level of the Romanian football league system. The league changed its name from Divizia B just before the start of the 2006–07 football season. It is currently sponsored by Casa Pariu ...
play-off with four other regional champions: Metalul 1 Mai Ploiești, Dinamo Oltenița, Progresul CPCS București and Bucegi Câmpulung Pitești. "Constănțenii" finished first in the group, and were promoted to the second league. In 1953, Locomotiva PCA Constanța was renamed Locomotiva Constanța. A year later, at the end of the 1954 season, Locomotiva Constanța received its first promotion to
Divizia A Liga I (; ''First League''), also spelled as Liga 1 and officially known as SuperLiga for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Romania and the highest level of the Romanian football league system. Contested by 1 ...
. The team was ranked first in the third series of Divizia B, with three points more than second-place Dinamo Bacău. After the last game, an away 1–0 win against Dinamo Bârlad, the players were welcomed at Constanța's old train station by a large crowd which had come to celebrate the promotion. The team consisted of Nebela, Doicescu, Zlotea, Mark, Tatomir, Jarnea (Bedivan, Manta), Vultur, Neli Ispas, Gogu Cojocaru, Sever, Cristof, Bobi Georgescu, Gigi Datcu, Linzoiu, Keszkei, coached by Ion Troancă. In the spring of
1955 Events January * January 3 – José Ramón Guizado becomes president of Panama. * January 17 – , the first nuclear-powered submarine, puts to sea for the first time, from Groton, Connecticut. * January 18– 20 – Battle of Yijian ...
, Locomotiva began their first season in the first league. The team was strengthened with players from Politehnica Timișoara,
CFR București CFR may refer to: Biology * 23S rRNA (adenine2503-C2,C8)-dimethyltransferase, an enzyme * 23S rRNA (adenine2503-C2)-methyltransferase, an enzyme Organizations * China Fire and Rescue, China's firefighting force * , the Romanian state railway ...
and Flamura Roșie Arad, and had a new coach: Eugen Mladin. The first match of "the Sailors" was played in Bucharest against future champion
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 ...
. Gogu Cojocaru scored first but the match was lost, 4–1. At the end of the season, Locomotiva finished 12th out of 13 teams and was relegated to Divizia B. During the season, Farul Stadium (1 Mai Stadium at the time) opened. Its debut match, on 23 March 1955, was a fourth-round league game between Locomotiva and defending champions Flamura Roșie Arad. Locomotiva won, 1–0, with a 40-meter goal by Manole. Locomotiva finished the 1956 Divizia B season in sixth place, and finished third in 1957. The return to an autumn-spring format at the beginning of the 1957–58 season and the renaming of the team to Farul Constanța had brought good luck to the Sailors, who won the second league and returned to the first league of Romanian football. After a tough first season in which the club barely avoided relegation, Farul had their best season to date and finished fourth in 1959–60. The team consisted of players Horia Ghibănescu, Nicolae Botescu, Grigore Ciuncan, Lucrețiu Florescu, Gheorghe Corneanu, Gheorghe Toma, Petre Comăniță, Mircea Bibere, Eugen Pană, Gheorghe Datcu, Vasile Stancu, Constantin Moroianu, Ion Ciosescu, Paul Niculescu, Dumitru Sever, Iacob Olaru and Ștefan Nunu; head coach Iosif Lengheriu, and president Foti Foti.


Domestic top flight and European competition debut (1960–1967)

The 1960s began with the Sharks in the first football league. Due to the failure of newcomers Brânzei, Stancu and Vasilescu to mesh with the team, at the end of the 1960–61 season Farul finished 13th and was relegated with
CSMS Iași A Cyber Security Management System is a form of Information security management system, particularly focussed on protecting automation and transport systems. The EU Cybersecurity Act, of 2019, led to the creation of UNECE working groups which develo ...
and Corvinul Hunedoara. Motivated by their presence in the first league, the ''Constanțenii'' did not stay long in Divizia B; at the end of the 1961–62 season, they were promoted back to the first league after finishing first. That season, Farul also received its first national football title by winning the U-19 championship. The following year, the Sailors ended the first part of the season as leaders of the
Divizia A Liga I (; ''First League''), also spelled as Liga 1 and officially known as SuperLiga for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Romania and the highest level of the Romanian football league system. Contested by 1 ...
. They did less well during the second part, and ranked fifth at the end of the season. During the 1962–63 season, the offensive trio of Bükössy-Ciosescu- Dinulescu scored 48 goals. Farul Constanța won its second consecutive title in the U-19 league, with students of Gheorghe Smărăndescu defeating
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 ...
2–1 in the final. The next three seasons started well for Farul, but they finished in the middle of the pack. In 1963–64, they finished eighth after occupying third place at the end of the first half; all-time goal-scorer Marin Tufan scored 62 goals. The following year, the Sailors finished only one point above first-relegated team Minerul Baia Mare. In the 1965–66 season, Farul finished ninth out of 14 teams. Their qualification for the
1964–66 Balkans Cup The 1964–66 Balkans Cup was an edition of the Balkans Cup, a football competition for representative clubs from the Balkan states. It was contested by 8 teams and Rapid București won the trophy. Group Stage Group A ---- ---- ---- ---- ...
was their first participation in European competitions; on 28 April 1965, Farul drew away with Spartak Plovdiv 1–1. They won 1–0 in Constanța two weeks later for their first European victory. In the next game, the white-and-blues first defeated
Vardar The Vardar (; , , ) or Axios (, ) is the longest river in North Macedonia and a major river in Greece, where it reaches the Aegean Sea at Thessaloniki. It is long, out of which are in Greece, and drains an area of around . The maximum depth of ...
4–0 in
Skopje Skopje ( , ; ; , sq-definite, Shkupi) is the capital and largest city of North Macedonia. It lies in the northern part of the country, in the Skopje Basin, Skopje Valley along the Vardar River, and is the political, economic, and cultura ...
and 1–0 in a second match. Their meeting with the Greek side
Olympiacos Olympiacós Sýndesmos Filáthlon Peiraiós (, Olympic Association of Fans of Piraeus) is a major multi-sport club based in Piraeus, Greece. Olympiacos is parent to a number of different competitive departments which participate in football, ...
was divided; the Greeks won 1–0 at
Piraeus Piraeus ( ; ; , Ancient: , Katharevousa: ) is a port city within the Athens urban area ("Greater Athens"), in the Attica region of Greece. It is located southwest of Athens city centre along the east coast of the Saronic Gulf in the Ath ...
, and Farul won a
forfeit Forfeit or forfeiture may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Forfeit'', a 2007 thriller film starring Billy Burke * "Forfeit", a song by Chevelle from '' Wonder What's Next'' * '' Forfeit/Fortune'', a 2008 album by Crooked Fingers ...
in Constanța for first place in Group A. The final of the competition was Romanian; Farul met
Rapid București Rapid(s) or RAPID may refer to: Hydrological features * Rapids, sections of a river with turbulent water flow * Rapid Creek (Iowa River tributary), Iowa, United States * Rapid Creek (South Dakota), United States, namesake of Rapid City Sport ...
, but lost on aggregate after a 3–3 draw in Bucharest and a 0–2 loss in Constanța. The team did well in the
Romanian Cup Romanian may refer to: *anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania **Romanians, an ethnic group **Romanian language, a Romance language ***Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language **Romanian cuisine, traditional ...
, where the Sharks were eliminated in the semi-finals by
UTA Arad Asociația Fotbal Club UTA Arad (), commonly known as UTA Arad or simply UTA (''Uzina Textilă Arad''; ), is a Romanian professional football club based in the city of Arad, Arad County that competes in the Liga I. The team was founded in 1945 ...
(2–3). In the 1966–67 season, Farul finished fourth in Divizia A. The squad consisted of Vasile Utu, Constantin Tâlvescu, Constantin Manciu, Marin Georgescu, Constantin Koszka, Martin Graef, Suliman Etem,
Cicerone Manolache Cicerone "Cici" Manolache (16 May 1936 – 28 January 2024) was a Romanian footballer and manager who played as a forward and made four appearances for Romania's national team. Club career Manolache was born on 16 May 1936 in Păunești, Roma ...
, Constantin Pleșa, Dumitru Antonescu, Ilie Ologu, Marin Tufan, Constantin Iancu, Tiberiu Kallo, Ion Zamfir, Dumitru Caraman,
Iosif Bükössy Iosif Bükössy (12 August 1936 – 30 October 2006) was a Romanian footballer who played as a Forward (association football), forward. Playing career Iosif Bükössy was born on 12 August 1936 in Mediaș, Romania and he started to play footb ...
, Constantin Mareș, Vasile Dumbravă; head coach Virgil Mărdărescu, and president Foti Foti. At the end of the season, Farul played six games in its first international tournament in
Lebanon Lebanon, officially the Republic of Lebanon, is a country in the Levant region of West Asia. Situated at the crossroads of the Mediterranean Basin and the Arabian Peninsula, it is bordered by Syria to the north and east, Israel to the south ...
,
Kuwait Kuwait, officially the State of Kuwait, is a country in West Asia and the geopolitical region known as the Middle East. It is situated in the northern edge of the Arabian Peninsula at the head of the Persian Gulf, bordering Iraq to Iraq–Kuwait ...
and
Syria Syria, officially the Syrian Arab Republic, is a country in West Asia located in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Levant. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the west, Turkey to Syria–Turkey border, the north, Iraq to Iraq–Syria border, t ...
.


Between success and mediocrity (1967–1988)

Farul competed in the
1966–67 Balkans Cup The 1966–67 Balkans Cup was an edition of the Balkans Cup, a football competition for representative clubs from the Balkan states. It was contested by 8 teams and Fenerbahçe won the trophy. Group Stage Group A ---- ---- ---- ---- ---- ...
, and were drawn in a group against
AEK Athens A.E.K. (; Athlitikí Énosis Konstantinoupόleos, ''Athletic Union of Constantinople'') is a major Greek multi-sport club based in Nea Filadelfeia, Attica. The club is more commonly known in European competitions as A.E.K. Athens. Establishe ...
(third place in the
Alpha Ethniki The Super League Greece 1 (), or Stoiximan Super League for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Greece and the highest level of the Greek football league system. The league was formed on 16 July 2006 and repla ...
),
Lokomotiv Sofia FC Lokomotiv Sofia () is a Bulgarian professional association football club based in Sofia, which currently plays in the First League, the top tier of Bulgarian football. Founded as Railway Sports Club in 1929, and refounded in 2015, following ...
(eighth place in the
Bulgarian First League The First Professional Football League (), commonly known as Parva Liga or Bulgarian First League (currently known as the efbet League for sponsorship reasons), is a professional association football league in Bulgaria and the highest level of t ...
) and
Vardar The Vardar (; , , ) or Axios (, ) is the longest river in North Macedonia and a major river in Greece, where it reaches the Aegean Sea at Thessaloniki. It is long, out of which are in Greece, and drains an area of around . The maximum depth of ...
(10th place in the
Yugoslav First League The Yugoslav First League ( Bosnian: Prva savezna liga u fudbalu, sr-Cyrl-Latn, Прва савезна лига у фудбалу, Prva savezna liga u fudbalu, , , , , ) was the premier football league in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia (1918–1941) ...
). The Sailors started with two consecutive wins in Constanța: 4–1 against Lokomotiv Sofia, and 2–0 against Vardar Skopje. They could not replicate their home form in the away matches, however, losing all three: 0–4 against Vardar, 0–3 against AEK Athens, and 1–5 versus Lokomotiv Sofia. They drew 1–1 against AEK in the last group match, and finished the group stage in third place. The Sharks finished the 1967–68 season in seventh place, and again competed in the
Balkans Cup The Balkans Cup was an international football competition for clubs from Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Turkey, and Yugoslavia. It was introduced in 1961 and was very popular in the 1960s (the 1967 final attracted 42,000 spectators), being ...
. Their opponents were Beroe Stara Zagora (10th place in the
Bulgarian First League The First Professional Football League (), commonly known as Parva Liga or Bulgarian First League (currently known as the efbet League for sponsorship reasons), is a professional association football league in Bulgaria and the highest level of t ...
), Vllaznia Shkodër (sixth place in the
Albanian Superliga Kategoria Superiore (), also known as Abissnet Superiore for sponsorship reasons with internet service provider, Abissnet, is a professional league for men's association football clubs in Albania. At the top of the Albanian football league syste ...
) and Gençlerbirliği (sixth place in the
Süper Lig The Süper Lig (, ''Super League''), also known as Trendyol Süper Lig for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Turkey and the highest level of the Turkish football league system. In the 2023–2024 season, twen ...
). Their results were 3–1 and 2–1 against Gençlerbirliği, two 1–2 losses at
Shkodër Shkodër ( , ; sq-definite, Shkodra; historically known as Scodra or Scutari) is the List of cities and towns in Albania, fifth-most-populous city of Albania and the seat of Shkodër County and Shkodër Municipality. Shkodër has been List of o ...
and
Stara Zagora Stara Zagora (, ) is a city in Bulgaria, and the administrative capital of Stara Zagora Province. It is located in the Upper Thracian Plain, near the cities of Kazanlak, Plovdiv, and Sliven. Its population is 121,582 making it the sixth largest c ...
, followed by a 2–1 win against Vllaznia in
Constanța Constanța (, , ) is a city in the Dobruja Historical regions of Romania, historical region of Romania. A port city, it is the capital of Constanța County and the country's Cities in Romania, fourth largest city and principal port on the Black ...
and a 1–2 defeat against Beroe. Farul ended the group stage in third place, and did not qualify for the next stage. During the next two seasons, Farul consolidated its reputation as a difficult team to beat. They finished ninth and reached the semi-finals of the 1968–69 Cupa României at the end of the 1968–69 season. This was followed by sixth place in the league and reaching the quarter-finals of the
Cupa României The Cupa României () 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. It is the Romania ...
in the 1969–70 season. The early 1970s transformed Farul to a regular finisher in the middle of the Divizia A standings: 11th in 1970–71 and 1971–72 and eighth in
1972–73 Year 197 ( CXCVII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Magius and Rufinus (or, less frequently, year 950 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 197 for this y ...
. The team was renamed FC Constanța during the summer of 1973, finished fourth at the end of the next season, and qualified for the 1975 Balkans Cup. The format of the competition had changed, and a group consisted of only three teams;
Eskişehirspor Eskişehirspor Kulübü is a Turkish football club located in Eskişehir. Founded in 1965, Eskişehirspor competed in the top division of Turkish football for 16 years until they were relegated. After being out of the Süper Lig for 12 years the ...
(fourth in the
Süper Lig The Süper Lig (, ''Super League''), also known as Trendyol Süper Lig for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Turkey and the highest level of the Turkish football league system. In the 2023–2024 season, twen ...
) and
Lokomotiv Sofia FC Lokomotiv Sofia () is a Bulgarian professional association football club based in Sofia, which currently plays in the First League, the top tier of Bulgarian football. Founded as Railway Sports Club in 1929, and refounded in 2015, following ...
(fifth in the
Bulgarian First League The First Professional Football League (), commonly known as Parva Liga or Bulgarian First League (currently known as the efbet League for sponsorship reasons), is a professional association football league in Bulgaria and the highest level of t ...
) were in Constanța's group. The team had one victory (2–1 against Lokomotiv Sofia), one draw (2–2 against Eskişehirspor) and two defeats (1–2 and 0–1 against Eskişehirspor and Lokomotiv), both in away matches. Between 1974 and 1988 FC Constanța had uneven results, bouncing between the first and the second leagues and far from their results in the second half of the 1960s and the first half of the 1970s. After two 10th-place finishes in 1974–75 and 1975–76, FC Constanța barely avoided relegation in 1976–77. They were relegated at the end of the following season after finishing 16th out of 18 teams. Back in Divizia B after 16 years, Constanța finished fourth in the first season and second at the end of 1979–80, far behind leader
Brașov Brașov (, , ; , also ''Brasau''; ; ; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Kruhnen'') is a city in Transylvania, Romania and the county seat (i.e. administrative centre) of Brașov County. According to the 2021 Romanian census, ...
. The Sailors were promoted to the first league at the end of the 1980–81 season. The team, led by Emanoil Hașoti and his assistant Petre Comăniță, included Costaș, Stancu, Borali, Antonescu, Nistor, Caramalău, Turcu, Purcărea, Gache, Drogeanu, Livciuc, Ancuța, Buduru, Peniu, Mărculescu, Petcu, I. Moldovan, and Ștefanovici. However, another poor season followed, ending with a 14th-place finish in the 1981–82 Divizia A and relegation at the end of the 1982–83 season. Four
Divizia B The Liga 2, most commonly spelled as Liga II, is the second level of the Romanian football league system. The league changed its name from Divizia B just before the start of the 2006–07 football season. It is currently sponsored by Casa Pariu ...
seasons followed with mediocre results: fifth in 1983–84 and fourth in 1984–85, 1985–86 and 1986–87. The club was promoted to
Divizia A Liga I (; ''First League''), also spelled as Liga 1 and officially known as SuperLiga for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Romania and the highest level of the Romanian football league system. Contested by 1 ...
at the end of the 1987–88 season, and was renamed Farul Constanța during the summer of 1988. Despite weaker results, the team contributed
Gheorghe Hagi Gheorghe Hagi (; born 5 February 1965) is a Romanian professional football manager and former player, who is currently the owner of Liga I club Farul Constanța. Deployed as an attacking midfielder, Hagi was considered one of the best players in ...
, Constantin Gache,
Ștefan Petcu Ștefan Petcu (born 17 March 1957) is a Romanian retired Football (soccer), footballer, who most notably played for FC Constanţa, Farul Constanţa and FC Steaua București, Steaua București. On 25 March 2008 he was decorated by the president of ...
, Ion Moldovan, and others to Romanian football.


From UEFA Intertoto to Divizia B (1988–2001)

The late 1980s and early 1990s found Farul in Divizia A with unimpressive results: ninth place in 1988–89, 10th in 1989–90 and 1990–91, 13th in 1991–92, ninth in 1992–93 and sixth in 1993–94. Although the team finished 11th in the 1994–95 season, Farul made its debut in the
1995 UEFA Intertoto Cup The 1995 UEFA Intertoto Cup was the first edition of the tournament administered by the UEFA. It saw Strasbourg and Bordeaux win their semi-finals to advance to the first round of the UEFA Cup, the latter eventually finishing runners-up. It also ...
. Its five-team group also consisted of
Cannes Cannes (, ; , ; ) is a city located on the French Riviera. It is a communes of France, commune located in the Alpes-Maritimes departments of France, department, and host city of the annual Cannes Film Festival, Midem, and Cannes Lions Internatio ...
(ninth place in
Ligue 1 Ligue 1 (; ), officially known as Ligue 1 McDonald's France, McDonald's for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in France and the highest level of the French football league system. Administered by the Ligue de ...
), Dnepr Mogilev (fifth in the
Belarusian Premier League The Belarusian Premier League (, ''Vyšejšaja Liha'' or ''Vysheyshaya Liga''; ; "Top League"), also called the BETERA Premier League for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Belarus and the highest level of the B ...
),
Bečej Bečej (, ; , ) is a town and municipality located in the South Bačka District of the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. The town has a population of 19,492, while the municipality has 30,681 inhabitants. History Bečej was mentioned f ...
(fourth in the
First League of Serbia and Montenegro The First League of Serbia and Montenegro () was the top Association football, football league of Serbia and Montenegro, before the country's dissolution in 2006. The league was formed as the First League of FR Yugoslavia following the breakup of ...
) and
Pogoń Szczecin Pogoń Szczecin Spółka Akcyjna, commonly referred to as Pogoń Szczecin (), is a Polish professional football club based in Szczecin, West Pomeranian Voivodeship, which plays in the Ekstraklasa, the top tier of the national football league s ...
(eighth in the
Ekstraklasa (; meaning "Extra Class" in Polish), officially known as PKO Bank Polski Ekstraklasa due to its Sponsor (commercial), sponsorship by PKO Bank Polski, is a professional association football league in Poland and the highest level of the Polish foo ...
). Farul unexpectedly won the group with three victories, one draw and no defeats. The next draw brought Farul
Heerenveen Heerenveen (, ) is a town and Municipalities of the Netherlands, municipality in the Provinces of the Netherlands, province of Friesland (Fryslân), in the Northern Netherlands. In 2021, the town had a population of 29,790 (1 January) while the m ...
, ninth in the
Eredivisie The Eredivisie (; "Honour Division" or "Premier Division") is a professional association football league in the Netherlands and the highest level of the Dutch football league system. The league was founded in 1956, two years after the start o ...
the previous season. The match was played in the Netherlands on 29 July 1995 at the 20,000-seat
Abe Lenstra Stadion Abe Lenstra Stadion () is a association football, football stadium, located in Heerenveen, Netherlands. It is currently used mostly as a home ground for Eredivisie club SC Heerenveen, Heerenveen. The current capacity is 27,224. Naming The stad ...
before 5,000 spectators. It was dominated by the Dutch side, which included a young
Jon Dahl Tomasson Jon Dahl Tomasson (; born 29 August 1976) is a Danish football manager and former player. He is the current manager of the Sweden national team. A forward, his most notable run of football came in his first stint at Feyenoord, with whom he wo ...
. Farul coach Florin Marin fielded Cristian MunteanuStelian Carabaș, Daniel Ghișan, Marian Dinu (C), Mihai Matei,
Ștefan Nanu Ștefan Dumitru Nanu (born 8 September 1968 in Filiași) is a Romanian former footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association footbal ...
Gheorghe Barbu, Dănuţ Moisescu, Gheorghe CiureaMugurel Cornățeanu, and Laurențiu Zadea. In the 19-minute Erik Regtop opened the score in the 19th minute, and increased it 16 minutes later. After the break,
Jon Dahl Tomasson Jon Dahl Tomasson (; born 29 August 1976) is a Danish football manager and former player. He is the current manager of the Sweden national team. A forward, his most notable run of football came in his first stint at Feyenoord, with whom he wo ...
(48') and Romeo Wounden (71') made the final score 4–0. The Sailors continued their good form the following season into the Romanian Cup, where they were eliminated in the quarter-finals. After the UEFA Intertoto Cup, Farul returned to its middle-table results: eighth in 1995–96, 10th in 1996–97, and 12th in 1997–98 and 1998–99. The most notable performance of these seasons was the 1,000th match played by Farul in the top flight of the Romanian football during the 1998–99 season. Financial problems and lack of local municipal interest left their mark on the team in 1999–2000, after which the Sharks were relegated to Divizia B. Before the last match, the Sailors were in 13th position; they then lost 1–2 against
FC Onești FC may refer to: Businesses, organisations, and schools * Fergusson College, a science and arts college in Pune, India * Finncomm Airlines (IATA code) * FranklinCovey company, NYSE stock symbol FC * Frontier Corps, a paramilitary force in Pakis ...
and finished 15th, relegated after 12 years on the first stage of Romanian football. Motivated to return to the first stage, the ''Constănțenii'' and Sportul Studențesc dominated Divizia B and finished the 2000–01 season in second place with 74 points. This assured them a promotion-relegation play-off against
FCM Bacău Asociația Sportivă a Suporterilor FCM 1950 Bacău (also known as ASS FCM 1950 Bacău, FCM 1950 Bacău or FCM Bacău) was a Romanian association football, football football team, club based in Bacău, Bacău County, Moldavia. Founded in 1950 a ...
, 14th in Divizia A. The two clubs shared victories, (2–1 and 1–2), and Farul was promoted after penalty shoot-outs. The return TO the top flight was also marked by the beginning of the ownersHIP era at Constanța. iN the
Socialist Republic of Romania The Socialist Republic of Romania (, RSR) was a Marxism–Leninism, Marxist–Leninist One-party state, one-party socialist state that existed officially in Romania from 1947 to 1989 (see Revolutions of 1989). From 1947 to 1965, the state was ...
, all football clubs were publicly owned. After the
Romanian Revolution The Romanian revolution () was a period of violent Civil disorder, civil unrest in Socialist Republic of Romania, Romania during December 1989 as a part of the revolutions of 1989 that occurred in several countries around the world, primarily ...
, some clubs were publicly owned and others were privately owned. During the 1990s and early 2000s, most Romanian football clubs were owned by single individuals. Gheorghe Bosânceanu, owner of the
Constanța Shipyard Constanța Shipyard () is the largest shipyard in Romania and one of the largest in Europe having a market share of 20% in the Black Sea basin. The shipyard has two drydocks, one used for the construction of ships up to , and the second one us ...
, bought Farul.


Decline into bankruptcy (2001–2016)

Despite being in a better financial situation, the Sailors finished 14th in the 2001–02 season and had to play a promotion-relegation playoff. Farul met
FC Baia Mare Minaur Baia Mare, known also as ''Minerul Baia Mare'', is a Romanian football club, based in Baia Mare, Maramureș County, northern Romania, founded in 1947. It currently plays in Romania's third division, Liga III. It played for seven seasons ...
and defeated them 1–0 in Constanța. A 0–0 draw at
Baia Mare Baia Mare ( , ; ; ; ) is a Municipiu, city along the Săsar, Săsar River, in northwestern Romania; it is the capital of Maramureș County. The city lies in the region of Maramureș, a subregion of Transylvania. It is situated about from Buchare ...
meant that the white-and-blues remained in Divizia A. The club finished 10th in 2002–03, ninth in 2003–04 and fifth in 2004–05, behind Steaua București,
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 ...
,
Rapid București Rapid(s) or RAPID may refer to: Hydrological features * Rapids, sections of a river with turbulent water flow * Rapid Creek (Iowa River tributary), Iowa, United States * Rapid Creek (South Dakota), United States, namesake of Rapid City Sport ...
and Național București. That season, the Sharks played in the
Cupa României The Cupa României () 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. It is the Romania ...
final. The 67th final of the Cupa României was played at
Cotroceni Stadium The Cotroceni Stadium is a football stadium in Bucharest, Romania. It holds 14,542 people. The venue was the home ground of Progresul București. The stadium was built in 1995, being the first stadium built, after the fall of Communism in Rom ...
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 ...
before 15,000 spectators, about 6,000 of whom were from Constanța. The referee was Laurent Duhamel of France, and
Petre Grigoraș Petre Grigoraș (born 15 November 1964, in Poduri, Bacău County, Bacău) is a Romanian football (soccer), football manager and former player. He is known as "Petre Grigoraș, cel mai tare din oraș" ("Petre Grigoraș, best man of the city"), as ...
fielded George Curcă (C) – Răzvan Farmache, Ion Barbu, Cristian Șchiopu,
Cosmin Pașcovici Cosmin Mihai Pașcovici (born 12 April 1978) is a Romanian retired footballer who played as a defender. Club career Cosmin Pașcovici was born on 12 April 1978 in Suceava, Romania, starting to play football in 1997 at Rocar București in Di ...
( Mihai Baicu in the 75th minute) – Florin Lungu, Adrian Senin, Dinu Todoran ( Laurențiu Florea in the 85th minute)
Mihai Guriță Mihai Guriță (born 1 February 1973) is a Romanian former footballer who played as a striker for teams such as: Bucovina Suceava, Foresta Fălticeni Foresta Fălticeni (also known as ''Foresta Suceava'') was a Romanian professional footb ...
,
Vasilică Cristocea Vasilică Cristocea (born 27 July 1980) is a Romanian former football player who played as a midfielder. He made 249 appearances in Liga I. Career Cristocea made his debut playing for Carsium Hârşova's youth teams, before joining Farul Const ...
(
Iulian Apostol Iulian Cătălin Apostol, (born 3 December 1980 in Galaţi) is a former Romanian footballer. Club career On 31 August 2010 he signed a contract with Steaua București alongside teammates from Unirea Urziceni Fotbal Club Unirea Urziceni, c ...
in the 10th minute) –
Liviu Mihai Liviu Mihai (born 17 May 1977) is a retired Romanian professional Association football, football player who played as a Forward (association football), striker mainly for Liga I side FCV Farul Constanța, Farul Constanța. References Externa ...
. Dinamo won, 1–0, on a goal by Ștefan Grigorie in the sixth minute. Farul continued its good form during the next season, when it reached the semi-finals of the Romanian Cup before it was eliminated by Național București 2–4 on aggregate. The Sailors finished seventh in Divizia A and played in the
2006 UEFA Intertoto Cup The 2006 UEFA Intertoto Cup was the first edition after a major change of the competition format. There were only three rounds instead of five, and eleven tournament co-winners qualified for the second qualifying round of the UEFA Cup (instead of ...
, where they eliminated Pobeda 4–2 on aggregate and
Lokomotiv Plovdiv PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv (), commonly known as Loko Plovdiv, is a Bulgarian professional association football club based in Plovdiv. Lokomotiv's home ground is the Stadion Lokomotiv (Plovdiv), Lokomotiv Stadium which is situated in Lauta Park and ha ...
3–2 on aggregate. In the cup final, Farul met
Auxerre Auxerre ( , , Burgundian language (Oïl), Burgundian: ''Auchoirre'') is the capital (Prefectures in France, prefecture) of the Yonne Departments of France, department and the fourth-largest city in the Burgundy historical region southeast of Par ...
(sixth in
Ligue 1 Ligue 1 (; ), officially known as Ligue 1 McDonald's France, McDonald's for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in France and the highest level of the French football league system. Administered by the Ligue de ...
). The French team participated in the competition due to the withdrawal of the Italian
Palermo Palermo ( ; ; , locally also or ) is a city in southern Italy, the capital (political), capital of both the autonomous area, autonomous region of Sicily and the Metropolitan City of Palermo, the city's surrounding metropolitan province. The ...
side because of the
2006 Italian football scandal ''Calciopoli'' () was a sports scandal in Italy's top professional association football league Serie A, and to a lesser extent, Serie B. The scandal centered on the manipulation of referee appointments to favor certain clubs during the 2004-0 ...
. Farul lost 2–4 on aggregate, and missed its first chance to participate in the
UEFA Cup The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , , "little star", is a Typography, typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a star (heraldry), heraldic star. Computer scientists and Mathematici ...
. That season, despite over
The euro sign () is the currency sign used for the euro, the official currency of the eurozone. The design was presented to the public by the European Commission on 12 December 1996. It consists of a stylized letter E (or epsilon), crossed by t ...
2 million promised by owner Gheorghe Bosânceanu, after the Auxerre match, Farul remained at the bottom of the rankings for the whole season and ended 2006–07 in 14th place. The 2007–08 season is considered one of
Liga I Liga I (; ''First League''), also spelled as Liga 1 and officially known as SuperLiga for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Romania and the highest level of the Romanian football league system. Contested by 1 ...
's best post-Revolution seasons, but Farul fared poorly. The ''constănțenii'' were last in the league for three weeks before saving themselves from relegation and finishing 13th. The next season continued the decline and, after almost 10 years in the top flight, Farul was again relegated to the second league. The Sharks' last match in the first division was an 0–6 loss to
Otopeni Otopeni () is a town in Ilfov County, Muntenia, Romania, neighbouring the north of Bucharest along the DN1 road to Ploiești. It has 21,750 inhabitants, of which 99.0% are ethnic Romanians. One village, Odăile, is administered by the city. H ...
. The relegation inspired eight-year owner Gheorghe Bosânceanu to sell the club to former Rocar București and Știința Bacău owner Giani Nedelcu; both clubs went bankrupt under his tenure. In 2009–10, Farul finished in eighth place. The next season was full of emotion, with the club receiving its
Liga II The Liga 2, most commonly spelled as Liga II, is the second level of the Romanian football league system. The league changed its name from Divizia B just before the start of the 2006–07 Liga II, 2006–07 football season. It is currently Sponso ...
license late because of growing financial problems and finishing 13th. The Sharks finished eighth in 2011–12, far from promotion.
Liga III The Liga 3, most often spelled as Liga III, is the third level of the Romanian football league system. It was founded in 1936 and was called Divizia C until 2006. An exception was the seasons 1992–93 to 1996–97, in which the league was call ...
began to feel possible during the 2012–13 season.
FCM Bacău Asociația Sportivă a Suporterilor FCM 1950 Bacău (also known as ASS FCM 1950 Bacău, FCM 1950 Bacău or FCM Bacău) was a Romanian association football, football football team, club based in Bacău, Bacău County, Moldavia. Founded in 1950 a ...
, Astra II Giurgiu and Callatis Mangalia withdrew from Liga II, and Dinamo II București and Chindia Târgoviște were relegated; Farul barely escaped. In 2013–14,
Liga II The Liga 2, most commonly spelled as Liga II, is the second level of the Romanian football league system. The league changed its name from Divizia B just before the start of the 2006–07 Liga II, 2006–07 football season. It is currently Sponso ...
changed its format to a play-off / play-out system; the Sailors finished the regular season in 11th place, in the play-out zone, but again eluded relegation. Farul again played in the 2014–15 play-out, where it finished fourth and was saved from relegation. In 2015–16, Farul finished the regular season in fourth place and entered the play-off group. The Sharks earned 29 points and finished fifth, giving supporters hope. However, Farul withdrew from the second league amid growing financial problems before the start of the 2016–17 season. Although Nedelcu hoped to a license for the third league, the FRF Licensing Commission refused because of the threat of bankruptcy. Farul Constanța was declared bankrupt on 22 September 2016, after 67 years representing the city of Constanța in
Liga I Liga I (; ''First League''), also spelled as Liga 1 and officially known as SuperLiga for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Romania and the highest level of the Romanian football league system. Contested by 1 ...
,
Liga II The Liga 2, most commonly spelled as Liga II, is the second level of the Romanian football league system. The league changed its name from Divizia B just before the start of the 2006–07 Liga II, 2006–07 football season. It is currently Sponso ...
, the
Cupa României The Cupa României () 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. It is the Romania ...
, the
UEFA Intertoto Cup The UEFA Intertoto Cup (from , "between" and , " betting pool"),Most precisely, from ( football pool); cf. originally called the International Football Cup, was a summer football competition between European clubs. The competition was dis ...
and the
Balkans Cup The Balkans Cup was an international football competition for clubs from Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Turkey, and Yugoslavia. It was introduced in 1961 and was very popular in the 1960s (the 1967 final attracted 42,000 spectators), being ...
.


Rebirth, merger with Viitorul and return of Hagi (2016–present)

When it became clear that bankruptcy was unavoidable, a group of Farul supporters organized as the Farul Supporters Association and moved quickly to continue the tradition of Farul Constanța. They founded Supporter Spirit Club Farul Constanța on 8 August 2016 to assure Farul's football continuity and avoid missed seasons. The new club retained Farul's white-and-blue colors and adopted its old logo with Constanța's lighthouse, the
Black Sea The Black Sea is a marginal sea, marginal Mediterranean sea (oceanography), mediterranean sea lying between Europe and Asia, east of the Balkans, south of the East European Plain, west of the Caucasus, and north of Anatolia. It is bound ...
and a seagull in flight. The team was enrolled in the
Constanța County Constanța () is a Counties of Romania, county (județ) of Romania on the Bulgaria–Romania border, border with Bulgaria, in the Dobruja region. Its capital city is also named Constanța. Demographics In 2021, it had a population of 655,997 ...
series of
Liga IV Liga IV is the fourth level of the Romanian football league system and is run in all 41 counties and in the Municipality of Bucharest. It was known as the Regional Championship, County Championship, Divizia C – County Phase and Divizia D. Its ...
in time for the 2016–17 season. Farul won their
series Series may refer to: People with the name * Caroline Series (born 1951), English mathematician, daughter of George Series * George Series (1920–1995), English physicist Arts, entertainment, and media Music * Series, the ordered sets used i ...
, recording 32 victories in 34 games and scored 135 goals while allowing 14. The Sailors then won the
promotion play-off Promotion may refer to: Marketing * Promotion (marketing), one of the four marketing mix elements, comprising any type of marketing communication used to inform or persuade target audiences of the relative merits of a product, service, brand or i ...
8–2 on aggregate against
Tulcea County Tulcea County () is a county (județ) of Romania, in the historical region Dobruja, with the capital city at Tulcea. It includes in its northeast corner the large and thinly-populated estuary of the Danube. Demographics In 2021, Tulcea Coun ...
champions Pescărușul Sarichioi, and were promoted to
Liga III The Liga 3, most often spelled as Liga III, is the third level of the Romanian football league system. It was founded in 1936 and was called Divizia C until 2006. An exception was the seasons 1992–93 to 1996–97, in which the league was call ...
. In the summer of 2017,
Petre Grigoraș Petre Grigoraș (born 15 November 1964, in Poduri, Bacău County, Bacău) is a Romanian football (soccer), football manager and former player. He is known as "Petre Grigoraș, cel mai tare din oraș" ("Petre Grigoraș, best man of the city"), as ...
was named the new coach and important players were transferred. Farul was promoted at the end of the 2017–18 season after a tough fight against Progresul Spartac București, with whom they were tied until the season's final matches. In the summer of 2018, former Romanian international footballer
Ciprian Marica Ciprian Andrei Marica (; born 2 October 1985) is a Romanian former professional footballer who played as a centre forward. He is a minority shareholder of Farul Constanța. Club career Dinamo București Marica's first professional club team w ...
bought the Farul Constanța brand for €49,150 (228,892
RON Ron is a shortening of the name Ronald. Ron or RON may also refer to: Arts and media * Big Ron (''EastEnders''), a TV character * Ron (''King of Fighters''), a video game character *Ron Douglas, the protagonist in '' Lucky Stiff'' played by Joe ...
). The move sparked a brief conflict between Marica and Farul supporters, despite Marica's claim to have attempted a dialogue with SSC Farul's leadership; Marica formed a new team, FC Farul Constanța, and enrolled it in Liga IV. Marica and the supporters reached an agreement, with the ex-footballer announcing that he would take over SSC Farul; the Liga IV team would be the club's reserve team, and the brand would be transferred to the Liga II side. Marica announced his plans for the club in his first press conference as Farul's owner, including promotion back to
Liga I Liga I (; ''First League''), also spelled as Liga 1 and officially known as SuperLiga for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Romania and the highest level of the Romanian football league system. Contested by 1 ...
by 2020 and slowly building a team for the European competitions and league title.
Gheorghe Hagi Gheorghe Hagi (; born 5 February 1965) is a Romanian professional football manager and former player, who is currently the owner of Liga I club Farul Constanța. Deployed as an attacking midfielder, Hagi was considered one of the best players in ...
(owner and founder of Viitorul Constanța), Viitorul chair Gheorghe Popescu, and Marica announced at a 21 June 2021 press conference that their teams had merged. The club which would continue in
Liga I Liga I (; ''First League''), also spelled as Liga 1 and officially known as SuperLiga for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Romania and the highest level of the Romanian football league system. Contested by 1 ...
would be Farul, and Viitorul virtually disappeared in the merger. Farul would play its home matches at Viitorul Stadium, since the old Farul Stadium would be undergoing renovation. Farul topped the 2022–23 SuperLiga standings, one point above reigning champions
CFR Cluj Fotbal Club CFR 1907 Cluj, commonly known as CFR Cluj ( or ) or simply CFR, is a Romanian professional association football, football club based in the city of Cluj-Napoca, Cluj County, that competes in the Liga I. Founded as ''Kolozsvári Vasut ...
. The club's march towards their first league title experienced a setback after a 1–2 defeat loss to
FCSB Fotbal Club FCSB (), formerly named and still sometimes referred to as FC Steaua București, is a Romanian professional football club based in Bucharest. It has spent its entire history in the Liga I, the top flight of the Romanian football le ...
on match day four, reducing the gap between the teams to two points. A 1–0 victory by CFR ended Cluj's five-championship run, turning the league into a two-horse race between Farul and FCSB. Farul had further setbacks after 1–1 draws with Sepsi OSK and Universitatea Craiova, despite a record 7–2 win over
Rapid București Rapid(s) or RAPID may refer to: Hydrological features * Rapids, sections of a river with turbulent water flow * Rapid Creek (Iowa River tributary), Iowa, United States * Rapid Creek (South Dakota), United States, namesake of Rapid City Sport ...
between them, closing the gap between Farul and FCSB to one point. Farul won their first league title with a 3–2 win against FCSB, coming back from 0–2.


Youth program

As the senior teams of Farul and Viitorul merged in 2021, the Farul Constanța Academy subsequently merged with
Gheorghe Hagi Football Academy The Gheorghe Hagi Football Academy () is a football youth academy based in Ovidiu, Constanța County, which serves as the primary youth clinic of Romanian club Farul Constanța. Until 2021, it was the primary youth clinic of Viitorul Constanța ...
. Young players aged between 8 and 13 are now part of Gheorghe Hagi Academy, while players over 13 are part of Farul Constanța Academy. Viitorul's academy was well known for developing young players in Romania and having some of the best facilities in the country.


Grounds

The club used to play its home matches on
Stadionul Farul Stadionul Gheorghe Hagi (formerly known as the Stadionul Farul) was a multi-purpose stadium in Constanța, which, since its construction in 1954, was the home of the football club Farul Constanța. The stadium was closed in 2022 and demolished i ...
in
Constanța Constanța (, , ) is a city in the Dobruja Historical regions of Romania, historical region of Romania. A port city, it is the capital of Constanța County and the country's Cities in Romania, fourth largest city and principal port on the Black ...
. Originally known as ''Stadionul 1 Mai'', the stadium was opened in 1955 and had the shape of the letter "U", but subsequently it was expanded with another stand, finally reaching the capacity of 15,520 seats. After the bankruptcy of the club in 2016, the new entity has encountered administrative problems that have prevented the team from playing on the stadium for more than a year and a half. SSC Farul played from 2016 until 14 April 2018 on Stadionul Sparta, from Techirghiol, with a capacity of 1,000 people. Stadionul Farul reached an advanced condition of degradation due to lack of activity, and had to be cleaned and restored as functional by Farul supporters through several volunteer campaigns. In 1970, Stadionul Farul became the first stadium in Romania to have floodlights installed. On 21 June 2021, as the merge between Farul and Viitorul was announced, it was also mentioned that Farul will play its home matches on Viitorul Stadium, due to Farul Stadium's advanced state of degradation.


Support

Farul has many supporters in the
Dobruja Dobruja or Dobrudja (; or ''Dobrudža''; , or ; ; Dobrujan Tatar: ''Tomrîğa''; Ukrainian language, Ukrainian and ) is a Geography, geographical and historical region in Southeastern Europe that has been divided since the 19th century betw ...
region, and especially in
Constanța Constanța (, , ) is a city in the Dobruja Historical regions of Romania, historical region of Romania. A port city, it is the capital of Constanța County and the country's Cities in Romania, fourth largest city and principal port on the Black ...
. Farul supporters are organized in the Farul Supporters Association, and this organization brought the club back to life in 2016 after the bankruptcy of the old entity. The first ultras group, entitled "Ultras Farul '92", appeared in 1992. They were followed in 1996 by "Legiunea Marină", and over time by several other groups, such as: "Aria Ultra'", "Baricada", "Fervent" or "Alcoholics".


Rivalries

The traditional rivals of "the Sailors" are
Rapid București Rapid(s) or RAPID may refer to: Hydrological features * Rapids, sections of a river with turbulent water flow * Rapid Creek (Iowa River tributary), Iowa, United States * Rapid Creek (South Dakota), United States, namesake of Rapid City Sport ...
and
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 ...
. Farul also has some local rivalries against teams from nearby cities, such as
CS Năvodari Clubul Sportiv Năvodari, commonly known as CS Năvodari, or simply as Năvodari, is a Romanian amateur football (soccer), football football team, club based in Năvodari, Constanța County founded in 1993 under the name of ''Midia Năvodari'' a ...
, Săgeata Năvodari or
Delta Tulcea Fotbal Club Delta Tulcea, commonly known as Delta Tulcea, is a football club from Tulcea, Romania, originally founded in 1973, then refounded in 2005, 2013, and 2021. The club did not enroll in the 2024/25 Liga IV, and last played in the 2023� ...
. However, these are of low intensity.


Milestones

* 1949: Year of establishment after the merger of Dezrobirea and PCA (Porturi Comunicații Ape). * 1955: First match in
Divizia A Liga I (; ''First League''), also spelled as Liga 1 and officially known as SuperLiga for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Romania and the highest level of the Romanian football league system. Contested by 1 ...
:
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 ...
4–1 Farul Constanța * 1955: Opening of Farul Stadium. * 1966: Balkans Cup Final:
Rapid București Rapid(s) or RAPID may refer to: Hydrological features * Rapids, sections of a river with turbulent water flow * Rapid Creek (Iowa River tributary), Iowa, United States * Rapid Creek (South Dakota), United States, namesake of Rapid City Sport ...
 – Farul Constanța 3–3, 2–0 * 1995: First participation in the
UEFA Intertoto Cup The UEFA Intertoto Cup (from , "between" and , " betting pool"),Most precisely, from ( football pool); cf. originally called the International Football Cup, was a summer football competition between European clubs. The competition was dis ...
* 1999: 1000th match in the Divizia A:
Foresta Fălticeni Foresta Fălticeni (also known as ''Foresta Suceava'') was a Romanian professional football club from Fălticeni, Suceava County, Romania, founded in 1954 as ''Avântul Fălticeni'' and subsequently dissolved in 2003. History The club was fo ...
2–0 Farul Constanța * 2005: 2005 Cupa României Final:
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 ...
1–0 Farul Constanța * 2006:
UEFA Intertoto Cup The UEFA Intertoto Cup (from , "between" and , " betting pool"),Most precisely, from ( football pool); cf. originally called the International Football Cup, was a summer football competition between European clubs. The competition was dis ...
Third round:
Auxerre Auxerre ( , , Burgundian language (Oïl), Burgundian: ''Auchoirre'') is the capital (Prefectures in France, prefecture) of the Yonne Departments of France, department and the fourth-largest city in the Burgundy historical region southeast of Par ...
 – Farul Constanța 4–1, 0–1 * 2021: Fusion with
FC Viitorul Constanța Fotbal Club Viitorul Constanța (), commonly known as Viitorul Constanța or simply Viitorul, was a Romanian professional football club based in Ovidiu, Constanța County. They last played their home matches in blue and black kits at the Stadio ...
* 2023: First Liga I title won


Honours

*


Domestic


Leagues

*
Liga I Liga I (; ''First League''), also spelled as Liga 1 and officially known as SuperLiga for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Romania and the highest level of the Romanian football league system. Contested by 1 ...
** Winners (1): 2022–23 * Divizia B / Liga II ** Winners (5):
1954 Events January * January 3 – The Italian broadcaster RAI officially begins transmitting. * January 7 – Georgetown–IBM experiment: The first public demonstration of a machine translation system is held in New York, at the head ...
, 1957–58, 1961–62, 1980–81, 1987–88 ** Runners-up (2): 1979–80, 2000–01 *
Liga III The Liga 3, most often spelled as Liga III, is the third level of the Romanian football league system. It was founded in 1936 and was called Divizia C until 2006. An exception was the seasons 1992–93 to 1996–97, in which the league was call ...
** Winners (1): 2017–18 *
Liga IV Liga IV is the fourth level of the Romanian football league system and is run in all 41 counties and in the Municipality of Bucharest. It was known as the Regional Championship, County Championship, Divizia C – County Phase and Divizia D. Its ...
Constanța County Constanța () is a Counties of Romania, county (județ) of Romania on the Bulgaria–Romania border, border with Bulgaria, in the Dobruja region. Its capital city is also named Constanța. Demographics In 2021, it had a population of 655,997 ...
** Winners (1): 2016–17


Cups

*
Cupa României The Cupa României () 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. It is the Romania ...
** Runners-up (1): 2004–05 *
Supercupa României The Supercupa României () is a Romanian football (soccer), 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 Supe ...
** Runners-up (1):
2023 Catastrophic natural disasters in 2023 included the Lists of 21st-century earthquakes, 5th-deadliest earthquake of the 21st century 2023 Turkey–Syria earthquakes, striking Turkey and Syria, leaving up to 62,000 people dead; Cyclone Freddy ...


European

*
UEFA Intertoto Cup The UEFA Intertoto Cup (from , "between" and , " betting pool"),Most precisely, from ( football pool); cf. originally called the International Football Cup, was a summer football competition between European clubs. The competition was dis ...
** Runners-up (1):
2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...
** Round of 16 (1):
1995 1995 was designated as: * United Nations Year for Tolerance * World Year of Peoples' Commemoration of the Victims of the Second World War This was the first year that the Internet was entirely privatized, with the United States government ...
*
Balkans Cup The Balkans Cup was an international football competition for clubs from Albania, Bulgaria, Greece, Romania, Turkey, and Yugoslavia. It was introduced in 1961 and was very popular in the 1960s (the 1967 final attracted 42,000 spectators), being ...
** Runners-up (1): 1964–66


Players


First-team squad


Out on loan


Club officials


Board of directors

* Last updated: 3 September 2024 * Source
Board of Directors
/small>


Current technical staff

* Last updated: 5 June 2025 * Source
Technical staff
/small> * Source
Medical staff
/small>


European record


UEFA Champions League

* 1QR: First qualifying round * 2QR: Second qualifying round * 3QR: Third qualifying round * PO: Play-off round


UEFA Europa Conference League


UEFA Intertoto Cup

* 1R: First round * 2R: Second round * 3R: Third round * R16: Round of 16


League history


Notable players

The footballers enlisted below have had international cap(s) for their respective countries at junior and/or senior level and/or more than 100 caps for FCV Farul Constanța. ;Romania * Marcel Abăluță * Marian Aioani *
Marian Aliuță Marian Aliuță (born 3 February 1978) is a Romanian retired footballer who played as midfielder. Career Aliuță started to play football at Steaua București and as soon as he reached the age of 18 is loaned to Steaua Mizil and then to Chi ...
* Dumitru Antonescu *
Iulian Apostol Iulian Cătălin Apostol, (born 3 December 1980 in Galaţi) is a former Romanian footballer. Club career On 31 August 2010 he signed a contract with Steaua București alongside teammates from Unirea Urziceni Fotbal Club Unirea Urziceni, c ...
* Andrei Artean * Sorin Avram *
Cosmin Băcilă Cosmin Nicolae Băcilă (born 10 September 1983) is a Romanian former professional footballer. On 18 September 2011, Băcilă suffered a broken left tibia and fibula following a tackle by Florin Gardoș in a match between Pandurii and FC Steaua ...
* Ionuț Bădescu * Robert Băjan * Alexandru Bălțoi * Gheorghe Barbu * Ion Barbu *
Tudor Băluță Tudor Cristian Băluță (; born 27 March 1999) is a Romanian professional footballer who plays as a defensive midfielder or a centre-back for I liga club Śląsk Wrocław. Club career Viitorul Constanța Băluță began his career in native Cr ...
* Andrei Borza * Octavian Brânzei * Vasile Brătianu *
Iosif Bükössy Iosif Bükössy (12 August 1936 – 30 October 2006) was a Romanian footballer who played as a Forward (association football), forward. Playing career Iosif Bükössy was born on 12 August 1936 in Mediaș, Romania and he started to play footb ...
* Gheorghe Butoiu * Petre Cădariu * Stelian Carabaș * Dumitru Caraman * Daniel Ciucă * Mugurel Cornățeanu *
Vasilică Cristocea Vasilică Cristocea (born 27 July 1980) is a Romanian former football player who played as a midfielder. He made 249 appearances in Liga I. Career Cristocea made his debut playing for Carsium Hârşova's youth teams, before joining Farul Const ...
* George Curcă * Gheorghe Ciurea ;Romania * Tiberiu Curt * Marian Dinu * Marin Dragnea * Răzvan Farmache * Laurențiu Florea * Mircea Georgescu * Constantin Grameni *
Petre Grigoraș Petre Grigoraș (born 15 November 1964, in Poduri, Bacău County, Bacău) is a Romanian football (soccer), football manager and former player. He is known as "Petre Grigoraș, cel mai tare din oraș" ("Petre Grigoraș, best man of the city"), as ...
*
Mihai Guriță Mihai Guriță (born 1 February 1973) is a Romanian former footballer who played as a striker for teams such as: Bucovina Suceava, Foresta Fălticeni Foresta Fălticeni (also known as ''Foresta Suceava'') was a Romanian professional footb ...
*
Gheorghe Hagi Gheorghe Hagi (; born 5 February 1965) is a Romanian professional football manager and former player, who is currently the owner of Liga I club Farul Constanța. Deployed as an attacking midfielder, Hagi was considered one of the best players in ...
* Sevastian Iovănescu * Tiberiu Kallo * Constantin Koszka * Florin Lungu * Vasile Mănăilă * Cosmin Matei *
Alexandru Mățel Alexandru Mățel (born 17 October 1989) is a Romanian former professional footballer who played mainly as a right back and currently the chief scout of Liga I club Farul Constanța. Club career Early career and Astra He began his caree ...
* Ion Mateescu *
Liviu Mihai Liviu Mihai (born 17 May 1977) is a retired Romanian professional Association football, football player who played as a Forward (association football), striker mainly for Liga I side FCV Farul Constanța, Farul Constanța. References Externa ...
* Dănuț Moisescu * Cristian Munteanu * Louis Munteanu *
Ștefan Nanu Ștefan Dumitru Nanu (born 8 September 1968 in Filiași) is a Romanian former footballer A football player or footballer is a sportsperson who plays one of the different types of football. The main types of football are association footbal ...
* Gheorghe Nițu * Bănică Oprea * Paul Papp ;Romania *
Cosmin Pașcovici Cosmin Mihai Pașcovici (born 12 April 1978) is a Romanian retired footballer who played as a defender. Club career Cosmin Pașcovici was born on 12 April 1978 in Suceava, Romania, starting to play football in 1997 at Rocar București in Di ...
* Florin Pătrașcu *
Ștefan Petcu Ștefan Petcu (born 17 March 1957) is a Romanian retired Football (soccer), footballer, who most notably played for FC Constanţa, Farul Constanţa and FC Steaua București, Steaua București. On 25 March 2008 he was decorated by the president of ...
* Pavel Peniu * Marian Popa * Dumitru Popescu * Alexi Pitu * Aurel Rădulescu * Viorel Sălceanu * Ștefan Sameș *
Mircea Sasu Mircea Sasu (5 October 1939 – 17 October 1983) was a Romanian football striker, who played for Minerul Baia Mare, UT Arad, Dinamo Bucharest, Farul Constanţa in Romania and Fenerbahçe SK in Turkey. He was famous in Turkey Turke ...
* Cristian Șchiopu * Adrian Senin * Dennis Șerban * Marius Soare * Mircea Stan * Mihai Stere * Ioan Tătăran * Dinu Todoran * Gabriel Torje *
Sorin Trofin Ionel Sorin Trofin (born 31 January 1976) is a Romanian footballer who plays as a midfielder and also manages Liga IV club Moinești since 2009. In his career Trofin played in Liga I for: FCM Bacău, Farul Constanţa and Dacia Mioveni. Intern ...
* Marin Tufan * Ion Zare * Ianis Zicu *
Iosif Vigu Iosif Vigu (born 15 May 1946) is a Romanian former footballer who played as a left back. He was also a manager. Club career Vigu was born on 15 May 1946 in Șimian, Bihor, Romania, starting to play football at the junior squads of Crișul Ora ...
*
Ion Voicu Ion Voicu (; October 8, 1923 – February 24, 1997) was a Romanian violinist and orchestral conductor of Romani ethnicity. In 1969 he founded the award-winning Bucharest Chamber Orchestra, which is now conducted by his son Mădălin Voicu. Life ...
;Brazil * Rivaldinho ;Congo * Armel Disney ;Ivory Coast *
Kévin Boli Kévin Gnonher Boli (born 21 June 1991) is a professional footballer who plays as a defender for A-League Men club Macarthur FC. After starting his professional career with Sedan in the French second division, he moved to Belgian side Mo ...
;Liberia * Ben Teekloh ;Martinique * Damien Dussaut ;Nigeria *
Kehinde Fatai Kehinde Abdul Feyi Fatai (born 19 February 1990) is a Nigerian professional footballer who plays as a forward for Greek Super League 2 club AEL. Club career Early career & Romanian Liga I Fatai was in Nigeria with the Anwar-ul-Islam Co ...


Notable coaches

*
Ioan Andone Ioan Andone (; born 15 March 1960) is a Romanian professional football coach and former player. Club career Corvinul Hunedoara Ioan Andone, nicknamed "Fălcosul" was born on 15 March 1960 in Șpălnaca , and when he was 14 years old, he playe ...
* Ion Barbu * Augustin Botescu * Gheorghe Constantin * Wolfgang Frank *
Petre Grigoraș Petre Grigoraș (born 15 November 1964, in Poduri, Bacău County, Bacău) is a Romanian football (soccer), football manager and former player. He is known as "Petre Grigoraș, cel mai tare din oraș" ("Petre Grigoraș, best man of the city"), as ...
*
Gheorghe Hagi Gheorghe Hagi (; born 5 February 1965) is a Romanian professional football manager and former player, who is currently the owner of Liga I club Farul Constanța. Deployed as an attacking midfielder, Hagi was considered one of the best players in ...
* Emanoil Hașoti *
Marin Ion Marin Ion (born 25 March 1955) is a Romanian professional football coach and a former player, currently the head coach of the Romania national under-19 team. Playing career Marin started his football career as a defender with the youth team ...
* Virgil Mărdărescu *
Bazil Marian Bazil Marian (7 November 1922 – 19 January 2008) was a Romanian professional footballer and coach. Club career Bazil Marian nicknamed "Bombardierul" (The Bomber) because of his powerful shots was born on 7 November 1922 in Uioara de Sus, Rom ...
* Florin Marin * Eugen Mladin * Ioan Sdrobiș *
Vasile Simionaș Vasile Simionaș (16 November 1950 – 19 March 2025) was a Romanian professional football manager and football player who played as a midfielder. Club career Simionaș was born on 16 November 1950 in Iași, Romania. At the age of two, his fami ...
*
Mihai Stoichiță Mihai Cristian Stoichiță (born 10 May 1954) is a Romanian Football (soccer), football manager who last coached Liga I side FC Petrolul Ploiești, Petrolul Ploiești. Coaching career Stoichiță joined Steaua București in 1994 as an assistan ...
*
Marius Șumudică Marius Ninel Șumudică (born 4 March 1971) is a Romanian professional football manager and former player. Șumudică played as a striker and started out at Sportul Studențesc in 1989, going on to represent five other teams in his native coun ...
*
Momčilo Vukotić Momčilo "Moca" Vukotić (Serbian Cyrillic: Moмчилo Моца Bукoтић; 2 June 19503 December 2021) was a Serbian football coach and player. He played 14 times for his national team, Yugoslavia, between 1969 and 1974 scoring four goals. I ...


References

Notes Citations


External links

* * *
Club profile
on UEFA's official website
Club profile
on LPF's official website {{DEFAULTSORT:Farul Constanta Football clubs in Constanța County Sport in Constanța Association football clubs established in 1920 Fan-owned football clubs Liga I clubs Liga II clubs Liga III clubs Liga IV clubs 1920 establishments in Romania