FCV Farul Constanța (women)
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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 Club may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media * ''Club'' (magazine) * Club, a ''Yie Ar Kung-Fu'' character * Clubs (suit), a suit of playing cards * Club music * "Club", by Kelsea Ballerini from the album ''kelsea'' Brands and enterprises * ...
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 ...
, the top tier of
Romanian football Football is the most popular sport in Romania.. The Romanian Football Federation ( or FRF), a member of UEFA, is the sport's national governing body. History The pre-war period The Bucharest architect Gheorghe Radu Stănculescu discovered i ...
. ''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 ''Viitorul'' ("The Future") was a daily newspaper published in the Kingdom of Romania, out of Bucharest, as a central organ of the National Liberal Party (PNL). It was formed just months after peasants' revolt of March 1907, being originally li ...
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 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 Yekaterinbu ...
. 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 The 1956 Divizia B was the 17th season of the second tier of the Romanian football league system. The format has been changed back to two series, one of them having 13 teams and the other one 14. At the end of the season the winners of the series ...
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 Football is the most popular sport in Romania.. The Romanian Football Federation ( or FRF), a member of UEFA, is the sport's national governing body. History The pre-war period The Bucharest architect Gheorghe Radu Stănculescu discovered i ...
. 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 Iosif Lengheriu (24 May 1914 – 11 September 1991) was a Romanian footballer and manager. International career Iosif Lengheriu played seven games at international level for Romania, making his debut in a friendly which ended with a 1–0 loss ...
, 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 Octavian Brânzei, Brânzei, Stancu and Vasilescu to mesh with the team, at the end of the 1960–61 Divizia A, 1960–61 season Farul finished 13th and was relegated with FC Politehnica Iași (1945), CSMS Iași and FC Corvinul Hunedoara, 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 Divizia A, 1962–63 season, the offensive trio of Iosif Bükössy, Bükössy-Ciosescu-Constantin Dinulescu, 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 Divizia A, 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 FC Minerul Baia Mare, Minerul Baia Mare. In the 1965–66 Divizia A, 1965–66 season, Farul finished ninth out of 14 teams. Their qualification for the 1964–66 Balkans Cup was their first participation in European competitions; on 28 April 1965, Farul drew away with FC Spartak Plovdiv, 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 FK Vardar, Vardar 4–0 in Skopje and 1–0 in a second match. Their meeting with the Greek side Olympiacos F.C., Olympiacos was divided; the Greeks won 1–0 at Piraeus, and Farul won a Walkover, forfeit in Constanța for first place in Group A. The final of the competition was Romanian; Farul met FC Rapid București, Rapid București, but lost on aggregate after a 3–3 draw in Bucharest and a 0–2 loss in Constanța. The team did well in the Cupa României, Romanian Cup, where the Sharks were eliminated in the semi-finals by FC UTA Arad, UTA Arad (2–3). In the 1966–67 Divizia A, 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, Constantin Pleșa, Dumitru Antonescu, Ilie Ologu, Marin Tufan, Constantin Iancu, Tiberiu Kallo, Ion Zamfir, Dumitru Caraman, Iosif Bükössy, 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, Kuwait and Syria.


Between success and mediocrity (1967–1988)

Farul competed in the 1966–67 Balkans Cup, and were drawn in a group against AEK Athens F.C., AEK Athens (third place in the Superleague Greece, Alpha Ethniki), FC Lokomotiv 1929 Sofia, Lokomotiv Sofia (eighth place in the First Professional Football League (Bulgaria), Bulgarian First League) and FK Vardar, Vardar (10th place in the Yugoslav First League). 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 Divizia A, 1967–68 season in seventh place, and again competed in the Balkans Cup. Their opponents were PFC Beroe Stara Zagora, Beroe Stara Zagora (10th place in the First Professional Football League (Bulgaria), Bulgarian First League), KF Vllaznia Shkodër, Vllaznia Shkodër (sixth place in the Albanian Superliga) and Gençlerbirliği S.K., Gençlerbirliği (sixth place in the Süper Lig). Their results were 3–1 and 2–1 against Gençlerbirliği, two 1–2 losses at Shkodër and Stara Zagora, 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 Divizia A, 1968–69 season. This was followed by sixth place in the league and reaching the quarter-finals of the 1969–70 Cupa României, Cupa României in the 1969–70 Divizia A, 1969–70 season. The early 1970s transformed Farul to a regular finisher in the middle of the Divizia A standings: 11th in 1970–71 Divizia A, 1970–71 and 1971–72 Divizia A, 1971–72 and eighth in 1972–73 Divizia A, 1972–73. 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 (fourth in the Süper Lig) and FC Lokomotiv 1929 Sofia, Lokomotiv Sofia (fifth in the First Professional Football League (Bulgaria), Bulgarian First League) 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 Divizia A, 1974–75 and 1975–76 Divizia A, 1975–76, FC Constanța barely avoided relegation in 1976–77 Divizia A, 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 SR Brașov, Brașov. The Sailors were promoted to the first league at the end of the 1980–81 Divizia B, 1980–81 season. The team, led by Emanoil Hașoti and his assistant Petre Comăniță, included Costaș, Stancu, Borali, Dumitru Antonescu, Antonescu, Nistor, Caramalău, Turcu, Purcărea, Gache, Drogeanu, Livciuc, Ancuța, Buduru, Pavel Peniu, Peniu, Mărculescu, Ștefan Petcu, Petcu, Ion Moldovan, I. Moldovan, and Ștefanovici. However, another poor season followed, ending with a 14th-place finish in the 1981–82 Divizia A, 1981–82 Divizia A and relegation at the end of the 1982–83 Divizia A, 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, 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 Divizia A, 1988–89, 10th in 1989–90 Divizia A, 1989–90 and 1990–91 Divizia A, 1990–91, 13th in 1991–92 Divizia A, 1991–92, ninth in 1992–93 Divizia A, 1992–93 and sixth in 1993–94 Divizia A, 1993–94. Although the team finished 11th in the 1994–95 Divizia A, 1994–95 season, Farul made its debut in the 1995 UEFA Intertoto Cup. Its five-team group also consisted of AS Cannes, Cannes (ninth place in Ligue 1), FC Dnepr Mogilev, Dnepr Mogilev (fifth in the Belarusian Premier League), FK Bečej, Bečej (fourth in the First League of Serbia and Montenegro) and Pogoń Szczecin (eighth in the Ekstraklasa). Farul unexpectedly won the group with three victories, one draw and no defeats. The next draw brought Farul SC Heerenveen, Heerenveen, ninth in the Eredivisie the previous season. The match was played in the Netherlands on 29 July 1995 at the 20,000-seat Abe Lenstra Stadion before 5,000 spectators. It was dominated by the Dutch side, which included a young Jon Dahl Tomasson. Farul coach Florin Marin fielded Cristian Munteanu – Stelian Carabaș, Daniel Ghișan, Marian Dinu (C), Mihai Matei, Ștefan Nanu – Gheorghe Barbu (footballer), Gheorghe Barbu, Dănuţ Moisescu, Gheorghe Ciurea – Mugurel 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 (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 Divizia A, 1995–96, 10th in 1996–97 Divizia A, 1996–97, and 12th in 1997–98 Divizia A, 1997–98 and 1998–99 Divizia A, 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 Divizia A, 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 FCM Dinamo Onești, FC Onești and finished 15th, relegated after 12 years on the first stage of Romanian football. Motivated to return to the first stage, the ''Constănțenii'' and FC Sportul Studențesc București, Sportul Studențesc dominated Divizia B and finished the 2000–01 Divizia B, 2000–01 season in second place with 74 points. This assured them a promotion-relegation play-off against FCM Bacău, 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, all football clubs were publicly owned. After the Romanian Revolution, 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, bought Farul.


Decline into bankruptcy (2001–2016)

Despite being in a better financial situation, the Sailors finished 14th in the 2001–02 Divizia A, 2001–02 season and had to play a promotion-relegation playoff. Farul met CS Minaur Baia Mare (football), FC Baia Mare and defeated them 1–0 in Constanța. A 0–0 draw at Baia Mare meant that the white-and-blues remained in Divizia A. The club finished 10th in 2002–03 Divizia A, 2002–03, ninth in 2003–04 Divizia A, 2003–04 and fifth in 2004–05 Divizia A, 2004–05, behind FC Steaua București, 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 ...
, FC Rapid București, Rapid București and AS Progresul București, 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 2005 Cupa României Final, 67th final of the Cupa României was played at Stadionul Cotroceni, Cotroceni Stadium 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 fielded George Curcă (C) – Răzvan Farmache, Ion Barbu (footballer, born 1977), Ion Barbu, Cristian Șchiopu, Cosmin Pașcovici (Mihai Baicu in the 75th minute) – Florin Lungu, Adrian Senin, Dinu Todoran (Laurențiu Florea in the 85th minute) Mihai Guriță, Vasilică Cristocea (Iulian Apostol in the 10th minute) – Liviu Mihai. 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 AS Progresul București, Național București 2–4 on aggregate. The Sailors finished seventh in Divizia A and played in the 2006 UEFA Intertoto Cup, where they eliminated FK Pobeda, Pobeda 4–2 on aggregate and PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv, Lokomotiv Plovdiv 3–2 on aggregate. In the cup final, Farul met AJ Auxerre, Auxerre (sixth in Ligue 1). The French team participated in the competition due to the withdrawal of the Italian U.S. Città di Palermo, Palermo side because of the 2006 Italian football scandal. Farul lost 2–4 on aggregate, and missed its first chance to participate in the UEFA Cup. That season, despite over Euro sign, €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 Liga I, 2006–07 in 14th place. The 2007–08 Liga I, 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 CS Otopeni, Otopeni. The relegation inspired eight-year owner Gheorghe Bosânceanu to sell the club to former AFC Rocar București, Rocar București and FC Știința Bacău, Știința Bacău owner Giani Nedelcu; both clubs went bankrupt under his tenure. In 2009–10 Liga II, 2009–10, Farul finished in eighth place. The next season was full of emotion, with the club receiving its Liga II license late because of growing financial problems and finishing 13th. The Sharks finished eighth in 2011–12 Liga II, 2011–12, far from promotion. Liga III began to feel possible during the 2012–13 Liga II, 2012–13 season. FCM Bacău, CSM Dunărea Giurgiu, Astra II Giurgiu and FC Callatis Mangalia, Callatis Mangalia withdrew from Liga II, and FC Dinamo II București, Dinamo II București and AFC Chindia Târgoviște, Chindia Târgoviște were relegated; Farul barely escaped. In 2013–14 Liga II, 2013–14, Liga II 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 Liga II, 2014–15 play-out, where it finished fourth and was saved from relegation. In 2015–16 Liga II, 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 Liga II, 2016–17 season. Although Nedelcu hoped to a license for the third league, the Romanian Football Federation, 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
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 and the Balkans Cup.


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 in time for the 2016–17 Liga IV#Constanța County, 2016–17 season. Farul won their Liga IV Constanța, series, recording 32 victories in 34 games and scored 135 goals while allowing 14. The Sailors then won the 2016–17 Liga IV#Promotion play-off, promotion play-off 8–2 on aggregate against Tulcea County champions Pescărușul Sarichioi, and were promoted to Liga III. In the summer of 2017, Petre Grigoraș was named the new coach and important players were transferred. Farul was promoted at the end of the 2017–18 Liga III, 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 bought the Farul Constanța brand for €49,150 (228,892 Romanian leu, RON). 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'' ("The Future") was a daily newspaper published in the Kingdom of Romania, out of Bucharest, as a central organ of the National Liberal Party (PNL). It was formed just months after peasants' revolt of March 1907, being originally li ...
), Viitorul chair Gheorghe Popescu (footballer, born 1967), 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. The club's march towards their first league title experienced a setback after a 1–2 defeat loss to FCSB 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 Sfântu Gheorghe, Sepsi OSK and CS Universitatea Craiova, Universitatea Craiova, despite a record 7–2 win over FC Rapid București, Rapid București 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. 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 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 FC Viitorul Constanța, 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 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 FC Rapid București, Rapid București 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, AFC Săgeata Năvodari, Săgeata Năvodari or FC Delta Tulcea, Delta Tulcea. 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: 1964–66 Balkans Cup, Balkans Cup Final: FC Rapid București, Rapid București – Farul Constanța 3–3, 2–0 * 1995: First participation in the UEFA Intertoto Cup * 1999: 1000th match in the Divizia A: Foresta Fălticeni 2–0 Farul Constanța * 2005: 2005 Cupa României final, 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 Third round: AJ Auxerre, Auxerre – Farul Constanța 4–1, 0–1 * 2021: Fusion with FC Viitorul Constanța * 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 SuperLiga, 2022–23 *Liga II, Divizia B / Liga II ** Winners (5): 1954 Divizia B, 1954, 1957–58 Divizia B, 1957–58, 1961–62 Divizia B, 1961–62, 1980–81 Divizia B, 1980–81, 1987–88 Divizia B, 1987–88 ** Runners-up (2): 1979–80 Divizia B, 1979–80, 2000–01 Divizia B, 2000–01 * Liga III ** Winners (1): 2017–18 Liga III, 2017–18 * Liga IV –
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 Liga IV, 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): 2005 Cupa României final, 2004–05 * Supercupa României ** Runners-up (1): 2023 Supercupa României, 2023


European

* UEFA Intertoto Cup ** Runners-up (1): 2006 UEFA Intertoto Cup, 2006 ** Round of 16 (1): 1995 UEFA Intertoto Cup, 1995 * Balkans Cup ** Runners-up (1): 1964–66 Balkans Cup, 1964–66


Players


First-team squad


Other players under contract


Out on loan


Club officials


Board of directors

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


Current technical staff

* Last updated: 17 July 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 * Denis Alibec * Marian Aliuță * Dumitru Antonescu * Iulian Apostol * Andrei Artean * Sorin Avram * Cosmin Băcilă * Ionuț Bădescu * Robert Băjan * Mihai Bălașa * Alexandru Bălțoi * Gheorghe Barbu (footballer), Gheorghe Barbu * Ion Barbu (footballer, born 1977), Ion Barbu * Tudor Băluță * Andrei Borza * Octavian Brânzei * Vasile Brătianu * Iosif Bükössy * Gheorghe Butoiu * Petre Cădariu * Stelian Carabaș * Dumitru Caraman * Daniel Ciucă * Mugurel Cornățeanu * Vasilică Cristocea * George Curcă ;Romania * Gheorghe Ciurea * Tiberiu Curt * Marian Dinu * Marin Dragnea * Răzvan Farmache * Laurențiu Florea * Mircea Georgescu * Constantin Grameni * Petre Grigoraș * Mihai Guriță *
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 * Ion Mateescu * Liviu Mihai * Dănuț Moisescu * Cristian Munteanu * Louis Munteanu * Ștefan Nanu * Dragoș Nedelcu * Gheorghe Nițu * Bănică Oprea ;Romania * Paul Papp * Cosmin Pașcovici * Florin Pătrașcu * Ștefan Petcu * Pavel Peniu * Marian Popa * Dumitru Popescu (footballer, born 1942), Dumitru Popescu * Alexi Pitu * Aurel Rădulescu * Viorel Sălceanu * Ștefan Sameș * Mircea Sasu * Cristian Șchiopu * Adrian Senin * Dennis Șerban * Marius Soare * Mircea Stan * Mihai Stere * Ioan Tătăran * Dinu Todoran * Gabriel Torje * Sorin Trofin * Marin Tufan * Ion Adrian Zare, Ion Zare * Ianis Zicu * Iosif Vigu * Ion Voicu (footballer), Ion Voicu ;Brazil * Rivaldinho ;Congo * Armel Disney ;Ivory Coast * Kévin Boli ;Liberia * Ben Teekloh ;Martinique * Damien Dussaut ;Nigeria * Kehinde Fatai


Notable coaches

* Ștefan Wetzer (1946–1947) * Augustin Botescu (1960–1963) * Ioan Andone * Ion Barbu (footballer, born 1977), Ion Barbu * Gheorghe Constantin * Wolfgang Frank * Petre Grigoraș *
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 * Virgil Mărdărescu * Bazil Marian * Florin Marin * Eugen Mladin * Ioan Sdrobiș * Vasile Simionaș * Mihai Stoichiță * Marius Șumudică * Momčilo Vukotić


References

Notes Citations


External links

* * *
Club profile
on UEFA's official website
Club profile
on LPF's official website {{DEFAULTSORT:Farul Constanta FCV Farul Constanța, 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