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Universitatea Craiova
Full name	FC Universitatea Craiova
Nickname(s)	Blue Lions The Champions of a Great Love
Founded	1948
Ground	Ion Oblemenco, Craiova (Capacity 27 915)
Chairman	Adrian Mititelu
Manager	Nicolo Napoli
League	Liga I
2006-07	Liga I, 9th
Home colours 　 Away colours

FC Universitatea Craiova is a Romanian football club based in Craiova and playing in Romanian top-flight Liga I.

Contents 1 History 2 Craiova Maxima 3 National performances 4 International performances 5 Current Season 6 Notable former players 6.1 Goalkeepers 6.2 Defenders 6.3 Midfielders 6.4 Forwards 7 Famous Coaches 8 External links

Sport Club Universitatea Craiova was created in 1948. In 5 September 1948 the football team UNSR Craiova lost its first match against the team of Filiasi, counting for the regional championship. Craiova’s first coach was Nicolae Polojinschi.

The team name had then been changed to CSU Craiova (1950) , Stiinta Craiova (1950) and finally Universitatea Craiova in 1966.

The lineup used in the first year of second division (1954) was: Stoica, Urucu, Venus, Vulpe, Lupu, Dreasca, Parvulet, Rizu, Razga, Dumitrescu, Ciulova, Anutescu, Briac, Lambru, Capitanu, Ionita, Buldur, D. Popescu, Firu, Matei, Iliescu, Babarada, Padureanu, Coicea, coach Nicolae Oteleanu. In 1964 Universitatea Craiova promotes to first division. Coaches Nicolae Oteleanu and Eugen Preda were using the following players: Dumitrescu (cpt.), Vasilescu, Papuc, Geleriu, Lungan, Deliu, Barbulescu, Tetea, Ganga, Anton, Lovin, Onea, Visan, C.Stanescu, A.Stanescu, Stanciu. The first Romanian Championship title had been won in the 1973/1974 season. Coaches Constantin Cernaianu and Constantin Otet used the players: Oprea, Paul Manta, Niculescu, Badin, Deselnicu, Velea, Strîmbeanu, Ivan, Nita, Balaci, Berneanu, Taralunga, Oblemenco, Balan, Pana, Boc, Stefanescu, Marcu, Stancescu, Kiss, Chivu, Negrila, Constantinescu.

In 1977 and 1978, Universitatea won the Romanian Cup with following players : Boldici, Berneanu, Tilihoi, Stefanescu, Purima, Donose, Balaci, Beldeanu, Crisan, Negrila, Cartu, Marcu, Camataru, coach Constantin Deliu (1977) and Boldici, Lung, Ungureanu, Tilihoi, Stefanescu, Purima, Donose, Balaci, Ticleanu, Beldeanu, Cartu, Camataru, Marcu, with Ilie Oana and C. Deliu as coaches.

The second title of national champions was brought by : Boldici, Lung, Negrila, Tilihoi, Stefanescu, Ungureanu, Balaci, Beldeanu, Crisan, Donose, Camataru, Geolgau, Cartu, Irimescu, Purima si Ciupitu (coaches Valentin Stanescu and Ion Oblemenco). With the same players, in 1981, Universitatea won the Romanian Cup and the Romanian Championship, leaded by Ion Oblemenco and Tica Otet.

The team reborn was in 1990/1991, when Universitatea won the national Championship for a fourth time helped by the following players: Prunea, Manaila, Sandoi, Adrian Popescu, Mogosanu, Ciurea, Olaru, N. Zamfir, Badea, Pigulea, Craioveanu, Neagoe, Stefan Stoica, coaches Sorin Cartu and Fane Cioaca, then wins in 1993 the Romanian Cup with Marian Bondrea and N. Zamfir as coaches.

The 1982/1983 season has been, without doubt, the best in the history of "The Champion of a Great Love" a nickname used for Universitatea by the media, because of the tremendous love and immense passion that always surrounded the team. That magnificent side stayed fresh for long time in the memory of Romanian fans, regardless their sympathy for other clubs.

That season, under the management of Constantin Otet and Nicolae Ivan, Universitatea Craiova reached the semifinals of the UEFA Cup defeating big names of European football like AC Fiorentina (runners-up in Italian Serie A), Girondins Bordeaux (France), and FC Kaiserslautern (Germany). In the first European Cup semifinal ever played by a Romanian club, Universitatea played against Benfica Lisbon (Portugal), two times European Champions and three times European Champions finalists. After two draws the Portuguese side advanced to the final on aggregate away goals. Ilie Balaci and Rodion Camataru were among the great players of Craiova Maxima, but also Stefanescu, Crisan, Geolgau, Beldeanu, Donose, Lung etc.

• 4 times winners of the Romanian Championship: 1974, 1980, 1981, 1991
• 5 times Second Place: 1973, 1982, 1983, 1994, 1995
• 7 times Third Place: 1967, 1975, 1977, 1984, 1986, 1990, 1993
• Romanian Cup : 6 times Romanian Cup Winners: 1977, 1978, 1981, 1983, 1991, 1993
  • 1977 • 2 - 1 with Steaua Bucureşti
  • 1978 • 3 - 1 with Olimpia Satu-Mare
  • 1981 • 6 - 0 with Politehnica Timişoara
  • 1983 • 3 - 1 with Politehnica Timişoara
  • 1991 • 2 - 1 with FC Bacău
  • 1993 • 2 - 0 with Dacia Unirea Brăila
• 5 times Romanian Cup runners-up: 1975, 1985, 1994, 1998, 2000

• UEFA Cup semifinalist in 1983

• participated in 4 editions of the European Champions' Cup
• participated in 14 editions of the UEFA Cup

As of July 29, 2007

No. Position Player 4 DF Josh Mitchell 6 DF Dorel Stoica 7 DF Mădălin Ciucă (captain) 8 MF Robert Săceanu 10 MF Florin Costea 11 FW Ciprian Tănasă 13 MF Spase Dilevski 14 MF Robert Irinel Gaman 15 MF Valerian Gârlă 17 FW Michael Baird 18 DF Liviu Dănănae

No. Position Player 19 MF Gabriel Velcovici 20 MF Mihai Dina 22 GK Nicuşor Bănică 23 GK Mircea Bornescu 24 MF Paul Curteanu 27 MF Joshua Rose 29 FW Constantin Gărgălie 30 MF Andrei Prepeliţă 32 MF Ion Ionut Lutu 39 FW Ovidiu Stoianof 77 FW Julius Woobay

• Paul Manta, Boldici, Silviu Lung, Crişan, Florin Prunea, Neamţu, Preda, Guso
• Bornescu

• Marin Marcel, I. Constantinescu, Sameş, Badin, Boc
• Deselnicu, Ciupitu, Smarandache, Negrilă, Tilihoi, Ştefănescu
• Ungureanu, Purima, Bumbescu, V. Mănăilă, Cioroianu, Săndoi
• Gheorghe Popescu, N. Zamfir, A. Popescu, M. Rada, Vasc, Papură, Olăroiu
• Bătrânu, Vochin, Stoican, Bărcăuan, Frăsineanu, Chivu, M. Mitu
• Bolohan, Mitriţă, I. Rada, I. Stancu, Daouda
• Ciucă, D. Stoica

• Ozon, Cricitoiu, Zbârcea, N. Ivan, Strâmbeanu
• Ţicleanu, Donose, Balaci, Beldeanu, Irimescu, Stângă, Badea
• Gh. Ciurea, Ceauşilă, Gabi Popescu, D. Bica, Olaru, Trică, S. Cristescu, I. Luţu, Buia, Doru Nicolae, Liţă Dumitru, H. Cioloboc
• Moisescu, Dumitraşcu, R. Niculescu, Ad. Pigulea, A. Călin, M. Sava
• Domocoş, Şoavă, Pitu, Grigorie, Alexa, Bundea, Pleşan, Schumacher
• A. Ionescu

• Sfarlogea, Martinovici, Niţă, Iulian Bălan, Nedelcu II
• Ţărălungă, Ion Oblemenco, Marcu, V. Piţurcă
• Geolgău, Crişan, Cămătaru, Cârţu, Bâcu, O. Popescu
• Neagoe, Ştefan Stoica, Agalliu, Biţă
• Craioveanu, Gane, Ungur, Ioan Ganea, Fl. Cârstea
• Cl. Niculescu, V. Iacob, I. Savu, Vlădoiu, N'Jock

• Ilie Balaci
• Mircea Rednic
• José Ramón Alexanko
• Emerich Jenei
• Emil Sandoi
• Victor Piţurcă
• Constantin Oţet
• Sorin Cârţu
• Valentin Stănescu
• Constantin Cernăianu
• Ion Oblemenco

• Official Website
• Official fan club page
• Gruppo Maxima Website
• Sezione page (fans' site)
• Stiinta Craiova
• U.Craiova - Liga 1

Liga I • 2007-08 clubs v • d • e
Ceahlăul • CFR Cluj • Dacia Mioveni • Dinamo • Farul • Gloria Bistriţa Gloria Buzău • Oţelul • Pandurii • Poli Iaşi • Poli Timişoara • Rapid Steaua • Unirea • U Cluj • U Craiova • UTA Arad • FC Vaslui
Liga I seasons
1909-10 • 1910-11 • 1911-12 • 1912-13 • 1913-14 • 1914-15 • 1915-16 • 1916-17 1917-18 • 1918-19 • 1919-20 • 1920-21 • 1921-22 • 1922-23 • 1923-24 • 1924-25 1925-26 • 1926-27 • 1927-28 • 1928-29 • 1929-30 • 1930-31 • 1931-32 • 1932-33 1933-34 • 1934-35 • 1935-36 • 1936-37 • 1937-38 • 1938-39 • 1939-40 • 1940-41 1941-42 • 1942-43 • 1943-44 • 1944-45 • 1945-46 • 1946-47 • 1947-48 • 1948-49 1949-50 • 1950-51 • 1951-52 • 1952-53 • 1953-54 • 1954-55 • 1955-56 • 1956-57 1957-58 • 1958-59 • 1959-60 • 1960-61 • 1961-62 • 1962-63 • 1963-64 • 1964-65 1965-66 • 1966-67 • 1967-68 • 1968-69 • 1969-70 • 1970-71 • 1971-72 • 1972-73 1973-74 • 1974-75 • 1975-76 • 1976-77 • 1977-78 • 1978-79 • 1979-80 • 1980-81 1981-82 • 1982-83 • 1983-84 • 1984-85 • 1985-86 • 1986-87 • 1987-88 • 1988-89 1989-90 • 1990-91 • 1991-92 • 1992-93 • 1993-94 • 1994-95 • 1995-96 • 1996-97 1997-98 • 1998-99 • 1999-00 • 2000-01 • 2001-02 • 2002-03 • 2003-04 • 2004-05 2005-06 • 2006-07 • 2007-08
Football in Romania v • d • e
Click     next to the name of the competition for information on current season of that event. League competitions FRF Cup competitions Liga I    Romania (F) (U-21) Cupa României Liga II    LPF Supercupa României Liga III List of clubs Foreign players