FC Steaua Bucharest

FC Steaua Bucuresti This article is about the football club. For the sports club, see CSA Steaua BucureştiFC Steaua Bucureşti is a Romanian professional football club from Ghencea, south-west Bucharest. They are the most successful Romanian football team in European competitions as well in the Romanian Liga I (23 championship wins).They became the first east European team to win the European Cup being victorious in 1986 European Cup final.The club is historically known as the Romanian Army sports club. The football department separated, however, in 1998. At the moment, its only direct link to the Army is their home ground, Stadionul Ghencea, property of the Ministry of National Defence.HistoryMain article: History of FC SteauaSteaua was founded on 7 June 1947, at the initiative of several officers of the Romanian Royal House. The establishment took place following a decree signed by General Mihail Lascăr, High Commander of the Romanian Royal Army. The club's first name was ASA Bucureşti (Asociaţia Sportivă a Armatei Bucureşti – Army Sports Association). It was formed as a sports society with seven initial sections, including football, coached by Coloman Braun-Bogdan.ASA was renamed CSCA (Clubul Sportiv Central al Armatei – Central Sports Club of the Army) in 1948 and CCA (Casa Centrală a Armatei – Central House of the Army) in 1950.In 1949, CSCA won its first trophy, the Romanian Cup, defeating CSU Cluj 2–1 in the final. Under the name of CCA, the club managed to win three Championship titles in a row in 1951, 1952 and 1953, along with their first Championship-Cup Double in 1951. During the 1950s, the so-called CCA Golden Team became nationally famous.In 1956, the national team of Romania, comprised exclusively of CCA players, took on Yugoslavia in Belgrade and won 1–0.[dead link] During the same year, CCA, coached by Ilie Savu, was the first Romanian team to enterprise a tournament in England where they achieved noteworthy results against the likes of Luton Town FC, Arsenal FC, Sheffield Wednesday FC and Wolverhampton Wanderers FC.At the end of 1961 CCA changed its name once again to CSA Steaua Bucureşti (Clubul Sportiv al Armatei Steaua – Army Sports Club Steaua).In 1998, the football club separated from CSA Steaua and changed their name for the final time to FC Steaua Bucureşti (Fotbal Club Steaua – Football Club Steaua),[13] being led by Romanian businessman Viorel Păunescu. Păunescu performed poorly as a president and soon the club was plunged into debt.[14] George Becali, another businessman, was offered the position of vice-president, in hope that he would invest money in the club. Becali eventually purchased the majority share in 2002 and turned the governing company public in January 2003.[15]Because of his controversial character, he has been contested by the majority of Steaua fans.[16] The team qualified for the UEFA Cup group stage in the 2004–05 season and further on became the first Romanian team to make it to the European football spring since 1993 (also Steaua's performance). The next season, they reached the UEFA Cup semi-finals in 2005–06, where they were eliminated by Middlesbrough FC thanks to a last minute goal and thereafter qualified for the following UEFA Champions League seasons after a ten year break. In the 2007–08 season Steaua have qualified again in the group stage of UEFA Champions League. Nationally, they gained two titles in 2004–05 and 2005–06 and the Romanian Super Cup in 2006, the latter being the club's 50th trophy in its 59 year history[dead link – history] The club's new name translates The Star and was adopted because of the presence of a red star, symbol of most East-European Army clubs, on their crest. A poor period of almost two decades followed in which the club claimed only three championships (1967–68, 1975–76, 1977–78). Instead, the team won nine national cup trophies, for which matter they gained the nickname of cup specialists. Also during this period, on 9 April 1974, Steaua's current ground, Stadionul Ghencea, was inaugurated with a friendly match opposing OFK Beograd. Up to that date, Steaua had played its home matches on either two of Bucharest's largest multi-use stadia, Republicii[dead link] and 23 August.Under the leadership of coaches Emerich Jenei and Anghel Iordănescu, Steaua had an impressive Championship run in the 1984–85 season, which they won after a six-year break. Subsequently, they were the first Romanian team to make it to a European Cup final, which they won in front of FC Barcelona on penalties (2–0 thanks to goalkeeper Helmuth Duckadam succeeding to save all four penalties taken by the Spaniards), after a goalless draw. Steaua therefore became the first Eastern-European team to claim the title of European champions. An additional European Super Cup was won in 1987 in front of SK Dinamo Kiev. Steaua remained at the top of European football for the rest of the decade, managing one more European Cup semifinal in 1987–88 and one more European Cup final in 1989 (lost 4–0 to AC Milan). This happened next to their four additional national titles (1985–86, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1988–89) and four national cups (1984–85, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1988–89). Furthermore, from June 1986 to September 1989, Steaua ran a record 104-match undefeated streak in the championship, setting a world record for that time and a European one still standing.The 1989 Romanian Revolution led the country towards a free open market and, subsequently, several players of the 1980s team left for other clubs in the West. After a short pull-back, a quick recovery followed and Steaua managed a six consecutive championship streak between 1992–93 and 1997–98 to equalise the 1920s performance of Chinezul Timişoara and also three more cups in 1995–96, 1996–97 and 1998–99. At international level, they also managed to make it to the UEFA Champions League group stage three years in a row between 1994–95 and 1996–97, remaining, at the moment, the only team in Romania to have participated in this competition.In 1998, the football club separated from CSA Steaua and changed their name for the final time to FC Steaua Bucureşti (Fotbal Club Steaua – Football Club Steaua), being led by Romanian businessman Viorel Păunescu. Păunescu performed poorly as a president and soon the club was plunged into debt. George Becali, another businessman, was offered the position of vice-president, in hope that he would invest money in the club. Becali eventually purchased the majority share in 2002 and turned the governing company public in January 2003.Because of his controversial character, he has been contested by the majority of Steaua fans. The team qualified for the UEFA Cup group stage in the 2004–05 season and further on became the first Romanian team to make it to the European football spring since 1993 (also Steaua's performance). The next season, they reached the UEFA Cup semi-finals in 2005–06, where they were eliminated by Middlesbrough FC thanks to a last minute goal and thereafter qualified for the following UEFA Champions League seasons after a ten year break. In the 2007–08 season Steaua have qualified again in the group stage of UEFA Champions League. Nationally, they gained two titles in 2004–05 and 2005–06 and the Romanian Super Cup in 2006, the latter being the club's 50th trophy in its 59 year history