FCSB
FCSB (formerly FC Steaua București) is a Romanian professional football club based in Bucharest, founded in 1947. The club plays at Arena Națională and competes in Liga I, Romania's top flight division, where it has spent its entire history. FCSB is the most successful club in Romanian football, having won the Liga I 27 times, Cupa României 24 times, and internationally captured the European Cup and European Super Cup both in 1986, making them the first Eastern European team to win the continent's premier trophy.
History
Overview
General information about the club
FCSB has maintained its status as Romania's premier football institution throughout its 77-year existence. Originally founded as a military sports association, the club has undergone several name changes due to political and legal circumstances, most recently becoming FCSB in 2017 following disputes over the Steaua name and identity. The club holds numerous Romanian football records and remains the only Romanian team to have won major European trophies.
Most recent season and achievements
The club continues to compete at the highest level of Romanian football, maintaining its position among the country's elite teams. Despite recent legal challenges regarding its name and historical records, FCSB remains recognized by UEFA and the Romanian Football Federation as the continuation of the historical Steaua București entity, preserving its impressive trophy collection and European competition coefficient.
History
Early years
ASA București was founded on 7 June 1947 at the initiative of several officers of the Romanian Royal House, following a decree signed by General Mihail Lascăr. The club was established as a sports society with seven sections, including football, coached by Coloman Braun-Bogdan. Despite initial equipment shortages, the team acquired their first training suits in navy green and blue shirts, along with 40 pairs of boots for the 20 selected players. The club underwent name changes to CSCA in 1948 and CCA in 1950, winning its first trophy, the Cupa României, in 1949 by defeating CSU Cluj 2–1.
Successful period
Under the name CCA, the club achieved remarkable success in the 1950s with the famous "CCA Golden Team," winning three consecutive championships in 1951, 1952, and 1953. The team became internationally recognized when the Romania national team, composed exclusively of CCA players, defeated Yugoslavia 1–0 in Belgrade in 1956. After changing its name to CSA Steaua București in 1961, the club experienced a golden era in the 1980s under coaches Emerich Jenei and Anghel Iordănescu. The pinnacle came in 1986 when Steaua became the first Eastern European team to win the European Cup, defeating Barcelona on penalties in Seville, with goalkeeper Helmut Duckadam saving all four Spanish penalties.
Crisis and recovery
Following the Romanian Revolution in 1990, several key players left for Western clubs, causing a temporary setback. However, the club quickly recovered, achieving six consecutive championships between 1992–93 and 1997–98. In 1998, the football department separated from CSA Steaua, becoming FC Steaua București under businessman Viorel Păunescu. Financial difficulties led to George Becali gaining control in 2003, transforming the club into a public share company.
Current period
Since 2003, under Becali's ownership, the club has continued to compete at the highest level, winning additional league titles in 2004–05, 2005–06, 2013, 2014, and 2015. However, legal disputes with the Ministry of National Defence over the Steaua name, logo, and honors culminated in the forced name change to FCSB in 2017. Despite these challenges, the club maintains its UEFA coefficient and continues to participate in European competitions while pursuing legal avenues to reclaim its historical identity.
Achievements and Honors
Domestic competitions
FCSB holds the record for most Liga I titles with 27 championships, most recently won in 2015. The club has also captured the Cupa României a record 24 times, with their last victory in 1998–99. Additionally, they have won the Cupa Ligii twice and the Supercupa României seven times, including their most recent triumph in 2006, which marked the club's 50th trophy in its 59-year history at that time.
Continental and global competitions
Internationally, FCSB achieved its greatest success in 1986 by winning both the European Cup and European Super Cup. The European Cup victory came after defeating Barcelona on penalties in Seville, while the European Super Cup was secured with a 1–0 victory over Dynamo Kyiv in Monaco. The club also reached the European Cup final again in 1989, losing 4–0 to AC Milan, and participated in the Intercontinental Cup final the same year, narrowly losing 1–0 to River Plate.
Symbols and Colors
Current logo and logo history
The club's emblem has evolved significantly throughout its history, reflecting political and organizational changes. Initially featuring Romania's tricolor in 1947–48, the logo transformed with the communist takeover, incorporating a red star symbol of the Red Army on a blue disc. The current design, established in 1974 and redesigned in 2003, features a red and blue striped background with a golden star in the middle, symbolizing the Romanian tricolor flag. Following legal disputes, a new badge was unveiled in January 2015, featuring an eight-sided star containing the letters "FCSB."
Traditional home and away kits colors
FCSB's traditional colors are red and blue, having abandoned the original yellow from Romania's tricolor early in the club's history. The most widely used combination throughout time has been red shirts, blue shorts, and red socks. Alternative kits have included all-red, all-blue, and vertical red and blue stripes during the 1960s and 1970s. Notable exceptions include the all-white kit worn in the 1986 European Cup Final and various away kits in yellow, sky blue, and other colors throughout different seasons.
Traditional club anthem
The club's most famous unofficial anthem is the association with Scooter's song "Maria," which was first sung spontaneously by fans in 2003 and has since been adopted as a stadium tradition. The song is played at every match and sung collectively by supporters, though its popularity has somewhat declined due to its commercial nature.
Traditional Rivals
Eternul Derby
FCSB's most significant rivalry is with Dinamo București, known as "Eternul Derby" (The Eternal Derby). This has been Romania's premier football encounter since 1948, representing a clash between the former clubs of the Romanian Army (Steaua) and the Ministry of Internal Affairs (Dinamo). With 44 combined titles, the two clubs have dominated Romanian football. Notable records include Steaua's 19 undefeated matches against Dinamo between October 1991 and April 2000, and a 17-year, 7-month period during which Dinamo failed to win away against Steaua in the domestic league.
Bucharest Derby
The second-most important rivalry was with Rapid București, often called the Bucharest Derby. The clubs have met over 140 times since their first encounter on 4 November 1947, which Rapid won 1–0. The rivalry intensified after Steaua eliminated Rapid in the 2005–06 UEFA Cup quarter-finals, and extends beyond football to other sports.
CFR Cluj
A more recent rivalry has developed with CFR Cluj due to title competitions between the teams in the 21st century. Additional milder rivalries exist with Universitatea Craiova, Politehnica Timișoara, Petrolul Ploiești, and Astra Giurgiu.
Club Traditions and Behind the Scenes
Sponsors
The club's kit is manufactured by Nike, who have held the contract since 2002, replacing a long partnership with Adidas. The current shirt sponsor is betting company Betano since 2022. Previous sponsors have included Ford, Castrol, Philips, CBS, Bancorex, Dialog, BCR, RAFO, CitiFinancial, and City Insurance.
Nicknames
The club is commonly referred to as "Roș-albaștrii" (The Red-Blues) due to their traditional colors. During a period in their history, they were nicknamed "cup specialists" due to their success in domestic cup competitions during the 1960s and 1970s when league titles were scarce.
Ownership and finances
George "Gigi" Becali has been the controversial owner since 2003, though he officially holds no shares currently, with ownership transferred to loyal associates including his nephews. The club was originally founded by the Romanian Army in 1947 and remained under military control until privatization in 1998. Becali's involvement has often been described as authoritarian and dictatorial by media and fans.
Traditions and culture
FCSB boasts the largest supporter base in Romania, accounting for approximately 42% of all Romanian football fans according to a 2007 survey. The Ultras movement began in 1995 with Armata Ultra, though supporter groups have since fragmented. The club maintains good relations with fans of CSKA Sofia, sharing their common military origins, and has connections with supporters of various European clubs including PAOK FC, CSKA Moscow, and Partizan Belgrade.
Stadium
From 1974 to 2015, FCSB played at Stadionul Ghencea, which was inaugurated on 9 April 1974 with a friendly against OFK Belgrade. The stadium was the first football-only venue built in Communist Romania, with an original capacity of 30,000. Since March 2015, the club has played exclusively at Arena Națională, Romania's largest stadium. The club also uses training facilities at Baza Sportivă ARCOM, a complex built by Becali featuring four pitches and a capacity of 1,000 people.
FCSB
Club Information
Official Name
FCSB
Short Name
FSB
Founding Year
1947
Tactical Formation
4-3-3
Stadium Information
Stadium Name
Arena Naţională
Capacity
31.254
Address
Bulevardul Basarabia 37-39
City
Bucharest, Romania
Surface
grass
Key Personnel
Captain
Darius Dumitru Olaru
Captain's Stats
177cm, 71kg
Head Coach
Marius Achim Baciu
Head Coach Age
51 Age
Coach Nationality
RO
Coach Contract
19/05/2026 - 30/06/2027
Recent Honours
| Season | Competition | Achievement |
|---|---|---|
| 2023-2024 | VĐQG Romania | 🏆 1 |
| 2023-2024 | VĐQG Romania | 🏆 2 |
| 2022-2023 | VĐQG Romania | 🏆 2 |
| 2021-2022 | VĐQG Romania | 🏆 2 |
| 2020-2021 | VĐQG Romania | 🏆 2 |
Current Season Stats
| Competition | Rank | Matches | W-D-L | Points |
|---|
Goal Statistics
Liga 1 (ROM)
48 Scored - 40 Conceded
Liga 1 (ROM)
13 Scored - 9 Conceded
Europa League (UEFA)
9 Scored - 16 Conceded
Romania Cup (ROM)
5 Scored - 6 Conceded
Romania Cup (ROM)
0 Scored - 0 Conceded