Romania’s new grudge match
After an ugly divorce, two bitter rivals are set to face off in Romania
Followers of Romania’s top flight are preparing themselves for a season of confusion in 2021- 22 – thanks to two teams called Universitatea Craiova.
The clubs will meet in the top tier for the first time, after a decade of bitterness. Universitatea reached the quarter- finals of the European Cup in 1982, but they were relegated in 2011 and swiftly removed from the Romanian league structure after a dispute between their owner Adrian Mititelu and the FA.
Eventually winning a legal challenge against their expulsion, FC Universitatea joined the second division in 2013 – in the meantime, the FA had also awarded a place in the second tier to a brand new club, CS Universitatea Craiova. The new team got promoted, while FC Universitatea were relegated and went bust.
The new CS Universitatea have remained in the top flight ever since, and finished third in 2020- 21. In 2017, Mititelu launched another club – officially called FC U Craiova 1948, but with the word ‘ Universitatea’ prominently displayed on its crest.
Arguments ensued about which club are actually the rightful owners of Craiova’s footballing heritage – some even said FC U should stop playing the old Universitatea club anthem, because it was “making people confused”.
Having guided FC U from the fourth tier, Mititelu was jailed in 2020, but his son took charge of running the club and promotion to the top flight was sealed recently – setting up a vitriolic head- to- head with CS Universitatea in 2021- 22.
FC U weren’t actually allowed to play in Craiova before the start of the year, but they’ve now moved into the Stadionul Ion Oblemenco, alongside CS Universitatea. FC have also appointed ex- Chelsea frontman Adrian Mutu ( above, centre) as their new manager, and are ready to spend in a bid to climb above their rivals. “I know many things about this competition, and I want it to be intense,” Mutu told FFT at his unveiling. “I hope there won’t be any conflict between the fans, I’m totally against violence, but I really feel we can compete.”
There have already been some incidents between supporters – CS Universitatea won the Romanian Cup while FC U fans were celebrating promotion, and things weren’t particularly friendly.
“The city is ours, even though we haven’t played in the top tier for quite some time,” FC U ultras leader Andrei tells FFT. “You will see that in the stadium. People know who the real Universitatea Craiova is.”
Like many of the big names from Craiova’s history pre- conflict, former player and coach Sorin Cartu is backing CS Universitatea – he’s now their president.
“I’m not interested in the other club,” he huffed. “They can have a bigger budget. What they’re doing is a cheap mockery.”
A similar rivalry has emerged in Bulgaria recently. In 2020- 21, CSKA Sofia finished third in the top tier, two places above CSKA 1948. Romania could have twice the confusion next year – there’s also a battle over the heritage of Steaua Bucharest between perennial title challengers FCSB and CSA Steaua, who are about to begin life in the second tier after rising from the fourth division.
For now, though, the Romanian top flight’s biggest grudge match will be in Craiova. And it means war...