FC Petrolul Ploiești
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| Full name | Asociația Clubul Sportiv Petrolul 52[note 1] | |||
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| Nickname(s) |
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| Short name | Petrolul | |||
| Founded | 31 December 1924 asFC Juventus București | |||
| Ground | Ilie Oană | |||
| Capacity | 15,073[2] | |||
| Owner | Asociația Clubul Sportiv Petrolul 52 | |||
| Chairman | Claudiu Tudor | |||
| Head coach | Mehmet Topal | |||
| League | Liga I | |||
| 2023–24 | Liga I, 11th of 16 | |||
| Website | https://fcpetrolul.ro/ | |||
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Asociația Clubul Sportiv Petrolul 52,commonly referred to asFC Petrolul Ploiești(Romanian pronunciation:[peˈtrolulploˈjeʃtʲ]),Petrolul Ploieștior simplyPetrolul,is a Romanian professionalfootballclubbased inPloiești,Prahova County,that competes in theLiga I.
Founded in 1924 in capitalBucharestasJuventus,following the merger ofTriumfandRomcomit,it won its firstleague championshipin the1929–30 season.In 1952, the team was relocated north to theindustrial cityof Ploiești, and five years later settled on the name of Petrolul.[note 2]Shortly after, it achieved three more national titles—in1957–58,1958–59and1965–66.Domestically, its honours also include threenational cups,the latest in the2012–13 campaign.
Petrolul recorded its European debut in the1958–59 season,when it was drawn againstWismut Karl Marx Stadtin the preliminary round of theEuropean Cup.The club has participated in 12 editions of European competitions overall, of which eight governed byUEFA.In recent history, Petrolul becameinsolventin February 2015 and dissolution followed the next year, however supporters and club legends promptly refounded and enrolled it in thefourth division.
The team colours are yellow and dark blue, hence the nickname of the players and fans being "the Yellow Wolves". Petrolul plays its home games at the 15,073-seaterIlie Oană Stadium,and its most notable rivalry isthe oneagainstRapid București.Petrolul also had alocal rivalrywithAstra Giurgiu,which had been based in Ploiești until 2012.
History
[edit]| Period | Name |
| 1924–1947 | Juventus București |
| 1947–1948 | Distribuția București |
| 1948–1949 | Petrolul București |
| 1949–1950 | Competrol București |
| 1950–1951 | Partizanul București |
| 1951–1952 | Flacăra București |
| 1952–1956 | Flacăra Ploiești |
| 1956–1957 | Energia Ploiești |
| 1957– | Petrolul Ploiești[note 2] |
Founding and early years (1924–1952)
[edit]The team was founded inBucharestin late 1924, whenRomcomitandTriumfmerged into what would become one of the most notable clubs of the capital during theinterwar period,Juventus București.Its Latin identity was illustrated by the crest, which was based on the legend of thefounding of Rome,where a she-wolf nursedRomulus and Remus.Juventusinherited thestadiumand the red and blue colors ofRomcomit.An article relating the event was published on 4 January 1925 in theGazeta Sporturilornewspaper, under the title "Juventus – A sensational merger" (Juventus – O fuziune senzațională).[3]
In their first season of existence being led by president Ettore Brunelli and player-coach Ion Motoroi, the team finished on the 4th place in theBucharestchampionship, the first game taking place on 8 March 1925 in a 3–0 victory againstColțea Bucureștiwith goals scored by Bebe Rollea, Antofiloiu (o.g.) and Török, the team used being: Căpșuneanu – Constantin Vețianu, Sile Georgescu – Schaller, Ion Motoroi,Grigore Grigoriu,Sergiu Petrovici, Victor Block, Bebe Rollea, Török, Aurel Schei.[4]Before the start of the new season, president Brunelli wanted to test the value of his squad, organizing the club's first matches at international level, friendlies which ended with victories againstSlavia Prague(2–1),Slavia Sofia(3–0) andVasas Budapest(5–2).[5]In theBucharestregional championship, the team finished on the 1st place, qualifying for the1925–26 Divizia Awhere they lost the final in front ofChinezul Timișoara,being led in the first half of the season by coach Motoroi and in the second byGyörgy Hlavaywho according to journalistIoan Chirilă's book, "Zile și nopți pe stadion"(Days and nights at the stadium)is considered byRomania's coach at the1930 World Cup,Constantin Rădulescuto be the first coach that brought modern training sessions on the fields ofBucharest.[5]
Their first national title came six years after their establishment, being led in the first half of the season by coachGyula Feldmannand in the second byHlavay,as the team won anotherBucharestregional championship, qualifying for the1929–30 Divizia Awhere they won the final with a 3–0 victory againstGloria Aradwith goals scored byLászló Raffinsky,Ion Maior and Carlo Melchior, the team used being: Dumitru Bacinschi – Constantin Deleanu, Sile Georgescu – Ștefan Wetzer,Emerich Vogl,Tibor Remeny – Gyula Dobo, Carlo Melchior,Rudolf Wetzer,László Raffinsky,Ion Maior.[6][7][8]After the reorganization of the Romanian division structure, the club played seven consecutive campaigns in theDivizia A,from 1933 to 1940. FollowingWorld War II,they were promoted once again to the top tier, having finished first in the finalDivizia Bseason prior to the outbreak of war. The club played its last campaign asJuventusin 1946–47, after which the name was changed numerous times toDistribuția,Petrolul,Competrol,PartizanulandFlacărarespectively.
Move to Ploiești and three national titles (1952–1968)
[edit]
Flacăra Bucureștiwas moved toPloieștiin 1952, and renamed accordingly. CoachIlie Oanătook charge of the team at the half of the1952 season,but he couldn't manage to spare his team from relegation. He would, however, reach thecup final,lost againstCCA București0–2. In1957–58,the team became champion of Romania for the second time in its history, despite having the same number of points as CCA București andȘtiința Timișoara.That was also the season when the present-day name ofPetrolul Ploieștiwas adopted.
In the autumn of1958,Petrolul made its debut in theEuropean Cupand facedWismut Karl Marx StadtofEast Germanyin the preliminary round. After a 4–2 away loss inAue,the club managed to level on aggregate with a 2–0 victory in Romania. Wismut Karl Marx Stadt qualified further after winning the play-off 4–0 inKyiv.The first part of the1958–59 Divizia Asaw Petrolul on the fourth place in the table, but with several good results which followed the team clinched its second consecutive league championship. They were once again unable to go further than the preliminary round of the European Cup, Austrian sideWiener Sport-Clubdefeating them 1–2 on aggregate.
On 14 July 1963 Petrolul's playerConstantin Tabarceacollapsed and died during aDivizia Amatch againstDinamo Bacău.[9]One week later after his death Petrolul won the1962–63 Cupa Românieiwith 6–1 againstSiderurgistul Galațiand before the game, at the team photo, the place from the down row in front of goalkeeperMihai Ionescuwas left free in the memory of Tabarcea.[9][10]In 1965, head coach Ilie Oană left Petrolul for theRomania national team,and assistantConstantin Cernăianutook over the vacant place. Athis first season,Cernăianu achieved the club's fourth Divizia A trophy after finishing six points ahead ofRapid București.12 October 1966 has remained an important date in the history of the team; after a 0–2 away defeat, Petrolul won 3–1 at home against the champions of England,Liverpool.The third match inBrusselswas difficult, and "the Reds" went ahead in the European Cup.
A period of decline (1968–1990)
[edit]
After that period of great form, Petrolul began a period of decline and although the club remained in the first division for many years later, only the1995 Romanian Cup finalreminded their supporters about the years of glory. In 1970, the oilmen finished the first part of the championship on the 2nd place, but it lost that place until the end of the season.1969–70,1971–72were seasons in which Petrolul was at only one step from relegation. After a "resuscitation" (1972–73,15th place occupied after five rounds, the 4th place at the beginning of the winter break), 1973 was quite weak year. In 1974, the people fromPloieștisuspected a match fixed betweenArgeş PiteștiandCFR Cluj,in favor of the team fromCluj-Napoca,it was supposed that Petrolul officials have tried to financially stimulate the host, but the authorities discovered the plan and the team has discreetly relegated toDivizia B,this happened in the conditions in which in 1963Prahova Ploieștiand Carpați Sinaia, other two teams fromPrahova Countywere relegated by theRomanian Football Federationto Divizia B due to match-fi xing. Arrived in the second league, the most valuable footballers of the club, Crângaşu and Rămureanu left and after 3 rounds the team was the last. The yellow wolves recovered later, but the local coaches did not have the value ofIlie Oană,who also went toPolitehnica Iași,then toUniversitatea Craiova,Petrolul remaining in some kind of mediocrity.
At the end of 1975, the club broughtValentin Stănescuto be the coach and the team tried to promote, but lost a home game againstFC Brăila,after the game the supporters showed their dissatisfaction about Dinulescu's refereeing, throwing with various objects from the stands.FCM Galaţithen strengthened his nickname as an "ABBA" team (a nickname used in Romania for clubs that used to alternate the presences between the first and the second league), promoting in front of Petrolul that year and relegating after only a season in the top-flight of the Romanian football. Instead, Petrolul had an exceptional 1976–77 season with 15 wins and 2 draws in 17 matches and finished on the 1st place, far away from the 2nd place occupied by Metalul Plopeni, another team fromPrahova County.Unfortunately, the players born in the Prahova County did not have enough experience and at the end of the1977–78 Divizia Aseason it was ranked only 17th and relegated back. The immediate promotion was forbidden byViitorul Scorniceşti,the football club from the native town ofNicolae Ceaușescu,which was strongly pushed forward to Divizia A by thecommunistauthorities, in power at the time, a concrete proof being that FC Olt promoted fromDivizia Cafter an 18–0 victory against the team ranked 15th, whileFlacăra Moreniwon only 2–1, in a match played at the same hour, against Rova Roşiori.[11]
1979–80 season was also not a very good one for the yellow and blues,Rapid BucureștiandProgresul Bucureștifought for the 1st place, and "the referee" was Metalul Plopeni, who won inBucharestagainst Rapid and lost against Progresul. In 1980, Petrolul brought a new coach in the person ofTraian Ionescu,a very experienced coach with teams likeDinamo BucureștiorFenerbahçein his CV, but another thing would ruin the promotion dreams,CS Târgoviștesucceeded in that year a sensational transfer, nicknamed asThe GanderorThe Prince of Trivaleand being one of the most important names ever given by the Romanian football,Nicolae Dobrincame inTârgovișteafter 19 years spent inPitești,making a decisive contribution for the promotion of his team and ruining the plans of the yellow wolves. In 1982, after 4 years in the second league and 7 out of 8 last years, Petrolul exceeded his great rival,Rapidand returned toDivizia A.
1982–83 Divizia Aseason was a one full of emotions, avoiding the relegation was the target in the mind of everyone at each of the games played by the team.1983–84 seasonsend Petrolul back to Divizia B again, but promotion came after a victory atGalațiagainstDunărea,former FCM, the team which forbidding the promotion of the oilmen, ten years earlier. In 1987, the yellow and blues signed another coach, a former team player from years of glory,Constantin Moldoveanu.But Moldoveanu did not have in the squad the players who won againstSteaua BucureștiorLiverpoolin the glory times and Petrolul relegated back to the second league. September 1988 brought Ion Radu as the new chairman, helped by Mihai Cristache. The two were often criticized of the post-revolutionarypress, but they did some performances like in the times ofMircea DrideaandMihai Ionescu.Petrolul promoted in 1989 and finished on the 4th place in its first season, helped also by the dissolution (in the winter of 1990) ofVictoria București,club sponsored by the Romanian Ministry of Internal Affairs (the "Miliția", Police), institution under the former Communist regime.
European participations and cup win (1990–2002)
[edit]Petrolul finished the1989–90 Divizia Aon the fourth place, after having just returned from the second division in 1989. Therefore, it qualified for theUEFA Cupalong withUniversitatea CraiovaandPolitehnica Timișoara."The Yellow Wolves" played againstBelgianclubAnderlecht,which won both legs. At the end of the1990–91season, Petrolul finished 7th and in theRomanian Cupthey were eliminated in the second round proper by their bitter rivalsSteaua București.
In the summer of 1991 the club changed its name toFC Ploiești,but made a very weak season, finishing only 10th in the top flight and in the Romanian Cup, the squad was eliminated again in the second round proper, this time byFC U Craiova.At the end of the seasonFC Ploieștichanged its name back to Petrolul Ploiești. "The Oilmen" saved from relegation in the last moment at the end of the1992–93season, finishing 16th out of 18, with two points overSelena Bacăuand four overCSM Reșița.Next season, coachMarin Ionand his players made a very good season and finished in the top 5, more exactly on the 5th place, one point overFarul Constanța,at the same number of points with 4th place (Rapid București), two points behind 3rd place (Dinamo București) and three points behind 2nd place (FC U Craiova). In the Romanian Cup, "the Yellow Wolves" were eliminated in the second round proper byInter Sibiu.
In the1994–95season, despite a mediocre league result (10th place), coached by the sameMarin Ion,Petrolul won the1994–95 Cupa Românieiafter defeating their rivals,Rapid București,at thepenalty shootoutand qualified for the1995–96 UEFA Cup.The team included the following players:Preda–D.Chiriță,Grigore,Răchită(C), Bălăceanu –Leahu,Grama, Pârlog,Abăluţă– Zmoleanu, Zafiris.1995–96season was started by "the Yellow and Blues" on 3 fronts, League, Cup and UEFA Cup. In the European competition they eliminatedWelshsideWrexham,in the first round, after a 0–0 on theRacecourse Groundand 1–0 victory on theIlie Oană Stadium,goal scored by Pârlog in the 60th minute. The slow start would announce the early elimination, in the second round, when Austrian sideRapid Wienwon 3–1 on aggregate after a 3–1 on theGerhard Hanappi Stadiumand a 0–0 draw inPloiești.In the league Petrolul ended again in the top half of the table, on the 6th place and in the cup, was eliminated in the quarter-finals, byNațional București,at thepenalty shootout.
In the following years Petrolul occupied the following positions at the end of the championship:1996–97– 9th,1997–98– 14th,1998–99– 8th and1999–2000– 11th. The late 1990s have been marked by the fierce rivalry withAstra Ploiești,a team that promoted in the first league in 1998.
Second division struggles (2002–2011)
[edit]In the early 2000s, Petrolul entered under the ownership ofPetrom's trade union president, Liviu Luca, andploieșteniihave a peak at the end of the2000–01 Divizia A,when the team finished on the 2nd place. But the collapse followed. In 2002, the yellow and blues relegated toDivizia Band the city ofPloiești,which had 2 teams in Divizia A between 1998 and 2002, remained in the first league only withAstra,a club which had no presence in the top-flight of the Romanian football until 1998. The oilmen promoted back to Divizia A in 2003, after only one season in the second league, but only at one month after promotion, the club's management announced that the funding of the club is under question. In less than 30 days supporters have been announced that there will be a merger between Petrolul Ploieşti andAstra Ploieşti.
Astra Ploieşti changed its name to Petrolul Ploieşti and in July 2003 Petrolul Ploiești was unaffiliated from theRomanian Football Federation,leaving a vacant place in the first league, which was finally occupied byOțelul Galați,team that lost in that summer a relegation play-out against the second league teamFC Oradea.On 28 July 2003,Astra Ploieştichanged its name to FC Petrolul Ploieşti, with Florin Bercea andIoan Niculaeas the owners of the newly formed entity and also the new home becomingAstra Stadium.[12]This alternative was chosen because at that time Petrolul Ploieşti was a nonprofit association and according to the Law of Sport it should have been transformed intoSAand a merger with Astra Ploieşti in order to create a new company would have lasted at least seven months. These legal formalities have sometimes been interpreted as a proof of the dissolution of Petrolul, but such an interpretation is wrong because this club took over, according toFRF,Petrolul brand and record.[13]
At the end of the2003–04 Divizia Aseason, Petrolul relegated toDivizia B,and due to some differences in the ownership,Ioan Niculaegives up the 50% that he held within the club, these were split between Liviu Luca, Florin Bercea and Eduard Alexandru. Subsequently,Ioan Niculaerefounded Astra and the new club is considered byLPFas the legal successor of the club before the 2003 merger, strengthening the idea that the 2003 merger result is the successor of the old Petrolul, not Astra. Petrolul also moved back to its old ground,Ilie Oană Stadium,in the summer of 2004. The 2004 relegation was followed by a black period for the yellow wolves, with seven consecutiveLiga IIseason. In the2004–05season the club finished on the 4th place at 7 points from the promotion place, occupied at that time byPandurii Târgu Jiu.2005–06season brought an extra chance, as a result of the restructuring of the first league from 16 to 18 teams, from the second league could also promote the 2nd place via a play-off tournament, but Petrolul finished only on the 3rd place at 3 points from the 2nd place, occupied byUnirea Urziceni,team that would promote and write history in the Romanian football.
In 2006, Petrolul ownership decided that the home games should be played onFlacăra StadiumfromMoreniorMogoșoaia Stadium,motivating the move by the fact that the oldIlie Oană Stadiumrequired repair and modernization work. On 12 October 2006, the supporters organized a protest in the city center ofPloiești,asking for the team to be transferred from the private ownership to the Ploiești Municipality and to return on its own home ground.[14]Despite these internal problems Petrolul made a good season, but ended again just below the promotion line, on the 3rd place. The end of the2007–08season found the yellow and blues on the 3rd place again, increasing the frustration among supporters and players, 5 points split the team from the 2nd place, a promotable one. Next season,2008–09was a disastrous one, Petrolul finished on 4th place, but at great distance from the 2nd (Astra,named FC Ploiești at that time) and 1st place (Ceahlăul Piatra Neamț), 22 points respectively 23 points, also with a tense situation at the administrative level and with not many options on the horizon.
In 2009 the team was taken over by Ploiești Municipality andValeriu Răchită,former player of the team, was reconfirmed as the head coach, the squad being also restructured with many young players and after a great campaign in which the hope of promotion was alive until the last second, Petrolul finished 3rd, at only 1 point from the promotion spot, occupied bySportul Studențesc,which led to a terrible disappointment, making the Ploiești people to wonder whether the team was followed by bad luck.[15][16]Petrolul started the2010–11season with important changes, the young squad has been completed with some experienced players asPompiliu Stoica,Florentin DumitruorDaniel Oprițaand moved for its home matches onConpet StadiumfromStrejnicu,near Ploiești, facilitating easier access for the supporters, newIlie Oană Stadium,being still in construction, also the team was moved from the first to the second series of the second league and after a heavy fight in 3 teams, againstFC Bihor OradeaandCS Mioveni,Petrolul promoted from the 1st place, 1 point ahead FC Bihor, team that also occupied a promotable place after 7 consecutiveLiga IIseasons and 2 points ahead CS Mioveni, which subsequently promoted by taking advantage of the financial problems of FC Bihor. The promotion coincided with the inauguration of the new stadium, all of these brought a great enthusiasm among the Petrolul supporters, players and staff.[17][18]
Mild success followed by bankruptcy (2011–2016)
[edit]
Under the management ofCosmin Contra,their second season since return saw them finishing third in theleaguetable, as well as claiming thenational cupfor the third time in their history. Consequently, Petrolul earned a spot in the second qualifying round of the2013–14 UEFA Europa League,with the club playing its first European match since 1995. After defeatingVíkingur GøtaandVitesse Arnhem,they were eliminated in the play-off round bySwansea City.
The team received consistent media attention after signing formerRomanian internationalsAdrian MutuandIanis Zicuin January 2014,[19]a move which would later be considered a "failure".[20]During the same month, it was announced thatGermanautomobile manufacturerOpelwould become Petrolul's shirt sponsor.[21]Petroliștiihad the chance to qualify for their second consecutiveCupa României final,but lost the semi-final against rivalsAstra Giurgiu2–1 on aggregate.[22]Petrolul came third in the Liga I once more, while the fans challengedRăzvan Lucescu,considering that he wasn't a suitable replacement for Contra, who left Petrolul in March to join Spanish sideGetafe.[23]
In the next season's European participation, "the Yellow Wolves" confrontedCzechclubViktoria Plzeňin theEuropa League third qualifying round.After a draw in Ploiești, Petrolul impressively beat Viktoria scoring four goals and conceding only one.[24]However, Petrolul yet again missed the chance of advancing to the group stage after losing the play-off againstDinamo Zagreb.In September 2014, head coach Lucescu was sacked and Mutu left the club as afree agent.[25][26]On 25 November, president Daniel Capră, general director Marius Bucuroiu and five other persons facedpreventive detentionfor 24 hours, being suspected of tax evasion and money laundering.[27]The criminal offences made by the club's officials caused Petrolul to lose important players and face a period of instability.[28]In February 2015, the club went intoadministration[29]and eventually finished the season on the sixth place in Liga I.[30]
More players left the club in the summer of 2015 and coach changes became frequent.[31]Petrolul quickly landed on the last place in the league table, where it stayed until the last game of the season. Finally, in the summer of 2016 the team was declared bankrupt.[32]
Reestablishment and recent history (2016 onwards)
[edit]
After the team was dissolved in 2016 as a result of the SC FC Petrolul SA joint-stock company bankruptcy, club legends and supporter groups associated to promptly reestablish it under the name ofACS Petrolul 52 Ploieștiand enroll it in the Liga A Prahova (Liga IV), the fourth tier of the Romanian league system.[32]During early 2017, French transnational companyVeoliabecame the financial partner of the club by joining the association.[33]
In June 2017,ACS Petrolul 52leased the club brand identity from the Municipality of Ploiești for €30,000 and began using the former name ofFC Petrolul Ploiești.[34]The team managed back-to-back promotions and reached thesecond divisionin the summer of 2018.[35]After three failed attempts to return to the Liga I and with worsening competitive results each year, Veolia stopped fully financing Petrolul and only offered to become a sponsor from the2021–22 season,[36]a position from which it also withdrew at the start of 2022.
In spite of the economic issues that arose from Veolia's departure, the squad led by head coachNicolae Constantinmanaged to end the Liga II campaign as champions.[37]Petrolul finished on the eighth place in the regular season of the2022–23 Liga I,and thus started the relegation play-outs from the second place. In March 2023, the association of former players which controlled the club stepped down and formerCFR ClujandUniversitatea Craiovapresident Marian Copilu was announced as the new owner.[38]Petrolul also finished the 2022–23 season on the eighth place overall.
Grounds
[edit]
Petrolul Ploiești plays its home matches at theIlie Oană Stadium.Ranked as aUEFA Category 4stadium, it can hostUEFA Europa Leaguesemi-finals andUEFA Champions Leaguegroup stage matches.[39]It was inaugurated in September 2011 and has a current capacity of 15,073 spectators.[2]The construction was raised on the site of the formerIlie Oană Stadium,which was completed in 1937, and is named afterIlie Oană,the most important coach in Petrolul's history.
Milestones
[edit]- The first match to be played at the stadium was anexhibition gamebetween a team of former Petrolul Ploiești players, the generation which won theRomanian Cupin 1995, and a selection of former Romanian internationals, amongst whichGheorghe Hagi,Gheorghe Popescu,Viorel Moldovan,Ovidiu StângăandDaniel Prodan.The former internationals won the match 4–3.[40]The first goal scored on this stadium belonged to Cristian Zmoleanu.
- Petrolul's first competitive match at the stadium was aLiga Igame againstDinamo Bucureștion 25 September 2011, which ended 5–1 for the Bucharest team. Dinamo playerCosmin Moțiscored the first goal of the game and thus the first official goal at new Ilie Oană Stadium.
- TheRomania national football teamplayed its first official match at the Ilie Oană on 29 March 2015, againstFaroe Islands.
Support
[edit]
Petrolul Ploiești has a large and steady fan base in Prahova County and its attachment to the team is renowned in Romania, in spite of the ups and downs.[41]
The biggest ultras group is calledLupii Galbeni( "the Yellow Wolves" ) since 1996, and there are two stands with groups likePeluza Latină( "The Latin Stand" ), with subgroups like Knot04, United or Maniacs, and thePeluza 1 Ilie Oană( "Peluza 1 Ilie Oană stand" ) with subgroups like Hooligans, Young Hooligans, Contrasens, Lethalgang or Zona Vest. Other supporter associations, such asLiga Suporterilor Constantin Tabarcea (LSCT),AsociațiaDiaspora Galben Albastră (ADGA),T2orYoung Wolvesare located in the Second Stand of the stadium. Before and during matches, they sing the club'schant,whose lyrics were written byGeorge Nicolescu.
Petrolul Ploiești fans have recently established close friendships with the supporters of fellow league clubOțelul Galați,as well as with the ones of foreign clubsVitesse,Salernitana,andGenk.[42]
Rivalries
[edit]Petrolul Ploiești'straditional rivalisRapid București.They faced for the first time on 11 November 1931, when Juventus București tied CFR București 3–3 at home, on theStadionul Romcomit,and have maintained a strong rivalry despite long periods of not meeting when one or the other were playing in the second division. In the1965–66 season,Petrolul won the Liga I while Rapid finished second. The following year, Rapid won its first national title after a match played on the old Ilie Oană Stadium; these events are believed to have ignited the rivalry further.[43]Due to the fact that this rivalry is the oldest for Romanian teams still active, it entered into the collective consciousness as thePrimvs derby(Latinfor "first" or "foremost" ).
Petrolul maintained amilder rivalrywith the defunctAstra Giurgiu,its former local enemy. Astra promoted for the first time to the Liga I in 1998 and played in Ploiești until September 2012, when it was moved toGiurgiu.Even after relocation, the rivalry continued between the governances of the clubs.[44]
Petrolul fans also hold grudges against the other historically prosperous Bucharest teams, namelyFCSBandDinamo.They sometimes chant against them even outside of direct matches.[42][45]
Honours
[edit]Domestic
[edit]
Leagues
[edit]Cups
[edit]- Cupa României
- Supercupa României
- Cupa României–Prahova County
- Winners (1):2016–17
Players
[edit]First-team squad
[edit]Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules.Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Out on loan
[edit]Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules.Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Club officials
[edit]
Board of directors[edit]
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Current technical staff[edit]
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Kit manufacturers and shirt sponsors
[edit]
| Period | Kitmanufacturer | Shirt partner |
|---|---|---|
| 1924–1998 | Unknown | Unknown |
| 1998–2001 | Meding Sport | Petrom |
| 2001–2003 | Adidas | |
| 2003–2004 | Lotto | |
| 2005–2008 | ||
| 2008–2009 | Team | Petrom |
| 2009–2010 | Consiliul Local Ploiești | |
| 2010–2011 | Hummel | |
| 2011–2012 | Adidas | |
| 2012–2013 | Macron | Romprest |
| 2013–2014 | Puma | Opel[21] |
| 2014–2015 | Nike | |
| Alexandrion | ||
| 2015–2016 | Superbet[49] | |
| 2016–2017 | Errea | Viking Pruszyński |
| 2017–2022 | Joma | Veolia |
| 2022–2023 | Adidas | MRS |
| 2023–present | Macron | La Cocoș |
European record
[edit]Petrolul Ploiești has participated in eight editions of the club competitions governed byUEFA,the chief authority for football across Europe, and 12 editions of European competitions overall.
| Competition | S | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UEFA Champions League / European Cup | 3 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 15 | −7 |
| UEFA Cup Winners' Cup / European Cup Winners' Cup | 2 | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 7 | −3 |
| UEFA Europa League / UEFA Cup | 3 | 14 | 7 | 2 | 5 | 25 | 20 | +5 |
| UEFA Intertoto Cup[50] | 1 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 14 | −8 |
| Inter-Cities Fairs Cup[51] | 3 | 13 | 9 | 0 | 4 | 14 | 11 | +3 |
| Total | 12 | 47 | 21 | 6 | 20 | 57 | 67 | −10 |
League history
[edit]
|
|
Notable former players
[edit]The footballers enlisted below have had international caps for their respective countries at junior and/or senior level and/or more than 100 caps for FC Petrolul Ploiești.
- Romania
Marcel Abăluță- Alexandru Badea
- Dragu Bădin
- Eugen Baștină
- Alexandru Benga
- Florea Birtașu
- Alexandru Boc
- Alexandru Borbely
- Iuliu Borbely
- Jean-Claude Bozga
- Gheorghe Brandabura
- Constantin Budescu
- Daniel Chiriță
- Grigore Ciupitu
- Vasile Cosarek
- Anghel Crețeanu
- Adrian Cristea
- Octavian Dincuță
- Mircea Dridea
- Virgil Dridea
- Florian Dumitrescu
- Florentin Dumitru
- Florea Fătu
- Mihai Flamaropol
- Alexandru Fronea
- Octavian Grigore
- Gheorghe Grozea
- Bujor Hălmăgeanu
- Ovidiu Hoban
- Petre Ivan
- Mihai Ionescu
- Nicolae Ionescu
- Costel Lazăr
- Gheorghe Leahu
- Gheorghe Liliac
- Cătălin Liță
- Marius Măldărășanu
- Marcel Marin
- Laurențiu Marinescu
- Iulian Mihăescu
- Dragoș Mihalache
- Bujorel Mocanu
- Mihai Mocanu
- Constantin Moldoveanu
- Anton Munteanu
- Dumitru Munteanu
- Adrian Mutu
- Ion Neacșu
- Dumitru Nicolae
- Ilie Oană
- Daniel Oprița
- Gheorghe Pahonțu
- Aurel Panait
- Gabriel Paraschiv
- Florin Pârvu
- Gheorghe Petrescu
- Ștefan Preda
- Valeriu Răchită
- Adrian Ropotan
- Vasile Sfetcu
- Pompiliu Stoica
- Constantin Tabarcea
- Dinu Todoran
- Adrian Ursea
- Cristian Vlad
- Ion Zaharia
- Constantin Zamfir
- Algeria
- Albania
- Armenia
- Belarus
- Bolivia
- Brazil
- Cameroon
- Central African Republic
- Congo
- Croatia
- Curaçao
- DR Congo
- France
- Ghana
- Ivory Coast
- Haiti
- Israel
- Italy
- Japan
- Moldova
- Netherlands
- Poland
- Portugal
- Tunisia
- Uruguay
Notable former managers
[edit]Petrolul II Ploiesti
[edit]Starting with the 2024-2025 season, Petrolul Ploiesti will once again have a second team. This was established as a partnership between Petrolul Ploiesti and Daniel Chirita who owns the 4th league team Petrolul 95 Ploiesti. The team was enrolled in the 3rd League and will play at the Conpet stadium in Strejnic.
Women's football
[edit]History
[edit]Starting with the 2020-2021 season, in order to receive the license from the Romanian Football Federation, 1st League clubs must establish women's football teams. All teams that will play in the 1st League championship must meet the requirement to register a minimum of 20 players to play in the U15 Women's National Championship. This is a mandatory condition for receiving a license to play in the 1st League. Teams have the opportunity to sign a collaboration protocol with a women's football club in 1st League 1, 2nd League or 3rd League, in which case the team will participate in the competitions of juniors with the name of the men's 1st League club. Also, starting from the 2021-2022 season, 1st League clubs must enter a women's football team in the senior championship (1st League, 2nd League, 3rd League) and still have a minimum of 20 players registered in the U15 National Championship. And from the 2022-2023 season, clubs must register a minimum of 20 players to play in the U15 National Championship, a minimum of 15 U13 players and enter a team in the National Senior Championship.
In order to ensure obtaining the necessary license to participate in the 2022-2023 season, Petrolul Ploiești has signed a partnership with ACS Student Sport Alba Iulia, which will play in Women's 3rd League under the name of Petrolul Ploiești in Ighiu. Meanwhile, in Ploiești, coach Cristian Iordache made the selection for the senior and junior teams that played only friendly matches in the same season.
In the 2023-2024 season, the partnership with ACS Student Sport Alba Iulia ended, and Petrolul Ploiești enrolled in the Women's 3rd League the first official women's football team in the club's history, which will play at the Vega stadiums in Ploiești, Soceram in Pleașa and Chimia in Brazi.
In the 2024-2025 season, following the restructuring of the women's football leagues by the FRF, Petrolul Ploiesti was invited to play in the 2nd League.
Kit manufacturers and shirt sponsors
[edit]| Perioada | Echipament | Sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| 2023–prezent | Adidas | MRS |
Managers
[edit]- Depending on when they became coaches at Petrolul Ploiești
- 2022 Cristian Iordache
League history
[edit]| Season | Tier | Division | Place | National Cup |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024–25 | 2 | Women's 2nd League | TBD | TBD |
| 2023–24 | 3 | Women's 3rd League | Seria 2 - 2 | 3rd Round |
| 2022–23 | 3 | Women's 3rd League | Seria 1 - 5 | 1st Round |
References
[edit]- ^"Petrolul"(in Romanian).Romanian Football Federation.Retrieved4 August2021.
- ^ab"Stadion"[Stadium] (in Romanian). FC Petrolul Ploiești. Archived fromthe originalon 5 July 2016.
- ^"Istorie"[History].FC Petrolul Ploiești(in Romanian). Archived fromthe originalon 6 May 2016.
- ^"File de poveste ale clubului Petrolul Ploiesti – perioada Juventus! Episodul III –" MARTOR LA CUCERIREA UNUI TITLU EUROPEAN ""[Story files of Petrolul Ploiesti club – Juventus period! Episode III – "WITNESS TO THE CONQUEST OF A EUROPEAN TITLE" ] (in Romanian). Ploiestiulpatrianoastra. 2 February 2014.Retrieved24 November2022.
- ^ab"File de poveste – perioada Juventus! Episodul IV –" VICECAMPIOANĂ A ŢĂRII LA DOAR UN AN ""[Story files – the Juventus period! Episode IV – "VICE CHAMPION OF THE COUNTRY IN JUST ONE YEAR" ] (in Romanian). Ploiestiulpatrianoastra. 9 February 2014.Retrieved24 November2022.
- ^"File de poveste – Episodul VIII –" JUVENTUS – CAMPIOANA ROMÂNIEI "partea I"[Story files - Episode VIII - "JUVENTUS - CHAMPION OF ROMANIA" part I] (in Romanian). Ploiestiulpatrianoastra. 8 March 2014.Retrieved24 November2022.
- ^"File de poveste – Episodul IX –" JUVENTUS – CAMPIOANA ROMÂNIEI "partea II"[Story files – Episode IX – "JUVENTUS – CHAMPION OF ROMANIA" part II] (in Romanian). Ploiestiulpatrianoastra. 15 March 2014.Retrieved24 November2022.
- ^"File de poveste – Episodul X –" JUVENTUS – CAMPIOANA ROMÂNIEI "partea III"[Story files – Episode X – "JUVENTUS – CHAMPION OF ROMANIA" part III] (in Romanian). Ploiestiulpatrianoastra. 22 March 2014.Retrieved24 November2022.
- ^ab"Marile echipe ale Petrolului din anii '50–'60, 6 povești spectaculoase despre performanțele generațiilor de aur ale ploieștenilor"[The great Petrolul teams from the 50s–60s, 6 spectacular stories about the performances of the golden generations of the people of Ploiesti] (in Romanian). Gsp.ro. 10 May 2018.Retrieved23 January2020.
- ^"Fostele glorii ale Petrolului şi suporteri ai echipei au comemorat 50 de ani de la dispariţia din viaţă a lui Constantin Tabarcea"[Former Petrolul glory players and team supporters commemorate 50 years since Constantin Tabarcea's disappearance] (in Romanian). Gazetaph.ro. 14 July 2013.Retrieved23 January2020.
- ^A fost inventata de "nea Mitica" in 1978 si perfectionata de nationala Spaniei in 1983! Metoda scandaloasa care a dus-o pe Lyon in optimile Ligii.sport.ro
- ^"De Petrolul s-a ales praful"[Petrolul turned to dust] (in Romanian).ProSport.26 May 2009.Retrieved4 June2021.
- ^4 titluri! » Petrolul îşi trece în palmares şi campionatul cîştigat în 1930 de Juventus Bucureşti.gsp.ro
- ^Petrolul se muta la Moreni!.ziarulprahova.ro
- ^Primăria Ploieşti a preluat Petrolul.gsp.ro
- ^RETROSPECTIVĂ: Superlativele Petrolului insuficiente pentru Liga I.liga2.prosport.ro
- ^Suporterii şi fotbaliştii Petrolului au sărbătorit promovarea în centrul oraşului.liga2.prosport.ro
- ^Super-stadionul de 17 milioane de euro al Ploieştiului a fost inaugurat.gsp.ro
- ^"Ambitious Mutu back in Romania with Petrolul".UEFA.14 January 2014.
- ^"Transferurile lui Mutu și Zicu, criticate de fostul antrenor al Petrolului:" Au fost un eșec! ""[The signings of Mutu and Zicu, criticised by a former coach: "They were a failure!" ].DigiSport(in Romanian). 26 September 2014.
- ^ab"Parteneriat FC Petrolul – Opel"[FC Petrolul – Opel Partnership].FC Petrolul Ploiești(in Romanian). 15 January 2014. Archived fromthe originalon 16 January 2014.
- ^"Am ratat dramatic finala Cupei României!"[We dramatically missed the Romanian Cup final!].FC Petrolul Ploiești(in Romanian). 16 April 2014. Archived fromthe originalon 18 April 2014.
- ^"Scandal la Ploiești! Suporterii au întrerupt antrenamentul și a fost nevoie de intervenția jandarmilor"[Scandal in Ploiesti! The fans have stopped the training and the policemen intervened].DigiSport(in Romanian). 17 April 2014.
- ^"Petrolul and Hajduk heroics stun Europe".UEFA.7 August 2014.
- ^"Răzvan Lucescu nu mai este antrenorul Petrolului"[Răzvan Lucescu is not Petrolul's coach anymore].FC Petrolul Ploiești(in Romanian). 16 September 2014. Archived fromthe originalon 27 September 2014.
- ^"FC Petrolul a reziliat contractul cu Adrian Mutu"[FC Petrolul broke Adrian Mutu's contract].FC Petrolul Ploiești(in Romanian). 26 September 2014. Archived fromthe originalon 28 September 2014.
- ^"Finanțatorul Dan Capră și directorul general al Petrolului, Marius Bucuroiu, reținuți pentru 24 de ore!"[Petrolul's president Dan Capră and general director Marius Bucuroiu, arrested for 24 hours!].DigiSport(in Romanian). 25 November 2014.
- ^"Colaps total la Ploieşti. Mandate de arestare pentru acţionarii clubului în dosarul de evaziune fiscală. Reţinerea finanţatorului Capră provoacă plecarea unor jucători importanţi"[Total collapse at Ploieşti. Warrants for the club's shareholders in the tax evasion case. The arrest of president Capră causes the departure of some important footballers] (in Romanian). ProSport. 26 November 2014.
- ^"Insolvența, un nou ȋnceput, nicidecum finalul!"[Insolvency, a new beginning, not the end!] (in Romanian). FC Petrolul Ploiești. 7 February 2015. Archived fromthe originalon 9 February 2015.Retrieved7 February2015.
- ^"Eșec la final de campionat"[Fail at the end of the championship].FC Petrolul Ploiești(in Romanian). 27 May 2015. Archived fromthe originalon 27 June 2015.
- ^"Despartire de Pablo de Lucas, Sebastián Gallegos, Ioan Filip si Victor Astafei"[Pablo de Lucas, Sebastián Gallegos, Ioan Filip and Victor Astafei left the team].FC Petrolul Ploiești(in Romanian). 28 May 2015. Archived fromthe originalon 27 June 2015.
- ^ab"Noul Petrolul porneşte la drum în liga a patra. Mărcile au revenit la Primăria Ploieşti, care le va ceda noului club"[New Petrolul starts its way in the fourth division. The brand returned to the local government of Ploieşti, which will yield it to the new club] (in Romanian).Digi Sport.11 July 2016.Retrieved9 February2017.
- ^"BOMBĂ în fotbalul românesc! Un grup francez lider mondial preia o echipă cu 4 titluri! Obiectiv clar: bătaia cu granzii în Liga 1"[INCREDIBLE NEWS in Romanian football! A French transnational company takesover a team with 4 national titles!].Gazeta Sporturilor(in Romanian). 8 April 2017.Retrieved8 April2017.
- ^"După UTA şi FC Argeş, fotbalul românesc" recâştigă "şi Petrolul! ACS Petrolul 52 devine Petrolul cu 4 titluri şi 3 cupe după ce a câştigat licitaţia achiziţionării celor 6 mărci"[After UTA and FC Argeş, Romanian football "regains" Petrolul as well! ACS Petrolul 52 becomes Petroull with 4 national titles and 3 cups after winning the auction of the 6 brands] (in Romanian).ProSport.16 June 2017.Retrieved17 June2017.
- ^"Ce uneşte şi ce desparte Petrolul, Oţelul, U Cluj şi Farul după ce au promovat în Liga 3. Buget, principii şi obiective similare pe termen scurt, strategii şi ţinte diferite pe termen lung"[What unites and separates Petrolul, Oţelul, U Cluj and Farul after they have promoted in League 3. Budget, similar short-term principles and objectives, different long-term strategies and targets] (in Romanian). ProSport. 26 June 2017.Retrieved27 June2017.
- ^"Probleme financiare pentru Petrolul Ploiești! Și-a pierdut principala sursă de finanțare!" Parteneriatul se închide! ""[Financial problems for Petrolul Ploiești! It has lost its main source of funding! "The partnership is ending!" ] (in Romanian). Playsport. 29 April 2021.Retrieved4 June2021.
- ^"Petrolul Ploiești revine în Liga 1 cu probleme financiare"[Petrolul Ploiești returns to the Liga 1 with financial issues] (in Romanian). Informateca. 29 May 2022.Retrieved10 June2022.
- ^ab"Comunicat ACS Petrolul 52"[ACS Petrolul 52 press release] (in Romanian). FC Petrolul Ploiești. 22 March 2023.Retrieved22 March2023.
- ^"Stadionul Ilie Oană din Ploieşti, cotat de UEFA la patru stele"[Ilie Oană from Ploieşti, ranked as a UEFA Category 4 stadium].Adevărul(in Romanian). 10 May 2012.
- ^"Petrolul s-a întors acasă"[Petrolul is back at home].FC Petrolul Ploiești(in Romanian). 24 September 2011. Archived fromthe originalon 19 April 2013.
- ^"Nebunie la meciul Petrolului din Liga a 4-a!" Găzarii "s-au impus pe un stadion cu peste 6.000 de spectatori care au făcut show"[Crazy match in the fourth league! "The Oilmen" won after being assisted by over 6,000 spectators in a great atmosphere]. Gazeta Sporturilor. 27 August 2016.Retrieved13 March2017.
- ^ab"Rivalitatea Petrolul – Steaua, exportată în Olanda. Suporterii" găzarilor "şi cei ai echipei Vitesse Arnhem, mesaje" de dulce "la derby-ul local cu NEC Nijmegen, a cărei galerie este înfrăţită cu cea stelistă"[Petrolul – Steaua rivalry, exported to the Netherlands. "The Oilmen" and the fans of Vitesse Arnhem, "gentle" wishes at the local derby against NEC Nijmegen, whose supporters have a friendship with Steaua] (in Romanian). ProSport. 9 April 2017.Retrieved9 April2017.
- ^"Petrolul-Rapid, un derby pe stil vechi"[Petrolul-Rapid, a classic derby].evz.ro(in Romanian). 16 August 2014.
- ^"Fanii Petrolului jigniţi dur de Ioan Niculae! Patronul Astrei se ia şi de clubul din Ploieşti:" Nu are nici un palmares ""[Petrolul's fans, insulted by Ioan Niculae! He also talks about the club from Ploiești: "They have no honours" ].Gazeta Sporturilor(in Romanian). 16 April 2014.
- ^"ZI CU MUTU | Mutu a fost chemat sa INJURE Steaua si Dinamo! Ce gest a facut in fata ultrasilor de la Petrolul"[DAY WITH MUTU | Mutu was called to SWEAR against Steaua and Dinamo! The gesture he made before the Petrolul ultras] (in Romanian).Sport.ro.13 January 2014.Retrieved9 August2022.
- ^"Prima echipă"[First-team squad] (in Romanian). FC Petrolul Ploiești.Retrieved23 August2022.
- ^"FC PETROLUL jucatori - componenta echipa"[FC PETROLUL players - team squad] (in Romanian).Liga Profesionistă de Fotbal.Retrieved16 June2023.
- ^Technical staff
- ^"Parteneriat între FC Petrolul Ploieşti şi Superbet"[Partnership between Petrolul Ploiesti and Superbet].FC Petrolul Ploiești(in Romanian). Archived fromthe originalon 26 June 2015.
- ^TheIntertoto Cupwas founded in 1961–62, but was only taken over by UEFA in 1995. Petrolul have participated in the 1990 edition. The results are included in the total statistics.
- ^There is a controversy concerning the value ofInter-Cities Fairs Cup.While it is viewed as the predecessor to the UEFA Cup, it was not organised by UEFA. Consequently, UEFA do not recognise the competition as a major honour.
Further reading
[edit]- Răzvan V. Frățilă (2013).Petrolul Ploiești, Istorie și Tradiție Volumul 1 – Începuturile.Karta-Graphic.ISBN978-606-8312-99-6.
- Răzvan V. Frățilă (2014).Petrolul Ploiești, Istorie și Tradiție Volumul 2 – Gloria.Karta-Graphic.ISBN978-606-8312-98-9.
- Răzvan V. Frățilă (2018).Petrolul Ploiești, Istorie și Tradiție Volumul 3 – Periplul mondial.Amanda Edit.ISBN978-606-9790-60-1.
External links
[edit]
- Official website(in Romanian)
- FC Petrolul PloieștionFacebook
- FC Petrolul PloieștionInstagram
- FC Petrolul Ploieștiat UEFA
- FC Petrolul Ploieștiat LPF.ro
