FC Argeș Pitești
Vacant | |||
League | Liga II | ||
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2022–23 | Liga I, 14th of 16 (relegated via play-outs) | ||
Website | Club website | ||
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Asociația Clubul Sportiv Campionii Fotbal Club Argeș, commonly known as FC Argeș Pitești (Romanian pronunciation: .
The team was originally founded as Dinamo Pitești in 1953, and made its
FC Argeș amassed over 40 seasons in the Liga I, and traditionally plays its home matches at
History
Period | Name |
1956–1967 | Dinamo Pitești |
1967–1992 | Argeș Pitești |
1992–1994 | Argeș Dacia Pitești |
1994–2013 | Argeș Pitești |
2013–2017 | SCM Pitești |
2017–present | Argeș Pitești |
Founding and early years (1953–1967)
On 6 August 1953, an order of the Ministry of Internal Affairs created Dinamo Pitești, the original formation of FC Argeș. The name was based on an older Bucharest team, FC Dinamo București. The new team from Pitești started its rise from the bottom, in the City Championship (Romanian: Campionatul Orășenesc), today Liga IV or Liga V, but the involvement of the local administration in bringing the best football players from the city to FC Argeș was the main factor in the consecutive promotions of the club. The promotion to Divizia B (Liga II) occurred at the end of the 1958–1959 Divizia C (Liga III) season, and in the first year the team was very close to a Divizia A (Liga I) promotion, but ended up in second place of the second series of Divizia B. In the following season, the team was promoted to the top Romanian football league under the command of coaches Ştefan Vasile and Tănase Dima. Three of the most well-known members of the squad were Ion Barbu, Florin Halagian and Nicolae Dobrin, players who contributed the most to Dinamo's performance. The 1961–62 Divizia A season was a tough one for the club which was relegated back to Divizia B after only one year.
After only one season in Divizia B, Dinamo Pitești were promoted again in 1963. They would remain a constant presence on the first stage of Romanian football, finishing 10th place in 1964 while also winning the Romanian Cup final, 8th in 1965, 4th in 1966 and 12th in 1967.[1]
Golden era (1967–1983)
In the summer of 1967 the club changed its name from Dinamo Pitești to Argeș Pitești. The first season with the new name was a great one for the club, which finished 2nd, with the same number of points as
In the 1971–72 Divizia A season nothing could have predicted the final success of the team. In the first round the team debuted poorly, with a defeat (1–4) at SC Bacău, and the tension within the team led to the dismissal of coach Titus Ozon. In his place Florin Halagian was promoted, a young coach and former member of the team. At his debut as the youngest coach of Divizia A on 29 August 1971, the team won 2–1 against Rapid București, with both goals scored by Jercan. At the end of the first part of the championship, FC Argeş was in 4th place with 18 points, behind UTA Arad, SC Bacău and Universitatea Cluj. The winter preparations took place at Băile Herculane, followed by a strong tournament in East Germany, which helped the team a lot in the second part of the championship. In the second part, FC Argeș was defeated only twice (0–2, at home against Steagul Roșu Brașov and 0–1, at Cluj-Napoca, against CFR Cluj). These were followed by 9 games without defeats, with Halagian playing the high card several times.[clarification needed] In the match against Politehnica Iași, he played each half with a different line of midfielders, to everyone's surprise, to force the victory and to have fresh players until the end. In the penultimate stage on 21 June 1972 at Pitești, FC Argeș defeated Crişul Oradea, becoming champion of Romania for the first time in its history, with one round before the end of the championship. The team played offensively and ambitiously, with an inspired Dobrin at the helm. The score was 4–1 (3–1) with the goals scored by Dobrin, Prepurgel, and M. Joita, and Tămaş scoring for Crișul. In front of over 17,000 spectators in the final round, FC Argeș defeated Dinamo București at 23 August Stadium with a score of 3–2, through the goals scored by Jercan, Constantin Radu, and Frățilă, with Lucescu and Dumitrache scoring for Dinamo.[2]
Following their 1972 Divizia A title, FC Argeș played in the
The following seasons were oscillating for the team which finished 3rd in 1973, 8th in 1974, and 7th in 1975, falling to 11th place in 1976 and 1977. In the 1977–78 Divizia A season the team had a remarkable comeback and finished 2nd, with the same number of points as the leader, Steaua București, as in 1968.
The
The well-known sports journalist Laurențiu Dumitrescu wrote in the Sportul newspaper,
... it was also in the autumn of [1978 that] Dobrin's team, the team of that highly talented player, who has been wearing the number 10 shirt for more than 15 years, the player capable – even at 31 years old – of deciding any match in our championship (testimonial examples: matches against
FC Baia Mare, on their own ground, and against Steaua, away) to score spectacular goals. When Dobrin was absent, Iovănescu stepped in, an offensive midfielder who had an exceptional season, perhaps the best of his career. He also assumed the role of puncheur when the striker Radu II was injured. But it was also Stancu's turn, who became at only 22 years old, the mature leader of the defense, who combined the experience of Ivan II with the strength of Cârstea and the ambition of Mihai Zamfir.
On 24 June 1979, in front of 20,000 spectators at
After the game, the well-known sports journalist Ioan Chirilă wrote in Sportul, "The championship final, awaited with extraordinary interest, which massively reduced the number of spectators on all the other grounds, ended with the well-deserved victory of the Pitești players after a high-tension game, in which the Dynamo team's thirst for victory received a veto from Dobrin, who offered the stands and viewers the countless matches of his life, he being the player who dominated the field from all points of view."[2][5]
In the 1978–79 UEFA Cup FC Argeș eliminated Panathinaikos and went down with a fight against Valencia, with a score of 4–6 on aggregate. The club finished on the podium twice, in 1980 and 1981, but only in 10th place in 1982. Then in the summer of 1982, Dobrin at 35 years old left FC Argeș for CS Târgoviște. The team's performance wasn't greatly impacted and they finished 4th in 1983. The next summer Dobrin returned to FC Argeș, but played only 5 matches before retiring on 14 June 1983, after a match against Bihor Oradea, with the team finishing in 5th place.[2]
After Nicolae Dobrin (1983–2009)
The retirement of Dobrin, the emblematic symbol of FC Argeș, also meant the end of great performances for the club. In the 1980s the team became mediocre, finishing frequently in 6th, 7th or 9th place, but still managed to reach three Balkans Cup finals in this period. At the end of the decade and the beginning of the next the team slipped even further, culminating in their relegation from Divizia A in 1992, after 29 years spent in the top league of Romanian football.
Relegated to Liga II and with financial problems FC Argeș was taken over by Dacia, whose director was Constantin Stroe, who paid the team's debts. The club was promoted back in 1994, finished 8th in 1995, but was again 5 points away from relegation in 1996. In the next season the team made a comeback to the middle of the standings.[6][permanent dead link]
The
The team continued its good performance, finishing 4th in 1999, then in 5th place in 2000 and 2001. From 2002 on the team was a constant presence in the second half of the leaderboard, finishing at most in 10th place. This period ended with the second relegation in the club's history, this time after 13 years, at the end of the 2006–07 Liga I season. The team was promoted back after only one season in Liga II.
The Romanian Calciopoli and Bankruptcy (2009–2013)
The team finished 8th in their first season after the promotion, a season with good results and a solid playing style. Then on 8 June 2009, they were relegated to Liga II, after the National Anti-Corruption Division found that the owner of the team from that period, Cornel Penescu, tried to bribe referees to benefit the team in matches. This case was called the "Penescu Case" or the "Romanian Calciopoli" by the press.[8]
After Penescu's arrest, his son Andrei led the club, but the funding was practically non-existent and the club struggled to survive even in Liga II, finishing in the second half of the standings. Then on 26 July 2013 it was announced that FC Argeș was bankrupt without any chance of rescue.[9]
SCM Pitești and supporters' club (2013–2017)
After the bankruptcy of FC Argeș, the people of Pitești tried to bring football back to life. Their first project was Sport Club Municipal (SCM) Pitești, a project initiated by Pitești City Council which created a football section at the sporting club of the municipality in 2011, 2 years before the end of FC Argeș, anticipating the bankruptcy of the club led at that time by Penescu's son and burdened with debt. The team was promoted to Liga III after only one season and remained at that level until 2017 when they were promoted to Liga II.[10]
The supporters of FC Argeș encouraged the team until the very end, then after the bankruptcy founded FC Argeș 1953 Piteşti, a phoenix club fully owned by FC Argeș supporters. The club won the 2015–16 Liga IV for Argeș County and the promotion play-off match 5–2 against Recolta Stoicănești, Olt County champion, but were unable to join Liga III due to a lack of funds and dissolved their senior team.[11]
Pitești City Council offered to buy the FC Argeș brand, and the fans running FC Argeș 1953 supported this initiative.[12]
Rebirth and return to Liga I (2017–present)
On 16 June 2017, the Municipality of Pitești bought FC Argeș's brand for 550,000
In the first half of their
In the 2021-22 season, FC Argeș managed to secure a play-off spot on the final day of the regular season, finishing 4th after a 2–1 away win against FC Botoșani.
Youth program
Some notable names of Romanian football were developed in the youth academy of FC Argeș, such as Nicolae Dobrin, Adrian Mutu, Ilie Bărbulescu, Marius Bilașco, Constantin Cârstea, Dănuț Coman, Iulian Crivac, Emil Dică, Valentin Năstase, Adrian Neaga, Marin Radu, Bogdan Stancu, Cristian Tănase, Constantin Stancu and Ion Vlădoiu.
Stadium
The club plays its home matches in Nicolae Dobrin Stadium in Pitești. The stadium has a capacity of 15,000 seats, the biggest in Argeș County. The stadium is closed for renovations, so the club plays its matches at the Orășenesc Stadium in Mioveni at the moment.
Support
FC Argeș has many supporters in Romania and especially in Argeș County. The ultra groups of FC Argeș are Violet Republic, Brigada Vulturii București and Frați de weeknd.[15][failed verification]
Rivalries
FC Argeș does not have any significant rivalries, but one is with Dinamo București and another is against local team CS Mioveni, with the town of Mioveni being only 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) away from Pitești.
Honours
Domestic
Leagues
- Liga I
- Liga II
- Liga III
- Liga IV – Argeș County
- Winners (1): 2011–12[nb 1]
- Winners (1):
Cups
- Cupa României
- Runners-up (1): 1964–65
European
Players
First-team squad
- As of 24 January 2024[16]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Out on loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Retired numbers
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Club officials
Board of officials
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Current technical staff
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European record
Competition | S | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
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European Cup )
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2 | 8 | 4 | 0 | 4 | 13 | 10 | +3 |
UEFA Cup )
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5 | 18 | 7 | 4 | 7 | 29 | 34 | −5 |
Total | 7 | 26 | 11 | 4 | 11 | 42 | 44 | −2 |
League history
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Notable former players
The footballers enlisted below have had international cap(s) for their respective countries at a senior level or at least 100 cap(s) for FC Argeș.
Notable former managers
Notes
- ^ SCM Piteștiprior to acquiring the FC Argeș brand in 2017.
References
- ^ "Palmares" [Records]. FC Argeş Piteşti 1953 (in Romanian). Archived from the original on 6 January 2018.
- ^ a b c "FC Argeş, ce-a fost şi ce-a ajuns!" [FC Argeş, what has been and what happened!]. Curierul Zilei (in Romanian). 17 June 2013. Archived from the original on 19 July 2018.
- ^ "FC Argeş, singura echipă românească ce a fost la un pas să elimine Real Madrid". adevarul.ro (in Romanian). 14 January 2017. Retrieved 6 July 2023.
- ^ "VIDEO Amintiri de la "thriller-ul" Dinamo - FC Argeș din 1979: "Jocurile erau făcute pentru ei. Se uitau la Dobrin ca la un extraterestru!"" [VIDEO Memories from the "thriller" Dinamo - FC Argeș from 1979:"The arrangements were made for them. They looked at Dobrin like at an alien!"] (in Romanian). Gsp.ro. 15 March 2021. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
- ^ "RETRO GSP. 41 de ani de când "Diavolul" Dobrin i-a pus pe "câini" cu botul pe labe. Dragnea: "Da, Gicu a fost genial, însă pe noi ne-a bătut altcineva!"" [RETRO GSP. It's been 41 years since the "Devil" Dobrin put the "dogs" with their snouts on their paws. Dragnea:"Yes, Gicu was brilliant, but someone else beat us!"] (in Romanian). GSP.ro. 24 June 2020. Retrieved 29 June 2021.
- ^ Remember. Stroe şi rolul său crucial în renaşterea FC Argeş din anii 90
- ^ "Celta Vigo - FC Argeş - 1998 - statistics". www.romaniansoccer.ro. Archived from the original on 5 April 2023. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
- ^ "Penescu, patronul FC Arges si Constantin, seful arbitrilor, arestati!". Stirileprotv.ro (in Romanian). 14 April 2009. Retrieved 7 July 2023.
- ^ Prosport, Arhiva (26 July 2013). "FC Argeș se va desființa!** Jucătorii au primit acordul să plece unde vor". Liga 2 (in Romanian). Retrieved 7 July 2023.
- ^ Prosport, Arhiva (8 May 2017). "SCM Pitești, premiată de FRF pentru promovarea în Liga 2.** Nicolae Dică și jucătorii săi au primit cupa și medaliile de campioni ai Seriei a 3-a | VIDEO". Liga 2 (in Romanian). Retrieved 7 July 2023.
- ^ Elena, Marta (18 August 2016). "Zi neagră în fotbalul argeşean! Şi FC Argeş 1953 s-a desfiinţat! Jucătorii au fost anunţaţi să-şi caute altă echipă". universulargesean.ro (in Romanian). Retrieved 7 July 2023.
- ^ "Consiliul Local Pitești vrea transformarea SCM-ului în FC Argeș din Liga a 2-a! Care sunt cele două variante pe care le are la dispoziție » De ce ar fi ieșit proiectul fanilor din lista de priorități". GSP (in Romanian). Retrieved 7 July 2023.
- ^ "Primăria Piteşti a cumpărat brandul FC Argeş! SCM Piteşti se transformă odată cu promovarea în Liga 2 în clubul legendarului Nicolae Dobrin. Cât a costat tranzacţia" [The Municipality of Pitești bought the FC Argeș brand! SCM Pitești, promoted to the Liga 2, turns into the club of legendary Nicolae Dobrin. How much did the transaction cost] (in Romanian). ProSport. 15 June 2017. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
- SCM Pitești. 27 June 2017. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
- ^ "Suporteri". FC Argeş Piteşti 1953. Archived from the original on 6 January 2018.
- ^ "Echipa" [Squad] (in Romanian). FC Argeș Pitești. 20 September 2017. Retrieved 10 August 2023.
- ^ "În numele "Prințului din Trivale"! Campionii FC Argeș retrage tricoul cu numărul 10, din respect pentru Nicolae Dobrin, la 16 ani de la decesul fostului fotbalist: "A fost cel mai mare și a fost al nostru. Te vom iubi mereu"" [Argeș Pitești retires number 10] (in Romanian). liga2.ro. 30 October 2023. Retrieved 30 October 2023.[dead link]
- ^ Board of directors
- ^ Technical staff
External links
- Official website (in Romanian)
- FC Argeș Pitești on Facebook
- FC Argeș Pitești on Instagram
- Club profile on UEFA's official website
- Club profile Archived 25 September 2020 at the Wayback Machine on LPF's official website (in Romanian)