FCV Farul Constanța

For the rugby union team, see RCJ Farul Constanța. For the other Constanța football club which was merged into Farul in 2021, see FC Viitorul Constanța.

FCV Farul Constanța (Romanian pronunciation: [ˈfarul konˈstantsa]), commonly known as Farul Constanța or simply as Farul, is a Romanian professional football club based in the city of Constanța, Constanța County, that competes in the Liga I. Farul translates as "the Lighthouse" in Romanian, alluding the fact that the city is situated on the Black Sea coast.

Farul Constanța

Full name	FCV Farul Constanța SA^[1]
Nickname(s)	Marinarii (The Sailors) Rechinii (The Sharks) Alb-albaștrii (The White and Blues) Constănțenii (The People from Constanța)
Short name	Farul
Founded	12 November 1920; 103 years ago (12 November 1920) as SPM Constanța
Ground	Central
Capacity	4,554
Owners	Gheorghe Hagi (79.9%) Rivaldo (10%) Ciprian Marica (10%) Zoltán Iasko (0.1%)
President	Gheorghe Popescu
Manager	Gheorghe Hagi
League	Liga I
2022–23	Liga I, 1st of 16 (champions)
Website	Club website
Home colours Away colours Third colours
Current season

Established in 1920 as SPM Constanța, the team had spent over 40 seasons in the first league before merging with Viitorul Constanța in 2021. The highest position it achieved prior to the merger was fourth place on three occasions, and it also played a Cupa României final in 2005. Farul won its first Liga I title at the end of the 2022–23 season, or the second overall if Viitorul's record is considered.^{[note 1]}

Farul Constanța is known for its academy, which was inherited from Gheorghe Hagi, the joint top goalscorer of the Romania national team. Hagi is also the controlling shareholder of the company and coaches the senior team.

The club traditionally played its matches at Farul Stadium, but now uses the smaller Viitorul Stadium in Ovidiu until a new home ground will be built.

History

Early years (1920–1949)

The club was founded in 1920 as SPM Constanța (Serviciul Porturi Maritime – Maritime Port Services) and played under this name until 1946, when it was renamed PCA Constanța (Porturi Comunicații Ape – Ports Marine Communication).

Ascent (1949–1960)

The modern history of the football club from Constanța began in 1949, when the city's two teams (Dezrobirea Constanța and PCA Constanța) merged to form Locomotiva PCA. The new club was registered for the Divizia B play-off with four other regional champions: Metalul 1 Mai Ploiești, Dinamo Oltenița, Progresul CPCS București and Bucegi Câmpulung Pitești. "Constănțenii" finished first in the group, and were promoted to the second league.

Period	Name
1920–1946	SPM Constanța
1946–1949	PCA Constanța
1949–1953	Locomotiva PCA Constanța
1953–1958	Locomotiva Constanța
1958–1972	Farul Constanța
1972–1988	FC Constanța
1988–present	Farul Constanța

In 1953, Locomotiva PCA Constanța was renamed Locomotiva Constanța. A year later, at the end of the 1954 season, Locomotiva Constanța received its first promotion to Divizia A. The team was ranked first in the third series of Divizia B, with three points more than second-place Dinamo Bacău. After the last game, an away 1–0 win against Dinamo Bârlad, the players were welcomed at Constanța's old train station by a large crowd which had come to celebrate the promotion. The team consisted of Nebela, Doicescu, Zlotea, Mark, Tatomir, Jarnea (Bedivan, Manta), Vultur, Neli Ispas, Gogu Cojocaru, Sever, Cristof, Bobi Georgescu, Gigi Datcu, Linzoiu, Keszkei, coached by Ion Troancă.^[2]

In the spring of 1955, Locomotiva began their first season in the first league. The team was strengthened with players from Politehnica Timișoara, CFR București and Flamura Roșie Arad, and had a new coach: Eugen Mladin. The first match of "the Sailors" was played in Bucharest against future champion Dinamo București. Gogu Cojocaru scored first but the match was lost, 4–1. At the end of the season, Locomotiva finished 12th out of 13 teams and was relegated to Divizia B. During the season, Farul Stadium (1 Mai Stadium at the time) opened. Its debut match, on 23 March 1955, was a fourth-round league game between Locomotiva and defending champions Flamura Roșie Arad. Locomotiva won, 1–0, with a 40-meter goal by Manole.^[2]

Locomotiva finished the 1956 Divizia B season in sixth place, and finished third in 1957. The return to an autumn-spring format at the beginning of the 1957–58 season and the renaming of the team to Farul Constanța had brought good luck to the Sailors, who won the second league and returned to the first league of Romanian football. After a tough first season in which the club barely avoided relegation, Farul had their best season to date and finished fourth in 1959–60. The team consisted of players Horia Ghibănescu, Nicolae Botescu, Grigore Ciuncan, Lucrețiu Florescu, Gheorghe Corneanu, Gheorghe Toma, Petre Comăniță, Mircea Bibere, Eugen Pană, Gheorghe Datcu, Vasile Stancu, Constantin Moroianu, Ion Ciosescu, Paul Niculescu, Dumitru Sever, Iacob Olaru and Ștefan Nunu; head coach Iosif Lengheriu, and president Foti Foti.^[2]

European and International debut (1960–1967)

 

Marin Tufan, Farul's all-time top goal scorer

The 1960s began with the Sharks in the first football league. Due to the failure of newcomers Brânzei, Stancu and Vasilescu to mesh with the team, at the end of the 1960–61 season Farul finished 13th and was relegated with CSMS Iași and Corvinul Hunedoara. Motivated by their presence in the first league, the Constanțenii did not stay long in Divizia B; at the end of the 1961–62 season, they were promoted back to the first league after finishing first. That season, Farul also received its first national football title by winning the U-19 championship. The following year, the Sailors ended the first part of the season as leaders of the Divizia A. They did less well during the second part, and ranked fifth at the end of the season. During the 1962–63 season, the offensive trio of Bükössy-Ciosescu-Dinulescu scored 48 goals. Farul Constanța won its second consecutive title in the U-19 league, with students of Gheorghe Smărăndescu defeating Dinamo București 2–1 in the final.^[3]

The next three seasons started well for Farul, but they finished in the middle of the pack. In 1963–64, they finished eighth after occupying third place at the end of the first half; all-time goal-scorer Marin Tufan scored 62 goals. The following year, the Sailors finished only one point above first-relegated team Minerul Baia Mare. In the 1965–66 season, Farul finished ninth out of 14 teams. Their qualification for the 1964–66 Balkans Cup was their first participation in European competitions; on 28 April 1965, Farul drew away with Spartak Plovdiv 1–1. They won 1–0 in Constanța two weeks later for their first European victory. In the next game, the white-and-blues first defeated Vardar 4–0 in Skopje and 1–0 in a second match. Their meeting with the Greek side Olympiacos was divided; the Greeks won 1–0 at Piraeus, and Farul won a forfeit in Constanța for first place in Group A. The final of the competition was Romanian; Farul met Rapid București, but lost on aggregate after a 3–3 draw in Bucharest and a 0–2 loss in Constanța. The team did well in the Romanian Cup, where the Sharks were eliminated in the semi-finals by UTA Arad (2–3).^[3]

In the 1966–67 season, Farul finished fourth in Divizia A. The squad consisted of Vasile Utu, Constantin Tâlvescu, Constantin Manciu, Marin Georgescu, Constantin Koszka, Martin Graef, Suliman Etem, Cicerone Manolache, Constantin Pleșa, Dumitru Antonescu, Ilie Ologu, Marin Tufan, Constantin Iancu, Tiberiu Kallo, Ion Zamfir, Dumitru Caraman, Iosif Bükössy, Constantin Mareș, Vasile Dumbravă; head coach Virgil Mărdărescu, and president Foti Foti. At the end of the season, Farul played six games in its first international tournament in Lebanon, Kuwait and Syria.^[3]

Between success and mediocrity (1967–1988)

 

Farul Constanța's 1967–68 squad, who played in the Balkans Cup

Farul competed in the 1966–67 Balkans Cup, and were drawn in a group against AEK Athens (third place in the Alpha Ethniki), Lokomotiv Sofia (eighth place in the Bulgarian First League) and Vardar (10th place in the Yugoslav First League). The Sailors started with two consecutive wins in Constanța: 4–1 against Lokomotiv Sofia, and 2–0 against Vardar Skopje. They could not replicate their home form in the away matches, however, losing all three: 0–4 against Vardar, 0–3 against AEK Athens, and 1–5 versus Lokomotiv Sofia. They drew 1–1 against AEK in the last group match, and finished the group stage in third place.

The Sharks finished the 1967–68 season in seventh place, and again competed in the Balkans Cup. Their opponents were Beroe Stara Zagora (10th place in the Bulgarian First League), Vllaznia Shkodër (sixth place in the Albanian Superliga) and Gençlerbirliği (sixth place in the Süper Lig). Their results were 3–1 and 2–1 against Gençlerbirliği, two 1–2 losses at Shkodër and Stara Zagora, followed by a 2–1 win against Vllaznia in Constanța and a 1–2 defeat against Beroe. Farul ended the group stage in third place, and did not qualify for the next stage.

During the next two seasons, Farul consolidated its reputation as a difficult team to beat. They finished ninth and reached the semi-finals of the 1968–69 Cupa României at the end of the 1968–69 season. This was followed by sixth place in the league and reaching the quarter-finals of the Cupa României in the 1969–70 season.^[4]

The early 1970s transformed Farul to a regular finisher in the middle of the Divizia A standings: 11th in 1970–71 and 1971–72 and eighth in 1972–73. The team was renamed FC Constanța during the summer of 1973, finished fourth at the end of the next season, and qualified for the 1975 Balkans Cup. The format of the competition had changed, and a group consisted of only three teams; Eskişehirspor (fourth in the Süper Lig) and Lokomotiv Sofia (fifth in the Bulgarian First League) were in Constanța's group. The team had one victory (2–1 against Lokomotiv Sofia), one draw (2–2 against Eskişehirspor) and two defeats (1–2 and 0–1 against Eskişehirspor and Lokomotiv), both in away matches.^[4]

 

FC Constanța during the 1980s

Between 1974 and 1988 FC Constanța had uneven results, bouncing between the first and the second leagues and far from their results in the second half of the 1960s and the first half of the 1970s. After two 10th-place finishes in 1974–75 and 1975–76, FC Constanța barely avoided relegation in 1976–77. They were relegated at the end of the following season after finishing 16th out of 18 teams.^[5] Back in Divizia B after 16 years, Constanța finished fourth in the first season and second at the end of 1979–80, far behind leader Brașov. The Sailors were promoted to the first league in 1981, but had another poor season and finished 14th; they were relegated at the end of the 1982–83 season. Four Divizia B seasons followed with mediocre results: fifth in 1983–84 and fourth in 1984–85, 1985–86 and 1986–87.^[6] The club was promoted to Divizia A at the end of the 1987–88 season, and was renamed Farul Constanța during the summer of 1988. Despite weaker results, the team contributed Gheorghe Hagi, Constantin Gache, Ștefan Petcu, Ion Moldovan, and others to Romanian football.^[4]

From UEFA Intertoto to Divizia B (1988–2001)

The late 1980s and early 1990s found Farul in Divizia A with unimpressive results: ninth place in 1988–89, 10th in 1989–90 and 1990–91, 13th in 1991–92, ninth in 1992–93 and sixth in 1993–94. Although the team finished 11th in the 1994–95 season, Farul made its debut in the 1995 UEFA Intertoto Cup. Its five-team group also consisted of Cannes (ninth place in Ligue 1), Dnepr Mogilev (fifth in the Belarusian Premier League), Bečej (fourth in the First League of Serbia and Montenegro) and Pogoń Szczecin (eighth in the Ekstraklasa). Farul unexpectedly won the group with three victories, one draw and no defeats. The next draw brought Farul Heerenveen, ninth in the Eredivisie the previous season. The match was played in the Netherlands on 29 July 1995 at the 20,000-seat Abe Lenstra Stadion before 5,000 spectators. It was dominated by the Dutch side, which included a young Jon Dahl Tomasson. Farul coach Florin Marin fielded Cristian Munteanu – Stelian Carabaș, Daniel Ghișan, Marian Dinu (C), Mihai Matei, Ștefan Nanu – Gheorghe Barbu, Dănuţ Moisescu, Gheorghe Ciurea – Mugurel Cornățeanu, and Laurențiu Zadea. In the 19-minute Erik Regtop opened the score in the 19th minute, and increased it 16 minutes later. After the break, Jon Dahl Tomasson (48') and Romeo Wounden (71') made the final score 4–0. The Sailors continued their good form the following season into the Romanian Cup, where they were eliminated in the quarter-finals.^[7]

After the UEFA Intertoto Cup, Farul returned to its middle-table results: eighth in 1995–96, 10th in 1996–97, and 12th in 1997–98 and 1998–99. The most notable performance of these seasons was the 1,000th match played by Farul in the top flight of the Romanian football during the 1998–99 season. Financial problems and lack of local municipal interest left their mark on the team in 1999–2000, after which the Sharks were relegated to Divizia B. Before the last match, the Sailors were in 13th position; they then lost 1–2 against FC Onești and finished 15th, relegated after 12 years on the first stage of Romanian football.^[8]

Motivated to return to the first stage, the Constănțenii and Sportul Studențesc dominated Divizia B and finished the 2000–01 season in second place with 74 points. This assured them a promotion-relegation play-off against FCM Bacău, 14th in Divizia A. The two clubs shared victories, (2–1 and 1–2), and Farul was promoted after penalty shoot-outs. The return TO the top flight was also marked by the beginning of the ownersHIP era at Constanța. iN the Socialist Republic of Romania, all football clubs were publicly owned. After the Romanian Revolution, some clubs were publicly owned and others were privately owned. During the 1990s and early 2000s, most Romanian football clubs were owned by single individuals. Gheorghe Bosânceanu, owner of the Constanța Shipyard, bought Farul.^[8]

Decline into bankruptcy (2001–2016)

Despite being in a better financial situation, the Sailors finished 14th in the 2001–02 season and had to play a promotion-relegation playoff. Farul met FC Baia Mare and defeated them 1–0 in Constanța. A 0–0 draw at Baia Mare meant that the white-and-blues remained in Divizia A.

The club finished 10th in 2002–03, ninth in 2003–04 and fifth in 2004–05, behind Steaua București, Dinamo București, Rapid București and Național București. That season, the Sharks played in the Cupa României final. The 67th final of the Cupa României was played at Cotroceni Stadium against Dinamo București before 15,000 spectators, about 6,000 of whom were from Constanța. The referee was Laurent Duhamel of France, and Petre Grigoraș fielded George Curcă (C) – Răzvan Farmache, Ion Barbu, Cristian Șchiopu, Cosmin Pașcovici (Mihai Baicu in the 75th minute) – Florin Lungu, Adrian Senin, Dinu Todoran (Laurențiu Florea in the 85th minute) Mihai Guriță, Vasilică Cristocea (Iulian Apostol in the 10th minute) – Liviu Mihai. Dinamo won, 1–0, on a goal by Ștefan Grigorie in the sixth minute.^[8]

Farul continued its good form during the next season, when it reached the semi-finals of the Romanian Cup before it was eliminated by Național București 2–4 on aggregate. The Sailors finished seventh in Divizia A and played in the 2006 UEFA Intertoto Cup, where they eliminated Pobeda 4–2 on aggregate and Lokomotiv Plovdiv 3–2 on aggregate. In the cup final, Farul met Auxerre (sixth in Ligue 1). The French team participated in the competition due to the withdrawal of the Italian Palermo side because of the 2006 Italian football scandal. Farul lost 2–4 on aggregate, and missed its first chance to participate in the UEFA Cup. That season, despite over €2 million promised by owner Gheorghe Bosânceanu, after the Auxerre match, Farul remained at the bottom of the rankings for the whole season and ended 2006–07 in 14th place.^[9]

The 2007–08 season is considered one of Liga I's best post-Revolution seasons, but Farul fared poorly. The constănțenii were last in the league for three weeks before saving themselves from relegation and finishing 13th. The next season continued the decline and, after almost 10 years in the top flight, Farul was again relegated to the second league. The Sharks' last match in the first division was an 0–6 loss to Otopeni.^[10]

The relegation inspired eight-year owner Gheorghe Bosânceanu to sell the club to former Rocar București and Știința Bacău owner Giani Nedelcu; both clubs went bankrupt under his tenure. In 2009–10, Farul finished in eighth place. The next season was full of emotion, with the club receiving its Liga II license late because of growing financial problems and finishing 13th. The Sharks finished eighth in 2011–12, far from promotion.^[10]

Liga III began to feel possible during the 2012–13 season. FCM Bacău, Astra II Giurgiu and Callatis Mangalia withdrew from Liga II, and Dinamo II București and Chindia Târgoviște were relegated; Farul barely escaped. In 2013–14, Liga II changed its format to a play-off / play-out system; the Sailors finished the regular season in 11th place, in the play-out zone, but again eluded relegation. Farul again played in the 2014–15 play-out, where it finished fourth and was saved from relegation. In 2015–16, Farul finished the regular season in fourth place and entered the play-off group. The Sharks earned 29 points and finished fifth, giving supporters hope. However, Farul withdrew from the second league amid growing financial problems before the start of the 2016–17 season. Although Nedelcu hoped to a license for the third league, the FRF Licensing Commission refused because of the threat of bankruptcy.^[10] Farul Constanța was declared bankrupt on 22 September 2016, after 67 years representing the city of Constanța in Liga I, Liga II, the Cupa României, the UEFA Intertoto Cup and the Balkans Cup.^[10][11]

Rebirth, merger with Viitorul and return of Hagi (2016–present)

 

Ciprian Marica, main shareholder at Farul before the merger

When it became clear that bankruptcy was unavoidable, a group of Farul supporters organized as the Farul Supporters Association and moved quickly to continue the tradition of Farul Constanța. They founded Supporter Spirit Club Farul Constanța on 8 August 2016 to assure Farul's football continuity and avoid missed seasons.^[12]

The new club retained Farul's white-and-blue colors and adopted its old logo with Constanța's lighthouse, the Black Sea and a seagull in flight. The team was enrolled in the Constanța County series of Liga IV in time for the 2016–17 season.^[10] Farul won their series, recording 32 victories in 34 games and scored 135 goals while allowing 14.^[13] The Sailors then won the promotion play-off 8–2 on aggregate against Tulcea County champions Pescărușul Sarichioi, and were promoted to Liga III. In the summer of 2017, Petre Grigoraș was named the new coach and important players were transferred. Farul was promoted at the end of the 2017–18 season after a tough fight against Progresul Spartac București, with whom they were tied until the season's final matches.^[14]

In the summer of 2018, former Romanian international footballer Ciprian Marica bought the Farul Constanța brand for €49,150 (228,892 RON).^[15] The move sparked a brief conflict between Marica and Farul supporters, despite Marica's claim to have attempted a dialogue with SSC Farul's leadership; Marica formed a new team, FC Farul Constanța, and enrolled it in Liga IV.^[16] Marica and the supporters reached an agreement, with the ex-footballer announcing that he would take over SSC Farul; the Liga IV team would be the club's reserve team, and the brand would be transferred to the Liga II side.^[17] Marica announced his plans for the club in his first press conference as Farul's owner, including promotion back to Liga I by 2020 and slowly building a team for the European competitions and league title.^[18]

Gheorghe Hagi (owner and founder of Viitorul Constanța), Viitorul chair Gheorghe Popescu, and Marica announced at a 21 June 2021 press conference that their teams had merged. The club which would continue in Liga I would be Farul, and Viitorul virtually disappeared in the merger. Farul would play its home matches at Viitorul Stadium, since the old Farul Stadium would be undergoing renovation.^[19][20][21]

Farul topped the 2022–23 SuperLiga standings, one point above reigning champions CFR Cluj. The club's march towards their first league title experienced a setback after a 1–2 defeat loss to FCSB on match day four, reducing the gap between the teams to two points.^[22] A 1–0 victory by CFR ended Cluj's five-championship run, turning the league into a two-horse race between Farul and FCSB. Farul had further setbacks after 1–1 draws with Sepsi OSK and Universitatea Craiova, despite a record 7–2 win over Rapid București between them, closing the gap between Farul and FCSB to one point. Farul won their first league title with a 3–2 win against FCSB, coming back from 0–2.^[23]

Youth program

Main article: Gheorghe Hagi Football Academy

As the senior teams of Farul and Viitorul merged in 2021, the Farul Constanța Academy subsequently merged with Gheorghe Hagi Football Academy. Young players aged between 8 and 13 are now part of Gheorghe Hagi Academy, while players over 13 are part of Farul Constanța Academy.^[19] Viitorul's academy was well known for developing young players in Romania and having some of the best facilities in the country.^[24]

Grounds

Main articles: Stadionul Farul and Stadionul Viitorul (Ovidiu)

 

Farul Stadium in the 1980s.

 

Viitorul Stadium in the 2010s.

The club used to play its home matches on Stadionul Farul in Constanța. Originally known as Stadionul 1 Mai, the stadium was opened in 1955 and had the shape of the letter "U", but subsequently it was expanded with another stand, finally reaching the capacity of 15,520 seats.^[25] After the bankruptcy of the club in 2016, the new entity has encountered administrative problems that have prevented the team from playing on the stadium for more than a year and a half. SSC Farul played from 2016 until 14 April 2018 on Stadionul Sparta, from Techirghiol, with a capacity of 1,000 people. Stadionul Farul reached an advanced condition of degradation due to lack of activity, and had to be cleaned and restored as functional by Farul supporters through several volunteer campaigns.^[26][27]

In 1970, Stadionul Farul became the first stadium in Romania to have floodlights installed.^[28]

On 21 June 2021, as the merge between Farul and Viitorul was announced, it was also mentioned that Farul will play its home matches on Viitorul Stadium, due to Farul Stadium's advanced state of degradation.

Support

Farul has many supporters in the Dobruja region, and especially in Constanța. Farul supporters are organized in the Farul Supporters Association, and this organization brought the club back to life in 2016 after the bankruptcy of the old entity. The first ultras group, entitled "Ultras Farul '92", appeared in 1992. They were followed in 1996 by "Legiunea Marină", and over time by several other groups, such as: "Aria Ultra'", "Baricada", "Fervent" or "Alcoholics".

Rivalries

The traditional rivals of "the Sailors" are Rapid București and Dinamo București. Farul also has some local rivalries against teams from nearby cities, such as CS Năvodari, Săgeata Năvodari or Delta Tulcea. However, these are of low intensity.

Milestones

• 1949: Year of establishment after the merger of Dezrobirea and PCA (Porturi Comunicații Ape).
• 1955: First match in Divizia A: Dinamo București 4–1 Farul Constanța
• 1955: Opening of Farul Stadium.
• 1966: Balkans Cup Final: Rapid București – Farul Constanța 3–3, 2–0^[29]
• 1995: First participation in the UEFA Intertoto Cup
• 1999: 1000th match in the Divizia A: Foresta Fălticeni 2–0 Farul Constanța^[30]
• 2005: 2005 Cupa României Final: Dinamo București 1–0 Farul Constanța
• 2006: UEFA Intertoto Cup Third round: Auxerre – Farul Constanța 4–1, 0–1
• 2021: Fusion with FC Viitorul Constanța
• 2023: First Liga I title won

Honours

Notes:

• After the merger with Viitorul Constanța in June 2021, controlling shareholder Gheorghe Hagi stated that the new Farul Constanța would also retain the honours of Viitorul, which includes three domestic trophies.^[31] However, the Romanian football governing bodies have yet to pronounce on the subject and Viitorul is either considered a separate defunct entity^[32] or the predecessor of the new FCV Farul.

Domestic

Leagues

• Liga I
  • Winners (1): 2022–23
• Liga II
  • Winners (5): 1954, 1957–58, 1961–62, 1980–81, 1987–88
  • Runners-up (2): 1979–80, 2000–01
• Liga III
  • Winners (1): 2017–18
• Liga IV – Constanța County
  • Winners (1): 2016–17

Cups

• Cupa României
  • Runners-up (1): 2004–05
• Supercupa României
  • Runners-up (1): 2023

European

• UEFA Intertoto Cup
  • Runners-up (1): 2006
• Balkans Cup
  • Runners-up (1): 1964–66

Players

First-team squad

As of 22 February 2024^[33][34]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK   ROU Alexandru Buzbuchi (4th captain) 2 MF   ROU Ionuț Cercel 3 DF   ROU Mihai Popescu 5 DF   POR Diogo Queirós 6 MF   ROU Tudor Băluță (3rd captain) 7 FW   BRA Rivaldinho 8 MF   ROU Ionuț Vînă 9 FW   ROU Louis Munteanu (on loan from Fiorentina) 10 MF   ROU Constantin Budescu 11 DF   ROU Cristian Ganea 12 GK   ROU Vlad Răfăilă 13 FW   ROU Alin Cocoș 15 DF   ROU Gabriel Dănuleasă 16 MF   ROU Dragoș Nedelcu (Vice-captain) 17 DF   ROU Ionuț Larie (Captain) 19 FW   ROU Luca Andronache 20 MF   BEL Amine Benchaib

No. Pos. Nation Player 21 DF   CIV Kévin Boli 22 DF   ROU Dan Sîrbu 23 MF   ROU Carlo Casap 24 MF   ROU Constantin Grameni 25 DF   BEN David Kiki 27 FW   ROU Ionuț Cojocaru 28 MF   ROU Iustin Doicaru 29 MF   ROU Luca Băsceanu 30 FW   ARM Narek Grigoryan 34 GK   ROU Ștefan Mușat 45 DF   BRA Gustavo Marins 66 DF   ROU Darius Grosu 77 MF   ROU Ronaldo Deaconu 80 MF   ROU Nicolas Popescu 88 MF   ROU Luca Banu 90 FW   ROU Alexandru Stoian 99 DF   MTQ Damien Dussaut

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player — GK   ROU David Dincă (to Concordia Chiajna) — DF   ROU Bogdan Lazăr (to CSU Alba Iulia) — DF   ROU Mario Aioanei (to Unirea Slobozia) — DF   ROU Gabriel Buta (to FC U Craiova) — DF   ROU Gabriel Nedelea (to CSM Alexandria) — DF   ROU Vlasti Martinovic (to Gloria Bistrița) — DF   ROU David Maftei (to Steaua București) — MF   ROU Valentin Dumitrache (to Gloria Buzău) — MF   ROU Cosmin Costea (to CSM Alexandria) — MF   ROU Răzvan Iorga (to Chindia Târgoviște) — MF   ROU Cosmin Tucaliuc (to Concordia Chiajna)

No. Pos. Nation Player — MF   ROU Ștefan Bodișteanu (to Oțelul Galați) — MF   ROU Denis Bujor (to Unirea Slobozia) — MF   BRA Mateus Santos (to Kifisia) — MF   ROU Răzvan Tănasă (to Oțelul Galați) — MF   ROU Robert Băceanu (to Unirea Slobozia) — FW   ROU Florian Haită (to Argeș Pitești) — FW   ROU Patrick Dulcea (to Argeș Pitești) — FW   ROU David Nemțanu (to Metaloglobus București) — FW   ROU Ionuț Pelivan (to Metalul Buzău) — FW   ROU Alexandru Negrean (to SCM Zalău)

Club officials

Board of directors Role Name Owners   Gheorghe Hagi (79.9%)   Rivaldo (10%)   Ciprian Marica (10%)   Zoltán Iasko(0.1%) President   Gheorghe Popescu Vice-president   Tiberiu Curt General Director   Cristian Bivolaru Executive Director   Cristiana Pariza Sporting director   Zoltán Iasko Economic Director   Gheorghe Mega Marketing Director   Costin Mega Judicial Department   Florin Comșa Youth Center Director   Pavel Peniu Youth Center Technical Director   Cristian Cămui Head of Youth Development   Dorel Zaharia Organizer of Competitions   Constantin Stamate Sports Center Administrator   Decebal Curumi Scout   Eric Team Manager   Alexandru Mățel Press Officer   Sorin Teodoreanu Last updated: 3 January 2024 Source: Board of Directors

Current technical staff Role Name Manager   Gheorghe Hagi Assistant coaches   Cătălin Anghel   Cristian Sava   Constantin Fălină   Alecsandru Popovici Goalkeeping coach   Ștefan Preda Fitness coach   Ștefan Anghel   Robert Hodorogea Club doctors   Shadi Flaha   George Puflene   Marcel Serseniuc Kinethotherapist   Denis Răilean   Cristian Ștefu Masseurs   Daniel Stoian   Cosmin Ghiorghe Storemen   Ștefan Pețu   Mihai Tutungiu Last updated: 31 January 2024 Source: Technical staff Source: Medical staff

European record

Main article: FC Farul Constanța in European football

Competition	S	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD
UEFA Champions League	1	2	1	0	1	1	3	–2
UEFA Conference League	1	6	5	0	1	13	7	+6
UEFA Intertoto Cup	2	11	6	3	2	15	14	+1
Total	4	19	12	3	4	29	24	+5

UEFA Champions League

• 1QR: First qualifying round
• 2QR: Second qualifying round
• 3QR: Third qualifying round
• PO: Play-off round

Season	Round	Country	Club	Home	Away	Aggregate
2023–24	1QR	Moldova	Sheriff Tiraspol	1–0	0–3 (a.e.t.)	1–3

UEFA Europa Conference League

Season	Round	Country	Club	Home	Away	Aggregate
2023–24	2QR	Armenia	Urartu	3–2	3–2	6–4
	3QR	Estonia	Flora	3–0	2–0	5–0
	PO	Finland	HJK Helsinki	2–1	0–2	2–3

UEFA Intertoto Cup

• 1R: First round
• 2R: Second round
• 3R: Third round
• R16: Round of 16

Season	Round	Country	Club	Home	Away	Aggregate
1995	Group stage (8)	Serbia and Montenegro	Bečej	—	2–1	1st place
		Poland	Pogoń Szczecin	2–1	—
		France	Cannes	—	0–0
		Belarus	Dnepr	2–0	—
	R16	Netherlands	Heerenveen	—	0–4	0–4
2006	1R	Republic of Macedonia	FK Pobeda	2–0	2–2	4–2
	2R	Bulgaria	PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv	2–1	1–1	3–2
	3R	France	AJ Auxerre	1–0	1–4	2–4

League history

Season Tier Division Place National Cup 2023–24 1 Liga I TBD Group Stage 2022–23 1 Liga I 1st (C) Group Stage 2021–22 1 Liga I 5th Round of 32 2020–21 2 Liga II 7th (P) Round of 16 2019–20 2 Liga II 9th Fourth Round 2018–19 2 Liga II 14th Third Round 2017–18 3 Liga III (Seria II) 1st (C, P) Round of 32 2016–17 4 Liga IV (CT) 1st (C, P) — 2015–16 2 Liga II (Seria I) 5th (R) Fourth Round 2014–15 2 Liga II (Seria I) 10th Fifth Round 2013–14 2 Liga II (Seria I) 12th Round of 32 2012–13 2 Liga II (Seria I) 11th Round of 32 2011–12 2 Liga II (Seria I) 8th Fourth Round 2010–11 2 Liga II (Seria I) 13th Fourth Round 2009–10 2 Liga II (Seria I) 8th Round of 32 2008–09 1 Liga I 16th (R) Round of 32 2007–08 1 Liga I 13th Round of 32 2006–07 1 Liga I 14th Round of 16

Season Tier Division Place National Cup 2005–06 1 Divizia A 7th Semi-finals 2004–05 1 Divizia A 5th Final 2003–04 1 Divizia A 9th Round of 32 2002–03 1 Divizia A 10th Quarter-finals 2001–02 1 Divizia A 14th Round of 32 2000–01 2 Divizia B (Seria I) 2nd (P) — 1999–00 1 Divizia A 15th (R) Round of 32 1998–99 1 Divizia A 12th Round of 32 1997–98 1 Divizia A 12th Round of 16 1996–97 1 Divizia A 10th Round of 16 1995–96 1 Divizia A 8th Quarter-finals 1994–95 1 Divizia A 11th Round of 16 1993–94 1 Divizia A 6th Round of 16 1992–93 1 Divizia A 9th Round of 16 1991–92 1 Divizia A 13th Semi-finals 1990–91 1 Divizia A 10th Quarter-finals 1989–90 1 Divizia A 9th Quarter-finals

Notable players

The footballers enlisted below have had international cap(s) for their respective countries at junior and/or senior level and/or more than 100 caps for FCV Farul Constanța.

For a list of all former and current FCV Farul Constanța players with a Wikipedia article, see Category:FCV Farul Constanța players.

Romania   Marcel Abăluță   Marian Aioani   Denis Alibec   Marian Aliuță   Dumitru Antonescu   Iulian Apostol   Andrei Artean   Sorin Avram   Cosmin Băcilă   Ionuț Bădescu   Robert Băjan   Alexandru Bălțoi   Gheorghe Barbu   Ion Barbu   Andrei Borza   Octavian Brânzei   Vasile Brătianu   Iosif Bükössy   Gheorghe Butoiu   Petre Cădariu   Stelian Carabaș   Dumitru Caraman   Daniel Ciucă   Mugurel Cornățeanu   Vasilică Cristocea   George Curcă

Romania   Gheorghe Ciurea   Tiberiu Curt   Marian Dinu   Marin Dragnea   Răzvan Farmache   Laurențiu Florea   Mircea Georgescu   Petre Grigoraș   Mihai Guriță   Gheorghe Hagi   Sevastian Iovănescu   Tiberiu Kallo   Constantin Koszka   Florin Lungu   Vasile Mănăilă   Cosmin Matei   Alexandru Mățel   Ion Mateescu   Liviu Mihai   Dănuț Moisescu   Cristian Munteanu   Ștefan Nanu   Gheorghe Nițu   Bănică Oprea   Paul Papp   Cosmin Pașcovici

Romania   Florin Pătrașcu   Ștefan Petcu   Pavel Peniu   Marian Popa   Dumitru Popescu   Alexi Pitu   Aurel Rădulescu   Viorel Sălceanu   Ștefan Sameș   Mircea Sasu   Cristian Șchiopu   Adrian Senin   Dennis Șerban   Marius Soare   Mircea Stan   Mihai Stere   Ioan Tătăran   Dinu Todoran   Gabriel Torje   Sorin Trofin   Marin Tufan   Ion Zare   Ianis Zicu   Iosif Vigu   Ion Voicu

Congo   Armel Disney

Liberia   Ben Teekloh

Nigeria   Kehinde Fatai

Notable coaches

For a list of all former and current FCV Farul Constanța coaches with a Wikipedia article, see Category:FCV Farul Constanța managers.

•   Ioan Andone
•   Ion Barbu
•   Augustin Botescu
•   Gheorghe Constantin
•   Wolfgang Frank
•   Petre Grigoraș
•   Emanoil Hașoti
•   Marin Ion
•   Virgil Mărdărescu
•   Bazil Marian
•   Florin Marin
•   Eugen Mladin
•   Ioan Sdrobiș
•   Vasile Simionaș
•   Mihai Stoichiță
•   Marius Șumudică
•   Momčilo Vukotić

References

Notes

1. Viitorul Constanța claimed the national title in the 2016–17 season, and also won the 2018–19 Cupa României and the 2019 Supercupa României.

Citations

1. "Viitorul și-a schimbat oficial denumirea, dar nu dispare de tot » Cum se numește în acte noul club al lui Hagi" [Viitorul has officially changed its name, but it doesn't disappear completely » What is Hagi's new club called in the official papers]. Gazeta Sporturilor (in Romanian). 10 July 2021. from the original on 12 July 2021. Retrieved 12 July 2021.
2. [The Beginnings of Farul Constanța]. echipedetraditie.ro. Archived from the original on 22 February 2020. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
3. [Farul Constanța made its European debut.]. echipedetraditie.ro. Archived from the original on 20 February 2020. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
4. [Farul, regular competitors in the Balkans Cup]. echipedetraditie.ro. Archived from the original on 21 February 2020. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
5. "Divizia A seazoane" [Divizia A seasons]. romaniansoccer.ro. from the original on 6 July 2018. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
6. "Divizia B seazoane" [Divizia B seasons]. romaniansoccer.ro. from the original on 15 July 2018. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
7. [Farul encounter Heerenveen]. echipedetraditie.ro. Archived from the original on 31 January 2020. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
8. [Farul plays the final of the Romanian Cup]. echipedetraditie.ro. Archived from the original on 6 September 2019. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
9. [Auxerre turns off the Lighthouse]. echipedetraditie.ro. Archived from the original on 17 July 2018. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
10. [Supporters turn on the Lighthouse]. echipedetraditie.ro. Archived from the original on 17 July 2018. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
11. "Încă un club de tradiție a apus! FC Farul a intrat în faliment, definitiv și irevocabil" [Another club of tradition has gone! FC Farul went bankrupt, definitely and irrevocably]. liga2.prosport.ro. 23 September 2016. from the original on 29 June 2021. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
12. "STATUT + ACT CONSTITUTIV ASOCIAȚIA SUPORTER SPIRIT CLUB SPORTIV FARUL CONSTANȚA" [STATUTE + CONSTITUTIVE ACT OF SUPORTER SPIRIT CLUB SPORTIV FARUL CONSTANȚA]. farul.ro. from the original on 17 July 2018. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
13. "Liga a IV-a, Seniori, sezon 2016 – 2017" [Liga IV, Seniors, 2016 – 2017 season]. frf-ajf.ro. from the original on 17 July 2018. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
14. "Farul a ajuns și ea în Liga 2. Tabloul promovatelor din Liga 3" [Farul promoted also in the Liga II. The standings of promoted teams.]. digisport.ro. from the original on 17 July 2018. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
15. "Marica a cumpărat brandul Farul! Cât a plătit fostul fotbalist, cu cine este asociat și ce este acuzat că pregătește pentru complexul sportiv unde se află cunoscutul stadion" [Marica bought Farul's brand! How much did the ex-footballer pay, who is he associated with and what is he accused of preparing for the sports complex where the stadium is located]. liga2.prosport.ro. 3 July 2018. from the original on 29 June 2021. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
16. "Oficial " Farul Constanța, echipa lui Marica, a fost primită în Liga a 4-a!" [Official "Farul Constanta, Marica's team, was accepted in Liga a 4-a]. gsp.ro. from the original on 30 June 2021. Retrieved 11 August 2018.
17. ""O singură echipă Farul, la Constanța!" Ce nume importante vrea să atragă Marica în staff". digisport.ro. from the original on 21 September 2018. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
18. "2018, un NOU ÎNCEPUT pentru FARUL CONSTANȚA. Cu Ciprian Marica, Petre Grigoraș și Ionel Dănciulescu" [2018, a new beginning for Farul Constanta. With Ciprian Marica, Petre Grigoras and Ionel Danciulescu]. evz.ro. from the original on 20 October 2018. Retrieved 20 October 2018.
19. "Viitorul și Farul Constanța au fuzionat. În Liga 1 va juca Farul, antrenor va fi Gheorghe Hagi, iar acționarii echipei sunt Hagi, Ciprian Marica și Zoltan Iasko" [Viitorul and Farul Constanța merged. Farul will play in the Liga I, Gheorghe Hagi will be the coach, and the team's shareholders are Hagi, Ciprian Marica and Zoltan Iasko] (in Romanian). liga2.prosport.ro. 21 June 2021. from the original on 27 October 2021. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
20. "Fuziunea Farul - Viitorul, anunțată oficial! Gică Hagi revine pe bancă. Ce nume va avea noua echipă" [The Farul - Viitorul merger, officially announced! Gica Hagi returns to the bench. What name will the new team have] (in Romanian). digisport.ro. 21 June 2021. from the original on 21 June 2021. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
21. "Viitorul și Farul Constanța au fuzionat: Gică Hagi va fi antrenor » Cum arată conducerea, primele transferuri + promisiune pentru un nou stadion" [Viitorul and Farul Constanța merged: Gică Hagi will be the coach »What the management looks like, the first transfers + promise for a new stadium] (in Romanian). gsp.ro. 21 June 2021. from the original on 24 June 2021. Retrieved 21 June 2021.
22. "FCSB - Farul 2-1. Derby spectaculos pe Arena Națională! Roș-albaștrii, la două puncte de constănțeni" [FCSB - Farul 2-1. Spectacular derby on the National Arena! Roş-albaștrii, two points away from Constanta] (in Romanian). digisport.ro. 17 April 2023. from the original on 22 May 2023. Retrieved 22 May 2023.
23. Chirileasa, Andrei (21 May 2023). "Gheorghe Hagi's Farul comes back from two behind against FCSB to win him second Superliga title". Romanian Insider. from the original on 21 May 2023. Retrieved 21 May 2023.
24. "Whatever I do, I am still only the son of Hagi". The Times. 12 October 2015. from the original on 7 August 2016. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
25. "Ce se afla pe locul Stadionului Farul în urmă cu peste 60 de ani" [What was on the place of Farul Stadium 60 years ago] (in Romanian). ziuaconstanta.ro. 16 June 2018. from the original on 17 July 2018. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
26. ""Pe Stadionul Farul se organizează Cupa 1 iunie la șobolani și căpușe"" ["The 1st of June Cup, organized on the Farul Stadium, is a playground for rats and ticks"] (in Romanian). ziuaconstanta.ro. 16 June 2018. from the original on 17 July 2018. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
27. "Suporterii curăță din nou Stadionul Farul" [The supporters have to clean the Farul Stadium again] (in Romanian). ziuaconstanta.ro. 16 June 2018. from the original on 17 July 2018. Retrieved 16 July 2018.
28. "Ce gluma de explicatie! Care ar fi motivul pentru care stadionul Farul nu a fost modernizat pana acum! Arena e o ruina pe care nu se pot juca nici macar meciuri de Liga 3" [A laughable explanation! The alleged reason why the Farul Stadium has not been upgraded yet! The venue is a ruin that can't even host Liga 3 games matches] (in Romanian). sport.ro. 16 June 2018. from the original on 17 July 2018. Retrieved 17 July 2018.
29. "Balkan Cup 1960–69". from the original on 19 July 2022. Retrieved 11 February 2017.
30. "Romania 1998/99". Rsssf.com. 7 October 1999. from the original on 24 March 2023. Retrieved 22 October 2011.
31. "Ce palmares va avea noul Farul Constanța? Gică Hagi spune cum noul club la care va fi acționar alături de Ciprian Marica devine "cel mai bun" din România la mai multe capitole. Primarul Constanței a vorbit despre stadiul noului stadion" [Which will be the honours of the new Farul Constanța? Gică Hagi reveals how the new club where he will be a shareholder along with Ciprian Marica becomes "the best" in Romania in several respects. The mayor of Constanța spoke about the progress of the new stadium] (in Romanian). ProSport. 21 June 2021. from the original on 15 July 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
32. "Clubul Viitorul FC dispare, prin fuziune. Gică Hagi revine ca antrenor" [The Viitorul FC club disappears, through merger. Gică Hagi returns as coach] (in Romanian). stiripescurt.ro. 21 June 2021. from the original on 15 July 2021. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
33. "Echipa" [Squad] (in Romanian). farulconstanta.com. from the original on 9 July 2021. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
34. "FCV FARUL CONSTANTA" (in Romanian). Liga Profesionistă de Fotbal. Retrieved 28 June 2019.

External links

 

Wikimedia Commons has media related to FC Farul Constanța.

• Official website (in Romanian)
• FCV Farul Constanța on Facebook
• FCV Farul Constanța on Instagram
• Club profile on UEFA's official website
• Club profile on LPF's official website (in Romanian)