ARO Muscelul Câmpulung

Not to be confused with AFC Câmpulung Muscel.

Asociația Club Sportiv ARO Muscelul Câmpulung, commonly known as Muscelul Câmpulung, is a Romanian professional football club based in Câmpulung, Argeș County and currently playing in the Liga III, the 3rd tier of the Romanian football league system.

ARO Muscelul Câmpulung

Full name	Asociația Club Sportiv ARO Muscelul Câmpulung
Nickname(s)	Muscelenii (The People from Muscel)
Short name	Muscelul
Founded	1947; 77 years ago (1947) as Muscelul Câmpulung 2007; 17 years ago (2007) as Sporting Câmpulung 2012; 12 years ago (2012) as CN Dinicu Golescu 2019; 5 years ago (2019) as AF Muscelul Câmpulung
Ground	Muscelul
Capacity	6,000 (3,000 seated)
Owner	Câmpulung Municipality
Chairman	Zaharia Nițu
Manager	Ionuț Mihu
League	Liga III
2022–23	Liga IV, Argeș County, 1st (promoted via play-offs)
Website	Club website
Home colours Away colours

The club has known glory during the communist era when, under the ownership of ARO, played constantly at the level of second or third league. The collapse of the off-road cars manufacturer has seriously affected the team which went bankrupt in the early 2000s. After the bankruptcy of ARO in 2003, the club was refounded several times, firstly in 2007 as Sporting Câmpulung, then in 2012 as CN Dinicu Golescu (named after the high school from the town), but at its best, the team played in the Liga III, but was dissolved again in 2016. In the summer of 2019, after three years of inactivity, the club was refounded again, this time as Academia de Fotbal Muscelul Câmpulung.

History

The club was founded in 1947 as Muscelul Câmpulung and played for sixteen years in the Regional Championship. Muscelul, coached by Jean Lăpușneanu, promoted in Divizia C at the end of the 1962–63 season after finishing as runners-up in the Argeș Regional Championship.^[1]

Muscelul finished last in the 1963–64 season, spared from relegation due to the expansion of the Third Division. Followed three more seasons in the third tier of Romanian football in which was ranked ninth in 1964–65 season, eleventh in 1965–66 and thirteenth in 1966–67, thus relegating in the Regional Championship.

Muscelul finished second in the 1967–68 season of the Argeș Regional Championship and promoted to Divizia C. After finished eleventh in 1968–69 season in the Third Division, the club was renamed as Unirea Câmpulung for 1969–70 season, but relegated after was ranked fifteen in the 4th series.

Following relegation, the club reverted to Muscelul name went on to won the 1970–71 Argeș County Championship made a quick comeback to Divizia C. Their stay in Third Division was short-lived, as immediately relegated back to the County Championship after finished thirteenth at the end of the 1971–72 season.

The first time they played in Divizia B was in the 1977–78 season when they barely avoided relegation, in the following one they finished on the 9th place and in 1979–80 they relegated back to Divizia C after finishing on the 15th place.^[2] They came back to Divizia B football in the 1985–86 season but relegated by the end of it.^[2]

In the 1994–95 Divizia C season the team finished on the second place, behind Minerul Motru so in order to promote to Divizia B they had to participate in a play-off against ICIM Brașov but before it, coach Nicolae Tănăsescu was replaced with former Romanian internationals Ion Oblemenco and Nicolae Dobrin, the first as head coach and the latter as technical director.^[2] The play-off was played in a single leg and ARO won it with 1–0, the only goal of the game being scored by Sergiu Coman, the team used being: Heroiu – Jitaru, Gorgonaru, Dumitrescu, Durdun – Ioniță, S. Din (I. Bădescu), Eftimie, Cl. Mutu – Butaru (Procorodie), S. Coman.^[2] Shortly after the promotion Oblemenco and Dobrin left the club, also the team's goalkeeper, Laurențiu Heroiu was killed after being stabbed in a bar, however the team spent 9 seasons in Divizia B before relegating in 2004, a period in which their biggest performance was with coach Ionel Augustin when they earned the second place in the 1999–2000 season.^[2]

In the summer of 2019, after three years of inactivity, the club was refounded again, this time as Academia de Fotbal Muscelul Câmpulung, former Romanian international Gheorghe Mihali was named as manager and Roberto Ayza was one of the first transfers realized by the new entity^[3][4] followed by Iulian Tameș^[5] and Iulian Vladu among others. However, the 2019–20 season was suspended in March 2020, due to COVID-19 pandemic in Romania with Muscelul finishing in third place.

 

Inter Câmpulung logo

In the summer of 2020, it was renamed as Inter Câmpulung and finished the 2020–21 short season third in Group B of the Liga IV Argeș County. In the next season, Muscelenii fought for promotion, finishing in second place one point behind CS Rucăr.

In 2022, the club was renamed again, this time as ARO Muscelul Câmpulung.^[6]

Honours

• Liga III
  • Winners (2): 1976–77, 1984–85
  • Runners-up (4): 1981–82, 1983–84, 1986–87, 1994–95
• Liga IV – Argeș County
  • Winners (6): 1970–71, 1972–73, 1992–93, 1993–94, 2013–14, 2022–23
  • Runners-up (1): 2021–22
• Argeș Regional Championship
  • Winners (1): 1960–61
  • Runners-up (2): 1962–63, 1967–68

Players

First team squad

As of 13 January 2024

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 Riccardo Gallo 2 MF   ROU Theodor Butoiu 3 DF   ROU Laurențiu Robu 4 DF   ROU Andrei Fieraru 5 DF   ROU Cosmin Gîtlan 6 DF   ROU Bogdan Chiper (on loan from Farul) 7 FW   ROU Simon Măzărache (Captain) 8 MF   ROU Leonard Bucurescu 9 FW   ROU David Olaru 10 MF   ROU Gabriel Jenaru 11 MF   ROU Mario Durdun (on loan from FCSB II) 12 GK   ROU Iannis Drăghici 13 MF   ROU Rareș Marinescu

No. Pos. Nation Player 14 MF   ROU Andrei Neicu 15 DF   ROU Teodor Peștișor (on loan from Mioveni) 16 MF   ROU Denis Pia 17 FW   ROU Darius Grigore (on loan from FC Argeș) 18 MF   ROU Gabriel Mihalcea 20 MF   ROU Dragoș Troană 22 GK   ROU Robert Moise (Vice-Captain) 23 MF   ROU Antonio Papuc 24 FW   ROU Darius Șerban 25 DF   ROU Denis Răduță (on loan from Farul) 90 MF   ROU Matteo Olaru — MF   ROU Marius Pahonțu

Club officials

Board of directors Role Name Owner   Câmpulung Municipality President   Zaharia Nițu Vice-President   Ovidiu Tică Sporting Director   Corneliu Sorescu Secretary   Gabriel Bălan

Current technical staff Role Name Technical Director   Ovidiu Tică Head Coach   Ionuț Mihu Assistant Coach   Daniel Bălașa Club Doctor   Marius Pitulan Kinetotherapist   Claudiu Crețu

League history

Season Tier Division Place Notes Cupa României 2023–24 3 Liga III (Seria IV) TBD 2022–23 4 Liga IV (AG) 1st (C) Promoted 2021–22 4 Liga IV (AG) 2nd 2020–21 4 Liga IV (AG) (Group B) 3rd 2019–20 4 Liga IV (AG) 3rd 2016–19 Not active 2015–16 3 Liga III (Seria III) 5th Disbanded Third round 2014–15 3 Liga III (Seria III) 13th 2013–14 4 Liga IV (AG) 1st (C) Promoted 2012–13 4 Liga IV (AG) 7th 2009–12 Not active 2008–09 3 Liga III (Seria IV) 4th Disbanded 2007–08 4 Liga IV (AG) 4th 2004–07 Not active 2003–04 2 Divizia B (Seria II) 16th Relegated

Season Tier Division Place Notes Cupa României 2002–03 2 Divizia B (Seria II) 10th 2001–02 2 Divizia B (Seria I) 9th Round of 32 2000–01 2 Divizia B (Seria I) 11th 1999–00 2 Divizia B (Seria II) 2nd 1998–99 2 Divizia B (Seria II) 3rd 1997–98 2 Divizia B (Seria II) 8th 1996–97 2 Divizia B (Seria II) 12th 1995–96 2 Divizia B (Seria I) 11th 1994–95 3 Divizia C (Seria III) 2nd Promoted 1993–94 4 Divizia D (AG) 1st (C) Promoted Round of 16 1992–93 4 Divizia D (AG) 1st (C) 1991–92 3 Divizia C (Seria VII) 6th Relegated 1990–91 3 Divizia C (Seria VII) 7th 1989–90 3 Divizia C (Seria VII) 8th

Former managers

•   Ștefan Stănculescu (1956–1957)
•   Ion Oblemenco (1995)
•   Ionel Augustin (1997–2002)
•   Constantin Stancu (2008–2009)
•   Gheorghe Mihali (2019)
•   Emil Dică (2020)
•   Gheorghe Ene
•   Ion Lăpușneanu
•   Nicolae Tănăsescu
•   Radu Jercan

References

1. "Campionatele regiunilor..." [Regional championships...] (PDF). Sportul. 16 July 1963. p. 5. (PDF) from the original on 9 July 2022. Retrieved 8 October 2022 – via digital.bibliotecadeva.eu.(in Romanian)
2. "Oblemenco și Dobrin au reușit împreună o promovare" [Oblemenco and Dobrin managed a promotion together] (in Romanian). Welovesport.ro. 7 July 2020. from the original on 12 April 2023. Retrieved 12 April 2023.
3. "Gică Mihali a semnat cu Academia Muscelul Câmpulung. Cine-l însoțește în aventura din Liga 4 Argeș" [Gică Mihali signed with Academia Muscelul Câmpulung. Who follows him in the Liga 4 Argeș adventure]. gazetasportului.ro. from the original on 13 July 2019. Retrieved 13 July 2019.
4. "S-a răzgândit! Roberto Ayza nu se mai retrage acum. Echipa cu care a semnat brazilianul" [He changed his mind! Roberto Ayza is not retiring now. The team that signed the Brazilian]. liga2.prosport.ro. from the original on 30 October 2020. Retrieved 13 July 2019.
5. "Academia Muscelul Câmpulung anunță că președintele Eduard Bînă și Iulian Tameș au ajuns la un acord" [Academia Muscelul Câmpulung announces that the president Eduard Bînă and Iulian Tameş have reached an agreement]. evenimentulmuscelean.ro. from the original on 3 September 2022. Retrieved 3 September 2022.(in Romanian)
6. "Inter Câmpulung a devenit ARO Muscelul Câmpulung" [Inter Câmpulung became ARO Muscelul Câmpulung]. evenimentulmuscelean.ro. from the original on 3 September 2022. Retrieved 3 September 2022.(in Romanian)

External links

ARO Muscelul Câmpulung on Facebook