CS Metalurgistul Cugir

Metalurgistul Cugir

Full name	Club Sportiv Metalurgistul Cugir
Nickname(s)	Trupa de sub Drăgana (The Band Below Drăgana Hill)
Short name	Cugir
Founded	1939; 86 years ago (1939) as Metalurgistul Cugir 2008; 17 years ago (2008) as CSO Cugir
Ground	Arena Cugir
Capacity	4,000 (1,200 seated)
Owner	Cugir Town
Chairman	Ciprian Pahone
Head Coach	Lucian Itu
League	Liga III
2023–24	Liga III, Seria IX, 7th
Home colours Away colours

Club Sportiv Metalurgistul Cugir commonly known as Metalurgistul Cugir, is a Romanian football club based in Cugir, Alba County, currently playing in the Liga III, the third tier of the Romanian football.[1]

Metalurgistul Cugir was founded in 1939 and played twenty-six seasons in the second tier of Romanian football, along with two seasons in the Heroes' Cup, a competition that replaced Divizia B during the war period.

History

The team was founded in 1939 with the support of the management of the Cugir Metallurgical Plant, under the name Asociația Sportivă Metalurgistul Cugir (ASM Cugir).

Romania's entry into World War II suspended sports competitions. However, during the war, the Romanian Football Federation organized the War Championship and the Heroes Cup. The 1942–43 season of the Heroes Cup – a competition that replaced the second division between 1942 and 1944 – was organized into three series based on geographical criteria. The "Uzinele Metalurgice Cugir" team, guided by player-coach Grațian Sepi – a former Romania national football team player with 14 goals in 23 appearances – dominated the strong Serie II, consisting of ten teams, finishing with a three-point lead over Jiul Petroșani. In the promotion play-off against UA Brașov, the winner of Series III, "Cugirenii" won the first match played in Cugir 5–0, and a week later in Brașov, the match ended in a 1–1 draw. In the end, UM Cugir missed promotion to the War Championship – the first division at that time – losing to UD Reșița, the winner of Series I, after a spectacular two-legged tie (5–3 and 0–5).[2][3][4]

After the end of World War II, UM Cugir competed in the 1946–47 season of Divizia C, finishing 8th out of 10 in Series X, and reached the Round of 32 of the Cupa României in the 1947–48 season, being eliminated by CFR Timișoara, 1–4. The team also participated in the 1948–49 season of the third division, this time under the name Metalul Cugir. By the time Divizia C was shut down in February 1949, the team was in last place out of 14 in Series I.

In the 1961–62 season, AS Cugir won the Hunedoara Regional Championship title and was subsequently promoted to Divizia B after finishing 1st in Series III of the promotion play-off held in Mediaș. Among those who were part of the team led by player-coach Iosif Petschovschi were goalkeeper Rusu and field players Niculescu, Sadi, Dumitru Dinea, Munteanu, Tîrnoveanu, Dumitru, Focșa, Bulbucan, Boitoș, Petschovschi II and Mihai.[5]

Honours

• Liga III
  • Winners (3): 1981–82, 1989–90, 2020–21
  • Runners-up (6): 1985–86, 1988–89, 2003–04, 2014–15, 2016–17, 2021–22
• Liga IV – Alba County
  • Winners (1): 2012–13
  • Runners-up (1): 2011–12
• Liga V – Alba County
  • Winners (1): 2009–10
  • Runners-up (1): 2008–09

Players

First team squad

As of 10 September 2024

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

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK  ROU Rareș Bârlădeanu 2 DF  ROU Denis Cunțan 4 DF  ROU Vlăduț Popa 7 DF  POR Vitinha (Vice-Captain) 8 DF  ROU Sebastian Itu 9 FW  ROU Florin Bura 10 MF  ROU Paul Păcurar 11 MF  ROU Tudor Șaucă (Captain) 12 GK  ROU Cristian Perjeriu 16 DF  ROU George Tăban 18 MF  ROU Philip Mahone 20 DF  ROU Alin Șuteu 23 MF  ROU Gheorghe Haprianu

No. Pos. Nation Player 25 FW  ROU George Goronea 27 DF  ROU Alexandru Király 28 DF  ROU Lucian Itu 33 GK  ROU Nicușor Bănică 64 MF  ROU Andrei Onaci 73 FW  ROU Marcel Domșa 77 MF  ROU Cristian Cocan 81 FW  ROU Marian Codrea 88 DF  ROU Mihai Udrea 91 MF  ROU Alessandro Barbu 97 MF  ROU Raul Chițimia 98 MF  ROU Mihai Păcurar 99 GK  ROU Ianis Herlea

Out on loan

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

No. Pos. Nation Player

No. Pos. Nation Player

Club Officials

Board of directors Role Name Owner Town of Cugir President Ciprian Pahone Vice-president Daniel Popa Board member Sorin Tomescu

Current technical staff Role Name Manager Lucian Itu Assistant coach Traian Avram Goalkeeping coach Nicușor Bănică Club doctor Cristian Dima Kinetotherapist Aurel Radu

Former players

• Vasile Chiroiu
• Alexandru Moldovan
• Iosif Petschovschi
• Grațian Sepi
• Constantin Zamfir

Former managers

• Rudolf Kotormány (1954–1956)
• Iosif Petschovschi (1961–1962)
• Colea Vâlcov (1962–1964)
• Gheorghe Bărbulescu (1964)
• Gheorghe Dungu (1965–1966)
• Ștefan Onisie (1979–1981)
• Ion Barbu (1982–1983)
• Călin Moldovan (2015–2019)
• Lucian Itu (2019–)
• Ladislau Băcuț

League history

See also: Romanian football league system

Season Tier Division Place Notes Cupa României 2024–25 3 Liga III (Seria VII) TBD 2023–24 3 Liga III (Seria IX) 7th 2022–23 3 Liga III (Seria IX) 4th 2021–22 3 Liga III (Seria IX) 2nd 2020–21 3 Liga III (Seria IX) 1st (C) 2019–20 3 Liga III (Seria V) 4th 2018–19 3 Liga III (Seria IV) 5th 2017–18 3 Liga III (Seria V) 4th 2016–17 3 Liga III (Seria V) 2nd Round of 32 2015–16 3 Liga III (Seria IV) 3rd 2014–15 3 Liga III (Seria V) 2nd 2013–14 3 Liga III (Seria V) 3rd 2012–13 4 Liga IV (AB) 1st (C) Promoted 2011–12 4 Liga IV (AB) 2nd 2010–11 4 Liga IV (AB) 3rd 2009–10 5 Liga V (AB) 1st (C) Promoted 2008–09 5 Liga V (AB) 2nd

Season Tier Division Place Notes Cupa României 2003–04 3 Divizia C (Seria VII) 2nd Disbanded 2002–03 3 Divizia C (Seria VI) 7th 2001–02 3 Divizia C (Seria VI) 7th 2000–01 3 Divizia C (Seria VI) 12th 1999–00 3 Divizia C (Seria IV) 14th 1998–99 3 Divizia C (Seria IV) 17th 1997–98 3 Divizia C (Seria IV) 14th 1996–97 3 Divizia C (Seria IV) 11th 1995–96 3 Divizia C (Seria IV) 14th 1994–95 3 Divizia C (Seria IV) 7th Round of 16 1993–94 3 Divizia C (Seria III) 8th Round of 32 1992–93 2 Divizia B (Seria II) 17th (R) Relegated 1991–92 2 Divizia B (Seria II) 11th 1990–91 2 Divizia B (Seria III) 13th 1989–90 3 Divizia C (Seria XI) 1st (C) Promoted Round of 16 1988–89 3 Divizia C (Seria IX) 2nd 1987–88 3 Divizia C (Seria X) 5th

References

1. "Romania - CF Metalurgistul Cugir 1939 - Results, fixtures, squad, statistics, photos, videos and news - Soccerway". int.soccerway.com.
2. "Season 1942-43". rsssf.org. Archived from the original on 31 December 2024. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
3. "„Stegarii" în sezonul 1942-1943 al Cupei Eroilor/Divizia B" ["Stegarii" in the 1942-1943 Heroes' Cup/Division B season] (in Romanian). lastegaru.net. 19 January 2022. Archived from the original on 7 January 2025. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
4. "Fotbalul din județul Alba în timpul celui de-al Doilea Război Mondial / Activitatea echipelor de tradiție Unirea Mihai Viteazul Alba Iulia și UM Cugir în perioada 1941-1944" [Football in Alba County during World War II / The activity of the traditional teams Unirea Mihai Viteazul Alba Iulia and UM Cugir during 1941-1944] (in Romanian). ziarulunirea.ro. 12 May 2020. Archived from the original on 7 January 2025. Retrieved 7 January 2025.
5. "Dumitru Dinea, simbolul fotbalistic al Metalurgistului Cugir, a plecat la Îngeri! 22 de ani petrecuți în „roș-albastru" și prezent la prima promovare în Divizia B" [Dumitru Dinea, the football symbol of Metalurgist Cugir, left for Îngeli! 22 years spent in the "red-blue" and present at the first promotion to Division B] (in Romanian). ziarulunirea.ro. 10 December 2024. Archived from the original on 7 January 2025. Retrieved 7 January 2025.

External links

• CS Metalurgistul Cugir on Facebook