Fotbal Club Caracal was a
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...
n professional
football
Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...
club from
Caracal
The caracal (''Caracal caracal'') () is a medium-sized Felidae, wild cat native to Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and arid areas of Pakistan and northwestern India. It is characterised by a robust build, long legs, a short face, long ...
,
Olt County
Olt County () is a county (judeÈ›) of Romania on the border with Bulgaria, in the Historical regions of Romania, historical regions of Oltenia and Muntenia (the regions are separated by the Olt River, Olt river). The capital city is Slatina, Roma ...
. The club's best period was in the early 90s when Electroputere Craiova, as it was called then, played four consecutive seasons in the
Romanian first league. The best ranking was obtained in the
1991–92 season when finished 3rd and qualified to
UEFA Cup
The asterisk ( ), from Late Latin , from Ancient Greek , , "little star", is a Typography, typographical symbol. It is so called because it resembles a conventional image of a star (heraldry), heraldic star.
Computer scientists and Mathematici ...
.
History
Amid the rapid industrialization of
Craiova
Craiova (, also , ) is the largest city in southwestern Romania, List of Romanian cities, the seventh largest city in the country and the capital of Dolj County, situated near the east bank of the river Jiu River, Jiu in central Oltenia.
It i ...
in the early 1950s, a distinct football identity began to take shape, closely linked to the newly established
Electroputere plant. Founded in 1949, the team—originally known as Metalul Craiova—was made up largely of workers from the factory.
[Gheorghe Rădulescu, Alexandru Firescu și Nicolae Opriș, Fotbalul craiovean de-a lungul anilor (Craiova football over the years) – Editura Scrisul Românesc 1981.]
While their initial performances in the
regional championship were unremarkable, the team soon gained attention for its dynamic playing style and growing fanbase. Notable players from this era included Marin Năstase, Rici Smarandache, Constantin Monțescu, Dumitru Grigorescu, Nicolae Razga, Vasile Constantin, and Dumitru Hecher.
The 1950 season reflected the team's unpredictable nature: after three consecutive defeats, a series of four straight victories followed, leading to a final 5th place finish.
Renamed Metalul Electroputere, the team saw fluctuating results in the following years. In 1956, after a modest campaign, relegation to the city championship occurred, followed by a name change to Energia Electroputere. Under the guidance of coach Lambru Dunăreanu, a revival began. After a 3rd-place finish in the
1958–59 season, Electroputere went on to win the
Craiova Regional Championship in the
1959–60 season. However, promotion to
Divizia B
The Liga 2, most commonly spelled as Liga II, is the second level of the Romanian football league system. The league changed its name from Divizia B just before the start of the 2006–07 football season. It is currently sponsored by Casa Pariu ...
was missed, with a 3rd-place finish behind
Aurul Brad and
Chimia Govora in the
promotion play-off
Promotion may refer to:
Marketing
* Promotion (marketing), one of the four marketing mix elements, comprising any type of marketing communication used to inform or persuade target audiences of the relative merits of a product, service, brand or i ...
held in
Ploiești
Ploiești ( , , ), formerly spelled Ploești, is a Municipiu, city and county seat in Prahova County, Romania. Part of the historical region of Muntenia, it is located north of Bucharest.
The area of Ploiești is around , and it borders the Ble ...
.
A merger with the football section of CFR Craiova led to the formation of CFR Electroputere, which took over the railway club’s spot in Divizia B for the
1960–61 season. The presence in the second tier proved short-lived, ending in relegation after just one season, with a 13th-place finish in Series II. However, during
that campaign, CFR Electroputere managed to reach the Round of 32 in the
Cupa României
The Cupa României () is a Association football, football cup competition for List of football clubs in Romania, Romanian teams which has been held annually since 1933–34 Cupa României, 1933–34, except during World War II. It is the Romania ...
, suffering a 2–4 defeat against
CCA București.
In the following years, the team resumed activity under the name Electroputere, competing in the
Oltenia Regional Championship while maintaining the ambition to reach the national divisions. At that time, the squad included Țecu Smarandache, Ion Belu, Vasile Vrejotis, Octavian Romeo, Venus Ciocîlteu, Ștefan Anghel, Matei Constantin, Stelian Chilom, Nicu Constantin, Ion Drăgan, and Ion Militaru. After finishing 2nd in the
1961–62 season, a 3rd-place finish in the
1962–63 campaign secured promotion to the newly re-established
Divizia C
The Liga 3, most often spelled as Liga III, is the third level of the Romanian football league system. It was founded in 1936 and was called Divizia C until 2006. An exception was the seasons 1992–93 to 1996–97, in which the league was call ...
. Among the team members during this period were also Nicolae Stere, Vică Oprea, Lili Popescu, and Virgil Resciuc..
Over the next five seasons, Electroputere competed in the West Series of Divizia C, finishing 10th in
1963–64, 6th in
1964–65, 4th in
1965–66, and 3rd in
1966–67. With the arrival of
Nicolae Oțeleanu
Nicolae Pascu Oțeleanu (6 January 1908 - 5 May 1970) was a Romanian football defender and manager and also a World War II veteran.
Life and career
Oțeleanu played football as a defender at Sparta București, Sportul Studențesc București ...
as head coach, the team achieved promotion to
Divizia B
The Liga 2, most commonly spelled as Liga II, is the second level of the Romanian football league system. The league changed its name from Divizia B just before the start of the 2006–07 football season. It is currently sponsored by Casa Pariu ...
after winning the West Series in the
1967–68 season. The squad during that successful campaign included Gh. Spinghel, Marin Bădici, Marian Terpovici, Nicu Constantin, Stelian Chilom, Emanoil Păunescu, Alexandru Stănescu, Marin Dașcu, Mihai Gavrilă, Iulian Popa, Marin Florescu, Matei Constantin, Firică Bulfan, George Sterie, Dan Cosci, Marin Bărbuț, Iulian Bălosu,
Victor Niculescu, Virgil Resciuc, Dumitru Lovin, Cornel Chesnoiu, Constantin Țîră, Ion Nemțuc, and Constantin Nica.
In the following decade, Electro competed in Series II of the
second division, recording a string of fluctuating results. In the
1968–69 and
1969–70 seasons, the team finished in 7th place. This was followed by a period of decline, with a 13th place finish in
1970–71, with Clement Iordănescu coaching in the first half and Constantin Voroncovschi in the second, and a 14th place finish in
1971–72, with Octavian Romeo in charge during the first half and Nicolae Opriș in the second. The team was tied on points with five other sides and narrowly avoided relegation at goal difference.
In the
1972–73
Year 197 ( CXCVII) was a common year starting on Saturday of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Magius and Rufinus (or, less frequently, year 950 ''Ab urbe condita''). The denomination 197 for this y ...
season, Electroputere again finished in 13th place, with Clement Iordănescu on the bench. The
1973–74 campaign, under the command of
Haralambie Eftimie, ended with an 8th place finish and a
notable appearance in the
Cupa României
The Cupa României () is a Association football, football cup competition for List of football clubs in Romania, Romanian teams which has been held annually since 1933–34 Cupa României, 1933–34, except during World War II. It is the Romania ...
, where the team reached the round of 32, being eliminated 0–2 after extra time by
SC Tulcea. In that match, the lineup was composed of Mîniosu, Cotoșman, Tacoi (35’ Vîlceleanu), Bîtlan, Toma, Morovan (68’ Niță), Stanciu, Mincioagă,
Bondrea, Pelea, and Șarpe.
The
1974–75 season brought a new peak in form, with the team finishing in 5th place under
Gheorghe Dungu. The performance was repeated in
1975–76 with
Ștefan Coidum as head coach, but in the
following season, Electroputere dropped to 9th place. In
1977–78, with Petre Petculescu as coach, the team ended in 13th place, and in the
1978–79 season, it finished 16th in Series II, being relegated to
Divizia C
The Liga 3, most often spelled as Liga III, is the third level of the Romanian football league system. It was founded in 1936 and was called Divizia C until 2006. An exception was the seasons 1992–93 to 1996–97, in which the league was call ...
after eleven consecutive years in the
second division.
In the middle of the 2003–04 season, Extensiv changed its name to FC Craiova, but with no connection to the
FC Craiova that existed between 1940 and 1949.
In 2004 the club was moved to
Caracal
The caracal (''Caracal caracal'') () is a medium-sized Felidae, wild cat native to Africa, the Middle East, Central Asia, and arid areas of Pakistan and northwestern India. It is characterised by a robust build, long legs, a short face, long ...
and renamed ''FC Caracal''.
FC Caracal ended the
2012–13 season in second place, but after years of poor management and bad decisions, the club was dissolved in the summer of 2013.
Chronology of names
Honours
Liga II
The Liga 2, most commonly spelled as Liga II, is the second level of the Romanian football league system. The league changed its name from Divizia B just before the start of the 2006–07 Liga II, 2006–07 football season. It is currently Sponso ...
*Winners (2):
1990–91,
1998–99
*Runners-up (2):
1996–97,
1997–98
Liga III
The Liga 3, most often spelled as Liga III, is the third level of the Romanian football league system. It was founded in 1936 and was called Divizia C until 2006. An exception was the seasons 1992–93 to 1996–97, in which the league was call ...
*Winners (3):
1967–68,
1984–85,
1989–90
*Runners-up (6):
1979–80,
1980–81,
1981–82,
1982–83,
2008–09,
2012–13
Dolj Regional Championship:
*Winners (1):
1959–60
*Runners-up (1):
1961–62
Electroputere Craiova in Europe
Recent seasons
Notable former players
The footballers mentioned below have played at least 1 season for the club and also played in
Liga I
Liga I (; ''First League''), also spelled as Liga 1 and officially known as SuperLiga for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Romania and the highest level of the Romanian football league system. Contested by 1 ...
for another team.
*
Sorin Cârțu
Sorin Cârțu (born 12 November 1955) is a former football striker and football coach, currently honorary president at Liga I club Universitatea Craiova.
Cârțu won two Romanian Championships and four Romanian Cups with Universitatea Craiov ...
*
Adrian Ilie
*
Sabin Ilie
*
Silviu Lung
*
Ionel Dănciulescu
Ionel Daniel Dănciulescu (born 6 December 1976) is a Romanian former professional association football, footballer who played as a forward (association football), forward, currently head of youth development at Liga III club CS Dinamo Bucureșt ...
*
Gheorghe Ciurea
*
Mircea Bornescu
*
Ionel Gane
Ionel Tersinio Gane (born 12 October 1971) is a Romanian football coach and former player who is an assistant coach for the Romania national team.
Playing career
Born in Drănic, Gane played professionally in Romania for Universitatea Craio ...
*
Eugen Neagoe
*
Lucian Cotora
*
Silvian Cristescu
*
Mirel Rădoi
Mirel Matei Rădoi (born 22 March 1981) is a Romanian professional association football, football Manager (association football), manager and former player, who is currently in charge of Liga I club CS Universitatea Craiova, Universitatea Craiov ...
Former managers
*
Rudolf Bürger
Rudolf Bürger (31 October 1908 – 20 January 1980) was a Romanian international footballer and coach of German ethnicity.
He is one of a few men who participated in each of the three pre-World War II FIFA World Cups. At club level, he play ...
(1951–1952)
*
Nicolae Oțeleanu
Nicolae Pascu Oțeleanu (6 January 1908 - 5 May 1970) was a Romanian football defender and manager and also a World War II veteran.
Life and career
Oțeleanu played football as a defender at Sparta București, Sportul Studențesc București ...
(1967–1968)
* Octavian Romeo (1971)
* Nicolae OpriÈ™ (1972)
* Clement Iordănescu (1972–1973)
*
Haralambie Eftimie (1973–1974)
*
Gheorghe Dungu (1974–1975)
*
Ștefan Coidum (1975–1977)
* Petre Petculescu (1977–1979)
*
Sorin Cârțu
Sorin Cârțu (born 12 November 1955) is a former football striker and football coach, currently honorary president at Liga I club Universitatea Craiova.
Cârțu won two Romanian Championships and four Romanian Cups with Universitatea Craiov ...
(1987–1988)
*
Marian Bondrea (1989–1992)
*
Sorin Cârțu
Sorin Cârțu (born 12 November 1955) is a former football striker and football coach, currently honorary president at Liga I club Universitatea Craiova.
Cârțu won two Romanian Championships and four Romanian Cups with Universitatea Craiov ...
(1993)
*
Ioan Sdrobiș (1996–1997)
*
Sorin Cârțu
Sorin Cârțu (born 12 November 1955) is a former football striker and football coach, currently honorary president at Liga I club Universitatea Craiova.
Cârțu won two Romanian Championships and four Romanian Cups with Universitatea Craiov ...
(1997)
*
Marian Bondrea (1997–1998)
*
Grigore Sichitiu (1998–1999)
*
Sorin Cârțu
Sorin Cârțu (born 12 November 1955) is a former football striker and football coach, currently honorary president at Liga I club Universitatea Craiova.
Cârțu won two Romanian Championships and four Romanian Cups with Universitatea Craiov ...
(1998–2002)
*
Nicolae Ungureanu (2004–2006)
*
Nicolae Negrilă (2006)
*
Iordan Eftimie (2006)
*
Emil Vlăduț (2007)
*
Nicolae Ungureanu (2007)
*
Florin Cioroianu (2007–2008)
*
Daniel Mogoșanu (2008–2009)
*
Gheorghe Ciurea (2009)
*
Daniel Mogoșanu (2009–2010)
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Caracal
Liga I clubs
Liga II clubs
Liga III clubs
Association football clubs established in 1949
Association football clubs disestablished in 2013
Defunct football clubs in Romania
Football clubs in Olt County
Sport in Craiova
1949 establishments in Romania
Caracal, Romania