AFC Câmpulung Muscel

Not to be confused with ARO Muscelul Câmpulung.
AFC Câmpulung Muscel
Full nameAsociația Fotbal Club Câmpulung Muscel 2022
Nickname(s)Muscelenii
(The People from Muscel)
Short nameMuscel
Founded1978; 47 years ago (1978)
as CS Rucăr
GroundMuscelul
Capacity6,000 (3,000 seated)
OwnerCristian Ciolan
ChairmanCostin Ghiță
Head coachSorin Colceag
LeagueLiga II
2023–24Liga III, Seria V, 1st
(promoted via play-offs)

Asociația Fotbal Club Câmpulung Muscel 2022, also known as AFC Câmpulung Muscel, or just Câmpulung Muscel, is a Romanian professional football club based in Câmpulung, Argeș County, which competes in Liga II, the second tier of the Romanian football.

Founded in 1978 as CS Rucăr, the club moved to Câmpulung in 2022 and changed its name to Muscelul Câmpulung Elite following promotion from the 2021–22 season.[1] Subsequently renamed AFC Câmpulung Muscel,[2] the team earned promotion to Liga II for the first time in its history at the end of the 2023–24 season.[3]

History

[edit]

AFC Câmpulung Muscel, originally founded in 1978 as CS Rucăr, spent most of its early years playing in the Argeș County Championships.

In the 2009–10 Liga IV season, under the guidance of Mihai Poștoacă and with players like Adrian Tănase, Robert Craioveanu, and Alin Lipă among others, CS Rucăr finished 2nd place, just two points behind Atletic Bradu.[4]

The following season, with former Farul Constanța captain Alecsandru Popovici as head coach,[5] the club won Liga IV – Argeș County, earning promotion to Liga III. Promotion was secured after a 2–1 victory in the promotion play-off against Sevișul Șelimbăr, the Liga IV – Sibiu County winner, at the Complex Sportiv Hidro in Râmnicu Vâlcea.[6][7]

However, faced with financial difficulties, the club was forced to withdraw from Liga III, returning to the fourth league. In the 2011–12 season, the team finished as runners-up, just four points behind SCM Pitești.[8]

CS Rucăr continued competing in Liga IV – Argeș County, but struggled to achieve significant results, finishing in the following positions: 5th (2012–13), 13th (2013–14), 9th (2014–15), 11th (2015–16), and 13th (2016–17). Eventually, financial issues led to a withdrawal from the fourth league.

The club spent two seasons in Liga V – Argeș County, finishing 10th in the first season. However, promotion back to fourth league was achieved after a 1st-place finish in the 2018–19 season.[9]

In the 2019–20 season, CS Rucăr was in 6th place in Liga IV when the season was suspended in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Romania. The club did not participate in the 2020–21 short season due to the financial burden of complying with the medical protocol imposed by the Romanian Football Federation.

Rucăr started the 2021–22 season with Bogdan Simion as head coach but replaced him for the second part of the season with Valentin Cocoș, who led the club finish 1st, one point ahead of Inter Câmpulung. The club secured promotion to the third league by defeating Dunărea Calafat, Dolj County winner, 2–1 on aggregate (1–1 at Calafat and 1–0 at Rucăr). The squad included, among others, Adrian Tănase, Valentin Vălimăreanu, Flavius Cataramă, Cristian Tănase, Marian Ciorciovel, Gabriel Jenaru, Gabriel Neacșu, Georgian Jenaru, Fernando Dobre, Andrei Pătrănoiu and Ioan Marinescu.[10][11][12]

After earning promotion to Liga III, the club was relocated to Câmpulung and renamed Muscelul Câmpulung Elite. Also, Alecsandru Popovici was appointed as the new head coach for the 2022–23 season.[1][13] However, after a disappointing start, earning only four points in four matches, he was dismissed and replaced by Vasile Slăninoiu as player-coach. Slăninoiu led the team to a 9th-place finish in the first stage and 8th after the play-out round, barely avoiding relegation after being deducted three points following their withdrawal from the field in a match against Unirea Bascov.[14][15]

In the 2023–24 season, the club was renamed AFC Câmpulung Muscel[2] and appointed Costin Lazăr as the new head coach.[16] Although the team was in 1st place after ten rounds, Lazăr was dismissed.[17] Vasile Slăninoiu served as interim coach until January 2024, when Mircea Diaconescu took over,[18] leading the team to finish 1st in the first stage of Series V. However, Lazăr returned in April,[19] guiding the team to stay at the top of the table and, after the series play-off round, securing qualification for the promotion play-offs. Câmpulung Muscel earned promotion to Liga II at the end of the season, defeating Vedița Colonești 2–1 on aggregate (0–0 away and 2–1 (a.e.t.) at home) and SCM Râmnicu Vâlcea 2–1 on aggregate (2–1 away and 0–0 at home) in the promotion play-offs.[3]

Chronology of names
Name Period
CS Rucăr 1978–2022
Muscelul Câmpulung Elite 2022–2023
AFC Câmpulung Muscel 2023–present

Ground

[edit]
Main article: Muscelul Stadium

AFC Câmpulung Muscel plays its home matches at Muscelul Stadium, a multi-use stadium in Câmpulung. The stadium is also used by ARO Muscelul Câmpulung. It holds 6,000 people, of which 3,000 are on seats.[20] It was opened in the 1940s and was renovated, most recently in 2008.

Honours

[edit]

Liga III

Liga IV – Argeș County

Liga V – Argeș County

  • Winners (1): 2018–19

Players

[edit]

First-team squad

[edit]
As of 1 February 2025[21]

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
3 DF Romania ROU Andrei Radu
5 DF Romania ROU Vlad Gîsă
7 MF Romania ROU Luca Stancu
10 MF Romania ROU Ștefan Ghiță (Captain)
11 MF Romania ROU Georgian Jenaru (Vice-captain)
12 GK Romania ROU Rareș Bădulescu
18 DF Romania ROU Andrei Stelea
19 DF Romania ROU Mario Brumă (on loan from CSA Steaua București)
23 MF Romania ROU Darius Ciurea
32 MF Romania ROU Bogdan Vasile (3rd captain)
88 MF Cameroon CMR Jose Ntamack
No. Pos. Nation Player
— GK Romania ROU Rafael Munteanu (on loan from Farul Constanța)
— DF France FRA Jean-Philippe Célestin
— MF Romania ROU Darius Nistor (on loan from Universitatea Cluj)
— MF Romania ROU Marco Dică
— MF Romania ROU Raul Nistor (on loan from Universitatea Cluj)
— MF Netherlands NED Dabney dos Santos
— MF Romania ROU Alexandru Răuță
— MF Romania ROU Valentin Coșereanu
— MF Romania ROU Cristian Bustea
— MF Ukraine UKR Denys Dedechko
— FW Senegal SEN El Hadji Ndiaga

Club officials

[edit]

League history

[edit]
See also: Romanian football league system

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b "Două cluburi din Liga 3 și-au schimbat denumirea, unul chiar și sediul social. Câmpulung va avea echipă la nivel național, în timp ce Coloneștiul a trecut de la privat la public!" [Two clubs in League 3 have changed their name, one even changed its registered office. Câmpulung will have a team at the national level, while Colonești has gone from private to public!] (in Romanian). liga2.prosport.ro. 8 August 2022. Archived from the original on 28 January 2024. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  2. ^ a b "ACS Muscelul Câmpulung Elite începe noul sezon de Liga 3 cu altă denumire. Cele trei echipe din Argeș prezente în campionat, dintre care două din Câmpulung, puse de FRF să joace în trei serii!" [ACS Muscelul Câmpulung Elite starts the new Liga 3 season with a different name. The three teams from Argeș present in the championship, of which two from Câmpulung, put by the FRF to play in three series!] (in Romanian). liga2.prosport.ro. 25 August 2023. Archived from the original on 28 January 2024. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Câmpulung Muscel, din nou în Liga 2, după 20 de ani! Costin Lazăr, la cea mai importantă realizare ca antrenor: "Sper să fim peste celelalte două echipe argeșene din campionat"" [Câmpulung Muscel, back in League 2, after 20 years! Costin Lazăr, on his most important achievement as a coach: "I hope we will be above the other two Argeș teams in the championship"] (in Romanian). liga2.prosport.ro. 6 June 2024. Archived from the original on 1 February 2025. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
  4. ^ "Nume grele la CS Rucăr" [Heavy names at CS Rucăr] (in Romanian). liga2.prosport.ro. 29 August 2009. Archived from the original on 28 January 2024. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  5. ^ "Alexandru Popovici e noul antrenor al CS Rucăr" [Alexandru Popovici is the new coach of CS Rucăr] (in Romanian). liga2.prosport.ro. 10 July 2010. Archived from the original on 28 January 2024. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  6. ^ "CS Rucăr e noua campioană a Argeșului!" [CS Rucăr is the new champion of Argeș!] (in Romanian). liga2.prosport.ro. 7 June 2011. Archived from the original on 31 December 2019. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  7. ^ "Sevișul Șelimbăr a pierdut barajul pentru promovarea în liga 3" [Sevișul Șelimbăr lost the dam for promotion to league 3] (in Romanian). oradesibiu.ro. 15 June 2011. Archived from the original on 28 January 2024. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  8. ^ "CS Rucăr a renunțat la Liga 3" [CS Rucăr quit at League 3] (in Romanian). liga2.prosport.ro. 19 July 2011. Archived from the original on 28 January 2024. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  9. ^ "Este oficial! CS Rucăr va evolua în Liga a patra" [It's official! CS Rucăr will play in the fourth League] (in Romanian). evenimentulmuscelean.ro. 8 August 2019. Archived from the original on 4 February 2020. Retrieved 2 February 2024.
  10. ^ "CS Rucăr, campioana județului Argeș" [CS Rucăr, Argeș county champion] (in Romanian). evenimentulmuscelean.ro. 14 June 2022. Archived from the original on 3 February 2024. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  11. ^ "Baraj Liga 3 / Dunărea Calafat – CS Rucăr, 1-1, în meciul tur" [Dam League 3 / Dunărea Calafat – CS Rucăr, 1-1, in the round match] (in Romanian). gds.ro. 19 June 2022. Archived from the original on 3 February 2024. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  12. ^ "CS Rucăr se impune cu 1-0 în fața Dunării Calafat și promovează în cel de-al treilea eșalon fotbalistic al țării" [CS Rucăr wins 1-0 against Dunărea Calafat and promotes to the third football echelon of the country] (in Romanian). arges-sport.ro. 26 June 2022. Archived from the original on 3 February 2024. Retrieved 3 February 2024.
  13. ^ "Alecsandru Popovici s-a întors în fotbalul muscelean. Alături de "Sendy" a venit și Gică Butoiu, cel mai bun produs al fotbalului muscelean din toate timpurile" [Alecsandru Popovici is back in Muscel football. Along with "Sendy" came Gică Butoiu, the best product of Muscel football of all time] (in Romanian). informatiademuscel.ro. 18 August 2022. Archived from the original on 26 June 2024. Retrieved 26 June 2024.
  14. ^ "Schimbări de antrenori pe bandă rulantă în Liga 3. Abia a trecut etapa a 4-a, dar ACS Muscelul Câmpulung Elite și-a demis și ea "principalul". Update: Un jucător din lot, numit în funcție" [Coach changes on the conveyor belt in League 3. The 4th stage has barely passed, but ACS Muscelul Câmpulung Elite has also dismissed its "main coach". Update: A player from the team, appointed to the position] (in Romanian). liga2.prosport.ro. 1 October 2022. Archived from the original on 1 February 2025. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
  15. ^ "ACS Muscelul Câmpulung Elite, ca și retrogradată din Liga 3 după ce și-a aflat sancțiunile din partea FRF în urma retragerii de pe teren din jocul cu Unirea Bascov. Amenda colosală primită și puncte scăzute din clasament" [ACS Muscelul Câmpulung Elite, as well as relegated from Liga 3 after learning of its sanctions from the FRF following its withdrawal from the field in the game with Unirea Bascov. The colossal fine received and points deducted from the standings] (in Romanian). liga2.prosport.ro. 11 April 2023. Archived from the original on 1 February 2025. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
  16. ^ "Costin Lazăr, o nouă experiență ca antrenor principal! Fostul mijlocaș rapidist a preluat un club din Liga 3" [Costin Lazăr, a new experience as a head coach! The former Rapid midfielder took over a club from League 3] (in Romanian). liga2.prosport.ro. 20 June 2023. Archived from the original on 1 February 2025. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
  17. ^ "Decizie absurdă luată de AFC Câmpulung Muscel, liderul Seriei 5 din Liga 3. S-a despărțit de antrenorul Costin Lazăr" [Absurd decision made by AFC Câmpulung Muscel, leader of Series 5 of League 3. It parted ways with coach Costin Lazăr] (in Romanian). liga2.prosport.ro. 30 October 2023. Archived from the original on 1 February 2025. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
  18. ^ "Liga 3. Mircea Diaconescu e noul antrenor al echipei AFC Câmpulung Muscel. Debutează cu Ciucaș Tărlungeni" [League 3. Mircea Diaconescu is the new coach of AFC Câmpulung Muscel. He makes his debut with Ciucaș Tărlungeni] (in Romanian). monitorulexpres.ro. 9 January 2024. Archived from the original on 1 February 2025. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
  19. ^ "Costin Lazăr, decizie șoc! Cu gândul la retragerea din antrenorat, fostul mijlocaș a schimbat din nou echipa! A revenit la clubul la care începea sezonul și pe care l-a lăsat pe locul 1" [Costin Lazăr, shock decision! With the thought of retiring from coaching, the former midfielder changed the team again! He returned to the club where he started the season and which he left in 1st place] (in Romanian). liga2.prosport.ro. 30 April 2024. Archived from the original on 1 February 2025. Retrieved 1 February 2025.
  20. ^ "Stadionul este atât de degradat încât gradenele riscă să se prăbușească în lipsa consolidării. Se pregătește un proiect de reabilitare" [The stadium is so degraded that the stands risk collapsing if not reinforced. A rehabilitation project is being prepared] (in Romanian). evenimentulmuscelean.ro. 28 July 2022. Archived from the original on 1 February 2025. Retrieved 28 January 2024.
  21. ^ "Echipa" [Squad] (in Romanian). lpf2.ro. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
[edit]
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=AFC_Câmpulung_Muscel&oldid=1273348192"