Who is FC Steaua Bucharest ?

Fotbal Club Steaua Bucureşti is a Romanian professional football club in Bucharest. They are the most successful Romanian football team in European competitions as well in the Romanian Liga I (23 championship wins). They became the first Eastern European team to win the UEFA Champions League being victorious in the 1986 European Cup Final.

The club is historically known as the Romanian Army sports club. The football department separated, however, in 1998. At the moment, its only direct link to the Army is their home ground, Ghencea Stadium, property of the Ministry of National Defense.

Steaua was founded on 7 June 1947, at the initiative of several officers of the Romanian Royal House. The establishment took place following a decree signed by General Mihai Lascăr, High Commander of the Romanian Royal Army. The club's first name was ASA Bucureşti (Asociaţia Sportivă a Armatei Bucureşti – Army Sports Association). It was formed as a sports society with seven initial sections, including football, coached by Coloman Braun-Bogdan. ASA was renamed CSCA (Clubul Sportiv Central al Armatei –Central Sports Club of the Army) in 1948 and CCA (Casa Centrală a Armatei – Central House of the Army) in 1950.

Steaua currently boasts itself with the most impressive pedigree in Romania. With 60 seasons spent in Liga I, they are one of the three teams to have played only in the first national league, along with Dinamo Buc. (59 seasons). At the same time, the club is the current record holder for the number of national championships (23), romanian cups (20) and national super cups (five). Internationally, they are the only domestic club to have won a European Cup (European Champions Cup in 1986 and the European SuperCup in 1987) and to have qualified inside a UEFA final (European Champions Cup in 1986 and 1989).

For three years and three months (June 1986 – September 1989), Steaua counted a number of 104 unbeaten matches in the league, establishing, at that moment, a former world record and a European one still standing. Also inside the national league, they counted 112 matches between November 1989 and August 1996 of unbeatability at Ghencea Stadium in Liga I. Their run of 17 straight wins in 1988 is another record, equal to the one held by Dinamo as of one year later.

Tudorel Stoica is the player with the most appearances for Steaua in Liga I, a record unlikely to be broken in the nearby future, as none of the current players have entered the top 10 so far. The club's all-time top scorer in the league is Anghel Iordănescu with 146 goals, a record that also looks solid, out of the same reason as above-mentioned. Other records are currently owned by former players such as Dorinel Munteanu (most national caps – 134) or Gh.Hagi (most goals scored for Romania – 35; most appearances of a Romanian player in the European cups – 93).