Sunday, October 20, 2024

Romania I Division

 

First Division. Two outstanding leaders and two outsiders – somewhat, a 50-50 representation of political changes and stubborn status quo. 3 teams relegated.

Olt (Scornicesti) – last with 12 points and relegated. And soon after that – dissolved, or at least that was what looked like, for the club was not in Second Division the next season.

Victoria (Bucharest) - 17th with 21 points. The club was dissolved after the Romanian Revolution – that was stands today in regard of ill-born Victoria, only a few years ago the second team of Dinamo (Bucharest). This club was never restored, unlike Olt.


Flacara (Moreni) - 16th with 28 points and relegated. Such a fate... they did very well in the previous season and qualified to play in the UEFA Cup. So, in the season they met FC Porto they also went down domestically.


SC Bacau (Bacau) – barely survived: 15th with 29 points.

Jiul (Petrosani) – lucky to escape relegation: 14th with 29 points.

Universitatea (Cluj) – also lucky: 13th with 29 points.


Arges (Pitesti) – one more happy survivor: 12th with 29 points.


Sportul Studentesc (Bucharest) - 11th with 30 points. Up: C.Pană, Lucaci, Cristea, Voicilă, Simionov, Răduță, Buțerchi, M.Popa
Middle: Mihale, Ciucă, Ion V.Ionescu (coach), V.Kraus (assistant coach), V.Zamfir (gk coach),
N.Andreescu (doctor), L.Buluș (maseur), V.Andrei (maseur), V.Iorgulescu, S.Răducanu
Bellow: Șumudică, A.Popa, Olteanu, Stănici, R.Lucescu, Manu, S.Dobre, G.Prodan, M.Mihail, Țârlea


Bihor (Oradea) - 10th with 30 points. Interesting scoring record: 61-61.

Top row from left: BALAJ CALIN ,ARPAD BUCICO ,VLADIMIR TAMAS ,TOMA IVAN ,VIOREL VANCEA ,PETER BERETCKI
Middle row: PAUL POPOVICI ,CHEREGI ,GABRIEL BRUCHENTAL ,MIRCEA BOLBA,ROBERT COSMOC,NICOLAE MURESAN,DANUT BABA ,TONI WEISEMBACHER ,DRAGAN DINU
Sitting: SERBAN CRAIU ,OVIDIU LAZAR ,ANDRAS BISZOK,ALEXANDRU TERHES, DUMITRU JIPA .

Farul (Constanta) - 9th with 31 points.

Corvinul (Hunedoara) - 8th with 32 points.


FCM Brasov (Brasov) - 7th with 35 points.

Inter (Sibiu) - 6th with 36 points.


Politehnica (Timisoara) - 5th with 41 points.


Petrolul (Ploesti) - 4th with 41 points.


Universitatea (Craiova) - 3rd with 44 points. Strong season, confirming their established leading status, but not near the battle for the title.

Dinamo and Steaua once again fought for supremacy and no wonder why: they had the best and already famous Romanian players.


Steaua (Bucharest) lost the championship by one point - 2nd with 56 points.


Dinamo (Bucharest) clinched the title with 57 points: 26 wins, 5 ties, 3 losses, 96-23. It was their 13th title. The squad surely deserved it. Their fans were happy, despite the ironic fact that they supported the club of the most hated Communist institution.