CS Minaur Baia Mare (football) explained

Clubname:	Minaur Baia Mare
Fullname:	Clubul Sportiv Minaur Baia Mare
Short Name:	Minaur, Baia Mare
Nickname:	Minerii (The Miners) Băimărenii (The People from Baia Mare)
Founded:	1947 CSM Baia Mare
Ground:	Viorel Mateianu
Capacity:	15,500 (8,000 seated)
Owner:	Baia Mare Municipality
Chairman:	Iustin Balaj
Manager:	Ciprian Danciu
League:	Liga III
Season:	2023–24
Position:	Liga III, Seria X, 7th
Website:	http://csminaur.ro/fotbal
Current:	2022–23 CS Minaur Baia Mare (football) season
Pattern La1:	_minaur2223h
Pattern B1:	_minaur2223h
Pattern Ra1:	_minaur2223h
Pattern Sh1:	_minaur2223h
Socks1:	21bafd
Pattern La2:	_minaur2223a
Pattern B2:	_minaur2223a
Pattern Ra2:	_minaur2223a
Pattern Sh2:	_minaur2223a
Socks2:	1f40b4
Pattern B3:	_minaur2223t
Pattern Sh3:	_minaur2223t
Leftarm3:	000000
Rightarm3:	000000
Socks3:	000000

Minaur Baia Mare, known as Minerul Baia Mare, is a Romanian football club, based in Baia Mare, Maramureș County, northern Romania, Following this merger in 1947. It currently plays in Romania's second league, Liga II, after promoting at the end of the 2021–22 season.

Chronology of names

Name^[1]	Period
Clubul Sportiv Minaur Baia Mare	1947–1950
Metalul Baia Mare	1950–1956
Energia Trustul Miner Baia Mare	1956–1957
Minerul Baia Mare	1957–1958
Clubul Sportiv Minaur Baia Mare	1958–1962
Minerul Baia Mare	1962–1975
FC Baia Mare	1975–1985
FC Maramureș Baia Mare	1985–1998
FC Baia Mare	1998–2010
FCM Baia Mare	2012–2016
Minaur Baia Mare	2017–present

Note: 2 years of inactivity between 2010 and 2012, and the team was refounded as FCM Baia Mare in the Liga IV.
Note: 1 year of inactivity between 2016 and 2017, and the team was refounded as CS Minaur Baia Mare in the Liga IV.

History

Minaur Baia Mare Club, founded in 1927. In 1947, the Phoenix Baia Mare team founded in 1932 merged with Minaur Baia Mare founded in 1927, resulting in a single team. Following this merger, the team is called CSM Baia Mare.

The club was dissolved in the summer of 2010 because of financial problems, but was refounded in the summer of 2012 under the name of FCM Baia Mare. Baia Mare was inactive for one season after withdrawing from the upcoming Liga II season due to financial difficulties on 5 August 2016.^[2] After one season of inactivity the club was refounded as Minaur Baia Mare, the historical name of the sports club, also used by the handball teams. The club was enrolled in the Liga IV – Maramureș County.^[3] In contrast to the handball section, the football section is known unofficially as Minerul Baia Mare, one of the past names of the club and the most representative for supporters. Also the football section colours are different from those used for handball, if for handball squads the traditional colours are white, black and orange, for football are yellow and blue.

Timeline

1947 — CSM Baia Mare after the merger
1950 — The name is changed to Metalul Baia Mare;
1955 — Metalul Baia Mare is relegated in Liga III;
1956 — The team become Energia Trustul Miner Baia Mare and win promotion in Liga II;
1957 — The team become Minerul Baia Mare;
1958 — Third name change in three years, this time back to CSM Baia Mare;
1959 — CSM Baia Mare reach the final of Romanian Cup, only to be defeated by Dinamo București;
1962 — Another name change, this time back to Minerul Baia Mare;
1963 — Mircea Sasu become the first player ever to be selected from Minerul Baia Mare into the national team of Romania;
1964 — Minerul Baia Mare win the second series of Liga II and win promotion into Liga I for the first time in their history, Phoenix / Carpati Baia Mare played before the World War II in the First League.
1965 — As the team finish only 13th out of 14 in Liga I, they are relegated after only one year;
1975 — The team become FC Baia Mare;
1978 — FC Baia Mare win promotion into Liga I. It is the third in the history. The Golden Age starts;
1979 — FC Baia Mare finish 5th out of 18 in Liga I;
1980 — The best performance in Liga I as they finish 4th out of 18;
1981 — A poor year followed by relegation back to Liga II, mainly due to internal issues;
1982 — FC Baia Mare reach the final of Romanian Cup where they are defeated by Dinamo București. For the first time in their history FC Baia Mare play in Cup Winners' Cup, against Real Madrid of Spain.
1983 — FC Baia Mare win the fourth promotion in their history into Liga I;
1984 — A poor season in Liga I where the team finish 15th out of 18 but save themselves from relegation;
1985 — FC Baia Mare is relegated back to Liga II. The Golden Era ends. The team become FC Maramureş Baia Mare.
1993 — The Silver Era starts as FC Maramureş Baia Mare reach the semifinals of Romanian Cup;
1994 — After a series of average and poor seasons in Liga II during the past decade, FC Maramureş Baia Mare win promotion in Liga I for the fifth time in their history;
1995 — FC Maramureş Baia Mare reach the quarter-finals of Romanian Cup, but at the end of the season is relegated back to Liga II. The Silver Era ends.
1998 — Another name change, this time back to FC Baia Mare;
1999 — FC Baia Mare is relegated to Liga III for the second time in their history;
2000 — The team promote back to Liga II;
2001 — Second promotion in only two years, this time in Liga I, as FC Baia Mare win the promotion play-offs, however, the team's owner decides to trade the team's place in Liga I to another team, arguing the lack of financial resources to keep them over the competitional season. FC Baia Mare return to Liga II;
2002 — FC Baia Mare qualify again for promotion play-offs but do not win promotion;
2004 — Relegation in Liga III;
2006 — After two years in Liga III, FC Baia Mare win promotion to Liga II;
2007 — The club is relegated back to Liga III and face serious financial issues. Brazilian Ayres Cerqueira Simao becomes the first foreign player ever to play for FC Baia Mare;
2008 — Despite being in the frame for a promotion back to Liga II, a series of poor results and a players strike due to unpaid wages and bonuses left the club in Liga III for at least one more year. Yet, at the beginning of the 2008 – 09 season the club manage to transfer some players with good experience in Liga I, such as: Daniel Rednic and Sorin Iodi, thus becoming top favourites to win promotion into Liga II.
2009 – FC Baia Mare promoted to the Liga II after finishing first the 2008–09 Liga III.
2010 – Finished 8th in the 2009–10 Liga II season and was dissolved shortly after.
2012 – Refounded as FCM Baia Mare in the Liga IV.
2013 – Promoted to the Liga III.
2015 – Promoted to the Liga II.
2016 – Withdrew from the upcoming Liga II season due to financial difficulties.
2017 – Refounded as Minaur Baia Mare in the Liga IV.
2018 – Promoted to the Liga III.
2020 – Loses Promotion play-off to Comuna Recea
2022 – Promoted to the Liga II after beating Hunedoara in the promotion play-off final
2023 – Relegation to Liga III. The team goes through its worst season, at one time, having just 1 point in 6 games.

Performances

FC Baia Mare was a finalist in the Romanian Cup in 1959 and 1982, while in the Liga I, their best performance was 4th out of 18 at the end of the 1979–80 season.

The club played in the Liga I in other few occasions: in 1964–65 (13th out of 14), 1978–79 (5th out of 18); 1980–81 (17th out of 18), 1983–84 (15th out of 18), 1984–85 (17th out of 18) and 1994–95 (17th out of 18).

The team played mainly in the Liga II where FC Baia Mare is ranked first in an all-time standing, obtaining the most points and scoring the most goals.

In 1982–83 FC Baia Mare played in Cup Winners' Cup against Real Madrid then coached by Alfredo Di Stéfano. After 0 : 0 in the first leg, FC Baia Mare lost 2–5 in the second leg. Koller and Buzgău scored for the Romanian side on Santiago Bernabeu.

In the summer of 1982, FC Baia Mare played a friendly game against AC Fiorentina in Italy and won 3 : 1. Giancarlo Antognoni and Francesco Graziani, both world champions with Italy at the 1982 World Cup, as well as Daniel Bertoni and Daniel Passarella, both world champions with Argentina at the 1978 World Cup played for AC Fiorentina in that game. This is, without doubt, the greatest achievement of FC Baia Mare to date.

The largest win in Divizia A is against FCM Galaţi, 7 : 1 in August 1979, however the club's finest hour in a Divizia A game came in June 1981 with a tremendous 5 : 0 win against Steaua Bucharest.

Team's records

Liga I - 11 participations
1937 - 1938; 1938 - 1939; 1939 - 1940; 1940 - 1941; 1964 - 1965; 1978 - 1979; 1979 - 1980; 1980 - 1981; 1983 - 1984; 1984 - 1985; 1994 - 1995.
Liga I
- Best finish: 4th 1979–1980
Liga II
- Winners (5): 1936 - 1937; 1963 - 1964; 1977 - 1978; 1982 - 1983; 1993 - 1994.
- Runners-up (11): 1959 – 1960; 1960 – 1961; 1965 – 1966; 1966 – 1967; 1971 – 1972; 1981 – 1982; 1985 – 1986; 1986 – 1987; 1991 – 1992; 2000 – 2001; 2001 –2002.
Liga III
- Winners (7): 1955 - 1956; 1999 – 2000; 2005 – 2006; 2008 – 2009; 2014 – 2015; 2020 – 2021; 2021 – 2022.
- Runners-up (1): 2019–20
Liga IV – Maramureș County
- Winners (2): 2012–13, 2017–18

Cups

Cupa României
- Runners-up (2): 1958–59, 1981–82
Cupa României – Maramureș County
- Winners (1): 2017–18

International

European Cup Winners' Cup

* First Round (1): 1982–83

Second leg

Competition
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup / European Cup Winners' Cup	1	2	0	1	1	2	5	–3
Total	1	2	0	1	1	2	5	–3

Players

First team squad

^[4]

Out on loan

Club Officials

Board of directors

Role	Name
Owner	Baia Mare Municipality
President	Iustin Balaj
Director of Football	Ovidiu Mic
Sporting director	Cosmin Butuza
Youth Center Manager	Paul Juhász
Organizer of Competitions	Cosmin Filip
Press Officer	Daniel Pop
Media	Daniel Zoicaș
Team Manager	Florin Achim

Current technical staff

Role	Name
Manager	Ciprian Danciu
Goalkeeping coach	Alin Bota
Fitness coach	Ciprian Duruș
Club Doctor	Carmen Neagu-Morariu
Masseur	Bogdan Șomcutean
Storeman	Robert Blasz

Statistics — Domestic Leagues

Up to and including the end of 2009–10 season

League and Cup History
Season	League	Position	Cupa României
1927 - 1928	Campionat Regional
1928 - 1929	Campionat Regional
1929 - 1930	Campionat Regional
1930 - 1931	Campionat Regional
1931 - 1932	Campionat Regional
1932 - 1933	Campionat Regional
1933 - 1934	Campionat Regional	1 (C, P)	17.05.1934 Sferturi
1934 - 1935	Divizia B	2	07.04.1935 Optimi
1935 - 1936	Divizia B	2	05.04.1936 Optimi
1936 - 1937	Divizia B	1 (C, P)	Șaisprezecimi
1937 - 1938	Divizia A	5	30.03.1938 Optimi
1938 - 1939	Divizia A	5	02.04.1939 Sferturi
1939 - 1940	Divizia A	6	02.04.1939 Sferturi
1940 - 1941	Divizia A Exclusă	Ungaria
1941 - 1942	Liga II Ungaria	Ungaria
1942 - 1943	Liga II Ungaria	Ungaria
1943 - 1944	Liga II Ungaria	Ungaria
1944 - 1945	Liga II Ungaria	Ungaria
1945 - 1946	Liga II Ungaria	Ungaria
1946 - 1947	Divizia B	România
1947 - 1948	Divizia B

^[5] ^[6] ^[7]

League and Cup History

Season	Tier	League	Pos.	Cupa României	Europe
	3	Liga III (Seria X)	7th
	2		align=center bgcolor=#FFCCCC	18th (R)
	3	Liga III (Seria X)	align=center bgcolor=gold	1st (C, P)
2020–21	3	Liga III	align=center bgcolor=gold	1st (C)
2019–20	3	Liga III	align=center bgcolor=silver	2nd
2018–19	3	Liga III	align=center bgcolor=bronze	3rd
2017–18	4	Liga IV (MM)	align=center bgcolor=gold	1st (C, P)
2016–17	-	-	align=center	-
2015–16	2	Liga II	align=center	6th	Round of 16
2014–15	3	Liga III	align=center bgcolor=gold	1st (C, P)
2013–14	3	Liga III	align=center	6th
2012–13	4	Liga IV (MM)	align=center bgcolor=gold	1st (C, P)
2011–12	-	-	align=center	-
2010–11	-	-	align=center	-
2009–10	2	Liga II	align=center	8th
2008–09	3	Liga III	align=center bgcolor=gold	1st (C, P)
2007–08	3	Liga III	align=center bgcolor=bronze	3rd	Round of 32
2006–07	2	Liga II	align=center bgcolor=FFCCCC	16th (R)
2005–06	3	Divizia C	align=center bgcolor=gold	1st (C, P)
2004–05	3	Divizia C	align=center	9th
2003–04	2	Divizia B	align=center bgcolor=FFCCCC	15th (R)
2002–03	2	Divizia B	align=center	14th	Round of 16
2001–02	2	Divizia B	align=center bgcolor=silver	2nd
2000–01	2	Divizia B	align=center bgcolor=silver	2nd	Round of 16
1999–00	3	Divizia C	align=center bgcolor=gold	1st (C, P)
1998–99	2	Divizia B	align=center bgcolor=FFCCCC	17th (R)
1997–98	2	Divizia B	align=center bgcolor=bronze	3rd	Round of 32
1996–97	2	Divizia B	align=center	14th
1995–96	2	Divizia B	align=center	13th
1994–95	1	Divizia A	align=center bgcolor=FFCCCC	17th (R)	Quarter-finals
1993–94	2	Divizia B	align=center bgcolor=gold	1st (C, P)
1992–93	2	Divizia B	align=center	6th	Semi-finals
1991–92	2	Divizia B	align=center bgcolor=silver	2nd
1990–91	2	Divizia B	align=center	4th
1989–90	2	Divizia B	align=center bgcolor=bronze	3rd
1988–89	2	Divizia B	align=center	6th
1987–88	2	Divizia B	align=center	4th	Round of 16
1986–87	2	Divizia B	align=center bgcolor=silver	2nd

Season	Tier	League	Pos.	Cupa României	Europe
1985–86	2	Divizia B	align=center bgcolor=silver	2nd
1984–85	1	Divizia A	align=center bgcolor=FFCCCC	17th (R)	Quarter-finals
1983–84	1	Divizia A	align=center	15th	Round of 32
1982–83	2	Divizia B	align=center bgcolor=gold	1st (C, P)		Cup Winners' Cup
1981–82	2	Divizia B	align=center bgcolor=silver	2nd	bgcolor=silver	Final
1980–81	1	Divizia A	align=center bgcolor=FFCCCC	17th (R)	Round of 32
1979–80	1	Divizia A	align=center	4th	Round of 32
1978–79	1	Divizia A	align=center	5th	Round of 32
1977–78	2	Divizia B	align=center bgcolor=gold	1st (C, P)
1976–77	2	Divizia B	align=center bgcolor=bronze	3rd
1975–76	2	Divizia B	align=center bgcolor=bronze	3rd	Round of 16
1974–75	2	Divizia B	align=center bgcolor=bronze	3rd
1973–74	2	Divizia B	align=center	5th	Round of 16
1972–73	2	Divizia B	align=center	4th
1971–72	2	Divizia B	align=center bgcolor=silver	2nd	Round of 32
1970–71	2	Divizia B	align=center	10th
1969–70	2	Divizia B	align=center bgcolor=bronze	3rd
1968–69	2	Divizia B	align=center	13th	Round of 32
1967–68	2	Divizia B	align=center	4th	Round of 32
1966–67	2	Divizia B	align=center bgcolor=silver	2nd	Quarter-finals
1965–66	2	Divizia B	align=center bgcolor=silver	2nd	Round of 32
1964–65	1	Divizia A	align=center bgcolor=FFCCCC	13th (R)	Round of 16
1963–64	2	Divizia B	align=center bgcolor=gold	1st (C, P)	Round of 16
1962–63	2	Divizia B	align=center bgcolor=bronze	3rd	Quarter-finals
1961–62	2	Divizia B	align=center	6th	Round of 16
1960–61	2	Divizia B	align=center bgcolor=silver	2nd
1959–60	2	Divizia B	align=center bgcolor=silver	2nd
1958–59	2	Divizia B	align=center	9th	bgcolor=silver	Final
1957–58	2	Divizia B	align=center	4th
1956	3	Divizia C	align=center bgcolor=gold	1st (C, P)
1955	2	Divizia B	align=center bgcolor=FFCCCC	14th (R)	Round of 32
1954	2	Divizia B	align=center	4th
1953	2	Divizia B	align=center	13th	Round of 32
1952	2	Divizia B	align=center	6th
1951	2	Divizia B	align=center	4th
1950	2	Divizia B	align=center	6th	Round of 32
1948–49	2	Divizia B	align=center bgcolor=bronze	3rd

From Minaur Baia Mare to Romania National Football Team

Mircea Sasu ¹ (6 caps / 1 goal): 1963: vs. Denmark (1 goal); 1964: vs. Bulgaria, vs. Hungary; 1965: vs. Czechoslovakia; 1966: vs. Portugal, vs. Czechoslovakia;
¹ Mircea Sasu played an extra three games for Romania after he left FC Baia Mare and scored one goal: 1967: vs. East Germany, vs. Congo (1 goal); 1968: vs. Austria.
Alexandru Koller: (5 caps / 0 goals): 1976: vs. Iran; 1978: vs. Poland; 1979: vs. East Germany, vs. Poland, vs. USSR
Alexandru Terheş: (3 caps / 0 goals): 1978: vs. Poland; 1979: vs. East Germany; 1980: Hungary
Romulus Buia: (2 caps / 0 goals): 1991: vs. USA; 1992 vs. Mexico

Famous players

The following players who played for the club also had caps for their national team.

Necula Răducanu – 61 caps for Romania, including at 1970 FIFA World Cup. Also played for Rapid Bucharest and Steaua Bucharest.
Vasile Zavoda – 20 caps for Romania, also played for Steaua Bucharest;
Vasile Gergely – 36 caps for Romania, including at 1970 FIFA World Cup. Also played for Dinamo Bucharest and Hertha BSC Berlin;
Leontin Grozavu – 1 cap for Romania, played for Dinamo Bucharest and FC Saarbrücken.
Vasile Miriuţă – 9 caps for Hungary. Also played for Dinamo Bucharest, Ferencvárosi TC, Energie Cottbus and MSV Duisburg;
Francisc Zavoda – 8 caps for Romania, also played for Steaua Bucharest;
Mircea Sasu – 9 caps for Romania. Also played for UT Arad, Dinamo Bucharest and Fenerbahçe SK;
Zoltan Crişan – 46 caps for Romania. Also played for Universitatea Craiova;
Ioan Condruc - the captain from the golden period of Viorel Mateianu. He played also for UTA Arad when UTA won the title and defeated Feyenoord in ECC.
Lucian Balan he won the ECC, European Super Cup, and was finalist in Intercontinental Cup final.
Alexandru Koller – 5 caps for Romania.
Alexandru Terheş – 3 caps for Romania.
Romulus Buia – 2 caps for Romania. Also played for Germinal Ekeren, Universitatea Craiova and Dinamo Bucharest.

Famous coaches

Gyula Bíró – coached in several countries including Hungary, Germany, Romania, Poland, Spain and Mexico;
Florin Halagian – won several Liga I championships with Argeș Pitești and Dinamo București;
Ştefan Onisie – won one Liga I championship with Steaua Bucharest;
Viorel Mateianu – coached FC Baia Mare during their golden era when he invented some football techniques used today by Mircea Lucescu;
Dumitru Nicolae Nicuşor – won several Liga I championships with Dinamo Bucharest;
Ion Nunweiller – won two Liga I championships with Dinamo Bucharest;
Ioan Sdrobiş – well known for promoting youngsters in the teams he coached. He discovered Cristian Chivu amongst many others.

References

Notes and References

Web site: Evolutia denumirilor echipelor de-a lungul anilor. (r). RomanianSoccer.ro. www.romaniansoccer.ro. 20 September 2017.
News: FCM Baia Mare, abandon cu o zi înaintea startului; ACS Berceni rămâne în Ilfov. 5 August 2016. 5 August 2016.
Web site: Început de drum pentru Minerul Baia Mare. 13 July 2017. 20 September 2017.
Web site: CS Minaur pleacă la drum cu 26 de jucători în sezonul 2019–2020. 19 August 2019. CS Minaur starts the 2019–2020 season with 26 players. minaur.ro. ro. 19 August 2019.
Note: Due to the merger made in 1947 between the Phoenix Baia Mare and Minaur Baia Mare teams, the team's record belongs to the current team.
Nagybánya, FC Baia Mare - csapatok - Magyarfutball.hu
Nagybánya, FC Baia Mare (Bajnoki Mérkőzések ... - Magyarfutball.hu