CSM Unirea Alba Iulia

Clubul Sportiv Municipal Unirea Alba Iulia, commonly known as Unirea Alba Iulia (Romanian pronunciation: [uˈnire̯aˌalbaˈjuli.a]), is a Romanian professional football club based in Alba Iulia, Alba County, founded in 1924 and currently playing in the Liga III.

The team from Cetatea Marii Uniri (lit.'The Citadel of Great Union') plays in black and white, and its home ground is Cetate Stadium (lit.'Citadel'), which has a capacity of 18,000 seats. Among the club’s greatest achievements are a 6th-place finish in the Romanian top division at the end of the 2003–04 season, and reaching the semi-finals in 1990–91 and the quarter-finals in 2024–25 of the Romanian Cup.

History

Unirea Alba Iulia was founded in 1924. In the beginning the team was called Unirea Mihai Viteazul Alba Iulia. After ten years, they managed to qualify and play in the second division where they managed to obtain the 6th place.

They played in the second division until the year 1939 when they were relegated to the third league. In 1942, they returned to the second league where they played two seasons and then were relegated again. At the end of season 1946–1947 we find the team in the third league in a relegating position. From 1947 until 1970 the team plays in the regional championships, under the level of the first three leagues of Romanian professional football.

Unirea won the Alba County Championship in the 1968–69 season, but lost the promotion play-off against Electromotor Timișoara, winners of the Timiș County Championship, after a 2–2 draw at home and a 0–4 defeat away. In the 1969–70 season, Unirea claimed the Alba County Championship for the second consecutive time and secured promotion to Divizia C, after defeating Gloria Arad, the Arad County Championship winners, 2–0 at home, following a 0–1 loss away. The squad, coached by Gheorghe Tîrnoveanu, included Frîncu, Vasiu, Tőkés, Suciu, Strențan, Crăciuneac, Filip, Crișan, Bimbea, Popa, Moldovan, Doba, Baksi, Sima, and Mărgean.

After nine seasons played in the third division, they managed to promote in the second division. In the season 1979–80 the team finished in the first spot beyond the relegation line.

They played another four years in the third division, after that, they promoted in the second division where they played for two years and were relegated again, and after another two years they promoted again.

Between 1988 and 2003 seasons they played in the second league. In the 1990–91 Cupa României edition the team reached the semi-finals and in the 1993–94 Divizia B season they placed themselves on the second position at only 7 points behind the first place FC Maramureş Baia Mare, both performances being obtained under coach Cornel Țălnar.

At the end of the 2002–2003 season of Divizia B, the team, which was renamed in the `90s Apulum Alba Iulia, manages to achieve the promotion to Liga I, where it plays for the very first time in its 80-year history. The coach who led the team was Aurel Șunda assisted by Alexandru Pelici.

Having experienced players like Ovidiu Maier, Vasile Jercălău, Dan Găldeanu, Florin Cotora, they confirmed their value and managed to place themselves on the sixth place in the first league. In the next season the team will change a lot of coaches, Stelian Gherman, Alexandru Pelici, Gheorghe Mulţescu, Marcel Rusu, Alin Artimon, in the hope that the team will keep their position in the first league, but without success.

After a very weak season in the second league, the team was relegated again, this time to the third league. In the summer of 2006, the management of the club buys a place in the second league from Oltchim Râmnicu Vâlcea. The team returns to the name of Unirea Alba Iulia and finishes the 2006–2007 and 2007–2008 seasons on 4th. The club withdrew from the 2012–13 Liga II season and ceased its activity for a year. In the summer of 2014 it enrolled in the Liga V – Alba County for the 2014–15 season, after one season the club promoted in Liga IV – Alba County.

On 25 August 2016, the club accepted invitation of Romanian Football Federation to participate in the 2016–17 season of the Liga III due to the excellent results recorded in the youth championships.

Unirea appointed Valentin Sinescu as head coach for the 2021–22 campaign, which was marked by severe financial difficulties. The White and Blacks were bottom of Series IX after fifteen rounds of the regular season, and Sinescu left the club in December, leaving assistant coach Marcel Rusu in charge. Under Rusu’s guidance, the team finished the season in 9th place after the play-out stage, resulting in relegation to the fourth tier.

Despite this setback, Unirea managed to bounce back the following campaign, continuing to play in Liga III after being spared relegation due to the financial collapse of other clubs. Marcel Rusu was retained as head coach, leading the Unionists to finish 4th in the regular season and 3rd in the play-off stage of Series IX, following a fierce battle with Unirea Ungheni for a place in the promotion play-off.

On 9 August 2023, the Alba Iulia City Hall announced that the Local Council had approved the takeover and management of AFC Unirea 1924 by the Municipal Sports Club (CSM), with the team benefiting from the support of the local authorities. Stelian Gherman was subsequently named head coach for the 2023–24 season, but his tenure proved short, as he was dismissed after five rounds. Following a brief interim period under Marcel Rusu, Alexandru Pelici was appointed on 1 November. Pelici led the Unionists to a 5th-place finish after the regular and play-out stages of Series IX.

In the 2024–25 campaign, Unirea competed in Series VII, finishing 2nd, two points ahead of local rivals CSU Alba Iulia, thereby qualifying for the promotion play-offs, where it was eliminated in the first round by SCM Râmnicu Vâlcea, losing on penalty shoot-outs after a 1–0 home victory and a 0–1 away defeat. The White and Blacks also reached the Group stage of the Cupa României, finishing 2nd in Group D with a 1–0 victory over Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe, a 0–0 draw with Csíkszereda Miercurea Ciuc, and a 3–1 win against SCM Râmnicu Vâlcea, followed by a 0–1 loss to CSM Reșița in the tie-breaker for first place, before suffering a 0–3 defeat to Farul Constanța in the quarter-finals. The squad led by Alexandru Pelici included, among others, D. Roman, Bucur, Ardei, Balaur (cpt.), Vomir, Călugăr, Giosu, Fetița, Giurgiu, Agbomoniyi, Ardeiu, R. Nistor, Pintea, Vl. Stanciu, S. Ion, Istrate, Voinea, Roșu, Indrei, and D. Nistor.

Stadium

The English translation of the name of the club's stadium is Citadel (Cetate), and it has a capacity of 18,000(7,000 sitting). The stadium was opened in 1982. For the moment the stadium belongs to the municipality, all investments are done with funds provided by it. The stadium has also a mini-hotel in which the players are accommodated, and also a running track.

Honours

Domestic

Leagues

• Liga I Best finish 6th: 2003–04
• Liga II Winners (2): 2002–03, 2008–09 Runners-up (1): 1993–94
• Liga III Winners (3): 1978–79, 1983–84, 1987–88 Runners-up (1): 1981–82
• Liga IV – Alba County Winners (2): 1968–69, 1969–70
• Liga V – Alba County Winners (1): 2014–15

Cups

• Cupa României Semi-finals: 1990–91

Players

First team squad

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Club Officials

League and Cup history

Former managers

• Romania Alexandru Moldovan (1991–1992)
• Romania Aurel Șunda (2001–2003)
• Romania Aurel Șunda (2003)
• Romania Alin Artimon (2004–2005)
• Romania Alexandru Pelici (2005)
• Romania Constantin Cârstea (2006)
• Romania Mihai Zamfir (2006–2007)
• Romania George Ciorceri (2007)
• Romania Aurel Șunda (2007–2009)
• Romania Adrian Falub (2009–2010)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina Blaž Slišković (2010)
• Romania Marius Baciu (2010)
• Romania Gabriel Rotaru (2011)
• Romania Mihai Dăscălescu (2014–2017)
• Romania Valentin Sinescu (2021)
• Romania Marcel Rusu (2022–2023)
• Romania Stelian Gherman (2023)
• Romania Alexandru Pelici (2023–2025)
• Romania Dragoș Militaru (2025–)
• Romania Octavian Cojocaru
• Romania Ioan Ilie
• Romania Gheorghe Borugă
• Romania Gheorghe Mulțescu
• Romania Octavian Grigore

External links

• at romaniansccer.com