AFC Metalul Buzău

AFC Metalul Buzău

Full name	Asociația Fotbal Club Metalul Buzău
Nickname(s)	Buzoienii (The People from Buzău)
Short name	Metalul
Founded	1954; 70 years ago (1954) as AS Metalul Buzău
Ground	Metalul
Capacity	1,573
Owner	Buzău County Council Mircea Benga
Chairman	Gheorghe Guiu
Manager	Valentin Stan
League	Liga III
2022–23	Liga III, Seria II, 1st
Website	Club website
Home colours Away colours

AFC Metalul Buzău, commonly known as Metalul Buzău, is a Romanian professional football club based in Buzău, Romania, founded in 1954. Currently the team plays in Liga III.

History

AFC Metalul Buzău was founded in 1954 as AS Metalul Buzău and was set up by the trade union of IUT Buzău. From the first season to the 1966 season, the team evolved into the county championship and in autumn of 66, the city of Buzău returned with a team in Divizia C, this team was Metalul.

In 1971, through a reorganization of the football from Buzău, Gloria Buzău was formed and taking a part of Metalul's players and the place in Divizia C, Gloria succeeded in the 1971–72 Divizia C season to occupy the 1st place in the series and after a play-off match at Ploiești to promote in Divizia B.

At the insistence of the workers from the IUT factory, in 1982 the football team was re-established. At that time Steaua Săhăteni, a small team from Buzău County played in Divizia C. Buzoienii merged with the team from Săhăteni and took its place in Liga III.

In 1996, following the association with CORD Buzău, Metalul became Metalcord Buzău. The last edition in which the team from Buzău evolved in the Liga III under this name was 2005–06 Divizia C season.

In the summer of 2007, the club returned to its former name AS Metalul Buzău and participated annually in the Buzău County Championship, the equivalent of the Liga IV in the Romanian football system.

The team was taken over in 2013 by the company Revicom Oil, changing its name in AFC Metalul Buzău.^[1]

At the end of 2016–17 Metalul won Liga IV – Buzău County and the promotion play-off match against CS Amara, the Ialomița County champion, 9–2 on aggregate and promoted back to Liga III after 10 years of absence.^[2]

In the 2019–20 season, Metalul achieved the club's best performance in Cupa României when reached Round of 16, after winning against Avântul Zărnești (3–0 by FA decision; 2nd Round), Gloria Buzău (3-2 after pen.; 3rd Round), CSM Focșani (1–0 a.e.t.; 4th Round), FK Miercurea Ciuc (1–0; Round of 32) and losing to Politehnica Iași (0–3; Round of 16).

Stadium

The club plays its home matches on Metalul Stadium from Buzău.

Rivalries

Although it is the oldest active football club in the Buzău County, Metalul has always lived in the shadow of Gloria Buzău, thus becoming their rivals.

Honours

Liga III

• Winners (2): 2022–23, 2023–24

Liga IV – Buzău County

• Winners (5): 1981–82, 1989–90, 2002–03, 2004–05, 2016–17
• Runners-up (1): 2015–16

Ploiești Regional Championship

• Winners (1): 1965–66

Players

First team squad

As of 15 February 2024

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

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK  ROU Costel Toader 3 DF  ROU Daniel Mihai (Captain) 4 DF  ROU Alberto Olaru 5 DF  ROU Ion Spătaru 6 DF  ROU Paulian Banu 8 MF  ROU Dan Stan 9 FW  ROU Ionuț Pelivan-Lefter (on loan from Farul) 10 MF  ROU Marius Tudorică 11 FW  ROU Sabin Moldovan 18 FW  ROU Bogdan Ion 19 DF  ROU Ștefan Păun 21 MF  ROU Alexandru Oancea

No. Pos. Nation Player 22 GK  ROU Alberto Câșlariu 23 DF  ROU Marian Manea 25 GK  ROU Iulian Dinu 30 MF  ROU Ștefan Moraru (on loan from FCSB) 33 DF  ROU Bogdan Panaite 70 FW  ROU Alin Manea 77 MF  ROU Eduard Rusu (on loan from CS Dinamo) 98 MF  ROU Saim Tudor 99 FW  ROU Claudiu Borțoneanu — DF  ROU Daniel Corniciuc — DF  CMR Karime Makongo

Out on loan

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

Club officials

Board of directors Role Name Owners Buzău County Council Mircea Benga President Valentin Stan Vice-President Gheorghe Guiu Accountant George Pașoi Sporting Lawyer Cosmin Bărbieru Administrative Lawyer Antoaneta Mereacre Delegate Gheorghe Guiu Press Officer Bogdan Ormuz Stadium Administrator Dumitru Marin

Current technical staff Role Name Manager Valentin Stan Assistant manager Mircea Ștefan Assistant manager Patrick Benga Goalkeeping coach Ștefan Leu Video Analyst Dan Păun Metalul II manager Antonio Stoian U19 coach Mircea Ștefan U17 coach Antonio Stoian U15 coach Antonio Stoian U13 coach Valentin Liscănoiu U11 coach Valentin Liscănoiu

League history

References

External links

• Official website
• AFC Metalul Buzău on Facebook