The Long Shadow Over FCU Craiova

Identity in Exile: The Long Shadow Over FCU Craiova

CRAIOVA – Once a powerhouse of Romanian football, the entity known as FCU 1948 Craiova finds itself at a historic crossroads. As of February 2026, the club is grappling with a dual crisis: a plummet to the depths of Liga III and a legal battle for its soul that continues to go against them in the halls of justice.

The Brand Battle: A House Divided

The “Identity Dispute” remains the most painful chapter for the club’s supporters. For years, the Romanian courts have been the arena for a civil war over the palmares (the official record of titles and trophies) of the historic Universitatea Craiova.

• The Verdict: Recent rulings have increasingly favored the local rivals, CS Universitatea Craiova (the team currently competing in the Superliga). These decisions effectively stripped FCU of the right to claim the legendary trophies of the 1970s and 80s—including the “Craiova Maxima” era.

• The Consequence: To the legal eye, FCU is a “new” entity formed in 2017, while the historical continuity is officially tied to the club backed by the local municipality. This has left FCU fans in a state of “identity exile,” supporting a club that legally owns none of the history they grew up celebrating.

Ownership and Operations: Mititelu’s Shrinking Empire

Adrian Mititelu, the club’s long-time and polarizing owner, remains at the helm, but the FCU of 2026 is a shadow of its former self.

“We have a plan. We are at the mercy of the Federation now,” Mititelu recently stated following the club’s administrative relegation.

The financial reality of the club has shifted dramatically:

• Administrative Relegation: After being denied a Liga II license for the 2025–26 season, the club was forced into Liga III.

• Scaled-Back Ambitions: The days of multi-million euro squads are gone. The current first-team roster consists almost entirely of domestic youngsters, with the club acting more as a development academy than a title contender.

• Asset Liquidation: The sale of Vladislav Blănuță to Dynamo Kyiv in 2025 for €2 million provided a vital financial lifeline, but it also signaled the end of the club’s ability to compete with Romania’s elite.

What Lies Ahead?

The club is currently mired in a desperate legal fight to overturn its Liga II exclusion for the upcoming 2026–27 season. However, with court dates stretching into the spring and the team struggling to find wins even in the third tier, the path back to relevance looks steeper than ever.

For the “Blue and White” faithful of FCU, the struggle is no longer just about points on a table—it is a fight to prove they still exist in the eyes of the law.