Asociația Fotbal Club Câmpulung Muscel 2022, also known as AFC Câmpulung Muscel, or just Câmpulung Muscel, is a Romanian football club based in Câmpulung, Argeș County, , which competes in the Liga II.

AFC Câmpulung Muscel
Full nameAsociația Fotbal Club Câmpulung Muscel 2022
Nickname(s)Muscelenii
(The People from Muscel)
Short nameMuscel
Founded1978; 46 years ago (1978)
as CS Rucăr
GroundMuscelul
Capacity6,000 (3,000 seated)
OwnerCristian Ciolan
ChairmanCostin Ghiță
Head coachSorin Colceag
LeagueLiga II
2023–24Liga III, Seria V, 1st
(promoted via play-offs)

Founded in 1978 as CS Rucăr, the club was moved to Câmpulung in 2022 and changed its name to Muscelul Câmpulung Elite after the promotion from 2021–22 season.[1]

One of the most important Romanian players in the recent years, Dan Nistor has played at the beginning of his career at the club when the club was named AS Rucăr.

History

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Name Period
CS Rucăr 1978–2022
Muscelul Câmpulung Elite 2022–2023
AFC Câmpulung Muscel 2023–present

AFC Câmpulung Muscel was founded in 1978 as CS Rucăr and played mostly in the amateur leagues.

In the 2009–10 Liga IV season, guided by Mihai Poștoacă and with players like Adrian Tănase, Robert Craioveanu, Alin Lipă among others, CS Rucăr finished in second place, 2 points behind Atletic Bradu.[2]

One season later, with the former captain of Farul Constanța, Alecsandru Popovici,[3] in the position of head coach, the team from the north of Argeș County won the Liga IV – Argeș County secured promotion to Liga III beating Sevișul Șelimbăr, the winner of Liga IV – Sibiu County, 2–1 in the promotion play-off at the Complex Sportiv Hidro in Râmnicu Vâlcea.[4][5]

Faced with financial problems, the club withdrew from Liga III and continued to play in the fourth league, finishing the 2011–12 season as runners-up, 4 points behind SCM Pitești.[6]

Rucăr continued to play in Liga IV – Argeș County, but could not get very important results; 5th (2012–13), 13th (2013–14), 9th (2014–15), 11th (2015–16) and 13th (2016–17). Rucăr were eventually withdrew from the fourth league after encountered financial problems.

Followed two seasons in the North Series of Liga VArgeș County; after 10th-finish in the first season, the club managed to promoted back to the fourth league, finishing 1st in the 2018–19 season.[7]

In the 2019–20 Liga IV season, Rucăr were 6th in league table when the season was suspended in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Romania. The team did not participate in the 2020–21 short season, due to the medical expenses needed to comply with the medical protocol imposed by the Romanian Football Federation.

Rucăr started the 2021–22 season with Bogdan Simion as head coach, but replaced him for the second part of the season with Valentin Cocoș, who led the club finish 1st, one point ahead of Inter Câmpulung and managed to promoted to third league beating Dunărea Calafat, Dolj County champions, 2–1 on aggregate (1–1 at Calafat and 1–0 at Rucăr). The squad was composed amongst others of Adrian Tănase, Valentin Vălimăreanu, Flavius Cataramă, Cristian Tănase, Marian Ciorciovel, Gabriel Jenaru, Gabriel Neacșu, Georgian Jenaru, Fernando Dobre, Andrei Pătrănoiu and Ioan Marinescu.[8][9][10]

After the promotion in Liga III, the club was moved to Câmpulung and was renamed Muscelul Câmpulung Elite. Also, Alecsandru Popovici was appointed as the new head coach of the club.[1][11]

In 2023, the club was renamed again, this time as AFC Câmpulung Muscel 2022.[12]

Ground

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AFC Câmpulung Muscel plays its home matches at Muscelul Stadium, a multi-use stadium in Câmpulung. The stadium is also used by ARO Muscelul Câmpulung. It holds 6,000 people, of which 3,000 are on seats.[13]It was opened in the 1940s and was renovated, most recently in 2008.

Honours

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Liga III

Liga IV – Argeș County

Liga VArgeș County

  • Winners (1): 2018–19

Players

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First-team squad

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As of 12 November 2024[14]

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 Marin Voicu (3rd captain)
2 DF   ROU Robert Stănici
3 DF   ROU Andrei Radu
5 DF   ROU Vlad Gîsă
6 DF   ROU Marian Sanda
7 MF   ROU Luca Stancu
8 MF   ROU Ștefan Coman (on loan from FCSB)
9 MF   ROU Gabriel Torje
10 MF   ROU Ștefan Ghiță (Captain)
11 MF   ROU Georgian Jenaru (Vice-captain)
12 GK   ROU Sergiu Bălănică
16 MF   ROU Radu Cacior
17 FW   GHA Pancras Papi
18 DF   ROU Andrei Stelea
19 MF   ROU Mario Mitoi
20 FW   ROU Antonio Niță
21 MF   ROU Luca Florică
No. Pos. Nation Player
22 FW   ROU Robert Dumitrescu
23 MF   ROU Darius Ciurea
24 MF   CMR Erick Alima
25 FW   ROU Alexandru Popescu
30 DF   ROU Ștefan Farcaș (on loan from Oțelul Galați)
32 MF   ROU Bogdan Vasile (4th captain)
34 GK   ROU Cristian Bălgrădean
37 FW   ROU Daniel Popescu (on loan from FCSB)
77 MF   ROU Robert Ene
88 MF   CMR Jose Ntamack
99 FW   ROU Ianis Oprișan (on loan from Rapid București)
GK   ROU Rareș Bădulescu
DF   ROU Mario Brumă (on loan from CSA Steaua București)
MF   ROU Aleksandru Longher
MF   NGA Peter Maapia (on loan from Dinamo București)
MF   NGA Sanusi Hussaini (on loan from Dinamo București)

Club officials

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League history

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References

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  1. ^ a b "Două cluburi din Liga 3 și-au schimbat denumirea, unul chiar și sediul social. Câmpulung va avea echipă la nivel național, în timp ce Coloneștiul a trecut de la privat la public!" [Two clubs in League 3 have changed their name, one even changed its registered office. Câmpulung will have a team at the national level, while Colonești has gone from private to public!]. liga2.prosport.ro. 8 August 2022. Archived from the original on 28 January 2024. Retrieved 28 January 2024.(in Romanian)
  2. ^ "Nume grele la CS Rucăr" [Heavy names at CS Rucăr]. liga2.prosport.ro. 29 August 2009. Archived from the original on 28 January 2024. Retrieved 28 January 2024.(in Romanian)
  3. ^ "Alexandru Popovici e noul antrenor al CS Rucăr" [Alexandru Popovici is the new coach of CS Rucăr]. liga2.prosport.ro. 10 July 2010. Archived from the original on 28 January 2024. Retrieved 28 January 2024.(in Romanian)
  4. ^ "CS Rucăr e noua campioană a Argeșului!" [CS Rucăr is the new champion of Argeș!]. liga2.prosport.ro. 7 June 2011. Archived from the original on 31 December 2019. Retrieved 28 January 2024.(in Romanian)
  5. ^ "Sevișul Șelimbăr a pierdut barajul pentru promovarea în liga 3" [Sevișul Șelimbăr lost the dam for promotion to league 3]. oradesibiu.ro. 15 June 2011. Archived from the original on 28 January 2024. Retrieved 28 January 2024.(in Romanian)
  6. ^ "CS Rucăr a renunțat la Liga 3" [CS Rucăr quit at League 3]. liga2.prosport.ro. 19 July 2011. Archived from the original on 28 January 2024. Retrieved 28 January 2024.(in Romanian)
  7. ^ "Este oficial! CS Rucăr va evolua în Liga a patra" [It's official! CS Rucăr will play in the fourth League]. evenimentulmuscelean.ro. 8 August 2019. Archived from the original on 4 February 2020. Retrieved 2 February 2024.(in Romanian)
  8. ^ "CS Rucăr, campioana județului Argeș" [CS Rucăr, Argeș county champion]. evenimentulmuscelean.ro. 14 June 2022. Archived from the original on 3 February 2024. Retrieved 3 February 2024.(in Romanian)
  9. ^ "Baraj Liga 3 / Dunărea Calafat – CS Rucăr, 1-1, în meciul tur" [Dam League 3 / Dunărea Calafat – CS Rucăr, 1-1, in the round match]. gds.ro. 19 June 2022. Archived from the original on 3 February 2024. Retrieved 3 February 2024.(in Romanian)
  10. ^ "CS Rucăr se impune cu 1-0 în fața Dunării Calafat și promovează în cel de-al treilea eșalon fotbalistic al țării" [CS Rucăr wins 1-0 against Dunărea Calafat and promotes to the third football echelon of the country]. arges-sport.ro. 26 June 2022. Archived from the original on 3 February 2024. Retrieved 3 February 2024.(in Romanian)
  11. ^ "Alecsandru Popovici s-a întors în fotbalul muscelean. Alături de "Sendy" a venit și Gică Butoiu, cel mai bun produs al fotbalului muscelean din toate timpurile" [Alecsandru Popovici is back in Muscel football. Along with "Sendy" came Gică Butoiu, the best product of Muscel football of all time]. informatiademuscel.ro. 18 August 2022. Archived from the original on 26 June 2024. Retrieved 26 June 2024.(in Romanian)
  12. ^ "ACS Muscelul Câmpulung Elite începe noul sezon de Liga 3 cu altă denumire. Cele trei echipe din Argeș prezente în campionat, dintre care două din Câmpulung, puse de FRF să joace în trei serii!" [ACS Muscelul Câmpulung Elite starts the new Liga 3 season with a different name. The three teams from Argeș present in the championship, of which two from Câmpulung, put by the FRF to play in three series!]. liga2.prosport.ro. 25 August 2023. Archived from the original on 28 January 2024. Retrieved 28 January 2024.(in Romanian)
  13. ^ Stadion degradat
  14. ^ "Echipa" [Squad] (in Romanian). lpf2.ro. Retrieved 9 October 2024.
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