With over a century of topflight history, there is a vast amount of information to take in when trying to rank the biggest Romanian football clubs.
The national team has only sporadically appeared at major tournaments. Romania is a football mad country, though, and their teams are generally very well-supported.
Their top clubs have produced some iconic names, including Dan Petrescu, Gheorghe Hagi, and Gheorghe Popescu.
Biggest Clubs in Romanian Football
-
FCSB
-
CFR Cluj
-
Dinamo București
-
Universitatea Craiova
-
Rapid București
Romanian clubs are often rank outsiders in the betting markets for European competitions, but that hasn’t always been the case.
Like many of Europe’s less wealthy leagues, there is a gap between the top clubs and the rest.
Here are the top five clubs in Romania, ranked from fifth to first:
5) Rapid București
Financial chaos in the late 2000s and first part of the 2010s contributed to a turbulent period in Rapid București’s history.
Criminal convictions for owner George Copos left the club in turmoil without a Liga I license – they were relegated to the second tier after intervention from the Court of Arbitration for Sport.
Eventually declaring bankruptcy, Rapid București had to rebuild from Liga V. Three straight promotions got them back to Liga II and they returned to Liga I for the 2021-22 season. Their first two seasons back in the top division have ended in top six finishes.
A pair of top-half finishes are a small part of Rapid’s history. They are three-time Romanian champions, two of which have been won in the last 30 years.
Between 1997 and 2008, they had nine top three finishes, including two of their three league titles.
Rapid were quarter-finalists in the UEFA Cup back in 2006. It’s feasible The Railwaymen climb this list in the coming years, but there was no way they could be any higher than fifth with the depths they have sunk to over the last 15 years.
4) Universitatea Craiova
Four-time Liga I champions, Universitatea Craiova reached the quarter-finals of the European Cup in 1982-83 and went a round further in the UEFA Cup in the following season.
With no league titles since 1991, this selection is about what the club has achieved in the past. They have also been competitive in the second half of the 2010s and the first part of the 2020s, with a string of top four finishes.
Six wins in the Cupa României, including two since 2017, reflect a club capable of going toe-to-toe with the nation’s strongest teams.
Legal battles have unfortunately been a part of Universitatea Craiova’s history since the club was reformed in 2013.
Disputes about whether this is iteration carries the honours won in previous decades will rumble on for years to come, but we are crediting the Craiova with those past glories.
However you recognise the club, there’s no denying their role in the story of Romanian football.
3) Dinamo București
The last 10 years or so have been brutal for Dinamo București. The second-most successful club in Romania has been poorly run, leading to dire financial situations and bans from European competition.
Inevitably, the off-field issues bled onto the field. Despite initially remaining competitive despite the chaos at boardroom level, the club suffered relegation to Liga II but made it back to Liga I via the playoff after one season.
Having previously made semi-finals of the European Cup and the Cup Winners’ Cup, Dinamo București is a household name in Romania.
The club is recognised around Europe, even if their appearances in continental competition have been infrequent in the 21st century.
2) CFR Cluj
Cluj have come into their own in the 21st century, becoming a well-known around Europe since online live betting has been available. All eight of their league titles have been won since 2007, with five of those coming since 2017.
A win against Manchester United at Old Trafford in 2012 contributed to Cluj setting a Romanian record of 10 points in the Champions League group stage.
They were narrowly knocked out of the Conference League by Lazio in 2022-23 and reached round of 32 of the Europa League in 2019-20.
Where Dinamo, Rapid, and Craiova are established forces in Romanian football, Cluj are making their own history.
They have been the dominant force domestically over the last decade and have maintained on-field success despite financial woes.
1) FCSB
With the most league titles, the most Romanian Cups, and as the only Romanian team to win a continental competition, there was no debate over top spot.
FCSB, often referred to as FC Steaua București, were the first club from Eastern European to win the European Cup.
They are by far the most successful Romanian team ever, with 27 league titles, 24 cup wins, and numerous deep runs in continental competition.
Notably, they are one of few Eastern European teams to reach a major UEFA semi-final in the 21st century.
*Credit for the photos in this article belongs to Adobe*
