# CSO Băicoi

Clubul Sportiv Orășenesc Băicoi, commonly known as CSO Băicoi or simply as Băicoi, is a Romanian football club based in Băicoi, Prahova County, currently competes in Liga III, the third tier of Romanian football.

## History

The first football club in Băicoi was founded in 1923, as reported by the newspaper "Ecoul Sportiv" about the first football match in Băicoi – "Sunday, 15 July 1923, a football match was played on the field of the Clubul Sportiv Băicoi, between Băicoi and Principesa Ileana Câmpina teams".
The club changed its name in 1924 to Româno-Americană Băicoi, being financially sustained by the Romanian-American Oil Company through Băicoi oil extraction scaffold, and continued the football activity in the interwar period and after the Second World War in the Prahova District and Regional Championships.
In 1948 was renamed as Sindicatul Petrolist (Petroleum Syndicate), which later became the Partizanul Sovrom Petrol (1950), Flacăra (1952), Energia (1956), and from 1957 Petrolul Băicoi.
After a constant presence in the top tier of regional football, Petrolul, even though finished in 9th place, was relegated at the end of 1960–61 season, due to the Ploiești Regional Championship was reduced to a single series of fourteen teams
in the 1963–64 season, Petrolul Băicoi won the Series II-a of Câmpina District Championship, but lost the promotion finishing 4th in the Series I at the final tournament held at Ploiești.
Petrolul, coached by Theodor Beffa, promoted to Ploiești Regional Championship at the end the 1965–66 season and played the following two seasons in the West Series of the Regional Championship ranking 4th (1966–67) and 6th (1967–68), under the leadership of Gheorghe Gavriloaie.
In the next nine seasons, Petrolul played in the new Prahova County Championship always being a top-table team, finishing twice as runners-up, in 1969–70 and 1971–72 (coach Petre Babone) seasons and three times in 3rd place, in 1970–71, 1972–73 and 1973–74 seasons.
Petrolul managed to get on the stage of Romanian football at the end of the 1976–77 season winning the County Championship and the promotion play-off against Forestierul Covasna (2–0 at home and 1–2 away), the Covasna County Championship winner. The squad led by Mihai Opatchi was composed of Paul Constantinescu, Ion Tudose – Liviu Istrate, Ion Nemeș, Ion Pop, Gabriel Simionescu, Alexandru Șerban, Adrian Șandru, Tiberiu Argăseală, Adrian Aelenei, Ion Bogaciu, Adrian Ciufu, Alexandru Bucică, Adrian Filcea, Gheorghe Despa, Sorin Corbu, Dan Grigore, Ion Niculescu, Ștefan Ocheșelu, Marin Niculescu, Ion Sima and Alexandru Stancu.
Petrolul played in the following decade in Divizia C, and the best performances achieved were 6th place in the 1977–78 and 1980–81 championship editions, being coached during this period by Mihai Opatchi, Vasile Florea, Adrian Aelenei and Gheorghe Pahonțu. Also, the club was renamed as Petrolul FSH Băicoi in 1984, as F.E.H.S Băicoi (Fabrica de Echipamente Hidraulice și Scule – lit. 'Factory of Hydraulic Equipment and Tools') started to financially support the team.
In the summer of 1989, F.E.H.S withdraw the financial support offered to and Petrolul enter in decline, relegating at the end of the 1989–90 season after finishing last in its series and continued to play for the next seventeen years on the first stage of the Prahova County Championship.
In the 2006–07 season, The Oilmen suffered another relegation after finished in the bottom position of the league table with just four victories all season.
In the 2015–16 season, Petrolul, guided by Eugen Codreanu as player-coach, won the Liga V – Prahova County returning to fourth league after nine years of absence. But, despite a successful 2016-17 campaign in which was ranked 7th, financial problems arose, with the oil scaffold union reducing financial support and Petrolul ceded its place to CS Câmpina to enrolled in fifth league, finishing 13th in the 2017–18 season.
CSO Băicoi was founded in 2019 by the City Hall of Băicoi. They were enrolled in the first season in Superliga B Prahova, the Romanian, the fifth tier of Romanian football, where they won 1st place and promoted to Liga IV – Prahova County. In the same season, they participated in the Romanian Cup, regional phase Prahova, where they were eliminated in the round of 16.
In the 2021–22 season, the club finished in 17th place, avoiding relegation, and in the cup they were eliminated in the 1st round.
The 2022–23 season was better for the team from Băicoi, 5th place in the championship and quarterfinals in the cup.
In the 2023–24 season, the team achieves its best performance, wins Liga IV Prahova and reaches the semi-finals of the cup, and obtains the right to play the promotion play-off in League III, a play-off that it wins against the representative of Giurgiu county, FC Bolintin Malu Spart 2017 with a score of 3-3 in the first leg at Bolintin Vale and 2-1 in the second leg at Băicoi.

## Honours

* Liga IV – Prahova County
** Winners (2): 1976–77, 2023–24
** Runners-up (3): 1969–70, 1971–72, 2020–21
* Liga V – Prahova County
** Winners (2): 2015–16, 2018–19

## Players
### First team squad

    As of 10 September 2024
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 1 | GK | ROU | Cristian Toilă |
| 2 | DF | ROU | Adrian Prepeliță |
| 4 | MF | ROU | Ștefan Bunescu |
| 5 | DF | ROU | Mario Toporan |
| 6 | MF | ROU | Silviu Bineață |
| 7 | MF | ROU | Narcis Țînțaru |
| 8 | FW | ROU | Alessio Tudor |
| 9 | FW | ROU | Silviu Ariciu |
| 10 | FW | ROU | Dănuț Iancu (Captain) |
| 11 | MF | ROU | Florinel Sandu |
| 12 | GK | ROU | Mihai Vanghele |
| 13 | MF | ROU | David Brăilă |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 14 | MF | ROU | Andrei Toma |
| 15 | MF | ROU | Alin Budacă |
| 16 | DF | ROU | Ștefan Ghinea |
| 17 | MF | ROU | Cristian Gavrilă |
| 19 | DF | ROU | Claudiu Stoica |
| 20 | MF | ROU | Marian Mihalcea |
| 21 | FW | ROU | Constantin Stoica |
| 23 | MF | ROU | Patrick Bărbuțan |
| 30 | MF | ROU | Ionuț Stanciu |
| 91 | MF | ROU | Alexandru Dușamanu |
| 95 | DF | ROU | Eugen Matei |
| 99 | GK | ROU | Cosmin Tudor |

### Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |

## League history

| Season | Tier | Division | Place | Notes | Cupa României |
| 2024–25 | 3 | Liga III (Seria VI) | TBD | | |
| 2023–24 | 4 | Liga IV (PH) | 1st (C) | Promoted | |
| Season | Tier | Division | Place | Notes | Cupa României |
| 2022–23 | 4 | Liga IV (PH) | 5th | | |
| 2021–22 | 4 | Liga IV (PH) | 17th | | |