# CS Metalurgistul Cugir

Club Sportiv Metalurgistul Cugir commonly known as Metalurgistul Cugir, is a Romanian football club based in Cugir, Alba County, currently playing in the Liga III, the third tier of the Romanian football.
Metalurgistul Cugir was founded in 1939 and played twenty-six seasons in the second tier of Romanian football, along with two seasons in the Heroes' Cup, a competition that replaced Divizia B during the World War II period.

## History

The team was founded in 1939 with the support of the management of the Cugir Metallurgical Plant, under the name Asociația Sportivă Metalurgistul Cugir (ASM Cugir).
Romania's entry into World War II suspended sports competitions. However, during the war, the Romanian Football Federation organized the War Championship and the Heroes Cup. The 1942–43 season of the Heroes Cup – a competition that replaced the second division between 1942 and 1944 – was organized into three series based on geographical criteria. The "Uzinele Metalurgice Cugir" team, guided by player-coach Grațian Sepi – a former Romania national football team player with 14 goals in 23 appearances – dominated the strong Serie II, consisting of ten teams, finishing with a three-point lead over Jiul Petroșani. In the promotion play-off against UA Brașov, the winner of Series III, "Cugirenii" won the first match played in Cugir 5–0, and a week later in Brașov, the match ended in a 1–1 draw. In the end, UM Cugir missed promotion to the War Championship – the first division at that time – losing to UD Reșița, the winner of Series I, after a spectacular two-legged tie (5–3 and 0–5).
After the end of World War II, UM Cugir competed in the 1946–47 season of Divizia C, finishing 8th out of 10 in Series X, and reached the Round of 32 of the Cupa României in the 1947–48 season, being eliminated by CFR Timișoara, 1–4. The team also participated in the 1948–49 season of the third division, this time under the name Metalul Cugir. By the time Divizia C was shut down in February 1949, the team was in last place out of 14 in Series I.
In the 1961–62 season, AS Cugir won the Hunedoara Regional Championship title and was subsequently promoted to Divizia B after finishing 1st in Series III of the promotion play-off held in Mediaș. Among those who were part of the team led by player-coach Iosif Petschovschi were goalkeeper Rusu and field players Niculescu, Sadi, Dumitru Dinea, Munteanu, Tîrnoveanu, Dumitru, Focșa, Bulbucan, Boitoș, Petschovschi II and Mihai.
In Divizia B, the team was coached by Colea Vâlcov for the following two seasons, finishing 6th in Series III in 1962–63 and 5th in Series II in 1963–64, after the second division was reduced to two series in 1963.

## Honours

* Liga III
** Winners (3): 1981–82, 1989–90, 2020–21
** Runners-up (6): 1985–86, 1988–89, 2003–04, 2014–15, 2016–17, 2021–22
* Liga IV – Alba County
** Winners (1): 2012–13
** Runners-up (1): 2011–12
* Liga V – Alba County
** Winners (1): 2009–10
** Runners-up (1): 2008–09

## 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 | Rareș Bârlădeanu |
| 2 | DF | ROU | Denis Cunțan |
| 4 | DF | ROU | Vlăduț Popa |
| 7 | DF | POR | Vitinha (Vice-Captain) |
| 8 | DF | ROU | Sebastian Itu |
| 9 | FW | ROU | Florin Bura |
| 10 | MF | ROU | Paul Păcurar |
| 11 | MF | ROU | Tudor Șaucă (Captain) |
| 12 | GK | ROU | Cristian Perjeriu |
| 16 | DF | ROU | George Tăban |
| 18 | MF | ROU | Philip Mahone |
| 20 | DF | ROU | Alin Șuteu |
| 23 | MF | ROU | Gheorghe Haprianu |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 25 | FW | ROU | George Goronea |
| 27 | DF | ROU | Alexandru Király |
| 28 | DF | ROU | Lucian Itu |
| 33 | GK | ROU | Nicușor Bănică |
| 64 | MF | ROU | Andrei Onaci |
| 73 | FW | ROU | Marcel Domșa |
| 77 | MF | ROU | Cristian Cocan |
| 81 | FW | ROU | Marian Codrea |
| 88 | DF | ROU | Mihai Udrea |
| 91 | MF | ROU | Alessandro Barbu |
| 97 | MF | ROU | Raul Chițimia |
| 98 | MF | ROU | Mihai Păcurar |
| 99 | GK | ROU | Ianis Herlea |

### 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 |

## Former players

* Vasile Chiroiu
* Alexandru Moldovan
* Iosif Petschovschi
* Grațian Sepi
* Constantin Zamfir

## Former managers

* Rudolf Kotormány (1954–1956)
* Iosif Petschovschi (1961–1962)
* Colea Vâlcov (1962–1964)
* Gheorghe Bărbulescu (1964)
* Gheorghe Dungu (1965–1966)
* Ștefan Onisie (1979–1981)
* Ion Barbu (1982–1983)
* Călin Moldovan (2015–2019)
* Lucian Itu (2019–)
* Ladislau Băcuț

## League history

| Season | Tier | Division | Place | Notes | Cupa României |
| 2024–25 | 3 | Liga III (Seria VII) | TBD | | |
| 2023–24 | 3 | Liga III (Seria IX) | 7th | | |
| 2022–23 | 3 | Liga III (Seria IX) | 4th | | |
| 2021–22 | 3 | Liga III (Seria IX) | 2nd | | |
| 2020–21 | 3 | Liga III (Seria IX) | 1st (C) | | |
| 2019–20 | 3 | Liga III (Seria V) | 4th | | |
| 2018–19 | 3 | Liga III (Seria IV) | 5th | | |
| 2017–18 | 3 | Liga III (Seria V) | 4th | | |
| 2016–17 | 3 | Liga III (Seria V) | 2nd | | Round of 32 |
| 2015–16 | 3 | Liga III (Seria IV) | 3rd | | |
| 2014–15 | 3 | Liga III (Seria V) | 2nd | | |
| 2013–14 | 3 | Liga III (Seria V) | 3rd | | |
| 2012–13 | 4 | Liga IV (AB) | 1st (C) | Promoted | |
| 2011–12 | 4 | Liga IV (AB) | 2nd | | |
| 2010–11 | 4 | Liga IV (AB) | 3rd | | |
| 2009–10 | 5 | Liga V (AB) | 1st (C) | Promoted | |
| 2008–09 | 5 | Liga V (AB) | 2nd | | |
| Season | Tier | Division | Place | Notes | Cupa României |
| 2003–04 | 3 | Divizia C (Seria VII) | 2nd | Disbanded | |
| 2002–03 | 3 | Divizia C (Seria VI) | 7th | | |
| 2001–02 | 3 | Divizia C (Seria VI) | 7th | | |
| 2000–01 | 3 | Divizia C (Seria VI) | 12th | | |
| 1999–00 | 3 | Divizia C (Seria IV) | 14th | | |
| 1998–99 | 3 | Divizia C (Seria IV) | 17th | | |
| 1997–98 | 3 | Divizia C (Seria IV) | 14th | | |
| 1996–97 | 3 | Divizia C (Seria IV) | 11th | | |
| 1995–96 | 3 | Divizia C (Seria IV) | 14th | | |
| 1994–95 | 3 | Divizia C (Seria IV) | 7th | | Round of 16 |
| 1993–94 | 3 | Divizia C (Seria III) | 8th | | Round of 32 |
| 1992–93 | 2 | Divizia B (Seria II) | 17th (R) | Relegated | |
| 1991–92 | 2 | Divizia B (Seria II) | 11th | | |
| 1990–91 | 2 | Divizia B (Seria III) | 13th | | |
| 1989–90 | 3 | Divizia C (Seria XI) | 1st (C) | Promoted | Round of 16 |
| 1988–89 | 3 | Divizia C (Seria IX) | 2nd | | |
| 1987–88 | 3 | Divizia C (Seria X) | 5th | | |