# AFC Câmpulung Muscel

Asociația Fotbal Club Câmpulung Muscel 2022, also known as AFC Câmpulung Muscel, or just Câmpulung Muscel, is a Romanian professional football club based in Câmpulung, Argeș County, which competes in Liga II, the second tier of the Romanian football.
Founded in 1978 as CS Rucăr, the club moved to Câmpulung in 2022 and changed its name to Muscelul Câmpulung Elite following promotion from the 2021–22 season. Subsequently renamed AFC Câmpulung Muscel, the team earned promotion to Liga II for the first time in its history at the end of the 2023–24 season.

## History

AFC Câmpulung Muscel, originally founded in 1978 as CS Rucăr, spent most of its early years playing in the Argeș County Championships.
In the 2009–10 Liga IV season, under the guidance of Mihai Poștoacă and with players like Adrian Tănase, Robert Craioveanu, and Alin Lipă among others, CS Rucăr finished 2nd place, just two points behind Atletic Bradu.
The following season, with former Farul Constanța captain Alecsandru Popovici as head coach, the club won Liga IV – Argeș County, earning promotion to Liga III. Promotion was secured after a 2–1 victory in the promotion play-off against Sevișul Șelimbăr, the Liga IV – Sibiu County winner, at the Complex Sportiv Hidro in Râmnicu Vâlcea.
However, faced with financial difficulties, the club was forced to withdraw from Liga III, returning to the fourth league. In the 2011–12 season, the team finished as runners-up, just four points behind SCM Pitești.
CS Rucăr continued competing in Liga IV – Argeș County, but struggled to achieve significant results, finishing in the following positions: 5th (2012–13), 13th (2013–14), 9th (2014–15), 11th (2015–16), and 13th (2016–17). Eventually, financial issues led to a withdrawal from the fourth league.
The club spent two seasons in Liga V – Argeș County, finishing 10th in the first season. However, promotion back to fourth league was achieved after a 1st-place finish in the 2018–19 season.
In the 2019–20 season, CS Rucăr was in 6th place in Liga IV when the season was suspended in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Romania. The club did not participate in the 2020–21 short season due to the financial burden of complying 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. The club secured promotion to the third league by defeating Dunărea Calafat, Dolj County winner, 2–1 on aggregate (1–1 at Calafat and 1–0 at Rucăr). The squad included, among others, Adrian Tănase, Valentin Vălimăreanu, Flavius Cataramă, Cristian Tănase, Marian Ciorciovel, Gabriel Jenaru, Gabriel Neacșu, Georgian Jenaru, Fernando Dobre, Andrei Pătrănoiu and Ioan Marinescu.
After earning promotion to Liga III, the club was relocated to Câmpulung and renamed Muscelul Câmpulung Elite. Also, Alecsandru Popovici was appointed as the new head coach for the 2022–23 season. However, after a disappointing start, earning only four points in four matches, he was dismissed and replaced by Vasile Slăninoiu as player-coach. Slăninoiu led the team to a 9th-place finish in the first stage and 8th after the play-out round, barely avoiding relegation after being deducted three points following their withdrawal from the field in a match against Unirea Bascov.
In the 2023–24 season, the club was renamed AFC Câmpulung Muscel and appointed Costin Lazăr as the new head coach. Although the team was in 1st place after ten rounds, Lazăr was dismissed. Vasile Slăninoiu served as interim coach until January 2024, when Mircea Diaconescu took over, leading the team to finish 1st in the first stage of Series V. However, Lazăr returned in April, guiding the team to stay at the top of the table and, after the series play-off round, securing qualification for the promotion play-offs. Câmpulung Muscel earned promotion to Liga II at the end of the season, defeating Vedița Colonești 2–1 on aggregate (0–0 away and 2–1 (a.e.t.) at home) and SCM Râmnicu Vâlcea 2–1 on aggregate (2–1 away and 0–0 at home) in the promotion play-offs.
Chronology of names :
| Name | Period |
| CS Rucăr | 1978–2022 |
| Muscelul Câmpulung Elite | 2022–2023 |
| AFC Câmpulung Muscel | 2023–present |

## Ground

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. It was opened in the 1940s and was renovated, most recently in 2008.

## Honours

Liga III
* Winners (1): 2023–24
Liga IV – Argeș County
* Winners (2): 2010–11, 2021–22
* Runners-up (2): 2009–10, 2011–12
Liga V – Argeș County
* Winners (1): 2018–19

## Players
### First-team squad

    As of 24 February 2025
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 |
| 3 | DF | ROU | Mario Brumă (on loan from CSA Steaua București) |
| 4 | DF | FRA | Jean-Philippe Célestin |
| 5 | DF | ROU | Vlad Gîsă |
| 7 | MF | ROU | Luca Stancu |
| 8 | MF | ROU | Cristian Bustea |
| 9 | FW | SEN | El Hadji Diop |
| 10 | MF | ROU | Ștefan Ghiță (Captain) |
| 11 | MF | ROU | Georgian Jenaru (Vice-captain) |
| 12 | GK | ROU | Alexandru Silveanu (on loan from Argeș Pitești) |
| 16 | MF | ROU | Darius Nistor (on loan from Universitatea Cluj) |
| 17 | MF | ROU | Eduard Dănilă (on loan from Rapid București) |
| 18 | DF | ROU | Andrei Stelea |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 19 | MF | NED | Dabney dos Santos |
| 23 | MF | ROU | Darius Ciurea |
| 25 | FW | ROU | Valentin Buhăcianu (on loan from Argeș Pitești) |
| 28 | DF | ROU | Andrei Radu |
| 30 | MF | ROU | Valentin Coșereanu |
| 32 | MF | ROU | Bogdan Vasile (3rd captain) |
| 33 | GK | ROU | Rareș Bădulescu (on loan from CN Dinicu Golescu) |
| 34 | GK | ROU | Rafael Munteanu (on loan from Farul Constanța) |
| 55 | MF | ROU | Alexandru Răuță (4th captain) |
| 69 | MF | UKR | Denys Dedechko |
| 77 | MF | ROU | Raul Nistor (on loan from Universitatea Cluj) |
| 88 | MF | CMR | Jose Ntamack |

## League history

| Season | Tier | Division | Place | Notes | Cupa României |
| 2024–25 | 2 | Liga II | TBD | | Play-off round |
| 2023–24 | 3 | Liga III (Seria V) | 1st (C) | Promoted | Third round |
| 2022–23 | 3 | Liga III (Seria IV) | 7th | | |
| 2021–22 | 4 | Liga IV (AG) | 1st (C) | Promoted | |
| 2019–20 | 4 | Liga IV (AG) | 6th | Relegated | |
| 2018–19 | 5 | Liga V (AG) | 1st (C) | Promoted | |
| 2016–17 | 4 | Liga IV (AG) | 13th | Relegated | |
| Season | Tier | Division | Place |
| 2015–16 | 4 | Liga IV (AG) | 11th |
| 2014–15 | 4 | Liga IV (AG) | 9th |
| 2013–14 | 4 | Liga IV (AG) | 13th |
| 2012–13 | 4 | Liga IV (AG) | 5th |
| 2011–12 | 4 | Liga IV (AG) | 2nd |
| 2010–11 | 4 | Liga IV (AG) | 1st (C) |
| 2009–10 | 4 | Liga IV (AG) | 2nd |