After only one season, he transferred to country giants Steaua București where, safe for his first year, he was a nuclear midfield element as the team won – that season included – seven league titles and five domestic cups. He was a main player and captain of the squad that won the first European title in Romanian football's history, the 1985–86 European Cup, even though he did not play in the final against FC Barcelona, because of accumulation of yellow cards.