Radio Romania International Sports club
Romanian Cup in football, its past and its present
Eugen Nasta, 30.10.2024, 13:45
Romanian Cup in football’s group phase kick-started on Tuesday. As part of the 2024-2025 edition, Romania’s best teams will thus prove their mettle in the Cup’s group phase. These teams in the previous season competed in the Superleague’s Group 2.
On Tuesday, Petrolul Ploieşti grabbed a 3-nil away win against third-tier team Agricola Borcea, in Group B’s debut match. In Group C in Iasi, the local side Poli drew against UTA Arad, 1-all. Second-tier team FC Arges in Mioveni drew against CFR Cluj, also 1-all. The other matches of the first round as part of the group phase will be played on Wednesday and Thursday.
Romanian Cup’s groups system has been implemented fairly recently, starting with the Cup’s 2022 edition. Until then, it was a direct eliminatory competition in all its phases. At the moment, the competition begins with the county phase, where taking the start can be all clubs and sports associations registered with the Romanian Federation and all football associations, irrespective of the echelons they are part of.
The regional phase follows, with 42 teams that emerged as winners at county level and with 7 teams being eliminated. They advance to the first round, alongside the 69 teams that in the previous year competed in the 3rd League. Along the way, the group phase included, entering the competition will also be teams of the upper leagues.
Romanian Cup in football has been taking place since 1933. The first team to have won the cup was Ripensia Timisoara. We recall that in the 1933-1934 season final, Ripensia defeated Universitatea Cluj. The match was hosted by Bucharest’s ONEF stadium, an arena that after 1948 was known as the Republic Stadium. It was later dismantled to make room for the People’s House, today’s Parliament Palace.
Most editions of Romania’s Cups have been won by FCSB, former Steaua. FCSB have no less than 24 trophies on the record. FCSB also played 8 finals, where they were defeated. Two other Bucharest teams, Dinamo and Rapid, have each won the Cup 13 times.
