Fotbal Club Astra II, commonly known as Astra II PloieÃÂti (), Astra II Giurgiu, or simply as Astra II, is the reserve squad of Romanian second league side, Astra Giurgiu. The team was founded in 2013 to serve as a "launch pad" to the first team, for the young players from the club's youth center.
The history of Astra's reserve team began in 2010, when Ioan Niculae, the owner of Astra PloieÃÂti, purchased DunÃÂrea Giurgiu, a club founded in 1963 and competing in Liga II at the time. Following the acquisition, DunÃÂrea was renamed Astra II Giurgiu, becoming the reserve squad of Astra PloieÃÂti. In the summer of 2012, the club was dissolved after the owner decided to reduce expenses.
In September 2012, the first team moved from PloieÃÂti to Giurgiu and was renamed Astra Giurgiu. The relocation applied only to official matches, while the youth academy and training sessions remained in PloieÃÂti. Meanwhile, the reserve team, Astra PloieÃÂti III, competed in Liga IV â Prahova County.
During the 2012âÂÂ13 season, the reserve team established its camp in Ciorani, Prahova County, approximately 40 km from PloieÃÂti, and was renamed Astra II Ciorani through the involvement of the local municipality and businessman Ion Mihai. The team attempted to avoid relegation with the help of former top-division players who had previously played for Petrolul PloieÃÂti â LaurenÃÂiu Dumitru, Florin Pancovici, and Valentin Iordache â along with Valeriu Aristan, serving as player-coach. Later in the season, Adrian Peiu took over as head coach in April 2013, guiding the team to a 13th-place finish.
Astra II achieved promotion to Liga III at the end of the 2013âÂÂ14 season under Valeriu AristanâÂÂs leadership, after winning the Prahova County title and the promotion play-off against FC Aninoasa, the Liga IV â DâmboviÃÂa County champions. The squad for the decisive match comprised A. Catanàâ R. CatanÃÂ, I. Neagu, Iordache, Zegheru â BÃÂrÃÂgan (cpt) â Petculescu (61â ChiÃÂi), Butufei, Munteanu (83â RÃÂileanu), Petrescu (51â Aristan) â Ciobanu.
After the promotion Astra II moved to PloieÃÂti, on the Astra Stadium and started to be known as Astra II PloieÃÂti, even if in some situations media refers to the team, as Astra II Giurgiu, due to name of the mother club, Astra Giurgiu. In the Liga III Astra II finished last in the first season and relegated. After one season in the fourth league, where it finished 9th of 16, Astra II entered back in the Liga III at the start of the 2016âÂÂ17 Liga III season, taking advantage of the new rule through which the first league teams could enroll their reserve squads directly in the third tier. Further, with managers such as Constantin Schumacher, Marius MÃÂldÃÂrÃÂÃÂanu or Adrian Senin, Astra II obtained comfortable results: 10th (2016âÂÂ17) and 4th (2017âÂÂ18).
During the 2017âÂÂ18 season, Astra II had the opportunity to bring back to life the PloieÃÂti derby, against Petrolul PloieÃÂti. The matches ended with two draws, 0âÂÂ0 on Ilie OanàStadium and 2âÂÂ2 on Astra Stadium.
In 2010, when the first reserve squad was founded, it played the home matches on Marin Anastasovici Stadium in Giurgiu, Giurgiu County. From 2012 on this stadium plays its home matches the first squad of the football club, Astra Giurgiu.
In 2013, after the re-foundation, in the current format, Astra II started to play its home matches on IonuÃÂ Trandafir Stadium in Ciorani, Prahova County, with a capacity of 1,500 seats.
In 2014 after the promotion to Liga III, Astra II moved its home matches on Astra Stadium in PloieÃÂti, Prahova County, the former stadium of the mother club, Astra Giurgiu. Astra Stadium has a capacity of 9,000 seats and is still used also by the first squad for training.
In the autumn of 2018, Astra II started to play some home matches on Conpet Stadium in Strejnicu, with a capacity of 1,732 seats.