AsociaÃÂia Fotbal Club BotoÃÂani (), commonly known as FC BotoÃÂani or simply BotoÃÂani, is a Romanian professional football club based in the city of BotoÃÂani, BotoÃÂani County, that competes in the Liga I, the top tier of Romanian football.
After several predecessor clubs and years of instability for the football scene in BotoÃÂani, the club managed to materialise in 2001. In 2013, FC BotoÃÂani became the first team from its county to ever be promoted to the top tier of the Romanian league system. It recorded its first European appearance in the 2015âÂÂ16 UEFA Europa League season.
BotoÃÂÃÂnenii play in predominantly white home kits, while their away equipment is generally blue. Their home ground is the 7,782-seater BotoÃÂani Municipal Stadium.
The first traces of organised football in BotoÃÂani appear just after World War 1, when a team was established in 1919. 5 years later Venus BotoÃÂani was founded, associated with the local Jewish Maccabi sports association. Venus made its first appearance in the Romanian football pyramid in the 1937âÂÂ38 season, playing amateurishly in the Divizia C East.
Following World War II, the team underwent several name changes: Flamura RoÃÂie ("Red Flame") in 1949, Textila ("The Textile Factory") in 1957, and Unirea ("The Union") in 1963, after which it became a regular presence in Divizia C. Throughout the 1950s and 1960s these names alternated before the team eventually settled on CS BotoÃÂani in 1973. The team subsequently won the 1974âÂÂ75 Divizia C and achieved its first promotion to Divizia B, although it was immediately relegated. Throughout the rest of the 1970s, the team would oscillate between Divizia C and Divizia B.
In the summer of 1979, CS BotoÃÂani achieved its third promotion to Divizia B, and in the 1979âÂÂ80 season season, they finished third in the league, the best performance the team had ever managed. After this season, results declined, and the team occupied places near the middle and bottom of the table. After eleven consecutive seasons in Divizia B, the team was relegated. In 1993, the club dropped from Divizia C to the county leagues and was eventually dissolved.
One of Romania's greatest ever players, Nicolae Dobrin, ended his career at CS BotoÃÂani. He played for the team in the 1985âÂÂ86 season and was also the team manager.
After the post-revolutionary period of turmoil and corruption that characterised Romania throughout the 1990s, and several attempts to form a new club - Fotbal Club BotoÃÂani was founded in 2001 by two businessmen, Salavastru and SfaiÃÂer, with support from the local council, and the club started to compete in Divizia C. In the summer of 2004, the club promoted to Divizia B.
In 2005 the president of the Administration Council, Valeriu Iftime, took over the main projects of the club after the French model. Therefore, the first team played in Divizia B, the second team, formed with youngsters, played in the third league. Also, the club has a centre for children and youths who are prepared for the future of the first team.
Since the 2005âÂÂ06 season, the matches of FC BotoÃÂani were transmitted live on the radio, on "Radio AS". Until the beginning of the season, not even a radio station transmitted live. FC BotoÃÂani participated in the second division of the Romanian football for nine consecutive seasons. In the 2005âÂÂ06 season it finished on the 4th place, which was the highest position obtained until the 2012âÂÂ13 season, when FC BotoÃÂani won the series and promoted for the first time in Liga 1.
The main objective for the 2013âÂÂ14 season was to avoid relegation. At the start of the season, FC BotoÃÂani was the only first league team that had only Romanian players. FC BotoÃÂani made their debut in Liga I on 21 July 2013, in a 0âÂÂ0 draw against CFR Cluj, with eight newcomers in a top tier level of the starting eleven and played most of the match with nine-man as Ciprian Dinu received a red card in the ninth minute. The next matchday, on 26 July, saw FC BotoÃÂani netting their first Liga I victory, in a 2âÂÂ1 away win over Gaz Metan MediaÃÂ. On 25 August, FC BotoÃÂani beat 1âÂÂ0 FC Vaslui to record their first ever home win in the top tier. However, after this record, BotoÃÂani had a poor run and manager Cristian Popovici was sacked, letting the team on the 12th place, two points above relegation. Leontin Grozavu was named manager and lead the team to a tough fight to avoid relegation.
FC BotoÃÂani started the next season with two important victories against Astra Giurgiu and Dinamo BucureÃÂti, teams that fought for the championship title. At the end of the season they qualified for the first time ever in 2015âÂÂ16 season of UEFA Europa League, because several clubs failed to obtain UEFA licences. After a 4âÂÂ4 draw with Viitorul ConstanÃÂa, BotoÃÂani again finished in eighth place.
On 2 July 2015, FC BotoÃÂani made their debut in European competitions, in the first qualifying round of UEFA Europa League in a 1âÂÂ1 tie against Spartaki Tskhinvali in the first leg in BotoÃÂani. In the second leg in Georgia, FC BotoÃÂani netted their first European victory in a 3âÂÂ1 win over Spartaki Tskhinvali to advance to the next round, where they met Legia Warsaw.
After their first qualification in the championship play-offs, FC BotoÃÂani finished the 2019âÂÂ20 season on the 4th place, thus achieving their best Liga I performance and, once again, qualifying for UEFA Europa League after 5 years since their last participation. They netted a 2âÂÂ1 away victory against Kazakh side Ordabasy in the first round, before eventually being eliminated by Shkëndija of North Macedonia after a 0âÂÂ1 home loss in the second round.
FC BotoÃÂani plays its home matches at the BotoÃÂani Municipal Stadium. It is located near the centre of the city, has a capacity of 7,782 seats and is equipped with an all-weather running track.
The ultras of FC BotoÃÂani are organized under the name of Dark Hooligans, RenegaÃÂii and BT Pride.
The main rivalry of BotoÃÂani is with Foresta Suceava, but they recently developed a rivalry with Politehnica IaÃÂi.
The footballers enlisted below have had international cap(s) for their respective countries at junior and/or senior level and/or more than 50 caps for FC BotoÃÂani.