AsociaÃÂia Clubul Sportiv Supporter Club OÃÂelul GalaÃÂi (), commonly known as OÃÂelul GalaÃÂi or simply as OÃÂelul, is a Romanian football club based in the city of GalaÃÂi, GalaÃÂi County, which competes in the Liga I, the top tier of Romanian football.
Founded in 1964 as the team of the GalaÃÂi steel works, OÃÂelul spent the first two decades of its existence in the lower leagues. It reached the Liga I for the first time in 1986, and has since amassed 27 seasons in the competition. OÃÂelul won the league title in the 2010âÂÂ11 campaign, becoming the first and only Romanian champion from the region of Moldavia to date; this triumph was followed by winning the 2011 Supercupa României. In the Cupa României, OÃÂelul's best result is reaching the final twice, in 2004 and 2024.
Internationally, the team's best performances are qualifying for the group stages of the 2011âÂÂ12 UEFA Champions League and being one of the eleven co-winners of the 2007 UEFA Intertoto Cup. OÃÂelul's team colours are red, white and blue, and they play at the namesake Stadionul OÃÂelul.
Football spread to Romania shortly before 1900, first appearing in the cities of Arad and Bucharest. It arrived in GalaÃÂi about 10 years later, through foreign trade companies and offices in the city, as well as the efforts of one Officer Vladovici, a career soldier who studied in France and brought football game regulations and equipment to GalaÃÂi. The first games took place , when Vladovici's team from the 3rd Artillery Regiment played groups of English sailors stationed in the harbour. A year later, the Cavalry Regiment of GalaÃÂi established a second team in the city. This led to the organisation of several football matches, and the press highlighted the fact that matches were also possible with the sailors from British naval ships present in the Port of GalaÃÂi. The students of Vasile Alecsandri High School (LVA) formed a team in 1919. A year later, emigrants from Turkey, Greece and Armenia set up the teams of Olimpia and Niki, consisting largely of players coming from Italy, Greece and Turkey, where football was much more developed as a sport. An exhibition match took place on 7 May 1921, in which Triumf BucureÃÂti defeated InternaÃÂionala GalaÃÂi 2âÂÂ1. In the same year, the team of HMS Ladybird defeated InternaÃÂionala GalaÃÂi 6âÂÂ2. Though there were too few teams for organised competitions, inter-city matches intensified with BrÃÂila, Tulcea, and Reni. There were also regular matches with local teams InternaÃÂionala, Niki, Olimpia, à Âoimii Dacia, Atlas and LVA, as well as military teams.
In 1922, Dacia Soimii and LVA merged to found Dacia Vasile Alecsandri GalaÃÂi (DVA). DVA gained great popularity and for two decades was one of the best football clubs in southern Moldavia and eastern Muntenia. Other new teams established in this era include Maccabi, Aviaà £ia, à Âcoala ComercialÃÂ, Sportul, and Baza NavalÃÂ.
The new teams and increasing popularity allowed different competitions to emerge, and championships took place at the town and district level. Club structures grew with teams of seniors, reserves, youths and children. The Greek bourgeoisie teams of Ermis, Acropolis, and Foresta were created.
In 1926, the first district championship took place. There were ten teams from GalaÃÂi (including the neighbourhood teams à Âoimii and Gloria), two from Reni (Maccabi and DunÃÂrea) and one team representing Tulcea. The competition was a commercial success with DVA the first champions. In the next round DVA defeated Concordia IaÃÂi 6âÂÂ1 and advanced to a final tournament for the national trophy. Ten teams took part, among them Chinezul TimiÃÂoara, Unirea Tricolor BucureÃÂti, ColÃÂea BraÃÂov and AMEFA Arad. Lacking experience at this level of competition, DVA lost to Brasov 1âÂÂ7.
Because at that time military teams were in fashion, Captain SlÃÂtineanu transferred from Braà Âov the team of Fulgerul. However, due to financial difficulties, Fulgerul had a short life. 1920s regulations did not allow the team to participate in the district championships. Instead, it took part in a series of international matches and competitions. This allowed the new GalaÃÂi team to gain experience playing the powerful teams MTK Budapest, Vasas, ÃÂjpest, OFK Beograd, à ½AK Subotica and Rapid Wien. These matches were played with the ticket office closed.
In the late 1920s, economic hardships led to the dissolution of most of the 20 clubs in GalaÃÂi. At one time only three clubs took part in the district championship: DVA, Gloria, and ÃÂoimii. In 1927, these latter two clubs, which had been founded as neighbourhood teams in GalaÃÂi, merged as Gloria à Âoimii. In 1932, at the initiative of the railroad workers, Gloria à Âoimii and CFR GalaÃÂi (the GalaÃÂi railway football club) merged as Gloria CFR GalaÃÂi.
Gloria CFR immediately joined the Lower Danube District Championship, alongside teams already experienced in official competitions such as: DVA, Ermis, Marina Danubianàand Unirea Tulcea. In the 1934âÂÂ35 season, Gloria CFR were crowned champions of the Lower Danube District, and immediately promoted to Divizia C. A year later Gloria CFR were promoted to Divizia B. This promotion was possible after three promotion play-offs against Telefon Club BucureÃÂti, but also due to the Romanian Football Federation, which recognised the value of the team. In the 1937âÂÂ38 season, Gloria CFR, "the Railroad Workers", had a spectacular performance of 16 wins, a draw and a single defeat, and were promoted to Divizia A. In 1937, the club Metalosport GalaÃÂi was formed in the city and had important results in the second and third leagues.
The championship schedule was interrupted by World War II and did not restart until 1946. GalaÃÂi was then represented by Gloria CFR in Divizia B, while Metalosport, à Âantierul Naval and FC Arsenal were in the Divizia C. In the early 1950s, DVA was dissolved due to financial problems, and Gloria CFR was relegated to Divizia C. The club Dinamo GalaÃÂi (later renamed Siderurgistul GalaÃÂi) was formed in 1955 and came very close to promotion to the country's top league in 1961 and 1962. Constructorul GalaÃÂi was founded in 1950, and reached the Cupa României final in 1973. Siderurgistul was promoted in 1963 and was the best team in GalaÃÂi until the mid-1960s.
In 1964, following the reorganisation of football in GalaÃÂi, the club OÃÂelul was formed to represent the newly established GalaÃÂi steel works. After three seasons in the County Championship, OÃÂelul was promoted to Divizia C at the end of the 1966âÂÂ67. The next year, they were promoted to Divizia B. The 1968 promotion was a close contest with Gloria Bârlad; both teams ended the season with 35 points, but OÃÂelul had a +23 goal differential to Gloria's +21. OÃÂelul's 1968 promotion squad included: à ÂerbÃÂnoiu, Berechet, Rusu, FloreaâÂÂBoeru, Coman, SecÃÂà Âeanu, Luban, Halmagy, Moà Âneagu, Cernega, Bruà Âtiuc, Niculescu, Morohai, Leca, Ion IonicÃÂ, Ailoaiei, Obreja, Câmpeanu, DrÃÂghiescu and Ogescu; with coaches Gh. DrÃÂghiescu and Pompiliu Ionescu.
The rise of OÃÂelul led to the decline of Siderurgistul, which had been the city's primary team and had played the 1963 Cupa României final. In 1967, Siderurgistul gave up its place in the second league to Politehnica GalaÃÂi and disappeared from Romanian football. After two seasons in the second league, in which OÃÂelul finished in 9th place in 1969 and 1970, there was another reorganisation of local football. Oà £elul changed its name to FC GalaÃÂi and later to FCM GalaÃÂi, essentially forming a new club, known later mainly as DunÃÂrea GalaÃÂi. Between 1974 and 1980, this team played three seasons in Divizia A. Meanwhile, some of the players of the former OÃÂelul transferred to Divizia C club Dacia GalaÃÂi, which in 1972 revived the name OÃÂelul.
OÃÂelul had not completely lost its identity after this manoeuvre, and in the 1973âÂÂ74 season returned to the second league, finishing 7th. The team finished the 1974âÂÂ75 season in 17th place with only 24 points, and was relegated to Divizia C, then disbanded. In 1976, the management of the steel industry decided to re-establish OÃÂelul, joining Divizia D, and climbing to Divizia C and B. From 1976 to 1977 to 1980âÂÂ81, their rankings were: 1st (Divizia D); 11th, 10th, 9th, and 1st (Divizia C). The 1980âÂÂ81 squad of OÃÂelul included: ÃÂerbÃÂnoiu, CÃÂlugÃÂru, Cucu, BorÃÂ, CÃÂstÃÂian, Morohai, Ceacu, Ciurea, PÃÂtraÃÂcu, Pavel, Gheorghiu, Adamache, Ion IonicÃÂ, Basalîc, Ticu, Potorac, and PodeÃÂ; with coach Petru MoÃÂoc.
The progress and growth of OÃÂelul was more difficult than that of traditional Romanian football clubs, due to the 1970 dissolution of the club in favour of DunÃÂrea GalaÃÂi, the 1972 reformation of Dacia GalaÃÂi, and the 1975 refounding. In 1980, immediately after the promotion of the team to the second league, a political decision of GalaÃÂi County gave OÃÂelul's place in Divizia B to Victoria Tecuci; some of the OÃÂelul players switched to the team from Tecuci, and others signed with Divizia C side Metalosport GalaÃÂi, owned by the Cristea Nicolae factory. However, in the summer of 1982, there was a turnabout when Metalosport was sacrificed for OÃÂelul, allowing OÃÂelul to reach for prominence after years of being held back.
OÃÂelul took advantage of this political decision, finishing third in the 1982âÂÂ83 season, eighth in 1983âÂÂ84, and third in 1984âÂÂ85 behind Petrolul PloieÃÂti and local rival DunÃÂrea GalaÃÂi. OÃÂelul finished the 1984âÂÂ85 season with a 24âÂÂ4âÂÂ6 record, 86 goals scored against 29 conceded, and were promoted to Divizia A. The squad that obtained that performance included: CÃÂlugÃÂru, Ionel Dinu, Gh. Stamate, Oprea, Ciobanu, Popescu, Stoica, Radu, Ciurea, Burcea, Smadu, Marius Stan, A. Stamate, Petrescu, Basalic, Rusu, Claudiu VaiÃÂcovici, Antohi, Bejenaru, Dumitru, Rotaru, Lala, Anghelinei, C. Stan, and Ralea; with coaches Constantin RÃÂdulescu and Ioan Sdrobià Â.
In its first year in the top stage of Romanian football in 1986âÂÂ87, Oà £elul finished in 11th place. The next year, they finished in 4th place and qualified for the 1988âÂÂ89 UEFA Cup season. In their first European Cup match, in front of 30,000 supporters, OÃÂelul upset Italian side Juventus 1âÂÂ0, the goal scored by Ion Profir from the penalty spot. The squad that played against Juventus in the first European match of the club included: CÃÂlugÃÂru â G. Popescu, Anghelinei, Agiu, Borali (Adrian Oprea) â Nae Burcea, Marius Stan, I. Profir, Oct. Popescu â Ralea (DrÃÂgoi), Puiu Antohi. For Juventus: Stefano Tacconi, Nicolò Napoli, Alessandro Altobelli, Rui Barros and Michael Laudrup, with coaches Dino Zoff and Cornel Dinu. The team lost the second leg match to Juventus in Turin, 5âÂÂ0, and were eliminated from the European Cup.
At the end of the 1988âÂÂ1989 regular season, Oà £elul was relegated. The club finished third in Divizia B in 1989âÂÂ90, and lost out on promotion to rival Progresul BrÃÂila. In the 1990âÂÂ91 season, under the management of Marius Stan and Mihai Stoica, the club was promoted to Divizia A; OÃÂelul finished six points ahead of second-place Gloria BuzÃÂu. "The Steelworkers" remained in the top division until 2015.
Following OÃÂelul's 1991 promotion, the club finished in the middle of the league: 8th in 1991âÂÂ92 and 10th in 1992âÂÂ93. The club participated in the 1991âÂÂ92 Balkans Cup and lost in the final against Turkish side Sarñyer, 0âÂÂ1 on aggregate. OÃÂelul barely escaped relegation in the 1993âÂÂ94 season, finishing one point above the relegation line. The coach was replaced with Vasile SimionaÃÂ, former star of Politehnica IaÃÂi, and after two seasons finished at 13th place. At the end of the 1995âÂÂ96 season, the club lost star players Radu CaÃÂuba and Valentin à Âtefan, but maintained a foundation moving forward with players such as: Iulian Arhire, Stelian Bordieanu, Gheorghe Bosânceanu, Gheorghe Cornea, Daniel Florea, Sorin Haraga, Gigi Ion, Viorel Ion, Costin MaleÃÂ, DÃÂnuàOprea, Tudorel Pelin, Emil Spirea, Adrian State, Viorel TÃÂnase and CÃÂtÃÂlin Tofan.
The 1996âÂÂ97 season brought total football to OÃÂelul Stadium. Led by squad captain Valentin à Âtefan and Viorel Ion, OÃÂelul finished the season in 4th place. During the season, OÃÂelul beat league-leader Dinamo BucureÃÂti 3âÂÂ1. They also defeated Rapid BucureÃÂti in a 4âÂÂ3 win at GiuleÃÂti Stadium, which was an historic victory for the club. Then came an unexpected 5âÂÂ1 victory against FC U Craiova, which pushed OÃÂelul to 2nd place in the table. With a 3âÂÂ1 victory at FC NaÃÂional (Romania's runners-up at the end of the season), OÃÂelul were only 3 points behind the leader. Winning the final match 3âÂÂ0 against Sportul StudenÃÂesc, OÃÂelul finished 4th in the league, matching their previous best finish. Vasile Simionaàwas named Romanian coach of the year, and Viorel Ion and Valentin à Âtefan were named to the Romanian national team.
Simionaàremained as coach in GalaÃÂi for two more seasons, with the team finishing 4th place in 1997âÂÂ98 and 6th in 1998âÂÂ99. Highlights of this period include 14 goals scored by Valentin ÃÂtefan as a defensive midfielder in 1997âÂÂ98; a 7âÂÂ0 win against Jiul PetroÃÂani in which Maleàscored OÃÂelul's 400th goal in the first league; and dramatic victories against Rapid BucureÃÂti (1âÂÂ0) and Progresul BucureÃÂti (3âÂÂ2).
After finishing in 4th place in 1997, OÃÂelul competed in the UEFA Cup for the second time. They played in the first qualifying round against Slovenian side HIT Gorica. OÃÂelul lost the first leg in Slovenia, 0âÂÂ2. In the second match, OÃÂelul led 4âÂÂ0 in GalaÃÂi, but Gorica scored twice at 88 and 90 minutes, with goals from Nenad Protega and Enes DemiroviÃÂ. The clubs were tied 4âÂÂ4 on aggregate, but Gorica advanced by virtue of away goals. OÃÂelul qualified again for the 1998âÂÂ99 UEFA Cup, and beat Macedonian side Sloga Jugomagnat 4âÂÂ1 on aggregate, advancing to the second round. OÃÂelul lost to Vejle Boldklub of Denmark in the second round, 0âÂÂ6 on aggregate.
In this period, the club earned the nicknames Cimitirul Granzilor () and Campioana Provinciei ("The Provincial Champion"). The squad was also called GeneraÃÂia de Aur ("The Golden Generation"), although they were later overshadowed by the 2010âÂÂ11 team. This generation could be considered one of the OÃÂelul's three best teams, along with the 1988 and 2011 squads. Simionaàwas fired in 1999 after a conflict with sporting manager Mihai Stoica.
After Simionaàwas fired, Dumitru Dumitriu became the new coach. OÃÂelul fell to 8th place at the end of the 1999âÂÂ2000 season. They dropped to 12th place in 2000âÂÂ2001, but then rose to 5th place in 2001-2002, with Victor RoÃÂca and then Marius LÃÂcÃÂtuàas coach.
This oscillation continued in 2002âÂÂ03, as OÃÂelul finished in 13th place and faced a relegation play-off against FC Oradea. In the first leg at GalaÃÂi, the Steelworkers won 2âÂÂ1, with goals scored by Gheorghe Cornea and Mihai GuriÃÂÃÂ. In the second leg at Oradea, OÃÂelul lost 1âÂÂ3. Bogdan VrÃÂjitoarea scored a hat-trick for the hosts, while Viorel TÃÂnase scored for OÃÂelul. OÃÂelul lost 3âÂÂ4 on aggregate and were facing relegation. However, top division clubs Astra PloieÃÂti and Petrolul PloieÃÂti merged after the season, leaving a vacant place in the league table for OÃÂelul.
The club was then bought by Nicolai Boghici, a businessman from GalaÃÂi. OÃÂelul had a strong 2003âÂÂ04 Divizia A season under coach Sorin CârÃÂu, finishing in 5th place. That year, they also made the club's first appearance in the Cupa României Final, where they lost 0âÂÂ2 to Dinamo BucureÃÂti. Immediately after this final, it was discovered that the association holding the club had debts of over 15 billion Romanian leu (ROL).
OÃÂelul earned a spot in the 2004âÂÂ05 UEFA Cup qualifying rounds. OÃÂelul beat Dinamo Tirana in the first round, 8âÂÂ1 on aggregate, but lost in the second round, 0âÂÂ1 on aggregate against Partizan.
In the 2004âÂÂ05 Divizia A season OÃÂelul finished 8th. Marius Stan was appointed as the club's president starting in the 2005âÂÂ06 season. The team struggled early in the season and was rebuilt, with coach Aurel à Âunda replaced by Petre Grigoraà  and 18 new players brought to the team. The changes turned the team's season around, beginning with a 3âÂÂ0 victory against Dinamo, and OÃÂelul finished in 9th place. In the Romanian Cup, Oà £elul was eliminated in the quarterfinals in penalty shoot-outs against FC NaÃÂional.
In the 2006âÂÂ07 season OÃÂelul finished 5th in the standings. At the end of this season, prominent player Viorel TÃÂnase retired, scoring a goal in his last match. Thanks to good positioning in the league table, the team qualified for the UEFA Intertoto Cup. In the Romanian Cup, OÃÂelul was once again eliminated in penalties, this time by Steaua BucureÃÂti.
The first match of the 2007âÂÂ08 season was in the UEFA Intertoto Cup, where OÃÂelul met Slavija Sarajevo (3rd place in the Premier League of Bosnia and Herzegovina). The first leg at Koà ¡evo Stadium ended 0âÂÂ0. The second leg was played in GalaÃÂi, and was an unexpected 3âÂÂ0 win for OÃÂelul, with goals by Emil Jula (at 31 and 42 minutes) and Gabriel Paraschiv (70 min). In the next round, OÃÂelul faced well-known Turkish side Trabzonspor (4th place in the Süper Lig). Oà £elul won the first match in GalaÃÂi 2âÂÂ1 in front of 5,000 spectators. Daniel Stan opened the scoring for Oà £elul (28 min), and Ersen Martin tied it for Trabzonspor (83 min). The winner was scored by Oà £elul's Gabriel Paraschiv (87 min). The second match was played at Hüseyin Avni Aker Stadium before more than 20,000 spectators. The Turkish side opened the scoring with a goal from 15 metres by Ceyhun Erià  (8 min). János Székely tied the matched for Oà £elul five minutes later. Tadas Labukas connected with Emil Jula for a second Oà £elul goal (77 min). Jula added a third goal for the Romanian side from the penalty spot in the 88th minute, and Oà £elul qualified for the preliminary round of the UEFA Cup. In the UEFA Cup, OÃÂelul faced Lokomotiv Sofia (3rd place in the Bulgarian First League). The first leg was played at Balgarska Armia Stadium in Sofia, and Oà £elul lost 1âÂÂ3. The second leg finished 0âÂÂ0, eliminating Oà £elul from the competition.
In Liga I, Oà £elul finished at 8th place. Emil Jula had the second-most goals in the league with 17. For these feats head coach Petre Grigoraàwas called cel mai tare din oraà("the best of the city").
Problems arose in the 2008âÂÂ09 season. OÃÂelul finished 12th, and the club was close to bankruptcy. Petre Grigoraà  left the following season and was replaced by Dorinel Munteanu. In the 2009âÂÂ10 season, OÃÂelul finished in 8th place.
OÃÂelul achieved its best performance in the 2010âÂÂ11 season, winning the first league, defeating main rival FC Timià Âoara in a match that decided the title. Two months later, the club won the Supercupa României in a 1âÂÂ0 victory over Steaua BucureÃÂti. The squad which won included: goalkeepers Branko Grahovac, Cristian BrÃÂneà £, and Gabriel Abraham; defenders Cornel RâpÃÂ, Samoel Cojoc, Cristian Sîrghi, Milan Perendija, Sergiu Costin, Enes à  ipoviÃÂ, Constantin MiÃÂelÃÂricu, Adrian Salageanu, and Silviu Ilie; midfielders IonuàNeagu, Gabriel Giurgiu, Ioan Filip, Ciprian Milea, Liviu Antal, Laurenà £iu Iorga, Laurenà £iu Petean, John Ibeh, Gabriel Viglianti, RÃÂzvan Ochiroà Âii, Laurenà £iu Buà Â, and Gabriel Paraschiv; and forwards Marius Pena, Bratislav Punoà ¡evac and Róbert Elek; with coach Dorinel Munteanu.
In the 2011âÂÂ12 season OÃÂelul finished in 6th place, and also played in the UEFA Champions League group stage for the first time. Their Champions League group featured Manchester United, Benfica and FC Basel. It was a huge moment for the club to play against top European teams, but OÃÂelul lost all six matches: 2âÂÂ3 and 0âÂÂ1 against Basel; 1âÂÂ2 and 0âÂÂ1 against Benfica; and 0âÂÂ2 in both matches against Manchester United.
After two fantastic seasons, OÃÂelul faced difficulty as the club's shareholders wanted the money the club had received for Champions League participation.
In the 2012âÂÂ13 season, Marius Stan left to become mayor of GalaÃÂi, and Dan Adamescu became the new owner of the club. OÃÂelul lost Dorinel Munteanu as coach. Viorel TÃÂnase, a star player who had retired in 2007, was named as his replacement. TÃÂnase managed to finish the first part of the season outside the relegation zone, but during the winter break was replaced with Petre Grigoraà Â. OÃÂelul finished 11th with 43 points. In the Romanian Cup, they reached the semi-finals, where they were eliminated by Petrolul, the winner of the competition.
On 10 July 2013, despite the 22 million earned from its participation in the Champions League the previous season, OÃÂelul went into insolvency.
Grigoraà  left the club at the end of the 2013âÂÂ14 season, and Ionuà £ Badea was hired for the new season. Poor results led to Badea's resignation and the arrival of Ewald Lienen, a German coach trained in the Bundesliga. He managed to finish the season with OÃÂelul in 10th place. After this season, Lienen and almost all of the players left due to financial mismanagement. The 2014âÂÂ15 season brought huge changes at OÃÂelul. Team owner Dan Adamescu was arrested in a case of bribery, and a lack of financing made transfers difficult. Among the coaches brought in and subsequently fired were: Michael WeiÃÂ, Tibor Selymes and Florin Marin. Additionally, Liga I reorganised so the bottom six teams in the table were relegated instead of just four. OÃÂelul finished 17th and was relegated to Liga II after 23 consecutive seasons in the top flight of the Romanian football. OÃÂelul played 27 seasons in Liga I, holding 16th place in the Liga I All-time table. OÃÂelul is the second-best Moldovan team in this ranking, surpassed only by FCM BacÃÂu, but it is the only Moldovan side to win a national title.
The next season in Liga II was painful one for many of OÃÂelul's fans. The team had to play many games with their youth squad, and finished last in the second league. Relegation was followed by the club's bankruptcy, declared on 1 April 2016 by the Bucharest Tribunal. Less than 5 years after winning the first champion title, the club had suddenly disappeared.
The fall of OÃÂelul gave rise to many concerns in the Romanian media. In 2016, Marius Stan accused Adamescu for the devaluation of the club: In 2017, Adamescu's son, Alexander Adamescu, accused Stan of defective management and that the club was his piggybank:
After the dissolution of the club, OÃÂelul supporters immediately founded a new association, called AsociaÃÂia Supporter Club OÃÂelul GalaÃÂi, and registered it to compete in Liga IV. On 19 July 2016, ASC OÃÂelul GalaÃÂi was officially born with the objective of continuing the tradition of OÃÂelul in GalaÃÂi.
ASC OÃÂelul GalaÃÂi was considered the spiritual successor of the old club because it wore the same colours, it played in the same stadium and was supported by the same fans. The new entity, didn't own the brand and league record of the old club, which had been bought at auction for 10,000. However, the winner of the auction did not pay the bid which became void. With the aid of a law firm, ASC OÃÂelul gained possession of the record and brand and became the official successor of the club on 12 September 2017.
At the end of its first season, OÃÂelul won Liga IV â GalaÃÂi County and defeated the champions of IaÃÂi County, Unirea MirceÃÂti, in a play-off to win promotion to the Liga III. Under coach Stelian Bordeianu, a former player of the club, OÃÂelul won 30 of its 32 matches in all competitions, setting a record for Romanian football.
Former OÃÂelul coach Dorinel Munteanu returned at the beginning of the 2021âÂÂ22 season and helped secure promotion after five years in Liga III. OÃÂelul dominated both the regular season and the playoffs, finishing first in Liga III Seria 2, nine points clear of 2nd-place FocÃÂani. In the playoff semifinal, OÃÂelul got past Foresta Suceava with a 1âÂÂ0 victory in Suceava, and a 2âÂÂ0 win in Galaá¹Âi. The first leg of the final, played in BotoÃÂani against Dante BotoÃÂani, ended in a 1âÂÂ1 tie. The decisive match was played in GalaÃÂi, in front of a crowd of 13,000 spectators on Stadionul OÃÂelul. George Cârjan, Alin Nica and Denis Cires scored in a 3âÂÂ0 win for OÃÂelul that propelled the steelworkers into Liga II.
OÃÂelul with Dorinel Munteanu at the helm, took this momentum well into the 2022âÂÂ23 season, in Liga II. Although newly promoted at this level, the GalaÃÂi team proved to be a real contender as the regular season went on. They finished 3rd in the regular season and qualified for the promotion playoffs. The steelworkers managed to keep their form during the play-off and before the final day, were still 3rd, behind Poli Iasi and Steaua Bucuresti. On the last day, OÃÂelul got the win they needed against Unirea Dej (1-0 RÃÂzvan Gorovei), in front of a packed OÃÂelul stadium. The 3rd spot finish, coupled with Steaua's (2nd) legal limitations, sealed a historic comeback to the elite for the steelworkers, 8 years after their previous Liga I match.
The first season back in the elite was 2023âÂÂ24. During this season, OÃÂelul with the same Dorinel Munteanu as head coach managed to prove wrong most of the certain relegation pre-season predictions. OÃÂelul finished the regular Liga I season 11th out of 16. In the relegation playout phase, results were even better, granting a 2nd-place finish in the playout, 8th in the final general Liga I table. This position also enabled the team to qualify for the UEFA Conference League playoffs semifinals which they lost against U Cluj. In the Romanian Cup, OÃÂelul stunned most pundits with a run to the final, eliminating better tipped teams on the way like Universitatea Craiova or U Cluj. The final, against Liga II participant Corvinul Hunedoara was a surprise in the negative sense for OÃÂelul, losing on penalties after a hard-fought 2âÂÂ2 after extra time in Sibiu. 3500 supporters made the long trip from GalaÃÂi to Sibiu, the full number of tickets available to them.
The youth academy of OÃÂelul GalaÃÂi developed young players including: Iulian Arhire, Florin Cernat, Romulus Chihaia, Daniel Florea, Silviu Ilie, LaurenÃÂiu Iorga, George Miron, IonuàNeagu, DÃÂnuàOprea, Cornel RâpÃÂ, Viorel TÃÂnase, CÃÂtÃÂlin Tofan, or Alexandru Tudorie. Their local rival is the DunÃÂrea GalaÃÂi football academy, from which many important footballers developed.
OÃÂelul II GalaÃÂi was a Romanian professional football club that functioned as the reserve team for OÃÂelul. Founded in 2007, the team competed in the Liga III, the third tier of the Romanian football league system. OÃÂelul II disbanded in early 2015 due to financial difficulties. Following the team's closure, most players signed for local Liga III club Metalosport. During their brief existence, OÃÂelul II's best league finish was a second-place position achieved in the 2008âÂÂ09 Liga III season.
Former managers include Viorel TÃÂnase (2008âÂÂ2009), Dan Dobai, Ion Basalîc, Constantin Schumacher and Daniel Florea (both 2013).
The club plays its home matches at Stadionul OÃÂelul in GalaÃÂi. OÃÂelul has also used other local venues, such as Stadionul Nicolae Rainea, Stadionul Siderurgistul, and Baza SportivÃÂ Zoltan David, but only for short periods of time.
OÃÂelul has many supporters in GalaÃÂi and GalaÃÂi County, but also in the region of southern Moldavia. OÃÂelul GalaÃÂi has groups of ultras, including Steel Boys, Ultra Sud, Sidexplozia, SCOG and New Order. Regular fans that are not affiliated with any ultras groups can join the Liga Suporterilor GÃÂlÃÂà £eni 1993 (The GalaÃÂi Supporters League 1993) organisation. After the 2016 dissolution of the club, OÃÂelul fans from the aforementioned groups founded Supporter Club OÃÂelul GalaÃÂi and enrolled the team in the Liga IV; this action kept the club from disappearing, and their actions proved the attachment of the fans to the red, white and blue side.
The main rivals of OÃÂelul GalaÃÂi are Dacia Unirea BrÃÂila, who they face in a competition known as Derby-ul DunÃÂrii de Jos ("The Lower Danube Derby"). Any GalaÃÂiâÂÂBrÃÂila match is considered a derby, taking this term from a regional derby in the early years of football. Another important local rivalry is against DunÃÂrea GalaÃÂi, a club born from the break-up of OÃÂelul in the 1960s. Oà £elul fans also share a rivalry with Poli Iaà Âi supporters, following a series of clashes between the two sets of fans. A much newer rivalry is one against FC Vaslui. During periods of success, OÃÂelul has had contextual rivalries with Steaua BucureÃÂti, Dinamo BucureÃÂti and Rapid BucureÃÂti, especially in the 1990s, as well as with Politehnica TimiÃÂoara between 2010 and 2011.
The footballers enlisted below have had international cap(s) for their respective countries at junior and/or senior level and/or more than 100 caps for ASC OÃÂelul GalaÃÂi.