But why would I manage in Romania in FM20, you’ll ask. Because it’s fun and challenging, but that’s just the short answer.
But why would I manage in Romania in FM20, you’ll ask. Because it’s fun and challenging, but that’s just the short answer.The long one would be, well actually let’s make a short list, I heard you guys love lists. Two lists in one article, yay!
• 14 teams First League with play-off and play-out system. This makes each season more interesting as you will fight out your feuds with your fellow title contesters (or relegation tipped rivals, why not) a whopping 4 times per season. Add that you might stumble upon them in the Romanian Cup and you got yourself a flush.
• When the regular season ends, teams enter the play-off and play-out with their points halved. This makes for very interesting end of season, because even if you take an enormous lead in the regular season, you’ll find yourself in hot waters once the play-offs start, with your pesky arch-enemy which you humiliated both home and away, just a mere few points behind you.
• The Second League has a regular round-robin system with twenty teams at the start and just two automatic promotion spots (a third team goes in the promotion/relegation play-off). The best part about this is that the Second League is filled with sleeping-giants and phoenix clubs, all battling to make a comeback, but more on that later.
• If you watched the Under 21 Euros this summer, the Romanian team probably made a nice impression on you, beating England in a thrilling 4-2, destroying Croatia 4-1 and drawing France 0-0, before losing 2-4 to Germany in the semis, despite leading 2-1 at half-time. 16 players out of the squad of 23 play in the Romanian First League and many of them are tipped as potential stars in Football Manager. Guide them well and make Romania great again.
• It’s a great place to start your journeyman save. In recent years few domestic Romanian managers have made a break in more reputable leagues, but it’s up to you to change that and emulate the likes of Stefan Kovacs (European Cup winner with Ajax) or Mircea Lucescu (UEFA Cup winner with Shakhtar Donetsk), who had both started out as managers in Romania.
Lucescu won the UEFA Cup in 2009.
Ok, there are many other reasons to start a save in Romania, but let’s get to the actual list of this article.
1. FC Rapid Bucharest
Founded in 1923. 3 league titles, 13 Romanian Cups. The sleeping giant of Bucharest, a club with tremendous history. In 2006 they were playing in the UEFA Cup quarter finals against local rivals Steaua Bucharest, now they had just won promotion to the Second League, after going bankrupt in 2016. Having started out in the Fourth League, they won two back to back promotions and now are pushing for a third. With a great following from their supporters, they have the second best attendance record in the country (including teams from the First League) this season and a new stadium stadium is being built on the site of the old Giulesti, which will probably be reflected in game, also.
2. CFR Cluj
Founded in 1907. 5 league titles, 4 Romanian Cups. If you want to play with a bigger side which challenges for the title and plays continental football, then CFR Cluj should be your choice. After two back to back titles, they are the best Romanian side at the moment. This season they have knocked out Celtic Glasgow from the UEFA Champions League qualifiers but were beaten in the play-offs by Slavia Praga. This will be your challenge, taking them into the Champions League group stages and beating the Romanian record of 10 points, set by CFR in 2012-2013 when they also managed a 1-0 win at Old Trafford.
3. Universitatea Cluj
Founded in 1919. 1 Romanian Cup. We’re staying in Cluj but switching leagues for CFR’s local rival Universitatea. A club with a great history, great support and a state of the art 30.000 seater stadium, “U” is also a phoenix club, after going bankrupt in 2016, just like Rapid. They also started in the Fourth League and won back to back promotions, but last season they barely missed out on a First League spot, losing the promotion/relegation play-off against fellow Transylvanian club FC Hermannstadt. Finding themselves once again in financial trouble, getting “U” Cluj back in the First League will be a challenge even for the more experienced FM-ers.
4. CS Universitatea Craiova
Founded 1948. 4 league titles, 6 Romanian Cups. For almost 30 long years, during which the club was relegated, promoted, relegated again, then disbanded by the Romanian Football Federation and refounded again in 2013, the dream of a new national title for Craiova is closer than ever. With the biggest attendance in Romania since the inauguration of their brand new 31.000 seater stadium in 2017, and having challenged for the title in the last two seasons, Craiova can give CFR Cluj a good run for their money in FM20.
5. Viitorul Constanta
Founded in 2009. 1 league titles, 1 Romanian Cups. For well-versed FMers, Viitorul is not an unknown. One of the best youth setups in Eastern Europe, owned and managed by the legendary Gheorghe Hagi, Viitorul is the top provider of players for the Romanian national teams at all age levels. Founded only 10 years ago, their success was crowned by winning the league title in 2017. Viitorul is one of the best choices for the Youth Academy Challenge in FM20.
I could go on and on about several other Romanian clubs to play in FM 20, but then I would have written a book, not an article. So, without further ado, here some notable mentions:
Petrolul Ploiesti, UTA Arad, FC Arges (Second League sleeping giants), Farul Constanta, CSM Resita (traditional First League clubs), ASU Politehnica Timisoara (phoenix club), Dinamo Bucuresti (First League sleeping giant).
