Oțelul Galați

Oțelul Galați was established in 1964 in connection with the city’s steelworks. Its first decades involved reorganisations and lower division football before promotion to the top flight in 1986. The Oțelul name and red, white and blue colours express an identity rooted in industry and the local community. European appearances preceded the team’s first national championship. Its greatest achievement came in 2011, when Dorinel Munteanu coached Oțelul to the Romanian league title. A Supercup victory followed, along with participation in the Champions League group stage. The older club had also reached the Romanian Cup final in 2004 without winning it and was among the Intertoto Cup winners in 2007. Financial problems eventually brought relegation and the bankruptcy of the old company in 2016. Supporters then established Asociația Supporter Club Oțelul Galați and restarted in the fourth division. The consulted account records acquisition of the brand and historical record in 2017; this transfer should be distinguished from uninterrupted legal existence. Under Munteanu, the new team returned to the top division in 2023 and reached another Romanian Cup final in 2024, losing to Corvinul. LPF lists Oțelul in the 2026–2027 Superliga. Its namesake stadium remains the central venue of the club’s home life, connecting the current organisation with several earlier generations of players and supporters.