the Romanian supporters adopted Italian ultras style to support their favourite teams. The first ones were the fans from Farul Constanta in 1996 followed by the ones from Dinamo Bucharest, Steaua Bucharest, Petrolul Ploiesti and the rest of the teams in the next years. In present the Romanian ultras phenomenon is in retrogression due to tough laws against the supporters and also to the commercial football and TV stations who encourage the normal citizens to support only the “big” teams from Bucharest. Below I’ll present you an updated top of Romanian ultras scene from my point of view (you can find pictures with all the Romanian fans on the web-site
http://www.peluza.info/?cmd=arata&cat=poze by introducing the name of the team or season you wish to see):
Steaua Bucharest – was founded by the new communist regime in the fifth decade and used to represent the Army; they have a great number of fans (due to their past European performances) in Bucharest and the rest of the country (especially in medium & small cities – like Buzau with no traditional local team); from the big cities Constanta is well known as having a great number of Steaua’s supporters; in present, the supporters are in “war” with their sponsor due to latest team’s results;
Dinamo Bucharest - was founded by the new communist regime in the fifth decade and used to represent the Police; they have supporters (less than Steaua and Rapid) in all over the country (especially in the West side of Romania) in medium and small cities; they are considered as having a good ultras mentality (written messages almost every match and ultras choreographies at derbies); in present a part of the fans are contesting the team’s leadership;
Rapid Bucharest – this is the team of the railway workers, one of the Bucharest traditional teams (founded in 1923) but with less European performances than Steaua and Dinamo; they have a great numbers of fans in Romania (more than Dinamo but less than Steaua); in present they are contesting the owner of their club – George Copos a rich man from Bucharest;
F.C. (Politehnica) Timisoara – this is the traditional team of the second largest city from Romania; he majority of its supporters are students at Polytechnic University; also they have a great number of supporters from ethnic Serbians in the city; last year the team has lost it’s first name “Politehnica” due to a decision who came from Lausanne; due to latest European results (they played in U.E.F.A..Cup) the has a good numbers of supporters home and away;
Universitatea Craiova – also a “student’s big team” representing an entire region – 1/5 of Romania; this football team is very popular in Romania due to their European results in the ‘80’s when they were the only team standing up against Steaua & Dinamo who were representing the Communist regime; in present the supporters are fighting against the teams owner;
Also, traditional football teams as Petrolul Ploiesti (oil workers’s team), UT Arad (textile’s workers team), Universitatea Cluj (representing the student’s team, originally founded in 1919) and F.C. Arges have a high numbers of supporters in their regions with a plus for Petrolul who has a big number of fans in Bucharest (comparing with the other “provincial” teams) due to the proximity of both cities and its tradition and past European results. J All four football teams are in present in the Second League.
Teams as Farul Constanta (sailor’s team), Politehnica Iasi (student’s team), Otelul Galati (iron and steel worker’s team), F.C. Brasov are representing big cities and have strong groups of supporters but the teams don’t any notable European results ‘til now. We have also small cities with good supporters as F.C. Vaslui for example. Except Farul Constanta, the rest of the four football teams are playing in the First League.