| Clubname: | CSM Unirea Alba Iulia |
| Fullname: | Clubul Sportiv Municipal Unirea Alba Iulia |
| Short Name: | Unirea Alba Iulia |
| Founded: | as Unirea Mihai Viteazul (refounded) |
| Ground: | Cetate |
| Capacity: | 18,000 |
| Owntitle: | Owners |
| Owner: | Alba Iulia Municipality |
| Chairman: | Mihai Dăscălescu |
| Manager: | Alexandru Pelici |
| League: | Liga III |
| Season: | 2023–24 |
| Position: | Liga III, Seria IX, 5th |
| Website: | http://www.unireafc.ro |
| Pattern La1: | _kappapaderno1b |
| Pattern B1: | _crusaders1920a |
| Pattern Ra1: | _kappapaderno1b |
| Pattern Sh1: | _kappablack |
| Shorts1: | FFFFFF |
| Socks1: | FFFFFF |
| Pattern La2: | _kappapaderno1b |
| Pattern B2: | _kappapaderno1rb |
| Pattern Ra2: | _kappapaderno1b |
| Pattern Sh2: | _kappawhite |
| Shorts2: | 000000 |
| Socks2: | FF0000 |
Clubul Sportiv Municipal Unirea Alba Iulia, commonly known as Unirea Alba Iulia (pronounced as /ro/), is a Romanian professional football club based in Alba Iulia, Alba County, founded in 1924 and currently playing in the Liga III.
Among the greatest achievements of the team is a sixth place in the first league at the end of the 2003–04 season and a Romanian Cup semi-final played in 1991.
The team colours are black and white, and their stadium is called Cetate and has a capacity of 18,000 seats.
Unirea Alba Iulia was founded in 1924.[1] In the beginning the team was called Unirea Mihai Viteazul Alba Iulia. After ten years, they managed to qualify and play in the second league where they managed to obtain the sixth place.
They played in the second league until the year 1939 when they were relegated to the third league. In 1942, they returned to the second league where they played two seasons and then were relegated again. At the end of season 1946–1947 we find the team in the third league in a relegating position. From 1947 until 1970 the team plays in the regional championships, under the level of the first three leagues of Romanian professional football.
In 1970 the team promotes to the third league. After nine seasons played in the third league, they managed to promote in the second league. In the season 1979–1980 the team finished in the first spot beyond the relegation line.
They played another four years in the third league, after that, they promoted in the second league where they played for two years and were relegated again, and after another two years they promoted again.
Between 1988 and 2003 seasons they played in the second league. In the 1990–91 Cupa României edition the team reached the semi-finals and in the 1993–94 Divizia B season they placed themselves on the second position at only 7 points behind the first place FC Maramureş Baia Mare, both performances being obtained under coach Cornel Țălnar.[2] [3] [4] [5]
At the end of the 2002–2003 season of Divizia B, the team, which was renamed in the `90s Apulum Alba Iulia, manages to achieve the promotion to Liga I, where it plays for the very first time in its 80-year history. The coach who led the team was Aurel Șunda assisted by Alexandru Pelici.
Having experienced players like Ovidiu Maier, Vasile Jercălău, Dan Găldeanu, Florin Cotora, they confirmed their value and managed to place themselves on the sixth place in the first league. In the next season the team will change a lot of coaches, Stelian Gherman, Alexandru Pelici, Gheorghe Mulţescu, Marcel Rusu, Alin Artimon, in the hope that the team will keep their position in the first league, but without success.
After a very weak season in the second league, the team was relegated again, this time to the third league. In the summer of 2006, the management of the club buys a place in the second league from Oltchim Râmnicu Vâlcea. The team returns to the name of Unirea Alba Iulia and finishes the 2006–2007 and 2007–2008 seasons on 4th.
The club withdrew from the 2012–13 Liga II season and ceased its activity for a year. In the summer of 2014 it enrolled in the Liga V – Alba County for the 2014–15 season, after one season the club promoted in Liga IV – Alba County.
| Name[6] | Period | |
| Unirea Mihai Viteazu | 1924–1970 | |
| Unirea Alba Iulia | 1970–1996 | |
| Apulum Alba Iulia | 1996–2005 | |
| Unirea Alba Iulia | 2005–present |
In the summer of 2022, after being mathematically relegated to fourth tier but saved by the financial situation of other clubs, the White and Blacks will continue to play in Liga III for another season, this time with the support of the municipality. The Alba Iulia City Hall announced that in the Local Council on 9 August 2023, it was decided that AFC Unirea 1924 would be taken over and managed by the Clubul Sportiv Municipal.[7]
The English translation of the name of the club's stadium is Citadel (Cetate), and it has a capacity of 18,000(7,000 sitting). The stadium was opened in 1982. For the moment the stadium belongs to the municipality, all investments are done with funds provided by it. The stadium has also a mini-hotel in which the players are accommodated, and also a running track.
}
| Role | Name | |
|---|---|---|
| Owners | Alba Iulia Municipality | |
| President | Mihai Dăscălescu | |
| Sporting Director | Raul Oargă | |
| Delegate | Ioan Vlad |
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Manager | Alexandru Pelici |
| Assistant Coaches | Mircea Oprea Marcel Rusu |
| Goalkeeping Coach | Petre Clep |
| Fitness Coach | Bogdan Ungureanu |
See also: Romanian football league system.
| Season | Tier | Division | Place | Notes | Cupa României | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3 | Liga III (Seria VII) | TBD | Group stage | |||
| 3 | Liga III (Seria IX) | 5th | ||||
| 3 | Liga III (Seria IX) | align=center bgcolor=#BF8D5B | 3rd | |||
| 3 | Liga III (Seria IX) | 9th | ||||
| 3 | Liga III (Seria IX) | 7th | ||||
| 3 | Liga III (Seria V) | 12th | ||||
| 3 | Liga III (Seria IV) | 12th | Round of 32 | |||
| 3 | Liga III (Seria V) | 6th | ||||
| 3 | Liga III (Seria IV) | 11th | ||||
| 4 | Liga IV (AB) | 8th | ||||
| 2 | Liga II (Seria II) | align=center bgcolor=#FFCCCC | 13th | Relegated | ||
| 2 | Liga II (Seria II) | 9th | ||||
| 2 | Liga II (Seria II) | 11th | ||||
| 1 | align=center bgcolor=#FFCCCC | 18th | Relegated | Round of 32 | ||
| 2 | Liga II (Seria II) | align=center bgcolor=gold | 1st (C) | Promoted | ||
| 2 | Liga II (Seria II) | 4th | ||||
| 2 | Liga II (Seria II) | 4th | Round of 16 |
| Season | Tier | Division | Place | Notes | Cupa României | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Divizia B (Seria III) | 13th | |||||
| 1 | align=center bgcolor=#FFCCCC | 14th | Relegated | Round of 32 | |||
| 1 | Divizia A | 6th | Quarter-finals | ||||
| 2 | Divizia B (Seria II) | align=center bgcolor=gold | 1st (C) | Promoted | |||
| 2 | Divizia B (Seria II) | 7th | |||||
| 2 | Divizia B (Seria II) | 9th | |||||
| 2 | Divizia B (Seria II) | 7th | |||||
| 2 | Divizia B (Seria II) | 14th | |||||
| 2 | Divizia B (Seria II) | 14th | Round of 16 | ||||
| 2 | Divizia B (Seria II) | 16th | |||||
| 2 | Divizia B (Seria II) | 15th | |||||
| 2 | Divizia B (Seria II) | 6th | |||||
| 2 | Divizia B (Seria II) | align=center bgcolor=silver | 2nd | ||||
| 2 | Divizia B (Seria II) | 9th | |||||
| 2 | Divizia B (Seria II) | 7th | Round of 16 | ||||
| 2 | Divizia B (Seria III) | 7th | Semi-finals | ||||
| 2 | Divizia B (Seria II) | align=center bgcolor=#BF8D5B | 3rd | Round of 32 |
Alexandru Moldovan (1991–1992)