CS Păulești

CS Păulești
Full nameClubul Sportiv Păulești
Short namePăulești
Founded1959 (1959)
as Rapid GAC Găgeni
1973 (1973)
as Petrolul Păulești
1989 (1989)
as Victoria Păulești
GroundComunal
Capacity500
OwnerPăulești Commune
ChairmanVasile Vasile
ManagerFlorin Pripu
LeagueLiga III
2024–25Liga III, Seria V, 6th

Clubul Sportiv Păulești, commonly known as CS Păulești, is a Romanian football club based in Păulești, Prahova County, currently playing in Liga III, the third tier of the Romanian football league system.

History

CS Păulești was established in 1959 in Găgeni, a village belonging to the Păulești commune, under the name of Rapid GAC Găgeni and became, from the summer of 1964, Rapid Păulești playing in the Ploiești City Championship, Category II, but was disbanded in 1966.[1]

In 1973, football reappeared in Păulești, and the team was re-established under the name of Petrolul Păulești.[1] Renamed again as Rapid Păulești, the team coached by Dumitru Iancu, won the Ploiești Municipal Championship Category II (1974) and Category I (1976), promoting to the County Championship 2nd Category after finishing in 2nd place at the final tournament played against Victoria Bordeni, Avântul Tomșani, Recolta Filipeștii de Târg and Victoria Olteni, on Prahova Stadium in Ploiești.[2] However, Rapid Păulești was excluded in the first part of the 1980–81 season, which was followed by another long break in the team’s activity.[1]

The club was refounded in the summer of 1989 under the name of Victoria Păulești and, under the guidance of Valeriu Manolescu, promoted to the County Championship 2nd Category at the end of the 1989–90 season.[1]

From the summer of 1990, the club was taken over by the company Elancoop, with Gheorghe Tomescu appointed as head coach. Between 1992 and 1994, the team was self-financed and coached by Alexandru Fronea.[1]

The team was renamed Uranus, with Marcel Urlățeanu serving as head coach, and was subsequently relegated to the county’s second division. In 1997, it returned to the first county league after the series winners, Avântul Măgureni, were denied promotion because their stadium was not approved.[1]

Before the start of the 1997–98 season, the club changed its name to Petrolul Păulești and served as a development team for youth players of Petrolul Ploiești, under the management of Constantin Doru Tudorie. In the summer of 2000, the partnership with the Ploiești club ended, and the team was taken over by Dan Iancu, who at the time became the youngest president in county football.[1]

In 2008, the club was renamed Artsani Păulești, and under this name it achieved promotion at the end of the 2008–09 season. After winning the West Series of Liga B Prahova, Artsani Păulești secured a place in Liga A Prahova, the top tier of county football, led by Daniel Iancu.[1][3]

In the 2015–16 season, with Iulius Mărgărit on the bench, the club won its first county championship title and promoted to Liga III after the promotion play-off with Euromania Dumbrăveni, the winner of Liga IV – Vrancea County, 5–1 on aggregate (3–1 at Dumbrăveni and 2–0 at Păulești).[4][5]

However, for financial reasons, the club did not register for the next Liga III season and returned to Liga IV – Prahova County where, in the 2016–17 season, it finished 4th in an edition dominated by Petrolul Ploiești. Also, in the same season, it played the final of the Cupa României – county phase at the Ilie Oană Stadium, losing 0–2 against Petrolul Ploiești.[6] In the 2017–18 season, it finished as runners-up, in the 2018–19 season it ranked 10th, and in the 2019–20 season it was ranked 9th at the moment when the competition was interrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Resuming its activity starting with the 2021–22 season under the guidance of player-coach Florin Pripu, CS Păulești won once again the county title and promoted to the third league, winning the promotion play-off against Victoria Adunații-Copăceni, the winner of Liga IV – Giurgiu County, 3–2 on aggregate (0–1 at Păulești and 3–1 at Adunații-Copăceni).[7][8]

Pripu led Păulești in its first season in Liga III, when the team ranked 6th in Series V, both at the end of the regular and play-out stages, with the contribution of former top-division player Valentin Lazăr, who joined after the winter break.[9]

Following their move to Series IV, Păulești struggled throughout the 2023–24 season, finishing last both at the end of the regular and play-out stages, and were facing relegation. However, they were spared due to the withdrawal of other clubs. In the 2024–25 season, Păulești improved to finish 6th, both at the end of the regular and play-out stages.[10]

Honours

Liga IV – Prahova County

Liga V – Prahova County

  • Winners (1): 2008–09

Cupa RomânieiPrahova County

  • Winners (3): 2014–15, 2015–16, 2017–18
  • Runners-up (1): 2016–17

Players

First team squad

As of 10 September 2024

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK  ROU Narcis Nedelcu
3 DF  ROU Rareș Stancu
4 DF  ROU Marius Dumitru
5 DF  ROU Ionuț Ștefan
6 DF  ROU Robert Călin
7 MF  ROU Constantin Dumitrașcu (Vice-Captain)
8 MF  ROU Elis Popescu
9 FW  ROU Ionuț Bobea
10 MF  ROU Horia Nicolae
11 MF  ROU Alin Baciu
14 MF  ROU Andrei Cotuna
15 DF  ROU Andrei Paliu
No. Pos. Nation Player
16 MF  ROU Marian Mihai
17 MF  ROU Ionuț Pârvu
18 MF  ROU Leonard Preda
19 MF  ROU Andrei Ardeleanu
21 MF  ROU Vlăduț Stancu
22 DF  ROU Eduard Prodan
23 MF  ROU Cătălin Comnoiu
24 GK  ROU Andrei Ghersin
25 MF  NGA Ikpemwinoghena Yakubu
30 MF  ROU Robert Manghiniță (on loan from Petrolul)
34 GK  ROU Darius Paris
52 MF  BRA Romário Pires (Captain)

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
No. Pos. Nation Player

Club officials

League and cup history

References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h "Pagini memorabile din istoria fotbalului prahovean – Echipele "Văii Teleajenului": CS Păulești" [Memorable pages from the history of Prahova football - "The Teleajen valley's" teams: CS Păulești] (in Romanian). ziarulprahova.ro. 16 January 2021. Archived from the original on 6 June 2023. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
  2. ^ "Pagini memorabile din istoria fotbalului prahovean – Campionatul de fotbal al județului Prahova: Ediția 1975/1976" [Memorable pages from the history of Prahova football - Prahova County Football Championship: 1975/1976 Edition] (in Romanian). ziarulprahova.ro. 2 June 2022. Archived from the original on 19 November 2022. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
  3. ^ "Bucuria de la final de sezon" [The joy of the end of the season] (in Romanian). ziarulprahova.ro. 18 June 2009. Archived from the original on 15 March 2026. Retrieved 15 March 2026.
  4. ^ "CS Păulești, la un joc de Liga a III-a" [CS Păulești, at a game to Liga III] (in Romanian). ziarulprahova.ro. 20 June 2016. Archived from the original on 18 June 2023. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
  5. ^ "CS Păulești a promovat în Liga a III-a! Rămâne sau refuză participarea?" [CS Păulești promoted to Liga III! Remains or decline the participation?] (in Romanian). jurnalulph.ro. Archived from the original on 18 June 2023. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
  6. ^ "Event galben-albastru" [Double yellow-blue] (in Romanian). frf.ro. 8 June 2017. Archived from the original on 22 June 2023. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  7. ^ "Păuleștiul merge la baraj" [Păulești goes to the dam] (in Romanian). ziarulprahova.ro. 13 June 2022. Archived from the original on 22 June 2023. Retrieved 22 June 2023.
  8. ^ "Județul Prahova are, de-acum, trei echipe de fotbal în Liga a III-a!" [Prahova County now has three football teams in Liga III!] (in Romanian). gazetaph.ro. 25 June 2022. Archived from the original on 18 June 2023. Retrieved 18 June 2023.
  9. ^ "Unde a ajuns să joace Valentin Lazăr" [Where did Valentin Lazar end up playing?] (in Romanian). gsp.ro. 10 January 2023. Archived from the original on 1 March 2026. Retrieved 1 March 2026.
  10. ^ "În teorie, Breaza și Păulești au retrogradat!" [In theory, Breaza and Păulești were relegated!] (in Romanian). ziarulprahova.ro. 27 May 2024. Archived from the original on 1 March 2026. Retrieved 1 March 2026.