AFC Metalul Buzău

Metalul Buzău
Full nameAsociația Fotbal Club Metalul Buzău
NicknamesBuzoienii
(The People from Buzău)
Short nameMetalul
Founded1954 (1954)
GroundMetalul
Capacity1,606
OwnersBuzău County Council
Mircea Benga
ChairmanGheorghe Guiu
Head coachValentin Stan
LeagueLiga II
2024–25Liga II, 10th of 22
Websitehttps://www.metalulbuzau.ro/

Asociația Fotbal Club Metalul Buzău, commonly known as Metalul Buzău, is a Romanian professional football club based in the city of Buzău, Buzău County, that competes in the Liga II.

History

Name Period
Metalul Buzău 1954–1996
Metalcord Buzău 1996–2007
Metalul Buzău 2007–present

AFC Metalul Buzău was founded in 1954 as AS Metalul Buzău and was set up by the trade union of IUT Buzău. From the first season to the 1966 season, the team evolved into the county championship and in autumn of 66, the city of Buzău returned with a team in Divizia C, this team was Metalul.

In 1971, through a reorganization of the football from Buzău, Gloria Buzău was formed and taking a part of Metalul's players and the place in Divizia C, Gloria succeeded in the 1971–72 Divizia C season to occupy the 1st place in the series and after a play-off match at Ploiești to promote in Divizia B.

At the insistence of the workers from the IUT factory, in 1982 the football team was re-established. At that time Steaua Săhăteni, a small team from Buzău County played in Divizia C. Buzoienii merged with the team from Săhăteni and took its place in Liga III.

In 1996, following the association with CORD Buzău, Metalul became Metalcord Buzău. The last edition in which the team from Buzău evolved in the Liga III under this name was 2005–06 Divizia C season.

In the summer of 2007, the club returned to its former name AS Metalul Buzău and participated annually in the Buzău County Championship, the equivalent of the Liga IV in the Romanian football system.

The team was taken over in 2013 by the company Revicom Oil, changing its name in AFC Metalul Buzău.[1]

At the end of 2016–17 Metalul won Liga IV – Buzău County and the promotion play-off match against CS Amara, the Ialomița County champion, 9–2 on aggregate and promoted back to Liga III after 10 years of absence.[2]

In the 2019–20 season, Metalul achieved the club's best performance in Cupa României when reached Round of 16, after winning against Avântul Zărnești (3–0 by FA decision; 2nd Round), Gloria Buzău (3–2 after pen.; 3rd Round), CSM Focșani (1–0 a.e.t.; 4th Round), FK Miercurea Ciuc (1–0; Round of 32) and losing to Politehnica Iași (0–3; Round of 16).

Stadium

The club plays its home matches on Metalul Stadium from Buzău.

Rivalries

Although it is the oldest active football club in the Buzău County, Metalul has always lived in the shadow of Gloria Buzău, thus becoming their rivals.

Honours

Liga III

Divizia D / Liga IV – Buzău County

Ploiești Regional Championship

Players

First team squad

As of 15 February 2026

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 Costel Toader (3rd captain)
2 DF  ROU Claudiu Juncănaru
3 DF  ROU Damian Cimpoeşu
4 DF  ROU Alberto Olaru (Vice-captain)
5 DF  ROU Dănilă Parfeon
6 MF  JPN Yasuhiro Hanada
7 FW  ROU Cristian Dumitru
8 MF  ROU Dănuț Oprea
9 FW  ROU Valentin Dumitrache (on loan from Dinamo București)
10 MF  ROU Marius Tudorică (Captain)
11 FW  ROU Sabin Moldovan
14 MF  ROU Florentin Puiu
15 DF  CRO Nikola Gavrić
17 MF  ROU Bogdan Ion
19 MF  ROU Darius Băncilă (on loan from Hellas Verona)
No. Pos. Nation Player
20 MF  ROU Răzvan Milea
23 GK  ROU Relu Stoian
25 GK  ROU Iulian Dinu
26 MF  ROU Alexandru Oancea
27 MF  ROU Florin Opaiț
28 MF  ROU Valentin Robu
33 DF  ROU Răzvan Radu (on loan from FCSB)
55 DF  LVA Aleksejs Kudeļkins
77 MF  ROU Matei Tănasă
80 MF  ROU Vlad Stancovici (on loan from Petrolul Ploiești)
97 MF  ROU Alin Nica
98 MF  ROU Saim Tudor (4th captain)
99 MF  ROU Claudiu Borțoneanu
MF  ROU David Todoran (on loan from Rapid București)

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
GK  ROU Alberto Câșlariu (on loan to Gloria Băneasa)
DF  ROU Ștefan Nedelcu (on loan to Petrolul Berca)
MF  ROU Robert Tănase (on loan to Râmnicu Sărat)
MF  ROU Rafael Manea (on loan to Petrolul Berca)
No. Pos. Nation Player
MF  ROU Alexandru Sandu (on loan to Petrolul Berca)
FW  ROU Andrei Fadei (on loan to Unirea Braniștea)

Club officials

Notable former players

The footballers enlisted below have had international cap(s) for their respective countries at junior and/or senior level and/or significant caps for AFC Metalul Buzău.

Romania

Former managers

  • Dragoș Cojocaru (1966–1969)

League history

References

  1. ^ Metalul Buzău-History
  2. ^ "Metalul a promovat oficial în "C". Neagu face promisiuni în privința viitorului echipei" [Metalul officially promoted to "C". Neagu makes promises about the team's future]. buzau.net. 25 June 2017. Archived from the original on 24 February 2024. Retrieved 24 February 2024.(in Romanian)