CS Minaur Baia Mare (football)


Minaur Baia Mare, known also as Minerul Baia Mare, is a Romanian football club, based in Baia Mare, Maramureș County, northern Romania, founded in 1947. It currently plays in Romania's third division, Liga III. It played for seven seasons in Romania's first league, Liga I, last in 1995.

History

Minaur was founded in 1947, after Phoenix Baia Mare merged with the old club also named Minaur. Following this merger, the new club was named CSM Baia Mare.
The club was dissolved in the summer of 2010 because of financial problems, but was refounded in the summer of 2012 under the name of FCM Baia Mare. Baia Mare was inactive for one season after withdrawing from the upcoming Liga II season due to financial difficulties on 5 August 2016. After one season of inactivity the club was refounded as Minaur Baia Mare, the historical name of the sports club, also used by the handball teams. The club was enrolled in the Liga IVMaramureș County. In contrast to the handball section, the football section is known unofficially as Minerul Baia Mare, one of the past names of the club and the most representative for supporters. Also the football section colours are different from those used for handball, if for handball squads the traditional colours are white, black and orange, for football they are yellow and blue.

Chronology of names

  • Note: 2 years of inactivity between 2010 and 2012, and the team was refounded as FCM Baia Mare in the Liga IV.
  • Note: 1 year of inactivity between 2016 and 2017, and the team was refounded as CS Minaur Baia Mare in the Liga IV.

Timeline

  • 1947 — CSM Baia Mare after the merger
  • 1950 — The name is changed to Metalul Baia Mare;
  • 1955 — Metalul Baia Mare is relegated in Liga III;
  • 1956 — The team become Energia Trustul Miner Baia Mare and win promotion in Liga II;
  • 1957 — The team become Minerul Baia Mare;
  • 1958 — Third name change in three years, this time back to CSM Baia Mare;
  • 1959 — CSM Baia Mare reach the final of Romanian Cup, only to be defeated by Dinamo București;
  • 1962 — Another name change, this time back to Minerul Baia Mare;
  • 1963 — Mircea Sasu become the first player ever to be selected from Minerul Baia Mare into the national team of Romania;
  • 1964 — Minerul Baia Mare win the second series of Liga II and win promotion into Liga I for the first time in their history, Phoenix / Carpati Baia Mare played before the World War II in the First League.
  • 1965 — As the team finish only 13th out of 14 in Liga I, they are relegated after only one year;
  • 1975 — The team become FC Baia Mare;
  • 1978 — FC Baia Mare win promotion into Liga I. It is the third in the history. The Golden Age starts;
  • 1979 — FC Baia Mare finish 5th out of 18 in Liga I;
  • 1980 — The best performance in Liga I as they finish 4th out of 18;
  • 1981 — A poor year followed by relegation back to Liga II, mainly due to internal issues;
  • 1982 — FC Baia Mare reach the final of Romanian Cup where they are defeated by Dinamo București. For the first time in their history FC Baia Mare play in Cup Winners' Cup, against Real Madrid of Spain.
  • 1983 — FC Baia Mare win the fourth promotion in their history into Liga I;
  • 1984 — A poor season in Liga I where the team finish 15th out of 18 but save themselves from relegation;
  • 1985 — FC Baia Mare is relegated back to Liga II. The Golden Era ends. The team become FC Maramureş Baia Mare.
  • 1993 — The Silver Era starts as FC Maramureş Baia Mare reach the semifinals of Romanian Cup;
  • 1994 — After a series of average and poor seasons in Liga II during the past decade, FC Maramureş Baia Mare win promotion in Liga I for the fifth time in their history;
  • 1995 — FC Maramureş Baia Mare reach the quarter-finals of Romanian Cup, but at the end of the season is relegated back to Liga II. The Silver Era ends.
  • 1998 — Another name change, this time back to FC Baia Mare;
  • 1999 — FC Baia Mare is relegated to Liga III for the second time in their history;
  • 2000 — The team promote back to Liga II;
  • 2001 — Second promotion in only two years, this time in Liga I, as FC Baia Mare win the promotion play-offs, however, the team's owner decides to trade the team's place in Liga I to another team, arguing the lack of financial resources to keep them over the competitional season. FC Baia Mare return to Liga II;
  • 2002 — FC Baia Mare qualify again for promotion play-offs but do not win promotion;
  • 2004 — Relegation in Liga III;
  • 2006 — After two years in Liga III, FC Baia Mare win promotion to Liga II;
  • 2007 — The club is relegated back to Liga III and face serious financial issues. Brazilian Ayres Cerqueira Simao becomes the first foreign player ever to play for FC Baia Mare;
  • 2008 — Despite being in the frame for a promotion back to Liga II, a series of poor results and a players strike due to unpaid wages and bonuses left the club in Liga III for at least one more year. Yet, at the beginning of the 2008 – 09 season the club manage to transfer some players with good experience in Liga I, such as: Daniel Rednic and Sorin Iodi, thus becoming top favourites to win promotion into Liga II.
  • 2009 – FC Baia Mare promoted to the Liga II after finishing first the 2008–09 Liga III.
  • 2010 – Finished 8th in the 2009–10 Liga II season and was dissolved shortly after.
  • 2012 – Refounded as FCM Baia Mare in the Liga IV.
  • 2013 – Promoted to the Liga III.
  • 2015 – Promoted to the Liga II.
  • 2016 – Withdrew from the upcoming Liga II season due to financial difficulties.
  • 2017 – Refounded as Minaur Baia Mare in the Liga IV.
  • 2018 – Promoted to the Liga III.
  • 2020 – Loses Promotion play-off to Comuna Recea
  • 2022 – Promoted to the Liga II after beating Hunedoara in the promotion play-off final
  • 2023 – Relegation to Liga III. The team goes through its worst season, at one time, having just 1 point in 6 games.

Performances

FC Baia Mare was a finalist in the Romanian Cup in 1959 and 1982, while in the Liga I, their best performance was 4th out of 18 at the end of the 1979–80 season.
The club played in the Liga I in other few occasions: in 1964–65, 1978–79 ; 1980–81, 1983–84, 1984–85 and 1994–95.
The team played mainly in the Liga II where FC Baia Mare is ranked first in an all-time standing, obtaining the most points and scoring the most goals.
In 1982–83 FC Baia Mare played in Cup Winners' Cup against Real Madrid then coached by Alfredo Di Stéfano. After 0 : 0 in the first leg, FC Baia Mare lost 2–5 in the second leg. Koller and Buzgău scored for the Romanian side on Santiago Bernabeu.
In the summer of 1982, FC Baia Mare played a friendly game against AC Fiorentina in Italy and won 3 : 1. Giancarlo Antognoni and Francesco Graziani, both world champions with Italy at the 1982 World Cup, as well as Daniel Bertoni and Daniel Passarella, both world champions with Argentina at the 1978 World Cup played for AC Fiorentina in that game. This is, without doubt, the greatest achievement of FC Baia Mare to date.
The largest win in Divizia A is against FCM Galaţi, 7 : 1 in August 1979, however the club's finest hour in a Divizia A game came in June 1981 with a tremendous 5 : 0 win against Steaua Bucharest.

Team's records

Liga I

Cups

Cupa României

International

Second leg

Competition
UEFA Cup Winners' Cup / European Cup Winners' Cup1201125–3
Total1201125–3

Notable players

The footballers enlisted below have had international cap for their respective countries at junior and/or senior level.

Former managers

League and Cup History

SeasonTierLeaguePos.Cupa RomânieiEurope
2025–263Liga III TBD
2024–253Liga III 1st Play-off round
2023–243Liga III 7thThird Round
2022–232Liga II18th Group Stage
2021–223Liga III 1st Round of 16
2020–213Liga III 1st Third round
2019–203Liga III 2ndThird round
2018–193Liga III 3rdThird round
2017–184Liga IV 1st '
2016–17---Fourth round
2015–162Liga II 6th Round of 16
2014–153Liga III 1st 'Third round
2013–143Liga III 6thThird Round
2012–134Liga IV 1st '
2011–12---
2010–11---Fourth Round
2009–102Liga II 8th Fourth Round
2008–093Liga III 1st '
2007–083Liga III 3rdRound of 32
2006–072Liga II 16th '
2005–063Divizia C 1st '
2004–053Divizia C 9th
2003–042Divizia B 15th '
2002–032Divizia B 14thRound of 16
2001–022Divizia B 2nd
2000–012Divizia B 2ndRound of 16
1999–003Divizia C 1st '
1998–992Divizia B 17th '
1997–982Divizia B 3rdRound of 32
1996–972Divizia B 14th
1995–962Divizia B 13th
1994–951Divizia A17th 'Quarter-finals
1993–942Divizia B 1st '
1992–932Divizia B 6thSemi-finals
1991–922Divizia B 2nd
1990–912Divizia B 4th
1989–902Divizia B 3rd
1988–892Divizia B 6th
1987–882Divizia B 4thRound of 16

SeasonTierLeaguePos.Cupa RomânieiEurope
1986–872Divizia B 2nd
1985–862Divizia B 2nd
1984–851Divizia A17th 'Quarter-finals
1983–841Divizia A15thRound of 32
1982–832Divizia B 1st 'UCWC
1981–822Divizia B 2ndFinal
1980–811Divizia A17th 'Round of 32
1979–801Divizia A4thRound of 32
1978–791Divizia A5thRound of 32
1977–782Divizia B 1st '
1976–772Divizia B 3rd
1975–762Divizia B 3rdRound of 16
1974–752Divizia B 3rd
1973–742Divizia B 5thRound of 16
1972–732Divizia B 4th
1971–722Divizia B 2ndRound of 32
1970–712Divizia B 10th
1969–702Divizia B 3rd
1968–692Divizia B 13thRound of 32
1967–682Divizia B 4thRound of 32
1966–672Divizia B 2ndQuarter-finals
1965–662Divizia B 2ndRound of 32
1964–651Divizia A13th 'Round of 16
1963–642Divizia B 1st 'Round of 16
1962–632Divizia B 3rdQuarter-finals
1961–622Divizia B 6thRound of 16
1960–612Divizia B 2nd
1959–602Divizia B 2nd
1958–592Divizia B 9thFinal
1957–582Divizia B 4th
19563Divizia C 1st '
19552Divizia B 11th ''Round of 32
19542Divizia B 4th
19532Divizia B 13thRound of 32
19522Divizia B 6th
19512Divizia B 4th
19502Divizia B 6thRound of 32
1948–492Divizia B 3rd

;Statistics — Domestic Leagues
Up to and including the end of 2024–25 season