Formed: 1964
Nickname: Oţerlarii (Steelworkers)
UEFA club competition honours (runners-up in brackets)
• None
Domestic honours (most recent triumph in brackets)
• League title: 1 (2011)
History
• Oţelul were founded in the largest seaport on the River Danube in 1964, with their name (literally ‘Steel’) a nod to the metal industry that helped to make Galati, in the eastern Romanian province of Moldova, one of the nation’s most important economic centres.
• The new club slowly worked their way up the league system, winning a first third division championship in 1967/68, but were to be the city’s second team for some time, with CSU Galaţi – founded in 1970 – featuring in Romania’s top division in the 1970s and losing the 1976/77 Romanian Cup final to FC Steaua Bucureşti.
• Oţelul came into their own in the following decade; they won a second third division title in 1981 and were promoted to the top division as champions in 1986. They then finished fourth in the league in 1987/88 to earn a first foray in European competition; they beat Juventus 1-0 at home in the 1988/89 UEFA Cup first round but lost the return fixture 5-0.
• Having competed in the top division in every season since 1991/92, Oţelul were fourth in successive campaigns in the mid-1990s and reached the final of the 2003/04 Romanian Cup, losing 2-0 to FC Dinamo Bucureşti in the capital.
• They hit their peak unexpectedly in 2010/11, with Romania’s most capped player Dorinel Munteanu leading an unfancied side dominated by homegrown players to the title. Their diligence and discipline also captured the Romanian Super Cup before the club embarked on their first season in the UEFA Champions League group stage.
Club records
Most appearances: Catalin Tofan (390)
Most goals: Sorin Cornea (47)
Record league victory: Otelul 7-0 Jiul Petrosani (First Division, 30 August 1997)
Record league defeat: Otelul 0-7 FC Rapid Bucuresti (First Division, 5 November 2006)
From: http://www.uefa.com/uefachampionsleague/season=2012/clubs/club=50151/profile/index.html
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