The 2002–03 Divizia A was the eighty-fifth season of Divizia A, the top-level football league of Romania. Season began in August 2002 and ended in May 2003. Rapid București became champions on 24 May 2003.
Team changes
Relegated The teams that were relegated to Divizia B at the end of the previous season: Petrolul Ploiești UM Timișoara
Promoted The teams that were promoted from Divizia B at the start of the season: Poli AEK Timișoara UTA Arad
Venues Poli AEK Timișoara Steaua București Universitatea Craiova Rapid București Dan Păltinișanu Steaua Ion Oblemenco Giulești-Valentin Stănescu Capacity: 32,972 Capacity: 28,365 Capacity: 25,252 Capacity: 19,100 FCM Bacău Farul Constanța Dinamo București Argeș Pitești Dumitru Sechelariu Gheorghe Hagi Dinamo Nicolae Dobrin Capacity: 17,500 Capacity: 15,520 Capacity: 15,032 Capacity: 15,000 Sportul Studențesc Național București Regie Cotroceni Capacity: 15,000 Capacity: 14,542 Oțelul Galați Ceahlăul Piatra Neamț Oțelul Ceahlăul Capacity: 13,500 Capacity: 12,500 FC Brașov UTA Arad Gloria Bistrița Astra Ploiești Tineretului UTA Gloria Astra Capacity: 10,000 Capacity: 10,000 Capacity: 7,800 Capacity: 7,000
Personnel and kits Team Head coach Captain Kit manufacturer Shirt Sponsor Argeș Pitești Cristian Bălașa Erreà Pic Astra Ploiești Daniel Petroesc Lotto Petrom, InterAgro Brașov Cosmin Bodea Joma Prescon Ceahlăul Piatra Neamț Radu Lefter Ancada Rifil, Romalfa Dinamo București Giani Kiriță Lotto Cosmorom Farul Constanța Cristian Șchiopu Erreà Argus Universitatea Craiova Pavel Badea Erreà SIF Oltenia FCM Bacău Florin Prunea Legea Sonoma Gloria Bistrița Vasile Popa Umbro Darimex Național București Petre Marin Lotto Astra Asigurări, LG Corporation Oțelul Galați Cătălin Tofan Lotto Ispat Sidex Poli AEK Timișoara Florin Constantinovici Erreà ARGIROM Rapid București Adrian Iencsi Erreà LaDorna Sportul Studențesc Laurențiu Diniță Lotto Omniasig Steaua București Mirel Rădoi Nike — UTA Arad Marius Popescu Erreà —
League table
Positions by round
Results
Promotion / relegation play-off The teams placed on the 13th and 14th place in the Divizia A faced the 2nd placed teams from both groups of the Divizia B. Politehnica AEK Timișoara and FC Oradea won the relegation play-offs.2002–03 Divizia A at RSSSF
Even though Oțelul Galați lost the relegation play-off against FC Oradea, they kept their place in the Divizia A because Petrolul Ploiești, the club that won the Divizia B, Seria I, sold its promotion place to Oțelul Galați and merged with Astra Ploiești, the other team from the city of Ploiești, which finished on the 9th position this season.
Attendances
Top goalscorers Position Player Club Goals 1 Claudiu Răducanu Steaua București 21 2 Ionel Dănciulescu Dinamo București 16 3 Laurențiu Diniță Sportul Studențesc 15 4 Cosmin Bărcăuan Dinamo București 13 5 Sergiu Radu Național București 12
Champion squad
Rapid BucureștiGoalkeepers: Emilian Dolha (22 / 0); Ionuț Curcă (4 / 0); Boban Savić (3 / 0); Răzvan Lucescu (1 / 0). Defenders: Cornel Buta (3 / 0); Nicolae Constantin (3 / 0); Adrian Iencsi (27 / 4); Vasile Maftei (29 / 3); Camille Muzinga (2 / 0); Dănuț Perjă (20 / 3); Răzvan Raț (28 / 2); Ion Voicu (19 / 1). Midfielders: Valentin Bădoi (30 / 7); Roberto Bisconti (8 / 0); Emmanuel Godfroid (24 / 5); Nicolae Grigore (15 / 0); Robert Ilyes (23 / 5); Claudiu Mircea Ionescu (1 / 0); Marius Măldărășanu (14 / 2); Dorin Pandele (1 / 0); Ioan Sabău (16 / 1); Claudiu Saghin (1 / 0); Constantin Schumacher (10 / 1); Florin Costin Șoavă (28 / 1). Forwards: Florin Bratu (27 / 11); Henry Makinwa (11 / 2); Daniel Niculae (28 / 6); Robert Niță (19 / 5). (league appearances and goals listed in brackets)
Manager: Mircea Rednic.
References