Dinamo București is a Romanian association football club based in Bucharest. The club was founded in 1948 and spent almost its entire history in Liga I, the top league of Romanian football
Dinamo is one of the two most successful football teams in Romania, having won 18 Romanian Liga I titles, 13 Romanian Cups and 2 Romanian Supercups.
Foundation and early years On 14 May 1948, "Unirea Tricolor MAI" — newly entered, in January 1948, under the umbrella of the Communist regime's Internal Affairs Ministry — merged with "Ciocanul București" and formed "Dinamo București", the sporting club representing the above-mentioned institution. The people who contributed at the foundation of the club were the Minister of Internal Affairs, Teohari Georgescu and the Jewish brothers Alexandru and Turi Vogl.
Until the end of the championship, Dinamo was going to be represented by two teams: "Ciocanul" ("Hammer"), named "Dinamo A" and "Unirea Tricolor MAI", known as "Dinamo B" (this last one relegating, at the end of the football season, into the Divizia B). Starting with 1950, Dinamo A was separated from Dinamo B, the latter being transferred first to Braşov, then to Cluj-Napoca, and eventually, in 1958, being moved to Bacău, where it became FCM Bacău.
The "Dinamo" name was used for the very first time on 1 May 1948. Nevertheless, the real debut of Dinamo was on the 1947–48 Divizia A edition (finishing 8th). Some of the team's players were Ambru, Angelo Niculescu, Teodorescu, Șiclovan, Bartha, Sârbu. On 14 July 1948 Dinamo played its first international match against Zidnice (Czechoslovakia): 4 to 1 for the red-whites. 22 August will remain a reference date for Dinamo's football, representing the debut of Dinamo Bucharest in the first national Division. The pioneers were, among others, Titus Ozon, Lăzăreanu, Farkaș. The team's first coach was Coloman Braun-Bogdan. At the end of the '48–'49 edition, Angelo Niculescu retires, dedicating himself to the coaching career rewarded later with great victories with Dinamo and with the national team. In 1950, new football players arrived at Dinamo: Nicolae Dumitru, Băcuț I.
The current Dinamo Stadium was inaugurated on 14 October 1951. The first match: Dinamo-Locomotiva Timişoara 1–0. Dinamo finished runner-up in the 1951–52 and 1952–53 seasons. Also in 1953, Dinamo played the Final of the Romanian Cup: 0–2 with Metalul Reşiţa.
In 1955, Dinamo won their first championship. With Angelo Niculescu as head coach, Dinamo impressed mainly in the offensive, with an attack formed by Ene I, Neagu and Suru. The defense, with players like Băcuț I, Băcuț II, Szökő, Călinoiu, was the best in the championship – only 19 goals received.
In the fall of 1956, the team make its debut in the European Champion Clubs' Cup (competition created a year before). Dinamo was the first Romanian team to play in the European competitions. The debut game was played on 26 August 1956, in front of 32,000 spectators. Dinamo defeated Galatasaray with 3–1. In the second leg, Dinamo lost in Istanbul with 1–2, and moved forward.
European successes
Dinamo won the second championship in 1962, with players like Datcu, Ștefan, Unguroiu (head coaches were Nicușor Dumitru și Nedelescu). In 1963, Dinamo won their third title. The team brought in that season Pârcălab, Gergely (Tr. Ionescu – Nicușor Dumitru were the head coaches). Dinamo won also the Romanian Cup in 1964, 5–3 against their biggest rival Steaua. Dinamo played in the European Cup against the famous Real Madrid (1–3 in București), a team with Di Stefano and Gento. The game played in Bucharest took place at "23 August" Stadium, and established a new record for this arena: 100,000 spectators.
In the fall of 1964, in the European Cup, Dinamo met another famous team – Inter Milan – with Facchetti, Picchi, Jair, Mazzolla, Corso and Suarez. Dinamo lost both legs, 0–6 and 0–1. In 1965, Dinamo won another championship and brought new players, Mircea Lucescu and Grozea. The following season of the European Cup, Dinamo met again Inter Milano, and managed to win the home game, 2–1. Inter won at Milano 2–0 and moved forward. The 6th title: in 1971. In CCE, Dinamo eliminates Spartak Trnava, the team of Dobias, Kuna and Adamec. A new player: Florea Dumitrache. What follows is a double win against Israel's and Van Hanegem's Feyenoord: 0–3 and 0–2. The 7th title comes two years later, in 1973, when Dinamo won a game against CFR Cluj at the exact margins to pass Universitatea Craiova in the standings. In CCE, they surpass Northern Ireland's Crusaders Belfast ( The 11–0 home game against Northern Ireland's team is still the biggest margin of victory in the history of the European Cup ), but fail against Atlético Madrid (0–2 and 2–2), the team of Capon, Irueta, Heredia and Ayala. The next year Dinamo plays in the UEFA Cup and after the eliminating Bolospur, fails in the confrontation with F.C. Koln: 1–1 and 2–3!
The 8th big success was going to come in 1975, year when Dudu Georgescu receives "the golden boot" (with 32 goals). In '76 in the UEFA Cup Dinamo plays against another "sacred monster" – AC Milan – with Fabio Capello and Collovatti on its side: 0–0 and 1–2. The 1976–1977 first season brings the 9th title and a new golden boot for Dudu Georgescu (47 goals). In the autumn of '77 in the CCE, Dinamo wins a thrilling game against Atlético Madrid 2–1, but loses at Madrid, 2–0.
In the second round of the UEFA Cup (after eliminating Alki Larnaca from Cyprus) Dinamo is eliminated by Eintracht Frankfurt, team of Pezzey, Grabowsky and Holzenbein (2–0 and 0–3 in prolongation).
Golden Years The 1981–82 UEFA Cup season brings some great wins for Dinamo. The red-whites meet Levski Sofia, team of Sirakov and Iskrenov (3–0 and 1–2). In the second round, a terrifying "double": Dinamo-Internazionale (with Bergomi, Bagni, Prohaska, Altobelli, Baresi, Oriali, Marini and Beccalossi). At Milan, 1–1 (authors: Pasinato and Custov) and back home in Bucharest, 3–2 for the "dogs", in the extra time. Dinamo is eliminated by the Swedish team IFK Göteborg, which later ends up winning the trophy.
The 10th national title will be obtained in 1982, when Dinamo also conquers the Cup after a 3–2 victory against Baia Mare. After a 5-year absence, Dinamo reappears in the European Champions Cup, meeting (and eliminating) Vaaleregen Oslo. In the next stage, Dinamo had to confront a difficult opponent: the team of Vizek and Nehoda, Dukla Prague. They win at home, with 2–0, obtaining the qualification at Prague: 1–2. Dinamo is eliminated by Aston Villa, club of Bremmer, Cowans, Withe, Shaw and Morley. The 11th title come one year later, in 1983.
The 1983–1984 season began with the retirement of Cornel Dinu, winner of 6 national titles and 6 national cups, with 454 caps in the first league and 75 in the national team. Still the same year Dinamo wins the 12th title.
The autumn of 1983–84 was going to represent a valuable step into the international arena. The "European Champions Cup campaign" started with the Finnish team, Kuusysi Lahti (1–0 and 3–0). The second round pushes Dinamo against the current champion, Hamburger SV – team of Stein, Kalz and Magath. At Bucharest, Augustin, Mulțescu and Orac score for 3–0. The thrilling second leg finishes 3–2 (goals Țălnar and Mulțescu). In order to accede in the semifinals of CCE, Dinamo had to defeat another top team: Dinamo Minsk, with Aleinikov, Zigmanatovici and Gurinovici. The first leg was 1–1 (Rednic equalizing in the 87th minute), and it was followed by a 1–0 victory at Bucharest (with Augustin scoring). Dinamo was the first Romanian team to reach the European Champions Cup semi-finals, where it met Liverpool. Dinamo lost 1–0 at Anfield in the first leg match where Graeme Souness had punched captain Lica Movila which had set up a tough match back in Romania. In the second-leg Bucharest lost 2–1 to Liverpool who went on to win the competition.
In the first round of the next European Champions Cup, in the autumn of `84, Dinamo meets Omonia Nicosia: 4–1 and 1–2. Next is the match against Girondins Bordeaux (club of Tigana, Giresse, Lacombe and Battiston), Dinamo being eliminated after 0–1 and 1–1.
In 1986 Dinamo wins the Cup against Steaua (1–0). After an 18-year break, Dinamo plays again in the Cup Winners Cup in the autumn of `86. The 1986–1987 season brings the 'golden boot' for Cămătaru (44 goals). They also lost against the Albanian team 17 Nentori Tirana.
The 1988 Romanian cup final was a special one. After Steaua players left the field at the score of 1–1 due to a claim of being robbed by the referee, Dinamo was given the trophy, but later the Romanian F.A. (bowing to pressure from the Communist Party) awarded the match 2–1 to Steaua. After the revolution of December 1989, Steaua propositioned to return the trophy to Dinamo, which refused to take it.
In the 88–89 Cup Winners Cup season, Dinamo again eliminated the Finnish team Lahti, managing to win 3–0. Next is the elimination of Scottish club Dundee United: 1–0 and 1–1 at Bucharest. However, they fail to qualify for the semifinals after losing on away goals, 1–1 and 0–0 against Sampdoria Genova.
The Cup Winners Cup 1989–1990 season brings new success. Dinamo meets Albanian team, Dinamo Tirana 0–1 and 2–0. Next is the Greek champion, Panathinaikos 2–0 and 6–1. In the quarter-finals they meet Partizan Belgrade (with Mijatovici on the field) eliminating them with 2–1 and 2–0. After six years of break, Dinamo plays a new continental semifinal this time against Anderlecht Bruxelles, losing twice with 1–0.
In the summer of 1990, Dinamo – with Mircea Lucescu as coach – conquers a new national title, the 13th. Also the team wins the Cup final, against Steaua: 6–4. The new CCE season begins with the elimination of Irish team St Patrick's Athletic Dublin (4–0 and 1–1). Dinamo is eliminated in the second round by FC Porto.
The 1991–1992 UEFA Cup Edition faces Dinamo against Figo's Sporting Clube de Portugal, qualifying after a 0–1 loss and a 2–0 victory. The next round Dinamo is eliminated by Genoa 1893: 1–3 and 2–2.
In 1992, the 14th title was added to Dinamo's record. It was a triumphal march, with 34 matches and no defeat.
Ups and downs The years to come saw Dinamo in the UEFA Cup. However, without any special results, the team leaves the competition in the first qualification round, in 1993–1994 losing to Cagliari, in 1994–95 losing to Trabzonspor, and in 1996 losing to Levski Sofia. Among the new players that play for Dinamo are: Catalin Hildan, Florentin Petre, Cosmin Contra. Alongside the famous goalkeeper Florin Prunea appear Mihalcea and Kiriță. With this new team, in the 1998–1999 season Dinamo plays arguably the best football in Romania, though the team loses the title to Rapid București. Dinamo ended the dark era of the mid-1990s this way once they started to fight for the title this year, only having to wait one more year to win it with no contender.
Dinamo played next season in the UEFA Cup beating Benfica 1–0 on Estádio da Luz, then losing a suspected game on Lia Manoliu 2–0.
Dinamo won the title in the 1999–2000 with Adrian Mutu playing for them but lost to Polonia Warszawa in the second qualification round of the UEFA Champions League 1999–00 mostly because they sold most of the players in the Summer Mercato. This affected their next season, when they lost the title to Steaua Bucharest.
In 2001–02 Dinamo won the title again after a tight championship run. Dinamo managed to win the title in the last game of the season just in front of FC National. In Europe, Dinamo played in the 2001–02 UEFA Cup eliminating Dinamo Tirana in the Qualifying round but lost in the 1st round to Grasshopper Club Zurich.