The 2021–22 season is the 33rd professional football season in Farul Constanța's existence, and the 19th in the top-flight of Romanian football. Farul competes in Liga I and in the Cupa României.On 21 June 2021, Gheorghe Hagi (owner and founder of Viitorul Constanța), Gheorghe Popescu (chairman of Viitorul) and Ciprian Marica (owner of Farul Constanța) announced in a press conference that their teams have merged. The club that would continue in the Liga I will be FCV ('V' from 'Viitorul') Farul. Farul will play in the Liga I on Viitorul's place and its home matches will be disputed on Viitorul Stadium, due to Farul Stadium advance state of degradation.
Previous season positions
Viitorul Constanța Competition Position Liga I 10th Cupa RomânieiRound of 32
Farul Constanța Competition Position Liga II 7th Cupa RomânieiRound of 16
Season overview
June On 21 June 2021, Gheorghe Hagi, owner and founder of Viitorul Constanța, Gheorghe Popescu, chairman of Viitorul, and Ciprian Marica, owner of Farul Constanța, announced in a press conference that their teams have merged. The club that would continue in the Liga I will be FCV ('V' from 'Viitorul') Farul. Farul will play its home matches on the Viitorul Stadium, as the old Farul Stadium will be in a rebuilding process.
On 22 June 2021 the club announced that they signed the Romanian goalkeeper Marian Aioani.
On 24 June 2021 the club announced that they signed the Romanian defender Ionuț Larie. Since making his debut in the first division in 2006, Larie has amassed over 300 matches in the competition for FC Farul Constanța, FC Viitorul Constanța, CFR Cluj, FCSB and Gaz Metan Mediaș, among others. With CFR Cluj he won the Cupa României in 2016.On the dame day, the club announced that they signed the Romanian forward Adrian Petre.
July On 1 July 2021 the club announced that they signed the Brazilian midfielder Romário Pires. Since making his debut in the first division in 2012, "Romică" Pires has amassed over 100 matches in the competition for Gloria Bistrița, Petrolul Ploiești, Astra Giurgiu and Hermannstadt. With Petrolul Ploiești he won the Cupa României in 2013. His honours also include the Israel State Cup with Maccabi Haifa.
On 5 July FC Farul Constanța and Dnipro-1 agreed to transfer Valentin Cojocaru to the Ukrainian club for a fee of €100,000.
On 7 July the club announced that they signed the Romanian midfielder Florin Purece.He began his senior career in 2009 with UTA Arad, he moved to Concordia Chiajna and went on to make a name for himself at Viitorul Constanța.With Viitorul Constanța he won the 2016–17 Liga I. In 2017, he signed with Hapoel Ra'anana in Israel. After three additional seasons in Poland playing for Termalica Nieciecza, he returned to his native country in 2020. Purece signed a season-long deal at Sepsi OSK Sfântu Gheorghe.
On 9 July the club announced that they signed the Spanish forward Jefté Betancor. In last season he was the top-scorer of FC Voluntari.
On 10 July George Ganea scored for Romania in a friendly match against Saudi Arabia.
On 18 July Farul drew 0–0 away against UTA Arad.
On 25 July the club won the match against Gaz Metan Mediaș 2-0. Jefté Betancor and Adrian Petre scored for Viitorul.
On 26 July the club announced that they signed the Romanian goalkeeper Laurențiu Brănescu.Born in Râmnicu Vâlcea, Romania, Brănescu began his career with the youth academy of local side CSM Râmnicu Vâlcea in 2000. He remained within the club's youth sector until January 2011, when he caught the attention of Serie A side, Juventus Football Club. Brănescu originally was scouted by the Turin-based club during the summer of 2010, but did not officially complete his transfer to Italy until 24 January 2011. On 24 January 2011, Brănescu officially transferred from Râmnicu Vâlcea to Juventus Upon joining the Turin-based club, Brănescu was instantaneously inserted into the club's youth sector, where he quickly established himself as the club's first choice goalkeeper. Along with his regularity in the youth academy, Brănescu also served as Juventus' fourth choice goalkeeper for the 2012-13 Serie A campaign, behind Gianluigi Buffon, Marco Storari and Rubinho, earning 6 first team call-ups during league play, and also was a part of the club's 2012–13 UEFA Champions League roster. He also played for S.S. Juve Stabia (Italy), Virtus Lanciano (Italy), Szombathelyi Haladás (Hungary), Omonia (Cyprus), Dinamo București (Romania), HNK Gorica (Croatia), Žalgiris Vilnius (Lithuania), Kilmarnock (Scotland) and Politehnica Iași (Romania). He signed a three years contract with Farul.
On 30 July Farul drew 0–0 away against FC Rapid București.
August
On 9 August the club won the match against Sepsi OSK Sfântu Gheorghe 1-0. Jefté Betancor scored for Farul.
On 13 August, the match against CFR Cluj was lost 1-0.
On 20 August the club won the match against FC Dinamo București 3-0. Jefté Betancor and George Ganea scored for Farul.
On 27 August Farul drew 0–0 away against FC U Craiova 1948.Adrian Petre and George Ganea scored for Farul.
September
On 13 September Farul won the match against FC Academica Clinceni 5-0. Jefté Betancor, Adrian Petre and Enes Sali scored for Farul. On 13 September that year, Sali became the youngest player to score in the Liga I at 15 years, six months and 21 days, after netting the last goal in a 5–0 defeat of Academica Clinceni.
On 18 September, the match against AFC Chindia Târgoviște was lost 2-0.
On 22 September, the match against Sepsi OSK Sfântu Gheorghe was lost 1-0.
On 26 September, Farul won the match against CS Mioveni 2-1. Betancor and Ciobanu scored for Farul.
October
On 3 October, the match against FC Voluntari was lost 1-0.
On 13 October, FC Farul Constanța appointed Radu Paligora as the new doctor of the team. Radu Paligora was doctor at teams such as FCSB, Al Hilal SFC, Ludogorets Razgrad, Al-Wasl F.C. and CFR Cluj.
On 17 October, the match against FC Argeș Pitești was lost 2-1. Jefté Betancor scored for Farul.
On 29 October, the match against FC Botoșani was won 2-0. Damien Dussaut and Adrian Petre scored for Farul.
November On 4 November, the match against FCSB was lost 1-0.
On 3 November 2021, aged 15, Sali was selected by the Romania national team for the 2022 FIFA World Cup qualifiers against Iceland and Liechtenstein. Romanian newspaper Gazeta Sporturilor later reported that Canada had also approached him for a possible call up.
Sali made his senior debut on 14 November by coming on as an 82nd minute substitute for Andrei Ivan in the latter match, and became the youngest European player to appear in a competitive game at 15 years and 264 days (Lucas Knecht holds the record for any player in any match type).
On 7 November, the match against CS Universitatea Craiova was won 1-0. Adrian Petre scored for Farul.
Club officials
Board of directors
RoleName Owners Gheorghe Hagi Ciprian Marica Zoltán Iasko President Gheorghe Popescu Vice-President Tiberiu Curt General Director Cristian Bivolaru Executive Director Cristiana Pariza Sporting director Zoltán Iasko Economic Director Gheorghe Mega Marketing Director Călin Clej Judicial Department Florin Comșa Youth Center Manager Cristian Cămui Methodology and Evaluation Director Massimo Pedrazzini Organizer of Competitions Constantin Stamate Sports Center Administrator Decebal Curumi Team Manager Costin Mega Press Officer Sorin Teodoreanu Last updated: 1 July 2021 Source: Board of directors (Hagi Academy) Source: Board of directors (Viitorul)
Current technical staff
RoleName Head coach Gheorghe Hagi Assistant coaches Cătălin Anghel Constantin Fălină Cristian Sava Goalkeeping coach Ștefan Preda Fitness coach Ștefan Anghel Club Doctor Radu Paligora Nutritionist Cristian Mărgărit Physiotherapist Paul Ciocănescu Kinetotherapist Denis Răilean Masseurs Daniel Stoian Cosmin Ghiorghe Storeman Ștefan Pețu Alexandru Căscătău Last updated: 1 July 2021 Source: Source: Medical staff Source: Press release
Players
Current squad
No. Name Nationality Position Date of birth (age) Signed from Signed in Goalkeepers 12 Mihai Aioani GK Chindia Târgoviște 2021 31 Cosmin Dur-Bozoancă GK Academy 2013 34 Ștefan Mușat GK Academy 2016 94 Laurențiu Brănescu GK FC Politehnica Iași 2021 Defenders 3 Gabriel Buta DF Academy 2019 4 Damien Dussaut DF FC Dinamo București 2019 5 Sebastian Mladen (2nd C) DF F.C. Südtirol 2017 6 Bradley de Nooijer DF FC Dordrecht 2017 14 Daniel Bîrzu DF Academy 2009 15 Gabriel Dănuleasa DF Academy 2010 16 Vlad Chera DF CNP Timişoara 2018 17 Ionuț Larie (C) DF Gaz Metan Mediaș 2021 26 Bogdan Lazăr DF Academy 2012 21 Alin Dobrosavlevici DF Hermannstadt 2020 23 Virgil Ghiță DF Academy 2011 77 Radu Boboc DF Academy 2013 97 Alexandru Georgescu DF Academy 2010 Midfielders 8 Carlo Casap MF Academy 2017 17 Andrei Ciobanu MF Academy 2010 18 Andrei Artean (3rd C) MF ACS Poli Timișoara 2018 20 Roberto Mălăele MF Academy 2016 24 Constantin Grameni MF Academy 2019 27 Ely Fernandes FW / MF Gaz Metan Mediaș 2020 29 Eduard Rădăslăvescu MF Academy 2012 30 Florin Purece MF Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe 2021 32 Romário Pires MF Hermannstadt 2021 66 Josemi Castañeda MF Las Palmas Atlético 2020 98 Nicolas Popescu MF Academy 2018 99 Ștefan Bodișteanu MF Academy 2015 Forwards 7 George Ganea FW CFR Cluj 2019 9 Adrian Petre FW UTA Arad 2021 10 Jefté Betancor FW FC Voluntari 2021 22 Luca Andronache FW FCSB II 2019 25 Aurelian Chițu FW Daejeon Hana Citizen FC 2020 28 Enes Sali FW Academy 2018 80 Alexi Pitu FW Academy 2010
Transfers
Players from Farul Name Nationality Position Date of birth (age) Signed in Cosmin Dur-Bozoancă GK 2020
Players from Viitorul Name Nationality Position Date of birth (age) Signed in Damien Dussaut DF 2019 Sebastian Mladen DF 2017 Alexandru Georgescu DF 2010 Alin Dobrosavlevici DF 2020 Virgil Ghiță DF 2011 Gabriel Buta DF 2019 Radu Boboc DF 2013 Carlo Casap MF 2017 Roberto Mălăele MF 2016 Andrei Ciobanu MF 2010 Andrei Artean MF 2018 Constantin Grameni MF 2019 Ely Fernandes FW / MF 2020 Nicolas Popescu MF 2018 Josemi Castañeda MF 2020 Ștefan Bodișteanu MF 2015 George Ganea FW 2019 Aurelian Chițu FW 2020 Luca Andronache FW 2019 Alexi Pitu FW 2010
In Date Player Moving from Fee Notes Source Summer Ștefan Mușat CSA Steaua București Free loan return Árpád Tordai MOL FehérvárFree loan return Mihai Aioani Chindia Târgoviște Free Ionuț Larie Gaz Metan Mediaș Free Adrian Petre UTA Arad Free Bradley de Nooijer Vorskla Poltava Free loan return Romário Pires Hermannstadt Free Florin Purece Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe Free Jefté Betancor FC Voluntari Free Vlad Chera CSM Reșița Free loan return Laurențiu Brănescu FC Politehnica Iași Free
Out
Loans out
Friendly matches
Competitions
Liga I
Regular season
Table
Results by round
Matches
Cupa României
Round of 32
Statistics
Appearances and goals
! colspan="12" style="background:#DCDCDC; text-align:center" | Players transferred out during the season
Squad statistics Liga ICupa RomânieiGames played 15 1Games won 7 0Games drawn 3 0Games lost 5 1Goals scored 18 0 Goals conceded 9 1Goal difference +9 -1Clean sheets 8 0 Goal by Substitute 5 0 Total shots 128 –Shots on target 50 –Corners 71 –Players used 25 16Offsides 40 –Fouls suffered 175 – Fouls committed 211 –Yellow cards 21 2Red cards 1 0
Goalscorers
No.Pos.NationNameLiga ICupa RomânieiTotal 1 10 FW Jefté Betancor 9 0 9 2 9 FW Adrian Petre 5 0 5 3 7 FW George Ganea 1 0 1 28 FW Enes Sali 1 0 1 11 MF Andrei Ciobanu 1 0 1 4 DF Damien Dussaut 1 0 1
Hat-tricks
Player Against Result Date Competition Jefté BetancorAcademica Clinceni5–0 (H)13 September 2021Liga I
Clean sheets
Rank Name Liga I Cupa României Total Games played 1 Marian Aioani 5 0 0 12 2 Árpád Tordai 3 0 0 3 3 Laurențiu Brănescu 0 0 0 1 Total 6 0 0 13
Disciplinary record