CS Gaz Metan Mediaș

Gaz Metan Mediaș
CS Gaz Metan Mediaș
Full nameClubul Sportiv Gaz Metan Mediaș
Nicknames
  • Lupii negri (The Black Wolves)
  • Gaziștii (The Refinery Workers)
  • Alb-negrii (The White-Blacks)
Short nameGaz Metan
Founded1945 (1945) (as Karres Mediaș)
Dissolved2022 (2022)
GroundGaz Metan
Capacity7,814
Chart of Gaz Metan Mediaș's yearly table positions in the Romanian Football League from 1947 to the present

Clubul Sportiv Gaz Metan Mediaș (Romanian pronunciation: [ˌklubul sporˈtiv ˈgaz meˈtan ˈmedi.aʃ]), commonly known as Gaz Metan Mediaș or simply as Gaz Metan, was a Romanian professional football club based in Mediaș, Sibiu County.

Founded in 1945 as Karres Mediaș, the team spent most of its existence in the second division. It also participated in 16 seasons of the Liga I, the highest level of the Romanian league system, and lost a Cupa României final to CCA București in 1951. Gaz Metan registered its debut in European competitions in the 2011–12 campaign, when it defeated KuPS and Mainz 05 prior to being eliminated by Austria Wien in the UEFA Europa League play-off round.

After the dissolution of the club in 2022, some of its former players and coaches founded ACS Mediaș, which has the purpose of continuing the football tradition in the town.

History

Early years (1945–1950)

Gaz Metan squad in 1967

The club was founded in 1945 as Karres Mediaș and initially competed in the Romanian second division. It earned promotion to Divizia A in 1947, when its name was changed to CSM Mediaș. In its first top-flight season, the team finished 11th out of 16 clubs.

Financial problems and inadequate training conditions affected the club during the 1948–49 season. After the second round of the championship, several dissatisfied players complained publicly and to the Romanian Football Federation about the club's conditions. The FRF subsequently allowed the Zorile Roșii factory to take over the team, which was renamed Zorile Roșii Mediaș.

Later during the same season, the club merged with Vitrometan Mediaș. Another change followed in the second half of the campaign, when the team was taken over by Ateliere Gaz Metan and adopted the name Gaz Metan Mediaș. The club was relegated to the second division at the end of the season.

The 1948–49 squad included Kodacek – Sulyak, Szobo – Șerban, Molnar, Rășinaru – Pop, Coman, Guța, Szabo and Pologea.[1]

Respected second-division club (1950–1999)

Ștefan Dobay as a player during the 1930s; he coached the club to the 1951 Romanian Cup final.

The club changed its name several times during the post-war period. It competed as Partizanul Mediaș in 1950–51, Flacăra Mediaș between 1951 and 1956, Energia Mediaș between 1956 and 1958, Gaz Metan Mediaș between 1958 and 1960 and CSM Mediaș between 1960 and 1963. In 1963, it returned permanently to the name Gaz Metan Mediaș.

One of the club's first major achievements came in 1951, when second-division side Flacăra Mediaș reached the final of the Cupa României.[2][3]

Coached by Ștefan Dobay, Flacăra lost the final 1–3 after extra time to CCA București, the club later known as Steaua București. Coman scored Mediaș's only goal in the 71st minute. The team used in the final consisted of Varaday – Luca, Szabo – Dumitrescu, Molnar I, Costea – Pop, Papay, Coman, Szasz and Moldovan.

For most of the following decades, Gaz Metan became known as a stable second-division side. It remained predominantly in Divizia B until 1972, when it was relegated to Divizia C for the first time. The club subsequently returned to Divizia B, was relegated again in 1976 and immediately earned promotion back to the second tier in 1977.

Gaz Metan then spent fifteen consecutive seasons in Divizia B, finishing 8th in 1977–78, 9th in 1978–79, 11th in 1979–80, 7th in 1980–81, 6th in 1981–82, 8th in 1982–83, 5th in 1983–84, 6th in 1984–85, 5th in 1985–86, 7th in 1986–87, 10th in 1987–88, 11th in 1988–89, 10th in 1989–90, 11th in 1990–91 and 14th in 1991–92.

At the end of the 1991–92 season, the gaziștii were relegated to Divizia C for the third time. The Transylvanian side returned after only one season, winning Series III of the third division in 1992–93, five points ahead of Petrolul Stoina.[4]

Back in Divizia B, Gaz Metan finished 7th in its first season and 11th in the second. In 1995–96, it finished 4th, its best league result in two decades.[5] The following season brought an even stronger campaign, as Gaz Metan finished 3rd and mounted a serious challenge for promotion to the top flight. The club then finished 5th and 4th in the next two seasons.

Return to the top flight (1999–2014)

Ovidiu Hoban on the pitch, in a red jersey
Ovidiu Hoban (pictured in 2015) was one of the club's key players from 2005 to 2011.

Gaz Metan returned to the Romanian top flight in 2000, 51 years after its previous appearance. Coached by Jean Gavrilă, the club won Series II of the 1999–2000 Divizia B, finishing 11 points ahead of runners-up ARO Câmpulung.

The promotion squad included Filip, Roșca, Ciurar, Grigore, Grasu, Lungu, Șomfălean, Vasile, Zotincă, Boroncoi, Callo, Hanc, Ioan, Moldovan, Pătru, Stoica, Vitan, Boloban, Boaru and Găldean.[6]

The return proved short-lived. Gaz Metan finished the 2000–01 season in 16th and last place with three victories, nine draws and eighteen defeats, and was relegated back to the second division.

The club finished 12th in Liga II in 2001–02 before again becoming a promotion contender. Gaz Metan placed 3rd in 2002–03 behind Apulum Alba Iulia and FC Oradea, 4th in 2003–04, 2nd in 2004–05, 4th in 2005–06 and 6th in 2006–07. The club narrowly missed promotion in 2005 after finishing level on 65 points with Jiul Petroșani.

In 2008, with former player Cristian Pustai as head coach, Gaz Metan again earned promotion to Liga I. The promotion team included Ștețca, Grillo, Lazăr, Zaharia, Buzean, Dudiță, Eric, Hoban, Curtean, Boaru and Ciprian Prodan.[7]

Gaz Metan finished 15th in the 2008–09 season, which would normally have resulted in relegation. However, following the corruption scandal involving FC Argeș Pitești, the latter was demoted and Gaz Metan retained its top-flight status.

The club subsequently established itself in Liga I, finishing 10th in 2009–10 before producing one of the strongest seasons in its history in 2010–11. Gaz Metan finished 7th and, following the licensing situation of other Romanian clubs, qualified for the 2011–12 UEFA Europa League, marking its first participation in European competition.

In Europe, Gaz Metan eliminated KuPS of Finland in the second qualifying round and produced a major upset against Bundesliga side Mainz 05 in the third qualifying round. The tie finished level after both matches and Gaz Metan advanced after a penalty shoot-out in Mediaș.

The club reached the play-off round, where it was eliminated by Austria Wien. The European run represented one of the greatest achievements in Gaz Metan's history.

In 2011–12, the club also reached the semi-finals of the Cupa României, where it was eliminated by eventual winners Dinamo București. Gaz Metan finished 13th in the league that season, followed by 10th place in 2012–13 and 13th in 2013–14.

Relegation and immediate return (2014–2016)

The restructuring of Liga I ahead of the 2014–15 season, which reduced the championship from 18 to 14 teams, resulted in six clubs being relegated. Gaz Metan finished 13th and returned to Liga II after seven consecutive seasons in the top flight, then the longest uninterrupted first-division spell in the club's history.

The relegation was short-lived. Gaz Metan challenged for promotion throughout the 2015–16 season and secured its return to Liga I after only one year in the second division.

The promotion squad included Greab, Romeo, Cristea, Zaharia, Buzean, P. Iacob, Danci, Munteanu, Bic, Petre and Gavra.[8]

Insolvency and sporting peak (2016–2020)

The 2016–17 season proved contradictory for the club. Gaz Metan finished the regular season in 7th place, only two points outside the championship play-off, and subsequently finished 2nd in the play-out, equivalent to 8th overall.

At the same time, the club's financial position had deteriorated severely. Gaz Metan entered insolvency proceedings during the season as it struggled with accumulated debts and financial obligations.[9]

During the summer of 2017, Gaz Metan adopted a lower-budget strategy intended to stabilise the club. The team struggled during the 2017–18 campaign but avoided relegation.

The club gradually recovered on the field and, under head coach Edward Iordănescu, produced its strongest modern league campaign during the 2019–20 season. Gaz Metan qualified for the championship play-off for the first time and ultimately finished 6th, the highest league position in the club's history.

Financial collapse and dissolution (2020–2022)

The club's situation deteriorated again after its 2019–20 sporting peak. During the 2020–21 season, Gaz Metan underwent changes at administrative, coaching and squad level and finished in the lower half of the standings.

The financial crisis became critical during the 2021–22 season. Gaz Metan accumulated significant debts towards current and former players, coaches and other employees, while repeated failures to satisfy decisions issued by football authorities resulted in successive points deductions.

Many first-team players terminated their contracts or left the club during the winter and spring of 2022, forcing Gaz Metan to complete the season with a heavily weakened squad containing numerous youth players. The repeated disciplinary deductions eventually left the team with a historically low negative points total.

Gaz Metan finished the 2021–22 season in last place with −38 points after the sanctions were applied. The club was relegated from Liga I and, burdened by debts and insolvency proceedings, was unable to organise a viable team for the following season.

By the summer of 2022, the senior football operation had effectively ceased to exist. Gaz Metan did not continue in the professional leagues and the club subsequently entered bankruptcy, bringing an end to the historic football organisation founded in 1945.[10]

The dissolution ended more than seven decades of football under the Gaz Metan identity. The club's major achievements included a Cupa României final in 1951, a best top-flight finish of 6th place in 2019–20, and participation in the 2011–12 UEFA Europa League, where it eliminated Mainz 05 before reaching the play-off round.

Football in Mediaș after Gaz Metan

Following the disappearance of Gaz Metan, a new club, ACS Mediaș, was founded in the summer of 2022 by a group of nine former Gaz Metan players and officials: Ionuț Buzean, Eric de Oliveira, Doru Dudiță, Cristian Pustai, Eugen Pîrvulescu, Dorin Roșca, Iosif Biro, Claudiu Boaru and Costel Hanc.[11]

The new organisation was a separate legal and sporting entity from Gaz Metan, but was created with the stated aim of preserving organised football in Mediaș. It incorporated a large number of players from the former Gaz Metan structure, including its youth sector, and entered the Sibiu County Liga IV for the 2022–23 season.[12]

ACS Mediaș won the county championship in its inaugural season and faced CS Gheorgheni in the promotion play-off to Liga III. After losing the first leg 1–2 away, Mediaș won the return match 4–0 and secured promotion with a 5–2 aggregate victory.[13]

The club quickly established itself as a competitive third-tier side. In the 2023–24 season, ACS Mediaș finished the regular season near the top of its series and qualified for the promotion play-off, emerging as one of the stronger new clubs in Liga III.[14]

ACS Mediaș remained in Liga III during the following seasons. In 2025–26, under the competition's new format, the club competed in the third tier and later entered the play-out phase.[15]

As of the summer of 2026, ACS Mediaș remained active in Liga III and was preparing for another season in the national third tier. Club officials described the organisation's principal objective as ensuring the continuity of football in the town, with a squad built predominantly around local players rather than pursuing promotion at any cost.[16]

Although ACS Mediaș does not constitute the legal successor of Gaz Metan, its founders and officials have explicitly presented the club as a project intended to continue the football tradition of Mediaș following Gaz Metan's disappearance. By 2026, ACS Mediaș had become the city's principal senior football team and operated a youth development structure involving several hundred children.[17]

Stadium

Gaz Metan Stadium before renovation and expansion.

Gaz Metan plays its home games at the Municipal Gaz Metan Stadium. The stadium has a capacity of 8000 seats with half of the seats covered; playing surface with under-soil heating and a 1500 lux floodlights system. The stadium is homologated to host preliminary rounds of any UEFA club competitions as well as U21 international games.

The stadium underwent major renovations and expansions in 2010. The playing surface was replaced in its entirety and covered stands were built on the opposite side of the main stands, increasing the stadium's capacity to 7,814 seats.

Support

Gaz Metan has many supporters in Mediaș and especially in Sibiu County. The ultras groups of Gaz Metan Mediaș are known as Lupii Negri (The Black Wolves) and Commando Mediensis.[18]

Rivalries

The most important rivalries overtime for Gaz Metan were against football clubs from Sibiu whether they were: Șoimii Sibiu, Inter Sibiu, FC Sibiu or Voința Sibiu. Now the team that represents Sibiu is FC Hermannstadt and the two clubs met for the first time on 17 April 2018, in a Romanian Cup semi-final, in front of many fans.

Honours

League

Cups

European record

The club has only played in the qualifiers of one UEFA Europa League season thus far, as showcased in the table below.

Notes for the abbreviations in the tables below:

  • 2QR: Second qualifying round
  • 3QR: Third qualifying round
  • PO: Play-off round
Season Round Opponent Home Away Aggregate
2011–12 2QR Finland KuPS 2–0 0–1 2–1
3QR Germany Mainz 05 1–1 (a.e.t.) 1–1 2–2 (4–3 p)
PO Austria Austria Wien 1–0 1–3 2–3

League history

Notable former players

The footballers enlisted below have had international cap(s) for their respective countries at junior and/or senior level and/or more than 100 caps for CS Gaz Metan Mediaș.

Former managers

References

  1. ↑ "Istorie" [History]. gazisti.ro. Archived from the original on 26 July 2022. Retrieved 29 March 2018.
  2. ↑ "Performanţă istorică! Hermannstadt e prima echipă din Liga 2 calificată în finala Cupei României, după 36 de ani" (in Romanian). Digi Sport. 10 May 2018. Archived from the original on 3 June 2020. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  3. ↑ "80 de ani de surprize. O istorie a echipelor din ligile inferioare care au jucat finala Cupei României" (in Romanian). Theplaymaker.ro. 13 May 2018. Archived from the original on 2 September 2018. Retrieved 31 May 2020.
  4. ↑ "Divizia C sezonul 1992–93" [1992–93 Divizia C season]. romaniansoccer.ro. Archived from the original on 11 February 2018. Retrieved 29 March 2018.
  5. ↑ "Divizia B sezonul 1995–96" [1995–96 Divizia B season]. romaniansoccer.ro. Retrieved 29 March 2018.
  6. ↑ "Istoric" [History]. gazmetanmedias.blogspot.ro. Retrieved 29 March 2018.
  7. ↑ "Gaz Metan Mediaș a promovat în Liga 1: Mediaș 7–1 Caracal". sport.ro. Archived from the original on 23 December 2017. Retrieved 29 March 2018.
  8. ↑ "CS Mioveni, la un pas să încurce Gazul în lupta pentru promovare. Punctul a fost îndeajuns pentru medieşeni să bifeze revenirea în Liga 1". liga2.prosport.ro. 30 May 2016. Archived from the original on 3 December 2020. Retrieved 29 March 2018.
  9. ↑ "Surpriză de proporții! Al 4-lea club din Liga 1 a intrat în insolvență!" (in Romanian). Digi Sport. Archived from the original on 23 December 2017. Retrieved 29 March 2018.
  10. ↑ "După dispariția lui Gaz Metan, a apărut o nouă echipă în Mediaș » Eric, parte din proiect" (in Romanian). Gazeta Sporturilor. 22 July 2022. Retrieved 16 August 2026.
  11. ↑ "După dispariția lui Gaz Metan, a apărut o nouă echipă în Mediaș » Eric, parte din proiect" (in Romanian). Gazeta Sporturilor. 22 July 2022. Retrieved 16 August 2026.
  12. ↑ "ACS Mediaș ia startul în Liga a IV-a" (in Romanian). Monitorul de Mediaș. 21 July 2022. Retrieved 16 August 2026.
  13. ↑ "LIGA 3 | Acestea sunt noutățile sezonului 2023/24! Rezultatele complete ale barajului și echipele promovate!" (in Romanian). Romanian Football Federation. 25 June 2023. Retrieved 16 August 2026.
  14. ↑ "LIGA 3 | Avancronica bătăliei finale pentru play-off în cele 10 serii" (in Romanian). Romanian Football Federation. 1 March 2024. Retrieved 16 August 2026.
  15. ↑ "Componența Ligii 3 și seriile din ediția 2025–2026 – Un nou format competițional" (in Romanian). Romanian Football Federation. 20 August 2025. Retrieved 16 August 2026.
  16. ↑ "ACS Mediaș se reunește pe 13 iulie cu același buget, Cosmin Vâtcă reconfirmat antrenor principal și program de meciuri amicale stabilit" (in Romanian). Ora de Mediaș. 2 July 2026. Retrieved 16 August 2026.
  17. ↑ "Prăpăd! Clubul nu mai poate intra pe stadionul din România care găzduia meciuri de Europa League acum 15 ani" (in Romanian). Gazeta Sporturilor. 13 July 2026. Retrieved 16 August 2026.
  18. ↑ "Inscrieri in galeria Lupii Negri" [Enrollments in the Black Wolves ultras group.]. gazisti.ro. Archived from the original on 1 December 2020. Retrieved 29 March 2018.
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