FC Steaua Bucharest FCSB is the modern name of a club that wrote its golden chapters in European football history as Steaua Bucharest. The greatest achievement in Romanian football history was this team winning the European Cup in 1986 when, after a dramatic final and brilliant penalty shootout in Seville, they defeated FC Barcelona. The club sealed this success that same year by winning the European Super Cup following a victory over Dynamo Kyiv. Three years later, in 1989, the team reached the final of Europe's most prestigious club competition again, though they fell to the mighty AC Milan. Domestically, the team was unmatched for decades, accumulating numerous Romanian championship titles and domestic cups, establishing itself as a dynasty of Romanian football.
This remarkable success was overshadowed by a complex legal dispute over ownership rights. At the turn of the century, the football section separated from the military sports club CSA Steaua, with full control assumed by controversial businessman Gigi Becali. In 2011, the Romanian army sued Becali, alleging illegal use of the brand and club assets. The courts ultimately ruled in favor of the military, determining that rights to the historic name, crest, and trophies won before privatization belonged to the state. In 2017, the top-flight club was forced to change its name to FCSB (Fotbal Club Steaua Bucureşti). The army subsequently reactivated its own historic team, CSA Steaua Bucharest, in the lower leagues, resulting in a painful division among supporters and an ongoing dispute about who represents the true legacy of the legendary powerhouse from the 1980s and 1990s. Despite these complications, FCSB remains a significant force in Romanian football and European competitions.
