History
The first sporting club in Urziceni was a basketball club called "Ialomiţa". On an improvised pitch at Obor, the football team "Ialomiţa" played against teams from Ploieşti, Buzău, and Slobozia. They also played many games against Germans settled around the local lake, from which they took the name “La Nemţi” (“At the Germans'”).
In 1976 a new stadium, Tineretului, was inaugurated.
In 1988 the club reached the round-of-sixteen phase of the Romanian Cup, but lost 3–1 to Corvinul Hunedoara.
Prior to their promotion to Divizia B at the end of the 2002–03 season, the club had spent its entire history playing in the lower leagues of the Romanian football league system, mostly in Divizia C and Divizia D.
In 2003 the club was taken over by a new sponsor, Valahorum. At the end of the 2005–06 season the club finished second in the Seria 2 of the Divizia B. Following the play-offs, played against Forex Braşov and Bihor Oradea, at Stadionul Naţional, the club was promoted to the Liga I for the very first time in its history.
The club finished 10th in its first season in the top division. In the Liga I 2007–08, they finished 5th and reached the cup final. Manager and former Chelsea player Dan Petrescu nicknamed the team Chelsea of Ialomiţa. The following season the club won the league for the first time, after they beat Timişoara 2–1, and qualified for the Champions League.
The club finished 3rd in the 2009–10 UEFA Champions League Group stage, obtaining 8 points. They beat Rangers 4–1 in Glasgow and Sevilla in Bucharest 1–0 and drew 1–1, with VfB Stuttgart and Rangers at Bucharest. In the 2009–10 UEFA Europa League Knockout stage, Urziceni were drawn against English giants Liverpool. In the first round, at Anfield, Liverpool won 1–0, and at Bucharest, Unirea lost again, 1–3.
Unirea finished 2nd the 2009–10 Liga I season, again qualifying for the to the UEFA Champions League. In the third qualifying round, Unirea finished 0–0 against Zenit St. Petersburg at Bucharest. In Russia, they lost 1–0, with Danny scoring in the 33rd minute. In the Europa League Play-off round Unirea played against Hajduk Split. They lost in the first game played at Poljud 4–1, and drew, 1–1, at Bucharest.
Dumitru Bucşaru sold almost the entire team during the first half of the championship. Unirea played the second half of the season with loaned players from Steaua II Bucureşti and Dinamo II Bucureşti, and failed to maintain their place in the Liga I.
Read more about this topic: FC Unirea Urziceni
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