FC Astra II

Fotbal Club Astra II, commonly known as Astra II Ploiești (Romanian pronunciation: [ˈastra doi ploˈjeʃtʲ]), Astra II Giurgiu, or simply as Astra II, is the reserve squad of Romanian first league side, Astra Giurgiu. The team was founded in 2013 to serve as a "launch pad" to the first team, for the young players from the club's youth center.

Astra II
Full nameFotbal Club Astra II
Short nameAstra II
Founded2013 (2013)
GroundAstra / Conpet
Capacity9,000 / 1,732
OwnerIoan Niculae
ChairmanDănuț Coman
ManagerCarmel Bărbulescu
LeagueLiga III
2019–20Liga III, Seria III, 13th
WebsiteClub website

History

The first Astra II

The history of Astra's satellite started in fact before 2013, more exactly in 2010, when Ioan Niculae the owner of Astra Giurgiu (at that time Astra Ploiești) bought Dunărea Giurgiu, club founded in 1963 and member of the Liga II at that time. After the transaction, Dunărea was renamed as Astra II Giurgiu becoming the reserve squad of Astra Ploiești.[1][2] In the summer of 2012 the club was dissolved after the owner decided to cut back on expense, then the first Astra II was re-founded in the summer of 2013 as Dunărea Giurgiu, the original name of the club.

Ploiești-Giurgiu route

In September 2012, the first team was moved from Ploiești to Giurgiu and renamed as Astra Giurgiu.[3]

One year later appeared again the idea of a second team, which was founded in the summer of 2013 as FC Astra II.[4] The move of the first team was only for the official matches, the youth academy and the training were still conducted in Ploiești, such that the new reserve team established its camp at Ciorani, Prahova County, 40 km away from Ploiești. Astra II Ciorani, as it was commonly known at that time, promoted to Liga III at the end of the 2013–14 Liga IV season, after winning the Prahova County series and also the promotion play-off match against FC Aninoasa, the winners of Dâmbovița County series.[5]

After the promotion Astra II moved to Ploiești, on the Astra Stadium and started to be known as Astra II Ploiești, even if in some situations media refers to the team, as Astra II Giurgiu, due to name of the mother club, Astra Giurgiu. In the Liga III Astra II finished last in the first season and relegated. After one season in the Liga IV, where it finished 9th of 16, Astra II entered back in the Liga III at the start of the 2016–17 Liga III season, taking advantage of the new rule through which the first league teams could enroll their reserve squads directly in the third tier.[6] Further, with managers such as: Constantin Schumacher, Marius Măldărășanu or Adrian Senin, Astra II obtained comfortable results: 10th (2016–17) and 4th (2017–18).

During the 2017–18 season, Astra II had the opportunity to bring back to life the Ploiești derby, against Petrolul Ploiești. The matches ended with two draws, 0–0 on Ilie Oană Stadium and 2–2 on Astra Stadium.[7][8]

Grounds
Main articles: Stadionul Marin Anastasovici, Astra Stadium, and Stadionul Conpet
Astra Stadium, former home ground of Astra Giurgiu and current home ground of Astra II.

Stadionul Marin Anastasovici

In 2010, when the first reserve squad was founded, it played the home matches on Marin Anastasovici Stadium in Giurgiu, Giurgiu County. From 2012 on this stadium plays its home matches the first squad of the football club, Astra Giurgiu.

Stadionul Ionuț Trandafir

In 2013, after the re-foundation, in the current format, Astra II started to play its home matches on Ionuț Trandafir Stadium in Ciorani, Prahova County, with a capacity of 1,500 seats.[9]

Stadionul Astra

In 2014 after the promotion to Liga III, Astra II moved its home matches on Astra Stadium in Ploiești, Prahova County, the former stadium of the mother club, Astra Giurgiu. Astra Stadium has a capacity of 9,000 seats and is still used also by the first squad for training.

Stadionul Conpet

In the autumn of 2018, Astra II started to play some home matches on Conpet Stadium in Strejnicu, with a capacity of 1,732 seats.

Honours

Leagues
  • Liga IV – Prahova County

Cups

Players

Second team squad
As of 15 March 2020

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
— GK  ROU Narcis Nedelcu
— DF  ROU Ștefan Avram
— DF  ROU Ștefan Dobre
— DF  CMR Charles Fanko
— DF  NGA Yunus Fatai
— DF  ROU Ionel Mihăilă
— DF  ROU Andrei Oreviceanu
— MF  ROU David Brăilă
No. Pos. Nation Player
— MF  ROU Mihai Ene
— MF  ROU Răzvan Mizdrescu
— MF  ROU Marius Pahonțu (Captain)
— MF  ROU Alexandru Păduraru
— MF  ROU Andrei Toader
— MF  ROU Andrei Zaharia
— FW  NGA Adeshina Fatai

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
— MF  ROU Paulian Banu (to Metaloglobus București)
No. Pos. Nation Player
— MF  ROU Alexandru Duminică (to Metaloglobus București)

Club officials

League history

References
  1. "FC Astra will have a team in Liga II !". Ziarul Prahova. Retrieved 2010-07-30.
  2. "Astra for a year, then Inter Giurgiu II". Liga2.ro. Retrieved 2010-07-24.
  3. "Astra se mută la Giurgiu, iar Ploieștiul rămâne doar o amintire! Ioan Niculae: "Vrem să inaugurăm arena pe 20 septembrie!". Ȋmbunatățiri la arena giurgiuveană" [Astra moves to Giurgiu, and Ploiești only remains a memory! Ioan Niculae: "We want to open the stadium on September 20!"]. Sport Total FM. 6 September 2012. Archived from the original on 8 September 2012.
  4. FC Astra II. soccerway.com
  5. AFC Astra II a promovat în Liga a III-a. frf-ajf.ro (in Romanian)
  6. Constantin Schumacher, în staff-ul Astrei. Va conduce echipa secundă. telekomsport.ro (in Romanian)
  7. Petrolul – Astra II 0–0. Măldărășanu, criticat de ploieșteni. ”Nu o să-mi dau niciodată pantalonii jos”. Ocazii uriaşe pe final. digisport.ro (in Romanian)
  8. De la egal la egal în ”9 Mai”! Astra 2 – Petrolul Ploiești 2–2. realitateasportiva.net (in Romanian)
  9. Stadionul Ionuț Trandafir. soccerway.com
  10. "AFC Astra Giurgiu - Site Oficial - Presedinte Executiv". www.afcastragiurgiu.ro.
  11. "AFC Astra Giurgiu - Site Oficial - Manager General". www.afcastragiurgiu.ro.
  12. "AFC Astra Giurgiu - Site Oficial - Colectiv Tehnic". www.afcastragiurgiu.ro.
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