CS Păulești
Romanian football club
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Clubul Sportiv Păulești, commonly known as CS Păulești, is a Romanian football club based in Păulești, Prahova County, currently playing in Liga III, the third tier of the Romanian football league system.
as Rapid GAC Găgeni
1973
as Petrolul Păulești
1989
as Victoria Păulești
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| Full name | Clubul Sportiv Păulești | ||
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| Short name | Păulești | ||
| Founded | 1959 as Rapid GAC Găgeni 1973 as Petrolul Păulești 1989 as Victoria Păulești | ||
| Ground | Comunal | ||
| Capacity | 500 | ||
| Owner | Păulești Commune | ||
| Chairman | Vasile Vasile | ||
| Manager | Florin Pripu | ||
| League | Liga III | ||
| 2025–26 | Liga III, Seria II, 7th | ||
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History
CS Păulești was established in 1959 in Găgeni, a village belonging to the Păulești commune, under the name of Rapid GAC Găgeni and became, from the summer of 1964, Rapid Păulești playing in the Ploiești City Championship, Category II, but was disbanded in 1966.[1]
In 1973, football reappeared in Păulești, and the team was re-established under the name of Petrolul Păulești.[1] Renamed again as Rapid Păulești, the team coached by Dumitru Iancu, won the Ploiești Municipal Championship Category II (1974) and Category I (1976), promoting to the County Championship 2nd Category after finishing in 2nd place at the final tournament played against Victoria Bordeni, Avântul Tomșani, Recolta Filipeștii de Târg and Victoria Olteni, on Prahova Stadium in Ploiești.[2] However, Rapid Păulești was excluded in the first part of the 1980–81 season, which was followed by another long break in the team’s activity.[1]
The club was refounded in the summer of 1989 under the name of Victoria Păulești and, under the guidance of Valeriu Manolescu, promoted to the County Championship 2nd Category at the end of the 1989–90 season.[1]
From the summer of 1990, the club was taken over by the company Elancoop, with Gheorghe Tomescu appointed as head coach. Between 1992 and 1994, the team was self-financed and coached by Alexandru Fronea.[1]
The team was renamed Uranus, with Marcel Urlățeanu serving as head coach, and was subsequently relegated to the county’s second division. In 1997, it returned to the first county league after the series winners, Avântul Măgureni, were denied promotion because their stadium was not approved.[1]
Before the start of the 1997–98 season, the club changed its name to Petrolul Păulești and served as a development team for youth players of Petrolul Ploiești, under the management of Constantin Doru Tudorie. In the summer of 2000, the partnership with the Ploiești club ended, and the team was taken over by Dan Iancu, who at the time became the youngest president in county football.[1]
In 2008, the club was renamed Artsani Păulești, and under this name it achieved promotion at the end of the 2008–09 season. After winning the West Series of Liga B Prahova, Artsani Păulești secured a place in Liga A Prahova, the top tier of county football, led by Daniel Iancu.[1][3]
In the 2015–16 season, with Iulius Mărgărit on the bench, the club won its first county championship title and promoted to Liga III after the promotion play-off with Euromania Dumbrăveni, the winner of Liga IV – Vrancea County, 5–1 on aggregate (3–1 at Dumbrăveni and 2–0 at Păulești).[4][5]
However, for financial reasons, the club did not register for the next Liga III season and returned to Liga IV – Prahova County where, in the 2016–17 season, it finished 4th in an edition dominated by Petrolul Ploiești. Also, in the same season, it played the final of the Cupa României – county phase at the Ilie Oană Stadium, losing 0–2 against Petrolul Ploiești.[6] In the 2017–18 season, it finished as runners-up, in the 2018–19 season it ranked 10th, and in the 2019–20 season it was ranked 9th at the moment when the competition was interrupted due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Resuming its activity starting with the 2021–22 season under the guidance of player-coach Florin Pripu, CS Păulești won once again the county title and promoted to the third league, winning the promotion play-off against Victoria Adunații-Copăceni, the winner of Liga IV – Giurgiu County, 3–2 on aggregate (0–1 at Păulești and 3–1 at Adunații-Copăceni).[7][8]
Pripu led Păulești in its first season in Liga III, when the team ranked 6th in Series V, both at the end of the regular and play-out stages, with the contribution of former top-division player Valentin Lazăr, who joined after the winter break.[9]
Following their move to Series IV, Păulești struggled throughout the 2023–24 season, finishing last both at the end of the regular and play-out stages, and were facing relegation. However, they were spared due to the withdrawal of other clubs. In the 2024–25 season, Păulești improved to finish 6th, both at the end of the regular and play-out stages.[10]
Honours
- Winners (1): 2008–09
Cupa României – Prahova County
- Winners (3): 2014–15, 2015–16, 2017–18
- Runners-up (1): 2016–17
Players
First team squad
- As of 10 September 2024
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Out on loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Club officials
Board of directors
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Current technical staff
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League and cup history
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