CS Tunari

CS Tunari

Full name	Club Sportiv Tunari
Nickname(s)	Tunarii (The Gunners) Arsenal
Short name	Tunari
Founded	1980;45 years ago (1980) as Arsenal Tunari
Ground	Tunari
Capacity	1,700
Owner	Tunari Commune
Chairman	Florin Vlădilă
Manager	Dan Alexa
League	Liga III
2023–24	Liga II, 18th of 20 (relegated)
Website	https://cstunari.ro/
Home colours Away colours
Current season

Club Sportiv Tunari, commonly known as CS Tunari, or simply as Tunari, is a Romanian football club based in Tunari, Ilfov County, currently competes in Liga III, the third tier of the Romanian football. Founded in 1980, the club situated near Bucharest, was re-branded as CS Tunari in 2004.

History

CS Tunari was founded in 1980 under the name Arsenal Tunari. The name changed in 2004 after the club was forced to drop "Arsenal" due to copyright restrictions. ^{[1] [2]} The name "Tunari" translates to "Gunners" in Romanian, and the commune’s coat of arms features a cannon—elements that inspired the original name as a tribute to the English football club Arsenal F.C. and its nickname, "The Gunners."

In 2018, the club updated its logo and colors, adopting a red-and-white scheme instead of the previous red-and-blue combination. Interestingly, the updated logo reintroduced the name "Arsenal," though the club itself did not revert to the original name. In a 2009 interview with sport.ro, club chairman Lucian Costache recounted an anecdote from 1996, when the club—still known as Arsenal Tunari—sent a letter to Arsenal F.C. requesting official kits. Unfortunately, no response ever arrived. ^[3]

Around the same period, a new stadium was built in the commune near Bucharest. In 2009, a place in Romania's third division was secured.

Over the years, CS Tunari has established itself as a consistent presence at the third tier, gradually improving its performances. The 2009–10 season ended with a 9th-place finish under the guidance of Ion Ion. The following season, Virgil Nițoi led the team ^[4] to 7th place. Challenging years unfolded under Ion Voicu's leadership, ^[5] with the team finishing 10th in 2011–12 and slipping to 13th in 2012–13, before Florin Vlădilă stepped in to take charge in December 2012. ^[6]

From the summer of 2013 onward, with Virgil Nițoi returning, significant progress became evident. The club finished 8th in the 2013–14 season and climbed to 4th in the 2014–15 season. A tough 2015–16 campaign saw a drop to 12th under coach Florin Bratu, ^[7] who replaced Nițoi after the team lost its first six matches of the season. Bratu departed the following summer ^[8] and was succeeded by Tudorel Dumitru, who led the team to its best-ever finish at the time, securing 3rd place in the 2016–17 season, followed by a solid 7th-place finish in the 2017–18 season.

Ștefan Odoroabă coached the team ^[9] for the next three and a half seasons, achieving a 6th-place finish in the 2018–19 season, 4th in the 2019–20 season, and 5th in the 2020–21 season. Odoroabă left Tunari in March 2022 and was replaced by Marcel Abăluță, who led the team to an impressive 2nd place in the 2021–22 season, qualifying for the promotion play-offs. ^{[10] [11]} After eliminating CS Afumați in the first round 5–2 on aggregate (3–2 at home and 2–0 away), the team lost the promotion in the second round to Progresul Spartac București, 1–7 on aggregate (0–4 at home and 1–3 away).

In the 2022–23 season, Valentin Negru was appointed as the new head coach, ^[12] but he left the club in November, with the team in 1st place. Assistant coach Alin Ilin took charge for the rest of the year. Gabriel Manu was hired in January 2023, ^[13] leading the team to its first-ever promotion to Liga II. The Gunners ended the season in 1st place in Series IV, nine points ahead of Popești-Leordeni. The promotion play-offs began with Farul Constanța II being eliminated (1–3 away and 4–0 at home), followed by a victory over Popești-Leordeni (1–2 away and 3–1 at home) in the final stage. ^[14]

Ground

Comunal Stadium in 2022

CS Tunari plays its home matches on the Comunal Stadium in Tunari, with a capacity of 1,000 seats. The stadium was renovated and expanded in 2004 for the sum of 400,000 lei, at that time approximately 84,000 €. ^[2] In 2017 the stadium was renovated again and the pitch was changed. ^[15]

During the 2023–24 season, Tunari Stadium underwent renovations, prompting the team to relocate their matches to the Central Stadium of the Romanian National Football Centre. ^[16]

Chronology of names

Name	Period
Arsenal Tunari	1980–2004
CS Tunari	2004–present

Honours

• Liga III
  • Winners (1): 2022–23
  • Runners-up (1): 2021–22

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.

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK   ROU Sebastian Moroz 3 DF   ROU Rareș Bălan (on loan from CFR Cluj ) 4 DF   ROU Pedro Paul 5 MF   ROU Eduard Feraru 6 MF   ROU Marco Andone 7 MF   ROU Paul Mitrică 8 MF   ROU Alin Țegle 10 FW   ROU Claudiu Dragu(Captain) 11 MF   ROU Rareș Stanciu 14 DF   ROU Cristian Pilici 15 DF   ROU Robert Vasu 19 FW   ROU Gabriel Plumbuitu

No. Pos. Nation Player 20 MF   NGA Ahmed Bala(on loan from Dinamo ) 21 MF   ROU Darius Gavrilă(on loan from Dinamo ) 22 MF   ROU Alexandru Bețivu 27 MF   ROU Lucian Ion 28 MF   ROU Ionuț Catrina(on loan from Chiajna ) 30 MF   ROU George Moga 31 GK   ROU David Dumitru(on loan from Rapid ) 44 DF   MDA Denis Furtună 65 MF   ROU Mario Geantă 77 MF   ROU Dan Spătaru 93 FW   ROU Vlad Filip 94 MF   ROU Cătălin Hlistei 99 MF   ROU Bogdan Tănase

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.

No. Pos. Nation Player

No. Pos. Nation Player

Club officials

Board of directors Name Period Owner Tunari Commune President Florin Vlădilă Team manager Laurențiu Vlădilă Image director Adrian Voicu

Current technical staff Name Period Manager Dan Alexa Assistant coaches Ștefan Grigorie Alin Ilin Fitness coach Andrei Zisu Club Doctor Diana Arpenti

Former managers

• Ion Ion (2009–2010)
• Virgil Nițoi (2010–2011)
• Ion Voicu (2011–2012)
• Florin Vlădilă (2013)
• Virgil Nițoi (2013–2015)
• Florin Bratu (2015–2016)
• Tudorel Dumitru (2016–2018)
• Ștefan Odoroabă (2018–2022)
• Marcel Abăluță (2022)
• Valentin Negru (2022)
• Alin Ilin (2022) Caretaker
• Florin Stângă (2023)
• Gabriel Manu (2023)

League history

See also: Romanian football league system

Season Tier Division Place Notes Cupa României 2024–25 3 Liga III (Seria V) TBD 2023–24 2 Liga II 17th Relegated Group Stage 2022–23 3 Liga III (Seria IV) 1st (C) Promoted Fourth Round 2021–22 3 Liga III (Seria IV) 2nd Fourth Round 2020–21 3 Liga III (Seria IV) 5th Second Round 2019–20 3 Liga III (Seria II) 4th Fourth Round 2018–19 3 Liga III (Seria II) 6th Fourth Round 2017–18 3 Liga III (Seria III) 7th Second Round

Season Tier Division Place Notes Cupa României 2016–17 3 Liga III (Seria II) 3rd First Round 2015–16 3 Liga III (Seria II) 12th Third Round 2014–15 3 Liga III (Seria II) 4th First Round 2013–14 3 Liga III (Seria III) 8th First Round 2012–13 3 Liga III (Seria III) 13th First Round 2011–12 3 Liga III (Seria II) 10th Fourth Round 2010–11 3 Liga III (Seria II) 7th Third Round 2009–10 3 Liga III (Seria II) 9th —

References

1. "Revelația CS Tunari se pregătește la Ciuta" [Revelation CS Tunari is prepared at Ciuta] (in Romanian). liga2.prosport.ro. 9 February 2010. Archived from the original on 31 August 2024. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
2. "Poliția din Balș a declanșat ancheta de la meciul cu CS Tunari, după ce a fost alertată de oficialii oltenilor" [Balș Police also launched an investigation involving the match against CS Tunari, after being notified by Oltenian officials] (in Romanian). libertatea.ro. 30 January 2014. Archived from the original on 3 October 2023. Retrieved 18 November 2019.
3. "Arsenal de România, în Tunari. Vezi cum își poate găsi liniștea Gigi Becali!" [Arsenal of Romania, in Tunari. See how Gigi Becali could find his peace!] (in Romanian). sport.ro. 9 October 2009.
4. "Nițoi a preluat Tunariul!" [Nițoi took over Tunari!] (in Romanian). liga2.prosport.ro. 6 July 2010. Archived from the original on 31 August 2024. Retrieved 31 August 2024.
5. "Tunariul se reuneşte pe 5 cu Ionuț Voicu principal" [Tunari reunites on the 5th with Ionuț Voicu as main] (in Romanian). ilfovsport.ro. 29 June 2011. Archived from the original on 26 January 2025. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
6. "Tunariul vrea un nou start în 2013" [Tunari wants a fresh start in 2013] (in Romanian). ilfovsport.ro. 21 December 2012. Archived from the original on 26 January 2025. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
7. "Cu Florin Bratu pe bancă, Tunariul a obținut primul punct în acest sezon" [With Florin Bratu on the bench, Tunari got its first point this season] (in Romanian). frf.ro. 6 July 2016. Archived from the original on 26 January 2025. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
8. "Fotbalul mic. Florin Bratu a zburat de la Tunari. S-a supărat că nu i-au fost aduși jucători" [Small football. Florin Bratu flew from Tunari. He upset that no players were brought to him] (in Romanian). frf.ro. 16 October 2015. Archived from the original on 26 January 2025. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
9. "Vacanță la Tunari. Odoroabă sună adunarea în Iulie" [Vacation at Tunari. Odoroabă calls the assembly in July] (in Romanian). ilfovsport.ro. 1 July 2018. Archived from the original on 26 January 2025. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
10. "Ștefan Odoroabă s-a despărțit de CS Tunari și îi va fi "secund" lui Eusebiu Tudor la o echipă din Arabia Saudită" [Ștefan Odoroabă has left CS Tunari and will be Eusebiu Tudor's "second" at a team in Saudi Arabia] (in Romanian). liga2.prosport.ro. 15 March 2022. Archived from the original on 26 January 2025. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
11. "CS Tunari a numit înlocuitorul lui Odoroabă chiar înainte de startul play-off-ului Ligii 3. Marcel Abăluță a preluat echipa ilfoveană" [CS Tunari named Odoroabă's replacement just before the start of the League 3 play-offs. Marcel Abăluță took over the Ilfov team] (in Romanian). liga2.prosport.ro. 29 March 2022. Archived from the original on 26 January 2025. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
12. "Valentin Negru, prezentat la un club cu pretenții de promovare în Liga 2" [Valentin Negru, presented to a club with promotion claims in Liga 2] (in Romanian). gsp.ro. 29 June 2022. Archived from the original on 26 January 2025. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
13. "CS Tunari atacă promovarea în Liga 2 cu un nou antrenor. Liderul Seriei 4 din Liga 3 l-a prezentat: "E omul potrivit pentru atingerea obiectivului"" [CS Tunari attacks promotion to Liga 2 with a new coach. The leader of Series 4 in Liga 3 introduced him: "He is the right man to achieve the goal"] (in Romanian). gsp.ro. 18 January 2023. Archived from the original on 26 January 2025. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
14. "Salve de tun la marginea Bucureștiului! CS Tunari a promovat în premieră și mărește din nou numărul echipelor din Ilfov în Liga 2. "Am sperat, am luptat până la capăt, am crezut în noi până la final". De ce se autointitulează Arsenal" [Cannon salutes on the outskirts of Bucharest! CS Tunari promoted for the first time and again increases the number of teams from Ilfov in Liga 2. "We hoped, we fought until the end, we believed in ourselves until the end". Why they call themselves Arsenal] (in Romanian). liga2.prosport.ro. 7 June 2023. Archived from the original on 26 January 2025. Retrieved 26 January 2025.
15. "Acasă din retur. CS Tunari revine în primăvară pe gazonul propriu" [Back home. CS Tunari returns in the spring on the grass of its own stadium] (in Romanian). ilfovsport.ro. 1 November 2017. Archived from the original on 31 March 2022. Retrieved 19 November 2019.
16. "La Tunari au început lucrările de modernizare a suprafeței de joc a stadionului de fotbal" [Work has begun on modernizing the playing surface of the football stadium in Tunari] (in Romanian). prosport.ro. 3 December 2023. Archived from the original on 12 March 2024. Retrieved 12 March 2024.

External links

• CS Tunari at soccerway.com
• CS Tunari at liga2.prosport.ro
• CS Tunari on Facebook