CSU Dunărea de Jos Galați

The team was founded in 1953 as a football section within the multi-sports club Știința Galați, which was founded in 1951 with the establishment of the Institute of Naval Mechanics.{{cite web|url=http://www.csu.ugal.ro/images/organizare.pdf|title=Istoric|language=ro|trans-title=History|publisher=csu.ugal.ro|accessdate=23 February 2025|archive-date=23 February 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250223123952/http://www.csu.ugal.ro/images/organizare.pdf|url-status=live}}

Știința initially competed in the Galați Regional Championship, finishing 7th in the 1953 season and becoming the University Champion of the country in the same year. The students were promoted to Divizia C after finishing 2nd in the 1955 season.

In the third division, Știința ranked 5th in Series I in both the 1956 and 1957–58 seasons and 8th in the 1958–59 season, returning to the Galați Regional Championship after the dissolution of Divizia C in the summrer of 1959.

In the 1959–60 season, Știința won Series I of the Galați Regional Championship but lost the championship final against CSM Brăila, 2–4 on aggregate (1–1 at home and 1–3 away).

In the 1960–61 season, Știința won Series II and the championship final of the Regional Championship against Marina Brăila, the Series I winner, 5–1 on aggregate (3–1 away and 2–0 at home), qualified for the promotion play-off, and secured promotion to Divizia B after finishing 1st in Group I, held in Râmnicu Vâlcea. The squad led by I. Iovicin was composed of Bulancea, Dan, Morcovescu, Dumitru, Curt, Vlăsceanu, Lupea, Șerbănescu, Coman, Fălcuțescu, Păun, Voicu II, Zgardan, Venturini, Bădulescu, and Voicu I.{{cite web|url=https://www.bibliotecadeva.ro/periodice/sportulpop/1961/07/sportul_popular_1961_07_3863.pdf|title=Știința Galați, Ceahlăul Piatra Neamț, C.F.R. Arad, Carpați Sinaia și I.R.A.Tg. Mureș s-au calificat în Categoria B|language=ro|trans-title=Știința Galați, Ceahlăul Piatra Neamț, C.F.R. Arad, Carpați Sinaia and I.R.A.Tg. Mureș qualified to Category B|accessdate=23 February 2025|publisher=Sportul Popular|date=24 July 1961|page=3|via=bibliotecadeva.eu|archive-date=6 January 2024|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240106182024/http://www.bibliotecadeva.eu/periodice/sportulpop/1961/07/sportul_popular_1961_07_3863.pdf|url-status=live}}{{Cite book|title=Fotbal de la A la Z|first1=Mihai|last1=Ionescu|first2=George|last2=Tudoran|page=114-115|publisher=Editura Sport-Turism|year=1984}}

In the second division, Știința competed in Series I and finished 7th in its first season, 8th in the 1962–63 season, 12th in the 1963–64 season, and 5th in the 1964–65 season. In 1965, Știința gave up its place in Divizia B to Oțelul Galați.{{cite web|url=http://echipedetraditie.ro/in-galati-apare-otelul/|title=În Galați apare Oțelul|publisher=echipedetraditie.ro|access-date=7 July 2019|archive-date=7 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190707102107/http://echipedetraditie.ro/in-galati-apare-otelul/|url-status=dead}}

In 1967, the club was refounded under the name Politehnica Galați and took over the place of Siderurgistul Galați in Divizia B. Finishing 2nd in the 1967–68 season, the team participated in the promotion play-off to Divizia A held in Timișoara, where it finished last. The squad included players such as Iorgulescu, Enache, Pac, Costache, Dima, Diaconu, Stancu, Velea, Mureșan, Lehăduș, Adam, Bretan, Cojocaru, Neagu, and Stătescu.

The students remained in the promotion race for two more seasons, finishing 2nd in the 1968–69 season and 3rd the following season. In the 1970–71 season, under Vasile Stancu and later Dragoș Cojocaru, Politehnica finished 14th, avoiding relegation on goal difference. Cojocaru led the team to 4th place in the 1971–72 season.

In 1972, the club changed its name to CSU Galați. In the 1972–73 season, it ranked last but was spared relegation due to the expansion of the second division. It finished 11th in the 1973–74 season and 10th in 1974–75.

In the 1975–76 season, CSU Galați finished 4th and achieved the best performance in its history, reaching the final of the Cupa României as a second-division team. Along the way, it eliminated CFR Cluj (1–0), Jiul Petroșani (1–0), ASA Târgu Mureș (2–0), and Universitatea Craiova (1–0), before losing 0–1 to Steaua București. The squad, led by Ion Zaharia, included Gheorghe Tănase, Andrei Pasquale, Mihai Olteanu, Iosif Marta, Daniel Șarpe, Florin Păunescu, Mihail Bejenaru, Octavian Georgescu, Valentin Kramer, Petre Marinescu, Dobre, Teodor Cotigă, and Ene.

Because Steaua also won the Divizia A title that year, CSU Galați represented Romania in the 1976–77 European Cup Winners' Cup, where it was eliminated by Portuguese side Boavista Porto.{{cite web|url=https://www.viata-libera.ro/sport/2200-boavista-ne-a-vizitat-in-%E2%80%9976|date=27 September 2011|title=Boavista ne-a vizitat în '76|trans-title=Boavista visited us in '76|language=ro|publisher=viata-libera.ro|access-date=3 August 2019|archive-date=3 August 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190803143354/https://www.viata-libera.ro/sport/2200-boavista-ne-a-vizitat-in-%25E2%2580%259976|url-status=live}}

In the 1976–77 season, led by Ion Zaharia in the first half and Dumitru Comșa in the second, the students finished 7th in Series I and reached the Round of 16 in the Cupa României, where they lost to top-tier SC Bacău, 1–1 and 2–3 on penalties. In the 1977–78 season, under Cornel Simionescu, the team finished 16th and was relegated to Divizia C. Competing in Series III, CSU Galați finished 2nd in 1978–79 and returned to Divizia B at the end of the 1979–80 season, after winning the series under coach Ion Zaharia.

In Divizia B, the team finished 11th in the 1980–81 season and 15th in 1981–82, relegating once again. In 1982, CSU Galați merged with FCM Galați to form Dunărea CSU Galați.

In the summer of 2017, CSU Galați was refounded,{{Cite web|url=https://www.viata-libera.ro/sport/94198-s-a-infiintat-oficial-o-noua-echipa-de-fotbal-in-galati|title=O nouă echipă de fotbal în Galați|language=ro|trans-title=A new football team in Galați|date=22 August 2017|publisher=viata-libera.ro|access-date=7 July 2019|archive-date=7 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190707112312/https://www.viata-libera.ro/sport/94198-s-a-infiintat-oficial-o-noua-echipa-de-fotbal-in-galati|url-status=live}}{{in lang|ro}}{{Cite web|url=https://presagalati.ro/a-fost-relansata-echipa-de-fotbal-a-universitatii-dunarea-de-jos-noua-csu-va-evolua-in-liga-a-iv-a/|title=A fost relansată echipa de fotbal a Universității "Dunărea de Jos"|language=ro|trans-title=The football team of the "Dunărea de Jos" University has been relaunched|date=21 August 2017|publisher=presagalati.ro}} and after two seasons in Liga IV – Galați County, it was promoted to Liga III.{{Cite web|url=https://adevarul.ro/locale/galati/o-universitate-dinromania-echipa-fotbal-liga-iii-a-este-solutia-eleviipasionati-fotbal-stiinta-1_5d121f22892c0bb0c6c83344/index.html|title=O Universitate din România are echipă de fotbal în Liga a III-a|language=ro|trans-title=A Romanian University has a football team in Liga III|date=25 June 2019|publisher=viata-libera.ro|access-date=7 July 2019|archive-date=2 July 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190702092600/https://adevarul.ro/locale/galati/o-universitate-dinromania-echipa-fotbal-liga-iii-a-este-solutia-eleviipasionati-fotbal-stiinta-1_5d121f22892c0bb0c6c83344/index.html|url-status=live}} In 2020, during the winter break, CSU Galați withdrew from Liga III and was dissolved again.{{Cite web|url=https://www.viata-libera.ro/sport/143165-si-au-oprit-antrenamentele,-o-echipa-galateana-se-retrage-din-liga-3|title=S-a oficializat retragerea din Liga 3 a uneia dintre echipele gălățene|language=ro|trans-title=The withdrawal from Liga 3 of one of the Galați teams has been made official|date=5 March 2020|publisher=viata-libera.ro|access-date=24 February 2025|archive-date=25 January 2025|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20250125160048/https://www.viata-libera.ro/sport/143165-si-au-oprit-antrenamentele,-o-echipa-galateana-se-retrage-din-liga-3|url-status=live}}

Liga II

• Runners-up (2): 1967–68, 1968–69

Liga III

• Winners (1): 1979–80
• Runners-up (1): 1978–79

Liga IV – Galați County

• Winners (2): 2017–18, 2018–19

Galați Regional Championship

• Winners (1): 1960–61
• Runners-up (1): 1955

Cupa României

• Runners-up (1): 1975–76

Cupa României – Galați County

• Winners (2): 2017–18, 2018–19

European Cup Winners' Cup

• UEFA Cup Winners' Cup
• First round (1) : 1976–77

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• Ion Zaharia (1964–1965)
• Ion Zaharia (1966–1967)
• Petre Rădulescu (1967–1970)
• Ion Zaharia (1972–1977)

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{{see also|Romanian football league system}}

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• {{facebook|ACS-Universitatea-Dunarea-de-Jos-din-Galati-135152943779266/}}

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Category:Defunct football clubs in Romania

Category:Football clubs in Galați County

Category:Association football clubs established in 1953

Category:Association football clubs disestablished in 2020

Category:Liga II clubs

Category:Liga III clubs

Category:Liga IV clubs

Category:University and college association football clubs

Category:1953 establishments in Romania

Category:2020 disestablishments in Romania

Category:Sport in Galați