Minerul Motru

Full name	Clubul Sportiv Minerul Motru
Nickname(s)	Minerii (The Miners) Alb-Negrii (The White and Blacks)
Short name	Minerul
Founded	1962; 62 years ago (1962) as Minerul Horăști 2021; 3 years ago (2021) (refounded)
Ground	Minerul
Capacity	5,000
Owner	Motru Municipality
Chairman	Mihai Cernica
Manager	Ovidiu Zamta
League	Liga IV
2023–24	Liga IV, Gorj County, 8th of 14
Home colours Away colours Third colours

Clubul Sportiv Minerul Motru, commonly known as Minerul Motru is a Romanian amateur football club based in Motru, Gorj County, currently playing in the Liga IV – Gorj County, the fourth tier of the Romanian football league system.

The club was founded in 1962 and enjoyed its most successful period in the second division, playing no less than seventeen seasons between 1973 and 2014. Its best finish came at the end of the 1982–83 and 1996–97 seasons, when it placed 4th.

The history of football in Motru traces back to 1962, when the initiative to form a football team was driven by Hariton Niculescu and Dumitru Dijmărescu, pioneers of the mining industry in the Motru Basin. Initially named Minerul Horăști, the club was based in the village of Însurăței (now part of Motru municipality), where the team members were housed.^[1][2]

The club's first president was Ion Crivăț, the Director of the Leurda Mine, and the team's first coach was Vasile Eordogh, who was also a player and included among others, Bogdan Oprea, Dumitru Pop, Emil Cîşu, Petre Tănase, Petre Hoară, Horațiu Cuțui and the Râbu brothers. The team first played in the Baia de Aramă District Championship and promoted to the Oltenia Regional Championship in 1964.

In 1966, along with the attestation of the city of Motru, the club changed its name to Minerul Motru. In the 1966–67 season, finishing 1st in the second series, Minerul won the Oltenia Region Championship in the final played against Progresul Goicea Mică, after three drawn matches, due to the younger average age of its players.

However, the Miners lost the promotion in front of Victoria Boboc, the Ploiești Region Championship winner, after eliminated in preliminary round Politehnica Brașov, the Brașov Region Championship winner.

The Miners reached Divizia C in 1968, finishing 2nd in the second series of the Oltenia Regional Championship. After five seasons in the third division, with rankings of 7th in the 1968–69 season, 12th in 1969–70—just one point above the relegation line—11th in 1970–71, and 4th in 1971–72, promotion to Divizia B was achieved at the end of the 1972–73 season.

The first season in Divizia B was tough; Minerul finished 15th out of 18, tied on points with Gaz Metan Mediaș, and was relegated back to Divizia C at goal difference.

However, the White and Blacks quickly returned to the second division, finishing 1st in the fourth series at the end of the 1974–75 season. Unfortunately, struggling to stay in Divizia B, Minerul ranked 15th once again in the following season, and were relegated back to the third division.

In the 1981–82 season, Minerul finished 1st in its series promoted to second division once again. The squad led by Titu Nicolicescu was composed from following players: Lupui, Anghel, Mircea Pruteanu, Bălan, Văduva, Nicolae Ciornoavă, Mirea, Ionel Catană, Cățan, Mihai Ghițulescu, Mircea Gașpar, Lazăr, Marcel Ploaie, Nicolae Laurențiu, Aspricioiu, Mircea Drăguț, Mihordea, Gutuie, Nicoloff, Dan Stoenac, Tudor Dobrică and Alecu.^[3]

Minerul competed in the second division for three consecutive seasons. In the 1982–83 season, the team finished a respectable 4th out of 18. However, in 1983–84, there was a slight decline, finishing 11th out of 18. Unfortunately, in the 1984–85 season, Minerul ended up in 18th place out of 18, resulting in relegation to the third division.

In the following three seasons in the third division, Minerul placed 8th in 1985–86 under the guidance of Constantin Oțet. The team narrowly missed promotion in 1986–87, finishing as runners-up just one point behind Gloria Reșița. Finally, in the 1987–88 season, Minerul secured 1st place, earning a return to Divizia B.

In the 1988–89 season, Minerul secured a 13th-place finish out of 18, successfully maintaining its status in the second division. The following season showed improvement, with Minerul climbing to a safer 9th-place position. However, in the 1990–91 season, Minerul faced significant challenges and finished in 17th place, which ultimately led to relegation back to Divizia C.

In the 1991–92 season, Minerul finished mid-table, securing 7th place in the ninth series of the third division. However, following a reorganization of the competitive system in the summer of 1992, the team was relegated to the Gorj County Championship.

After an unsuccessful promotion attempt in the 1992–93 season, club president Marcu Burtea decided to merge Minerul with third-division team Venus Lugoj through absorption, renaming the club Minerul Venus Motru. The club took Venus' place in the third division, finishing the 1993–94 season as runners-up in the fourth series of the third division.

In the 1994–95 season, Minerul won the third series of the third division under the guidance of Silviu Lung, earning a return to the second division.

Assigned to the second series, Minerul played four consecutive seasons in Divizia B. In the 1995–96 season, the team ended in 11th place, but showed improvement in the 1996–97 season, finishing 4th. The next two years saw consistent mid-table results, with 7th place in 1997–98 and 9th place in 1998–99. However, the 1999–2000 season proved difficult, and a last-place finish resulted in relegation to the third division.

Minerul finished as runners-up in the fifth series of Divizia C for two consecutive seasons. In the 2000–01 campaign, the team was tied on points with Internațional Pitești, narrowly missing out on promotion due to tiebreaker criteria. The following season, Minerul again came close, finishing just one point behind Gilortul Târgu Cărbunești.

In the 2002–03 season, Minerul finished second in the fifth series of Divizia C and earned promotion to Divizia B. Under the guidance of Gabriel Zahiu, the team reached the Round of 32 in the Cupa României, defeating second division sides Extensiv Craiova (1–1, 6–4 on penalties) and Gilortul Târgu Cărbunești (2–0), before being eliminated by first division side FCM Bacău following a 2–2 draw and a 5–6 defeat in the penalty shootout. The squad included players such as Antici, Ștefănică, Purcel, Ion Constantin, Mirea, Ploscariu, Emanuel Pătrașcu, George Bertea, Petre Gheorghe, Attila Soo, Alin Crișanov, Volocaru, Adrian Nueleanu and Paul Glișcă.

Minerul finished 10th of 16 (2003–04), 10th of 16 (2004–05), 11th of 16 (2005–06) and 10th of 12 (2013–14).

In the summer of 2016, after serious financial problems, the senior team was disbanded, but the club continue to exist at youth level.^[4]

In the summer of 2021, it was announced that the senior team of Minerul started again its activity, after 5 years.^[5]

Liga III

• Winners (7): 1972–73, 1974–75, 1981–82, 1987–88, 1994–95, 2001–02, 2012–13
• Runners-up (5): 1986–87, 1993–94, 2000–01, 2006–07, 2011–12

• Appearances in Liga II: 17
• Best finish in Liga II: 4th (1982–83, 1996–97)
• Best finish in Cupa României: Round of 32 (2002–03)

The footballers enlisted below have had international cap(s) for their respective countries at junior and/or senior level and/or more than 50 caps for CS Minerul Motru.