Date: Thursday, January 30 2025
Kickoff Time: 2000 Hrs GMT
Venue: Arena Națională, Bucharest, Romania
Europa League Standings And Form Guide
4. Manchester United: DWWWW
8. FCSB: LWDDW
Previous Europa League Meetings
N/A
All-Time Europa League Record
Manchester United wins:
FCSB wins:
Draws:
Pre-Match Pressers
Rúben Amorim
Elias Charalambous
Team News
Manchester United
Jonny Evans, Luke Shaw and Mason Mount ruled out. Manuel Ugarte doubtful.
FCSB
Darius Olaru, Mihai Lixandru and Octavian Popescu doubtful.
Know The Opposition
Fotbal Club FCSB (formerly named and still sometimes referred to as FC Steaua București) is a Romanian professional football club based in Bucharest. ASA București (Asociația Sportivă a Armatei București – "Army Sports Association") was founded on 7 June 1947 at the initiative of several officers of the Romanian Royal House. The establishment took place following a decree signed by General Mihail Lascăr, High Commander of the Romanian Royal Army. It was formed as a sports society with seven initial sections, including football.
In 1949, CSCA won its first trophy, the Cupa României, defeating CSU Cluj 2–1 in the final. Under the name of CCA, the club managed to win three Championship titles in a row in 1951, 1952 and 1953, along with its first Championship–Cup double in 1951. During the 1950s, the so-called "CCA Golden Team" became nationally famous. Under the leadership of coaches Emerich Jenei and Anghel Iordănescu, Steaua had an impressive Championship run in the 1984–85 season, which they eventually won after a six-year break. What followed was a landmark European Cup season. After eliminating Vejle, Honvéd, Kuusysi Lahti and Anderlecht, they were the first ever Romanian team to make it to a European Cup final. At the final, played at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium in Seville, Spanish champions Barcelona were clear favourites, but after a goalless draw, Helmut Duckadam saved all four penalties to make Steaua the first Eastern-European team to conquer the supreme continental trophy.
In 1998, the football department and its facilities were separated from the latter and taken over by a group of shareholders in a post-Ceaușescu privatisation scheme, leading to one of the shareholders acquiring full ownership five years later. However, CSA Steaua București has been in conflict with the football club since 2011, claiming that it was a new and separate entity; this resulted in multiple court cases and the forced change of the name from FC Steaua București to FC FCSB in early 2017.
Domestically, when taken together with the disputed pre-2003 honours, the club has won the Liga I 27 times, Cupa României 24 times, Cupa Ligii two times, and Supercupa României seven times—all competition records. Internationally, they have won the European Cup and European Super Cup, both in 1986. They reached the European Cup final once again in 1989, when they were defeated by AC Milan. Throughout their history, the Roș-albaștrii also played the final of the Intercontinental Cup, the quarter-finals of the European Cup Winners' Cup, and the semi-finals of the UEFA Cup.
The club has a long-standing rivalry with neighbouring Dinamo București, with matches between the two being commonly referred to as the "Eternal derby" or the "Romanian derby". Another notable rivalry is the one against Rapid București, while several milder ones are disputed against teams outside the capital, including a recent one against CFR Cluj that commenced because of the title competitions these teams fought in the 21st century. FCSB's home ground is Arena Națională, having moved here from the Ministry of National Defence-owned Stadionul Ghencea.
Referee
Harm Osmers.
Familiar Faces
N/A.
