University of Craiova Clinches Romanian Title, Ends 35-Year Drought

The University of Craiova has been crowned the new champions of Romania, winning their third title in history, following those in 1981 and 1991. Under the guidance of Portuguese coach Filipe Coelho, the team has achieved remarkable success, putting an end to a 35-year drought.

The coach and players are true heroes in Craiova, with the city council deciding to honor them as honorary citizens of Craiova. This evening at 19:30, the players and technical staff will parade through the city center in an open bus to present the trophies to the fans in "Mihai Viteazul" Square.

Portuguese press has highlighted the success of Filipe Coelho, noting that he took over the team mid-season after Mirel Rădoi's departure. Coelho has become the third Portuguese coach to win the Romanian league, following Antonio Conceição and Jorge Costa’s successes with CFR Cluj.

The title was secured with a resounding 5-0 victory against their main rival, University of Cluj, with just one game left. This decisive triumph allowed the team to achieve a much-coveted double, shortly after winning the Romanian Cup against the same opponent.

The club has broken a long-standing drought, celebrating their first title since 1991, making it the fifth trophy in their history. This represents a dream season for Filipe Coelho, who has celebrated his first two titles as head coach after working for eight years as the assistant to Paulo Bento in national teams of South Korea and the United Arab Emirates.

On the field, Palestinian striker Al Hamlawi was the star of the match, scoring twice in the decisive victory, complemented by goals from Matei, Mekvabishvili, and Băsceanu.