The crowd erupted at the end of Friday night’s match against FCSB: thanks to a late FK goal, all three points stayed at home, making the objective of avoiding the relegation play-off more realistic than ever.

The crowd erupted at the end of Friday night’s match against FCSB: thanks to a late FK goal, all three points stayed at home, making the objective of avoiding the relegation play-off more realistic than ever.

As expected, packed stands welcomed the teams at the municipal stadium, where fans left not only with the memory of an exciting match but also with the experience of a historic night for football in Miercurea Ciuc, turning into a true celebration. The joy is even greater as the winning goal was scored not only by a player from the Székely Land, but by a homegrown footballer born in Miercurea Ciuc, who climbed the ranks with the team from county league to the Superliga: Attila Csürös headed the ball into the net of the most popular club in the country.

Before reaching the decisive goal in the 87th minute from a corner, both the stands and the bench experienced an emotional rollercoaster. In a fierce battle, the red-and-blacks fought with great determination, throwing themselves into every challenge and successfully neutralizing the attempts of their much more renowned opponents.

At the start, the visitors from Bucharest tried to take control: Miculescu’s free kick went wide, while Popescu and Olaru also threatened, but Pap remained solid throughout. In the 22nd minute, Dawa’s header hit the side netting, while at the other end Loeper and Bödő saw their efforts blocked.

Towards the end of the first half, FK grew braver: after a quick counterattack, Anderson delivered a great pass to Eppel, but the striker slipped and his left-footed shot was saved by Popa. Before halftime, João Paulo also tried from distance but missed the target.

The second half brought even more excitement. Veres’ header and long-range effort stirred the crowd, but the visitors responded as well: Popescu’s corner almost went straight in, but Pap made a brilliant save. Shortly after, Popa denied Eppel at the other end following a great through ball from Anderson.

As the final minutes approached, FK came under increasing pressure: Olaru tried several times, while Popescu’s powerful shot was pushed away spectacularly by Pap. The visitors dominated for long stretches, but the red-and-blacks held firm with heroic defending.

And just when a goalless draw seemed inevitable, the 87th minute arrived. After a left-side corner, Attila Csürös found himself in the perfect position and guided a header into the net – 1–0! The stadium exploded, and the remaining minutes were all about celebration.

After the final whistle, celebrations continued for long minutes. Only the memorable cup match against Dinamo can be compared in terms of atmosphere, when, as a third-division side, we eliminated another big-name club. While that was also a great celebration, from a sporting perspective Friday’s victory is the biggest success in FK Csíkszereda’s history. Well done, boys!

“It was a wonderful evening: for Miercurea Ciuc to defeat Romania’s champions and most popular team is a source of pride not only for the players but for the entire community,” said head coach Ilyés Róbert after the match. He also highlighted the incredible atmosphere created by the fans: “Hats off to the boys, they have written themselves into the city’s history, but it’s not over yet. We cannot relax, we are waiting for other results to achieve our goal of staying in the top division without a play-off.”

FK will next travel to Arad, where they face UTA next Friday at 18:00. If results elsewhere don’t decide matters earlier, we can secure survival without a play-off, and with a win we could move within one step of fighting for a Conference League qualifying spot.

Superliga, play-out, Round 7
FK Csíkszereda – FCSB 1–0 (0–0)
Miercurea Ciuc, Municipal Stadium, approx. 2,100 spectators

Referees: Vidican Rareș George, Cerei Alexandru, Corb Ioan Alexandru
VAR: Popa Sorin Cătălin, AVAR: Chivulete Andrei Florin
Fourth official: Marcu Claudiu

Goal: Csürös (87’)

Yellow cards: Anderson Ceará (37’), Csürös (41’), Szalay (66’), Bödő (90’)
respectively Radunović (37’), Thiam (90+2’)

FK Csíkszereda: Pap Eduard Adrian – Pászka Lóránd (Bloj Erwin 90’), Palmeș Raul Ioan, Csürös Attila (c), Trif Răzvan Alin – Végh Bence (Dusinszki Szabolcs 80’), Veres Szilárd, Bödő Zoltán Efraim (Bota Darius 90’), Anderson Ceará, Loeper Wilhelm (Szalay Szabolcs 65’) – Eppel Márton (Dolný Jozef 80’)
Head coach: Ilyés Róbert

FCSB: Popa Matei Alexandru – Crețu Valentin, Dawa Tchakonte Joyskim Aurélien, Tănase Florin Lucian, Miculescu David Raul (Stoian Alexandru Constantin 86’), Popescu Mihai, Moreira Fernandes João Paulo (Lixandru Mihai Daniel 74’), Olaru Darius Dumitru, Cisotti Juri (Thiam Mamadu 71’), Radunović Risto, Popescu Octavian George
Head coach: Filip Lucian Ionuț