Steaua Bucharest Forced to Change Name after Court Case

Romania's giants Steaua Bucharest have changed their name to FCSB after a legal dispute with the country's Defense Ministry which founded the club, owner Gigi Becali told the website digisport.ro on Thursday.

Becali's move comes after a Bucharest appeals court ruled in December that the club could no longer use the name Steaua, which means 'star' in Romanian.

The former army club, founded in 1947, are Romania's most successful club having been domestic champions 26 times and European Cup winners in 1986, when they beat Barcelona in the final.

"Those who wish can continue to call the club Steaua, but the name is FCSB," Becali told the website.

Insisting that it remains the same club, he added: "Seven billion judges...the pope in Rome or Nato forces can be opposed to it but they can't change the facts."

In 2015 the club lost the right to play in their traditional Ghencea stadium.

At the end of 2016, the Defense Ministry announced plans to create a new team that would start out in the fourth division, but would call itself Steaua and use the same acronym.

Marius Lacatus, a former Romanian international and Steaua great who has also coached the club several times, was named as the coach of the new club.