Early years of football (1919–1950) Dacia Brăila was founded in 1919 around the same time as another local team, Unirea. Until 1928, when the two clubs merged to form Dacia Unirea, each competed separately in the regional championship. In November 1929 Dacia Unirea had the following base team: Padimatopol (Căpreanu), Stanciu, Vasiliu, Leo (Săvulescu), Fritz, Grigoriou, Anastasios, Leșu, I. Goldenberg, Teodorescu (Frătescu, Cavada, Geller, Munteanu). In the 1929–30 season the team won the regional tournament and qualified for the national championship tournament. In the quarter-finals they were eliminated by
Juventus București, the team that won the championship that year. Dacia Unirea later played in
Divizia B between 1934–1937 and 1938–1940, and in
Divizia A in
1937–38 and
1940–41. During this period, the club underwent several name changes: DUIG (Dacia Unirea Ignatz Goldenberg) in 1937, Dacia Unirea in 1938, and FC Brăila in 1940. During the war, the team competed in the Cupa Eroilor. After the war, it reverted to its traditional name Dacia Unirea, participating for one season in Divizia C in
1946–47 before disappearing from all divisional levels. Some notable players from this era include I. Goldenberg, N. Stanciu, Hagiopol, Saramet, Weiss, Cavadia, Bonațiu, V. Pop, Negrescu, Drăghicescu, Pascalide, and D. Stanciu.
Hard times (1950–1965) After the
nationalization of 1948,
Întreprinderile Metalurgice Dunărene () of David Goldenberg, which had supported Dacia Unirea since the interwar period, became state-owned, and the football club was re‑established in 1950 as Metalul Brăila, and over the following years went through several administrative and name changes. In the 1950 season, Metalul Brăila won the
Brăila County Championship and qualified for the South Sector promotion play-off, defeating, one by one, Spartac Călărași, Spartac Buzău, and
Locomotiva PCA Constanța before losing the final to
Steagul Roșu Orașul Stalin. The
following year, Metalul claimed the Galați Regional Championship after the teams from the former
Brăila County were included in the
Galați Region following the administrative and territorial reorganization of the country at the end of 1950. However, after defeating CSA Tecuci in the second round, the team lost promotion to Flamura Roșie Bacău in a three-match series (0–2, 2–0, 1–2). In the
1952 season, Metalul again won the
Galați Regional Championship, eliminating
Dinamo Bârlad and
Locomotiva Pașcani, but lost in the third round to
Dinamo Bacău after another three-match series. At the end of the season, however, the Romanian Football Federation decided to increase the number of promoted teams, as the two series of
Divizia B were expanded from 12 to 16 clubs, and the third-round losers were also promoted. Thus, Metalul entered Divizia B, competing in Series I in the
1953 season, where it finished last but avoided relegation due to another expansion of the second division. In the
1954 season, Metalul was assigned to Series III, once again finishing in last place and being relegated to the regional championship. After the
1955 campaign, the team returned to the newly re-established
Divizia C, ranking 11th in Series II at the end of the
1956 season and subsequently ceding its place in the third division to Dinamo Brăila. Following another name change, this time to Industria Sârmei Brăila, the club won the
1957–58 Galați Regional Championship and earned promotion to Divizia C, where it finished 4th in Series II during the
1958–59 season before returning once again to the regional championship due to Divizia C being shut down. Renamed CSM Brăila (Club Sportiv Muncitoresc Brăila – Brăila Workers’ Sports Club) in 1959, the team finished 1st in Series II, winning the
1959–60 Galați Regional Championship after defeating
Știința Galați in the final (1–1 away, 3–1 at home), and subsequently earned promotion to Divizia B by winning Group IV of the promotion play-off tournament held in Bucharest, ahead of Steaua Roșie Bacău, Penicilina Iași, and Unirea Botoșani. The squad included Lungu, Bălan, Broscățeanu, Vasilache, Popescu, Boboc, Leșu, Gh. Vasile, Bogdan, Coteț, and Novac. In Divizia B, CSM Brăila competed in Series I, finishing 6th at the end of the
1960–61 season. After being taken over by the municipality and renamed CSO Brăila (Club Sportiv Orășenesc Brăila), the club was ranked 7th in the
1961–62 season. In 1963, Laminorul Brăila, the team of the local metallurgical enterprise, earned promotion to
Divizia C and was subsequently merged into Progresul, competing in the
1963–64 season under the name Laminorul, winning Series I of the third division and securing promotion to Divizia B. After changing its name to Constructorul Brăila in 1964, the club finished 6th in Series I of Divizia B in the
1964–65 season.
Dacia Unirea, ascension (1965–1994) Constructorul continued to compete in Series I of the
second division, and after a poor run of results, coach Alexandru Dumitriu was replaced by Nicolae Stanciu in the first half of the season, while the club was renamed Progresul Brăila during the winter break, eventually finishing 6th in the
1965–66 campaign. This was followed by an unexpected relegation at the end of the
1966–67 season, after finishing in 13th place under Ion Broscățeanu. Nevertheless, Progresul managed to reach the Round of 32 in the
Cupa României, where it lost 0–1 to
Rapid București. In the
1967–68 season, Progresul finished as runners‑up in the South Series of
Divizia C and returned to
Divizia B after topping Group I in the promotion/relegation play‑offs held in Brașov, ahead of
Chimia Râmnicu Vâlcea, Gloria Bârlad, and Victoria Roman. The squad, led by coach Angelo Economu, comprised Rădoi, State, Buterez, Teodorescu, Cazan, Iuhasz, Gheorghiță, Ionescu, Urmeș, Balaban, Turcu, Iancu,
Ciupitu, Oprea, and Stoian. Progresul also reached the Round of 32 of the
Cupa României for the second consecutive year, this time losing 1–4 to
Dinamo Bacău. The team that succeeded to bring Brăila back to the
Divizia A, after half a century, in 1990, had the following players:I. Dinu, C Brătianu,
V. Brătianu, V. Darie, Gh. Negoiță, Cristea Rusu, M. Sandu, M. Anton, A. Marin, Muscă, N. Pascu, M. Petrache, N. Rădulescu, A. Stamate, Titirișcă, Cujbă, Drăgoi, E. Popescu, Vio. Radu, M. Săvescu,
M. Ivan. Coach:
Bujor Hălmageanu. In the 1992–93 season the team qualified in the
Cupa României final (its best performance so far), coach
Ioan Sdrobiș (who came at half season to replace
Gheorghe Mulțescu) had at his service the following players: C. Brătianu I, Hăisan, Nicoloff – G. Baciu,
Adrian Baldovin,
Vasile Brătianu, Vasile Darie, Gh. Negoiță,
Tudorel Pelin, Sandu Minciu – Burleanu, Drăgoi, Jica, M. Lazăr, Matincă, Măstăcan, M. Petrache, Titirișcă – Cujbă, Dochia, C. Luca, Marcadonatu, Mașcu,
Arben Minga,
Marius Șumudică. Coaches who were in charge of the team worth mentioning: I. Economu,
Viorel Mateianu,
Ionel Iuga,
Dumitru Nicolae "Nicușor", C. Oțet,
Dumitru Dumitriu III,
V. Dridea II. Special merits go to committed chairmen who obtained great results in charge of the club, especially to
Octavian Ulman.
Decline of football (1994–2006) Four years after the relegations from the
Divizia A came that from the
Divizia B (in 1999), the tear between the club and
Insula Mare a Brăilei (its main sponsor) having disastrous consequences. Actually, prior to that, the main event that triggered the fall happened during the 1994–95 season. Fighting at the time with
Selena Bacău for the promotion to the
Divizia A, the team from
Brăila was stopped by a corruption case at a game with
FC Politehnica Iaşi, in which, in exchange for a sum of money, the team from
Dealul Copoului should have conceded the game. The case was highly mediated, ending up with arrests, Ilie Trifina (Dacia Unirea's competition organiser) and Leonard Cănănău (journalist from
Iași, ex football player). Dacia Unirea ended up with an 8-point penalty, and being forbidden to participate at the qualification knock-out for the promotion to the
Divizia A. The team succeeded to make a comeback to the
Divizia B in 2001.
Reformation (2006–2015) At the end of the
2006–07 CF Brăila was relegated to the
Liga III. Their best performance during this period was the acceding to the
Cupa României quarter-finals in the 2004–2005 season, where they lost to
Dinamo București 1–0 at
Stadionul Dinamo and 2–0 at
Stadionul Municipal. In the round of 32, Dacia Unirea won against
Rapid București (coached at the time by
Răzvan Lucescu) at
Stadionul Municipal, goal scored by
Romeo Buteseacă and in the round of 16, they passed by
Unirea Alba Iulia with 2–0, goals scored by Romeo Buteseacă and Cristian Dicu. Players who had a great contribution to this performance, among others, are: Marius Mindileac, Iulian Olteanu;–
Laurențiu Ivan, Gheorghe Rădulescu, Valentin Stan, Victor Olenic,
Tudorel Pelin,
Nicolae Ciocea – Daniel Pleșa, Dumitru Horovei, Mihalache Basalîc, Cristian Dicu;–
Romeo Buteseacă,
Marius Matei, Paul Sorin Bogdan. We also have to mention
Bănel Nicoliță, who played at Dacia Unirea until 2004 and where he made his debut. The
2008–09 brought significant reorganisation, as the construction company Concivia became the owner of the club and appointed Mihai Ciobanu as head coach, with the objective of promotion to Liga II. However, due to poor results, Ciobanu was dismissed and replaced by Vasile Darie, who ultimately led the White and Blues to an 8th-place finish in Series II. The
2009–10 campaign began with high expectations. During the summer,
Gheorghe Mulțescu was appointed as an advisor on transfers, while several promising players were signed. At the halfway point of the season, Brăila was at the top of the table, competing with
Politehnica Iași II,
Petrotub Roman and
Panciu for promotion. Vasile Darie was replaced mid-season by
Daniel Timofte, and the team went on to win Series I and secure promotion to Liga II. Additionally, Nelu Bucă finished as the league’s top goalscorer with 25 goals. The squad comprised Mitrea, Anton, Botaș, Moldoveanu, Șerban, Gurguiatu,
Bosoi, Necoară, Nicolae, Oprea, Stănciulescu,
Pânzaru, Stăncioiu, Gh. Badea, Iosofache, Pascu, V. Gheorghe, Olenic, C. Tudor, Pungă, Cazan, Mustață, Bălan, Techiu, N. Bucă, Lupu, Panait, Ndigwe and Emekwue. Brăila started poorly the
2010–11 season, by being eliminated from the
Cupa României in the
Fourth Round by
Unirea Slobozia and by being last in the championship after five rounds, with only one point. After round five of the championship,
Gheorghe Bunea Stancu replaced
Daniel Timofte with
Liviu Ciobotariu., but brought Timofte back after round 10 of the championship, after the disaster at Piatra Neamţ, 0–4 with Ceahlăul, thus concluding Ciobotariu's charge in front of our club, and like Timofte, with only one point obtained in five matches. Timofte's return had no success, the club ranking last at the end of the first half of the championship, with only four points in 15 rounds. The second half of the championship was more productive, CF Brăila managing to raise 17 more points, totaling 21 in the end, but not enough to avoid relegation, finishing next to last in the
series. But all was not lost, because
Unirea Urziceni withdrew from the
2011–12 Liga II season, this meaning that our club could play in its place. CF Brăila had an excellent run in the first half of the
2011–12 Liga II, ranking 5th during the winter brake, just three points behind the second-placed team,
Săgeata Năvodari. It finished 6th at the end of the championship.
Return to Dacia Unirea name (2015–present) In 2015, the club decided to return to its first name, Dacia Unirea. ==Stadium==