Origins and early encounters Petrolul Ploiești was founded in 1924 in
Bucharest under the name Juventus, following the merger of Triumf and Romcomit, and initially played its home matches at
Romcomit Stadium.
Rapid București, originally known as CFR București, was established a year earlier, in 1923, by workers from the
Grivița railway workshops. The two clubs first met competitively on 1 November 1931, in the Bucharest regional championship, with the match ending in a 3–3 draw. Following
World War II, both clubs underwent multiple name changes as a result of political reorganization under Romania’s communist regime. In 1952, Juventus, by then known as Flacăra București, was relocated approximately 60 kilometres north to
Ploiești. only for Petrolul to respond the following season with a 6–0 victory at the same venue. Both results remain among the most notable in the history of the fixture. During the
1965–66 season, the two clubs were again direct competitors for the championship. Coached by
Constantin Cernăianu, Petrolul secured the league title, finishing ahead of Rapid. A decisive moment came in a 1–0 home victory over Rapid, with
Virgil Dridea scoring directly from a corner kick, a goal that proved crucial in Petrolul’s title-winning campaign. Rapid claimed its first championship the following season, aided by a crucial 0–0 draw away to Petrolul in
Ploiești, highlighted by a strong performance from goalkeeper
Rică Răducanu. The match is also remembered for the large number of Rapid supporters who traveled to Ploiești, including folk singer
Ioana Radu, some of whom reportedly pledged to walk back to
Bucharest should Rapid secure the title. Despite the loss, Petrolul finished two points ahead and secured promotion, while Rapid returned to the top flight a year later, again under Stănescu. Both clubs later re-established themselves in the first division, with Petrolul promoted in
1988–89 and Rapid in
1989–90. Each also returned to European competition after long absences: Petrolul faced
Anderlecht in the
1990–91 UEFA Cup, while Rapid played
Internazionale Milano in the
1993–94 UEFA Cup. (Rapid) and
Gheorghe Leahu (Petrolul) during the 1995 Romanian Cup final A major milestone in the rivalry occurred in the final of the
1995 Cupa României, where Petrolul won their second Romanian Cup after defeating Rapid on penalties. The match proved controversial: Petrolul led through
Claudiu Andreicuț before Rapid equalized via
Iulian Chiriță, whose goal appeared to be offside. Although allegations of refereeing bias later circulated, these claims were never substantiated and remain part of supporter folklore.
Decline, bankruptcy and revival (2000s–present) The early 2000s saw both clubs competing in the top division until Petrolul’s relegation at the end of the
2003–04 season. The decade represented one of the most successful periods in Rapid’s history, as the club won the
2002–03 league title, three Romanian Cups, three Romanian Supercups, and reached the quarter-finals of the
2005–06 UEFA Cup. During this period, encounters between the two clubs were largely dominated by Rapid. Petrolul spent several seasons in the
second division before returning to the top flight in
2010–11. The club enjoyed renewed success by winning the
2013 Romanian Cup. However, both teams soon encountered severe financial difficulties, culminating in declarations of bankruptcy in 2016, which temporarily halted the rivalry. Both clubs were subsequently re-founded and began rebuilding. In October 2019, they met again in the second division, with Rapid winning 1–0. Rapid returned to
Liga I in
2020–21, followed by Petrolul a year later, restoring the Primvs derby to the top tier of Romanian football. == Honours ==