Universitatea Craiova, a second division football team in Romania could be the first football team in the country listed on the Stock Exchange, or at least this is the plan of the new investors in the team. But things may get more complicated down the line, as a former investor in the team also claims ownership.

With a newly signed contract between the Craiova city hall, which owns the Craiova Stadium, and Clubul Sportiv „Universitatea” on the one hand, and Blue Lions Capital, on the other hand, the football team should get a EUR 1.5 million investment in a first phase. The amount will come from a sponsor, George Brăiloiu of KDF Energy, as well as from the main investors in the football team project.

The group of investors, via Blue Lion Capital, also plan to list the football club on the Bucharest Stock Exchange sometime next year, using the model of Borussia Dortmund, which is also listed on the stock exchange, according to Laviniu Beze, shareholder in Blue Lion Capital. Beze, who is also the president of the Association of Stock Market Investors in Romania, holds 5 percent in Blue Lion Capital, while Adrian Andrici is the majority shareholder, with 95 percent.

Via the contract signed with the Craiova City Hall, the team will be allowed to use the brand and track record of the football team, as well as use the stadium Ion Oblemenco in Craiova. The situation of the Universitatea Craiova football team is however not crystal clear. Two years ago, Adrian Mititelu, the then financier of Universitatea Craiova team, lost the affiliation to the local Football Federation, and he has been fighting the Craiova city hall and the Football Federation ever since, over the brand and track record of the team.

After withdrawing Mititelu's team's affiliation, the Football Federation gave the city hall the right to register a new team in the second division, using the same brand and the track record until the late 90s, and this is the team subject to the new deal with the investors at Blue Lion Capital. It is yet uncertain whether the city hall or the previous investor, Adrian Mititelu are the legal owners of the team.  Universitatea Craiova was sold to private investors in the late 90s, and later bought by Mititelu, who also recently presented a team and technical staff of his FC Universitatea Craiova, trying to get back the affiliation to the Romanian Football Federation.

editor@romania-insider.com