Romanian football team Steaua Bucharest won their third consecutive title in Liga 1, the country’s top football league, on Thursday, May 29. This is also the club’s 26 Romanian league title.

Steaua is thus heading to make a historic treble, after having won the League Cup on May 21. The Bucharest club will play the Romanian Cup final on Saturday, against “U” Cluj.

Steaua managed to get only a draw (0-0) in their last match of the season, away, at CSMS Iasi. However they remained on top of the league, as the main contenders, ASA Targu Mures, lost their home game against already relegated Otelul Galati (1-2).

Otelul, a former Liga 1 champion in the 2010-2011 season, relegated due to financial problems. However, they wanted to go down in style and managed to steal the victory from the Targu Mures squad in the last minutes of the match.

ASA Targu Mures has been this season’s revelation, as it only promoted into the top league last year. The team from Transylvania managed to come bank from 13 points behind Steaua at mid-season, and even got in front of the Bucharest team after a direct victory, just five rounds before the end of the season.

Steaua didn’t have an easy season. With its owner Gigi Becali in jail, Steaua lost its brand in court and had to change its logo. The club also had a difficult relationship with its fans.

However, Becali, who recently got out of jail, said he planned to bring 5-6 new players to the club, “the best in Liga 1”, and to build another competitive team for UEFA Champions League.

He may also name another manager for the team, as Constantin Galca’s contract ends after the cup final. His favorite for the job is former Steaua captain Mirel Radoi, who’s ready to end his career as a footballer in Qatar and return to the club. Radoi, who used to be one of Steaua fans’ favorites, has no coaching experience however.

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editor@romania-insider.com