Once a giant of Romanian football, FCSB now find themselves in unfamiliar territory. After nine rounds of the Romanian SuperLiga, the club sits far below expectations, hovering around the middle of the table rather than dictating the title race. For a club built on trophies, pressure, and history, this downturn raises uncomfortable but necessary questions.
What went wrong?
1. A Troubling Start That Set the Tone
Football has always taught us one cruel lesson: the season remembers how you begin. FCSB’s opening run was hesitant, disjointed, and costly. Dropped points against modest opposition immediately stripped the team of confidence and momentum. In a league where rhythm is everything, FCSB never truly found theirs.
2. Inefficiency in Front of Goal
The numbers tell a quiet but damning story. Chances are created, possession is often controlled — yet goals refuse to arrive. Clear opportunities are wasted, decisive moments slip away, and matches that should be won end in frustration. Over time, missed chances don’t just affect the scoreboard; they erode belief.
3. Defensive Fragility
Traditionally, successful Romanian teams are built on defensive discipline. This season, FCSB lack that familiar solidity. Individual mistakes, poor positioning, and lapses in concentration have turned manageable situations into conceded goals. When a defense loses its authority, the entire structure begins to tremble.
4. Injuries and Lack of Continuity
No team thrives on constant change. Key players have missed matches through injury or suspension, forcing repeated tactical adjustments. As a result, chemistry has suffered. Partnerships are broken before they mature, and the team often looks like a collection of individuals rather than a unified force.
5. The U21 Rule Dilemma
Romanian football’s U21 regulation has exposed a deeper issue within the squad. FCSB do not currently possess a young player who can naturally influence games at this level. Forced selections have sometimes weakened the team’s balance, creating the impression that FCSB are competing with an invisible handicap.
6. Mental Pressure and Expectations
At FCSB, pressure is never absent — but this season it feels heavier. Every draw feels like a defeat, every mistake amplified. When a club accustomed to dominance begins to doubt itself, hesitation replaces instinct. Footballers sense this weight, and it shows in their decision-making.
7. A Changing League Landscape
The SuperLiga is no longer forgiving. Rivals have grown stronger, more organized, more patient. Matches once won on reputation alone now demand intensity and clarity. FCSB are learning, perhaps painfully, that history no longer guarantees control.
Conclusion: A Season at a Crossroads
FCSB’s struggles are not the result of a single flaw, but a convergence of issues — tactical inconsistency, mental strain, squad imbalance, and missed moments. Yet football is cyclical. Clubs rooted in tradition have fallen before, only to rise again when lessons are learned.
The question now is not whether FCSB are underperforming — that is clear.
The real question is whether they can rediscover the discipline, hunger, and identity that once defined them.
In football, memory is long. But redemption, for those who understand their past, is always possible.
