Ploiesti clubs agree merger

Joining forces
The teams from the Prahova region have joined forces after Petrolul won promotion to the Romanian top flight last season. Petrolul, the older and better supported of the clubs, were set to compete on their own in Divizia A until their main sponsor, Romanian oil company PETROM, decided to withdraw their financial help.

Public appeal
While PETROM continued to sponsor the club's youth team, the senior squad was decimated, with five players leaving Petrolul for Astra, an established First Division team. A public appeal to fund the club, organised by the local authorities, failed.

Unusual tactic
Petrolul resorted to the unusual tactic of trying to sell their top-flight place to relegated CS Otelul Galati, before Astra, who have a smaller fanbase but stronger financial backing, were persuaded to hold merger talks by the local authorities.

Thursday announcement
On Thursday evening, Ploiesti's mayor Emil Calota, Prahova regional president Mircea Cosma, PETROM Union vice-president Florin Bercea and Astra's main investor Ioan Niculae announced that the two sides were to merge.

Strong backing
The new club will have strong financial backing, and Niculae expected good results for the coming season, saying: "We cannot say we will battle for the title, but we will at least challenge for fifth place, if not a place in the UEFA Cup."

Three stadiums
The new club is expected to inherit Petrolul's fixture schedule for the 2003/04 campaign, and will have three stadiums - the Prahova, Astra's floodlit 9 Mai ground, and Petrolul's Ilie Oana - which will be used according to circumstances.

Otelul spared
The merger is good news for Otelul, who have now been spared relegation and may take Astra's place in the fixture list. Otelul had lost their place in the top flight after a relegation play-off against FC Oradea, and while another team, FC Gloria Buzau, had also lost out in the play-offs, Otelul were handed a lifeline since they were only beaten on the golden-goal rule. "This is a gift from God," said Otelul's president Nicolae Boghici.