Pandurii Targu Jiu
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| Full name | Clubul Sportiv Pandurii Lignitul Târgu Jiu |
|---|---|
| Nickname(s) |
Alb-albaștrii (The White and Blues) Minerii (The Miners) Gorjenii (The Gorj County People) |
| Short name | Pandurii |
| Founded | 1962 |
| Ground | Municipal |
| Capacity | 20,054 |
| Owner | Târgu Jiu Municipality |
| Chairman | Marin Condescu |
| Manager | Flavius Stoican |
| League | Liga I |
| 2015–16 | Liga I, 3rd |
| Website | Club home page |
Clubul Sportiv Pandurii Lignitul Târgu Jiu (Romanian pronunciation: [ˌklubul sporˈtiv panˈdurij liɡˈnitul ˌtɨrɡu ˈʒiw]), commonly known as Pandurii Târgu Jiu, or simply as Pandurii, is a Romanian professional football club based in Târgu Jiu, Gorj County, currently playing in the Liga I.
Founded in 1962, following the merger of Flacăra-Unirea Târgu Jiu and CIL Târgu Jiu, Pandurii is one of the four Romanian clubs that represent the country at the European Club Association. Domestically, Gorjenii have never won any major honour, but finished as runners-up in the league at the end of the 2012–13 season and lost a League Cup final in 2015. They qualified for the very first time in a European competition in 2013, playing in the UEFA Europa League and reaching the group stage.
The colors of the team are white and blue.
Pandurii Târgu Jiu was founded in August 1962, after the merger of the two big rivals from the town, Flacăra-Unirea Târgu Jiu and CIL Târgu-Jiu. The club entered the fourth division of Romanian football, with a strong objective, to promote immediately in the third division. And the target was reached, Pandurii gaining the promotion to Divizia C in June 1963. Their first game in this division was played on 1 September 1963, against Siderurgistul Hunedoara. Pandurii won by a big margin, 6–0, goals scored by Chițu (12'), Nelu Băloi (35'), Melinte (53', 80') and Vasilescu (83', 85').
In the first years, Pandurii finished constantly in the first half of the standings, so the club decided to attack a promotion to Divizia B. In the 1976–77 season, with a young team and with Titus Ozon as coach, the dream came true. Pandurii dominated the competition, climbed from the first stages on top of the standings and won the promotion to the second division. But this level was a much bigger hat to wear for Pandurii, who relegated the next season back to Divizia C.
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