Clubul Sportiv Concordia Chiajna, commonly known as Concordia Chiajna, is a Romanian professional footballclub based in Chiajna, Ilfov County, which competes in the Liga II.
Founded in 1957, the team's best period was between 2011 and 2019, when it amassed eight participations in the highest tier of the Romanian league system, the Liga I. Concordia was also runner-up of the short-lived Cupa Ligii in the 2015–16 campaign.
Chart showing the progress of Concordia's finishes in the national leagues from 2005 to 2017.
The club from Ilfov County was founded in 1957 by the inhabitants of the Chiajna commune, and over time, the team was also called GAC Chiajna, AS Chiajna and ILF Militari, while the team was sponsored by Întreprinderea de Legume-Fructe Militari.
In the first half of its debut season in Liga I, Concordia failed to impress, and never left the relegation places. During mid-season, Laurențiu Reghecampf was brought as manager, and he changed almost the entire squad, bringing 17 new players.[1] The team started winning matches, and among its victims were bigger names like Oțelul Galaţi, Rapid București and eventual champions CFR Cluj. As a result, the club climbed outside the relegation zone and finished the season in the first half of the table (ninth place). Because of this impressive results, after the season, Reghecampf was named manager at FC Steaua București. His place at Concordia was taken by Ilie Stan.
Under his spell, Concordia maintained its place in the upper half of the standings for the first half of the 2012–13 season. But in the second half the team failed to find the same rhythm and after six consecutive losses, Concordia entered the battle to avoid relegation. With a total of 16 games in a row without a win, Concordia finished the season on the 15th spot, similar with a relegation to Liga II after two years in the first division. At the end of the season, Ilie Stan resigned, alongside his entire technical team.[2]
Ionuț Chirilă replaced Stan as the head coach of the team. Concordia Chiajna successfully remained in the first division, playing a promotion/relegation play-off with Rapid București. The play-off was played on 13 July 2013 and won by Rapid 2–1, after extra-time. The FRF decision was contested by Concordia at the Court of Arbitration for Sport. On 2 August, CAS decided that Concordia Chiajna should play in Liga I and Rapid be relegated to second division. The results of the matches played by Rapid with Viitorul and Vaslui were canceled.
The footballers enlisted below have had international cap(s) for their respective countries at junior and/or senior level and/or more than 75 caps for CS Concordia Chiajna.
