U-Banca Transilvania Cluj-Napoca, commonly known as U-BT Cluj-Napoca, is a professional basketball club based in Cluj-Napoca, Romania that competes domestically in the Liga Națională de Baschet and internationally in the EuroCup. Like other teams that were initially part of the Universitatea Clujmulti sports club, the basketball team keeps the letter U (short form of Universitatea) in its name.[1] The main sponsor of the team is the locally based banking institution Banca Transilvania.[4] The team colors are black and white. U-BT Cluj plays its home games at the BTarena, which accommodates 10,000 spectators,[3][8] or in Horia Demian Sports Hall with a capacity of 2,525 spectators.[8]
Initially being founded in 1947, the basketball team split from the parent sports club at the beginning of the 2000s, due to financial difficulties, retaining its place in the top tier of Romanian basketball.[1][2] While the fans consider the current club as the moral successor of the team that won three league titles before the turn of the century, the parent club claims all the trophies won before 2002 as part of its own records.[9] In 2017, an image partnership was agreed between U-BT Cluj-Napoca and FC Universitatea Cluj (the local football club which itself was functioning as a private entity following its split from the parent sports club), uniting them under the same brand.[10] Therefore, beginning with the 2017-18 season, U-BT Cluj-Napoca uses the same logo as the football club.[11][12]
History
Early history (1947-1990)
Whilst the Universitatea Cluj multi sports club was founded in 1919, the basketball team was only established in 1947, coexisting for about a year with its equivalent at the Bolyai University, before their merger in December 1948. The club later changed its name to Știința Cluj in 1950, before switching it back to Universitatea in 1966.[13] In its early stages during the late 1940s and early 1950s, the Romanian championship was played in a qualification format, teams having to play in local and regional championships in order to qualify for the final tournament. Therefore, this period was marked by a battle for local supremacy between Știința and teams like Dermata (later renamed Flamura Roșie), ASA Cluj and Metalul, the students often falling short against their more established rivals. In fact, many of the better players in the team were loaned to Divizia A side Flamura Roșie, once the new divisional championship format was established. However, the 1955 season saw the students (now playing under the name IMF-Progresul Cluj) being promoted to the first tier for the first time in their history, under the leadership of coach Gheorghe Rusu. Many of the players that were loaned a couple of years earlier, now armed with experience playing at the higher level, were part of that year's roster. Following promotion, the results would continue to improve, everything culminating in a second place finish during the 1958-59 season. This result kickstarted two decades of amazing performances in the top flight, spearheaded by the talents of emblematic players for the history of the club, like Horia Demian, Imre Vizi, Mihai Albu, Gheorghe Roman and Matei Rührig.[2][14] The communism years were a time when the Romanian basketball landscape was dominated by Steaua and Dinamo Bucharest, teams which were closely tied with the army and the Ministry of Internal Affairs respectively. This translated in support from the communist regime in terms of training facilities and recruitment of the best players in the league.[14] However, Studenții were often the main challengers of their rivals from the capital, finishing once in second and nine times in third during the 1960s and 1970s. The 1980s however saw a decline in results, with lower finishes in the championship eventually culminating in relegation to Divizia B following the 1986-87 season. The turn of the decade found Universitatea back in the top flight, with a young Gheorghe Mureșan starring alongside other players that were going to play an important role for the club in the years to come.[2]
Three Romanian Championships (1990-1999)
Gheorghe Mureșan
The new decade saw a turn in fortunes for the Cluj team. This was made possible by some marquee signings: Mihai Sinevici, Bruno Roschnafski and Mircea Cristescu; all national team players, cumulated with a progress in training and preparations under the coaching duo of Gheorghe Roman and Liviu Morariu. It didn’t take long for the results to show on the court, the students establishing themselves as title contenders during the 1990-91 season, while also managing to defeat Panionios B.C. (a strong representative of Greek basketball at that time) in the first round of the FIBA Korać Cup.[15] Unfortunately for them, the season would end in disappointment, following a best-of-three play-off final defeat against Steaua Bucharest.[2] However, this result would bring a new premiere for The White and Blacks: their first ever participation in the FIBA European Cup, entering to compete in the second round of the 1991-92 season against Pau-Orthez. In the first leg, Universitatea managed a famous home win against the French team, 107-101.[16] However, it wasn't enough to advance for the next round, Pau-Orthez winning the reverse leg by eleven.[17] On the domestic front there would be no mistakes this time. With the presence of the best two centers in the league in their roster (Ghiță Mureșan and Bruno Roschnafski), and the addition of Marcel Țenter at point guard, Universitatea won the first title in their history after a play-off final against Dinamo Bucharest, becoming the first team from outside the capital to be crowned as Romanian Champions. The following season would see the departures of Mureșan and Roschnafski from the team, to France and Germany respectively, and the addition of Cornel Geomolean.[2] Mureșan would become the first (and so far only) Romanian to play in the NBA, by signing with the Washington Bullets in 1993. He played six successful seasons with the Bullets and the New Jersey Nets, averaging a career 9.8 points, 6.4 rebounds and 0.5 assists, and he won the NBA Most Improved Player Award following the 1995–96 NBA season.[18] For the students, their first domestic championship title would translate into their first participation into the FIBA European League. Entering into the first round, they would lose both legs of their clash against USK Prague.[19] Internally, history would repeat itself during the 1992-93 season with a second consecutive title, again beating Dinamo in the final.[2] For the 1993-94 season, Gheorghe Roman would fully take charge as head coach.[20] During that campaign, Studenții suffered some setbacks, with short and long-term injuries keeping key players (Sinevici, Cristescu, Olpretean) out of action for some matches. The team managed to reach the play-off final again, going into the best-of-five final clash against Dinamo without home-court advantage. This would prove decisive in the end, Dinamo winning the final 3-2.[2] The following season, the team came in third, representing the first season in five years in which they didn’t reach the final. By then, the team had the financial support of SM Invest (playing under the name "U" SM Invest), which would go on to bring much needed resources heading into the 1995-96 season.[20] Decisive would also prove to be the appointment of Dragan Petričević as head coach in January 1996, the Bosnian becoming the first ever foreigner to coach in Romania, at only 27 years old.[21] Everything culminated in a best-of-five play-off final against Steaua Bucharest. It was 1-1 after the first two games in Cluj, and 2-2 after the next two games in Bucharest. The decider took place back in Cluj, in front of a sold-out crowd at the Horia Demian Sports Hall. The match ended 86-75 in favour of the home team, Universitatea becoming Romanian champions for the third time.[2][20] What followed was another participation in the newlly rebranded FIBA EuroCup, with no notable results. In January 1997, after just one year spent coaching Universitatea, Dragan Petričević decided to leave the club, signing a contract with Politehnica Iași. After this period of success, the team went through times of unrest and concern. Beginning with the 1997-1998 season, the city of Cluj had two teams in Divizia A: Carbochim and Universitatea (now under the name ”U” Sanex Cluj-Napoca). The White and Blacks ended that year’s championship in sixth, while Carbochim finished in third. The two teams merged that summer, under the name “U”Carbochim Cluj-Napoca, while ex-player Gabriel Olpretean took over as head coach. Studenții managed a third place finish in the 1998-1999 season, to end a decade in which they managed seven top three finishes, including three Romanian Championship titles.[20]
U-BT Cluj has the largest fan base in Romania. It was the first team in Romania to have 10,000 people in the stands at a basketball match (Basketball Champions League quarter finals, April 2022).The main rivalries of "U" are the ones with CSU Sibiu ("The derby of Transylvania"), CSM Oradea and CSA Steaua Bucharest.
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