9 September 1989 - Taking Invincibility To A Whole New Level

On 9 September 1989, Steaua Bucureşti lost their first domestic match in over three years when rivals Dinamo Bucureşti finally ended their unbeaten streak at an incredible 119 games.

That run stretched back to the first match of the 1986-87 season when Steaua, who already were the defending Divizia A and European Cup champions, beat Argeș Pitești 1-0 on opening day. Led by midfielder Gheorghe Hagi, who had signed for them the previous winter, they went undefeated that season, winning the league with a record of 25 wins and 9 draws. They also won that season's Cupa României, beating Dinamo in the final.

They repeated their undefeated double the next season (including a league record of 30 wins and 4 draws and a belated cup win over Dinamo after Steaua walked out of the final in protest of a decision by the referee to disallow one of their goals), then completed another unbeaten double in the 1988-89 season (with a league record of 31 wins and 3 draws and a third consecutive win over Dinamo in the Cupa României final).

After winning their first two matches of the 1989-90 season, Steaua hosted Dinamo on 9 September, where the visitors proceeded to win 0-3. That result ended Steaua's domestic unbeaten run at a staggering 119 matches, consisting of 113 wins and only 16 draws. It remains the longest recorded streak in the history of the sport.

14 May 1948 - Dinamo Powers Up

On 14 May 1948, Dinamo Bucureşti formed from the merger of two pre-existing clubs and has since gone on to become one of Romania's most successful teams.

The two clubs that came together were Unirea Tricolor, winners of the 1941 national title, and Ciocanul, formerly known as Maccabi Bucureşti. In 1947, the new Communist government assigned control of both clubs to the Ministry of the Interior, who merged them into Dinamo Bucureşti. Both teams remained intact for the 1947-48 season, in which Ciocanul played as "Dinamo A" and finished eighth, while Unirea played as "Dinamo B" and were relegated.

The new Dinamo maintained the eighth-place finish in their first season, 1948-49, but quickly rose to the top of the table, finishing as runners-up in 1951, 1952, and 1953 before winning their first title in 1955. They have since increased their collection of league titles to eighteen, second only to rivals Steaua Bucureşti's 26, though their most recent one came in 2007. In addition, they have also won the Romanian Cup thirteen times, most recently in 2012.

3 October 1973 - They Didn't Really Need The Help, Liam

On 3 October 1973, Romania's Dinamo Bucureşti set a European Cup/Champions League record by beating Northern Ireland's Crusaders FC by the score of 11-0. To make matters worse for Crusaders, the record-setting eleventh goal was an own goal.

The two teams met in the first round of the competition, with Dinamo scraping out a narrow 0-1 victory in the first leg, played in Belfast. The lone goal in that match was scored in the first minute by midfielder Viorel Sălceanu.Sălceanu failed to get on the score sheet in the second leg, played in Bucharest. The slack was picked up by striker Dudu Georgescu (7', 14', 47', 63') and midfielder Radu Nunweiller (19', 40', 75', 81'), with help from center back Cornel Dinu (52') and striker Florea Dumitrache (67'). Collectively, they gave Dinamo a comfortable 10-0 lead into the match's dying moments. Then, in the 88th minute, Crusaders defender Liam Beckett knocked the ball into his own goal to extend Dinamo's lead to 11-0.

Although Dinamo hoped the resounding win would be a catapult to further success in the tournament, it was not to be, as they were eliminated in the second round by Atlético Madrid.

14 May 1948 - Dinamo Powers Up

On 14 May 1948, Dinamo Bucureşti formed from the merger of two pre-existing clubs and has since gone on to become one of Romania's most successful teams.

The two clubs that came together were Unirea Tricolor, winners of the 1941 national title, and Ciocanul, formerly known as Maccabi Bucureşti. In 1947, the new Communist government assigned control of both clubs to the Ministry of the Interior, who merged them into Dinamo Bucureşti. Both teams remained intact for the 1947-48 season, in which Ciocanul played as "Dinamo A" and finished eighth, while Unirea played as "Dinamo B" and were relegated.

The new Dinamo maintained the eighth-place finish in their first season, 1948-49, but quickly rose to the top of the table, finishing as runners-up in 1951, 1952, and 1953 before winning their first title in 1955. They have since increased their collection of league titles to eighteen, second only to rivals Steaua Bucureşti's 24, though their most recent one came in 2005. In addition, they have also won the Romanian Cup thirteen times, most recently in 2011.

9 September 1989 - Taking Invincibility To A Whole New Level

On 9 September 1989, Steaua Bucureşti lost their first domestic match in over three years when rivals Dinamo Bucureşti finally ended their unbeaten streak at an incredible 119 games.

That run stretched back to the first match of the 1986-87 season when Steaua, who already were the defending Divizia A and European Cup champions, beat Argeș Pitești 1-0 on opening day. Led by midfielder Gheorghe Hagi, who had signed for them the previous winter, they went undefeated that season, winning the league with a record of 25 wins and 9 draws. They also won that season's Cupa României, beating Dinamo in the final.

They repeated their undefeated double the next season (including a league record of 30 wins and 4 draws and a belated cup win over Dinamo after Steaua walked out of the final in protest of a decision by the referee to disallow one of their goals), then completed another unbeaten double in the 1988-89 season (with a league record of 31 wins and 3 draws and a third consecutive win over Dinamo in the Cupa României final).

After winning their first two matches of the 1989-90 season, Steaua hosted Dinamo on 9 September, where the visitors proceeded to win 0-3. That result ended Steaua's domestic unbeaten run at a staggering 119 matches, consisting of 113 wins and only 16 draws. It remains the longest recorded streak in the history of the sport.

26 June 1988 - It Helps To Have Friends In High Places

On 26 June 1988, the Romanian Cup Final ended abruptly when one of the teams stormed off the field and refused to return.

The Final was an Eternal Derby contest between Bucharest rivals Steaua and Dinamo. Steaua were in the midst of a 60-match unbeaten run that stretched back to the start of the 1986-87 season and included the 1987 and 1988 league titles and the 1987 Romanian Cup (they had also recently won the 1986 European Cup Final over Barcelona).

The game was a rematch of the previous final. With only a few minutes left, and the score level at 1-1, Steaua striker Gavril Balint (pictured) put the ball in the back of the Dinamo net for a certain match-winner, but he was flagged for being offside. Upset with the call, the Steaua players and staff marched off the pitch, reportedly at the direction of the club's highest-profile supporter, Valentin Ceaușescu, son of Romanian dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu. 

The referee abandoned the match and gave the trophy to Dinamo. But the next day, the government intervened, ruling that the goal should have been allowed and declaring Steaua the winners.

Two years later, after the fall of the Ceaușescu regime, Steaua renounced the cup and offered it to Dinamo, who refused to accept it. That year's cup title remains vacant.

Steaua, meanwhile, continued their unbeaten run, extending it to a total of 119 league and cup matches.

3 October 1973 - They Didn't Really Need The Help, Liam

On 3 October 1973, Romania's Dinamo Bucureşti set a European Cup/Champions League record by beating Northern Ireland's Crusaders FC by the score of 11-0. To make matter worse for Crusaders, the record-setting eleventh goal was an own goal.

The two teams met in the first round of the competition, with Dinamo scraping out a narrow 0-1 victory in the first leg, played in Belfast. The lone goal in that match was scored in the first minute by midfielder Viorel Sălceanu.

Sălceanu failed to get on the score sheet in the second leg, played in Bucharest. The slack was picked up by striker Dudu Georgescu (7', 14', 47', 63') and midfielder Radu Nunweiller (19', 40', 75', 81'), with help from center back Cornel Dinu (52') and striker Florea Dumitrache (67'). Collectively, they gave Dinamo a comfortable 10-0 lead into the match's dying moments. Then, in the 88th minute, Crusaders defender Liam Beckett knocked the ball into his own goal to extend Dinamo's lead to 11-0.

Although Dinamo hoped the resounding win would be a catapult to further success in the tournament, it was not to be, as they were eliminated in the second round by Atlético Madrid.