What's in a name? The curious case of Steaua Bucharest

The modern era of megabucks concentrating the best of Europe's talentsamongst a handful of regions has been hard on some big names of the recent past. A clash with Banik Ostrava used to be treated seriously by Europe's giants. A clash with Partizan in Belgrade was far from a done deal. A trip to Bucharest to face the might of Steaua? Oh, only the hardiest few felt confident on that front.

With 26 Romanian titles to their name, Steaua remain the power in Romania alongside city rivals Dinamo. It was the mid-80s however when the club truly showed the world what it could do, winning the European Cup on penalties in 1986 and reaching the final in 1989. Even the tonking they took that day gave them fame, the 4-0 win for AC Milan assured the world that Arrigo Sacchi's side was the finest on the planet beyond dispute.

While not the force they once were in Europe, Steaua's name still draws a breath from fans across the globe. It's one associated with the sport, its history, and a romantic era. Now, that very name is under threat. The Romanian army, from which the club derives its name, has taken the club to court to force Steaua to stop using it.

As is often the case, the people involved are part of the issue. In short, the army really isn't getting on with Steaua's controversial owner Gigi Becali.

“It's a fight between big egos, not really a game of principles. Becali made various statements that upset the generals who used to run or have influence in the club, so they wanted to fight back. With this case. Nobody believed it could get this far, it didn't get any media or fan attention in the beginning. But as verdicts kept coming, it became more and more serious,” saidEmanuel Roşu, a football journalist in Romania who contributes to the Guardian and BBC amongst others.

“We had the first final decision two years ago, when Steaua lost its crest and all symbols related to the brand and last year they found out they can't use their name either. There is one last chance to appeal to the Supreme Court, but lawyers claim Steaua's chances to turn it around aren't big at all. We are now waiting for a verdict in the 'illegal use of the brand' case,” said Roşu.

“The army wants almost €40m, stating that Becali used the brand illegally, so he should pay compensation. It has now become more than egos, as you can see. It involves millions of euros and thousands of fans. The army also created a football club, their intentions are obvious, they want a football team in their club.”

The impact of the ruling, if Steaua is forced to change its name, looks like it could go a long way beyond a mere rebranding.

“Becali says he can change it [the name], but the army's lawyer claims that it would mean relegation if it's done during a season. The FA replied and said they see it as possible, the name change, without relegation. It's crazy, absolutely crazy. We can't believe any of the sides, there are too many questions to answer,” said Roşu.

“This creation of two teams is only going to divide fans. There is a section of the ultras who publicly stated they are going to support the army's club. Others are playing a waiting game, nobody is really convinced to go for one side or another. Things will be clear when all court decisions will be final,” he said.

The future is far from romantic, whatever way you look at it. A loss of the Steaua name, a potential division of supporters, and a dilution of one of the great legacies of European football, all look possible.

“It's impossible to predict what will happen. Considering how crazy things are around here, you can never know what tomorrow will bring. Either way it's going to end, it doesn't look good. The biggest danger is that the Steaua brand, Romania's most important, is going to disappear. If that happens, the entire league could suffer. Romanian football is already dead. If Steaua won't be there, I can't imagine how much lower it will go at club level,” said Roşu.