Tribunalul București has ordered a fresh judicial accounting expertise to evaluate the multi-million-euro damages claim brought by CSA Steaua against FCSB, resetting a decade-old legal dispute with a new court deadline set for February 3, 2027.
The long-running legal battle between Clubul Sportiv al Armatei Steaua București and FCSB entered a fresh procedural phase on October 7, 2026, when the Bucharest Tribunal ruled that an independent judicial expert must evaluate the financial claims stemming from the contested use of the Steaua brand. The dispute centers on roughly 37 million euros in damages that the military club maintains it suffered between 2004 and 2014.
Court Orders New Accounting Expertise
The court’s decision to appoint a neutral expert through a random draw follows a procedural twist earlier in the year.
During the recent court appearance, attorney Adrian Căvescu, representing FCSB, formally requested a new accounting assessment. Legal representatives for both sides will help define the objectives for the court-appointed specialist before that date.
Attorneys Trade Accusations in Court
Reactions from the respective legal camps revealed the deep animosity dividing the two entities. Florin Talpan, the legal advisor for CSA Steaua, expressed confidence that the upcoming evaluation will confirm the full extent of the financial harm caused by the unauthorized use of the brand.
I am pleased that the court appointed that expert so that an assessment can be made. I am convinced that this expertise will determine all the damages that FCSB caused to CSA Steaua through the bad-faith use of the brand from 2004 to 2016. Florin
Following the court session, the legal representative of the military club argued that the opposing side should have faced sporting relegation years ago. Specifically, he contended that the rival team ought to have been demoted back in 2017.
On the opposing side, FCSB counsel Adrian Căvescu countered by presenting an evidentiary filing made during the hearing. The club submitted the original 2003 extrajudicial transaction document, bearing the signatures of Viorel Păunescu and Victor Pițurcă, which transferred historical club rights from the old association.
To the surprise of CSA’s legal representative, we submitted the original of the famous January 24, 2003 extrajudicial transaction, when the Steaua Bucharest Football Club Association transferred all the rights and obligations of the historic Steaua team to the current shareholders. Just getting it out from the notary cost us 2,400 lei. Adrian
Litigation Dates Back to 2016
The financial damages lawsuit itself dates back to September 2016, when CSA Steaua initiated legal action demanding 36,826,310 euros for brand usage spanning the decade between 2004 and 2014. The file remained stalled for years through parallel jurisdictional battles over naming rights, trophies, and club identity before being restored to the active docket in late 2025.
Additional legal clarity arrived in November 2025, when the high court definitively rejected FCSB’s challenges against the military club’s remaining trademarks, clearing the path for the current damages assessment to move forward.