View source for Club Atletic Oradea

{{short description|Association football club in Oradea}}
{{distinguish|Crișana Oradea}}
{{Infobox football club 
| clubname    = Club Atletic Oradea 
| image       = CAO-NAC logo 2022.png
| image_size  = 200px
| fullname    = Club Atletic Oradea
| nickname    = {{unbulleted list
|''Alb-verzii'' (The White and Greens)
|{{nowrap|''Orădenii'' (The People from Oradea)}}
|''Atleticii'' (The Athletics)
|''Vulturii verzi'' (The Green Eagles)
}}
| short name  = CA Oradea, CAO, NAC
| founded     = {{Start date and age|df=yes|1910|5|25}}<br/>as ''Nagyváradi Atlétikai Club''<br/>{{Start date and age|df=yes|2017|3|17}} (refounded)
| dissolved   = 
| ground      = [[Baza Sportivă Paleu]]
| capacity    = 1,500 (300 seated)
| chairman    = Florin Mal
| manager     = Andrei Haș
| league      = [[Liga IV]]
| season      = [[2023–24 Liga IV|2023–24]] 
| position    = Liga IV, Bihor County, 3rd of 18
| website     = https://caoradea.ro/
| current     = 
| kit_alt1    =
| pattern_la1 = 
| pattern_b1  = _cao2223h
| pattern_ra1 = 
| pattern_sh1 = _cao2223h
| pattern_so1 = 
| leftarm1    = FFFFFF
| body1       = 
| rightarm1   = FFFFFF
| shorts1     = 
| socks1      = FFFFFF
| kit_alt2    =
| pattern_la2 = 
| pattern_b2  = _cao2223a
| pattern_ra2 = 
| pattern_sh2 = _cao2223a
| pattern_so2 = 
| leftarm2    = 000000
| body2       = 
| rightarm2   = 000000
| shorts2     = 000000
| socks2      = 000000
}}

'''Club Atletic Oradea (Nagyváradi Atlétikai Club)''' ({{IPA|ro|ˌklub aˈtletik oˈrade̯a}}), commonly known as '''CA Oradea (Nagyváradi AC)''', or simply as '''CAO (NAC)''', is a Romanian [[Association football|football]] club based in [[Oradea]], [[Bihor County]], which competes in the [[Liga IV]].

The team was founded as ''Nagyváradi Atlétikai Club'' in 1910, when the city was part of [[Austria-Hungary]]. Over its history, CA Oradea won the [[Nemzeti Bajnokság I|Hungarian national title]], the [[Liga I|Romanian national title]], and the [[Cupa României|Romania national cup]] on one occasion each. The Romanian title won during the [[1948–49 Divizia A|1948–49 season]], under the name of ''ICO Oradea'', meant that the team became part of a select group of entities that won the national title in different countries.

After [[World War II]], the [[Communism in Romania|communist regime]] in Romania had a negative impact on the club's identity, forcing it to change its name and colours several times. In 1945 it was renamed ''Libertatea Oradea'', in 1948 ''Întreprinderea Comunală Oradea (ICO)'', in 1951 ''Progresul Oradea'', in 1958 ''CS Oradea'', and in 1961 ''CSM Crișana Oradea'' (not to be confused with [[Crișana Oradea]]).

Dissolved in 1963 by the same communist regime, CA Oradea was re-established in the summer of 2017 as a private entity. In the same year, CA Oradea was enrolled in the fifth tier ([[Liga V]]), and three years returned to the national divisions ([[Liga III]]) after 58 years of absence.

==History==

===Early years, on the road (1910–1940)===
The game of football had arrived to [[Oradea|Nagyvárad]] (Oradea) in 1902 together with inhabitants that returned from study or work, from abroad or from [[Budapest]]. The first football match that was ever played on the banks of [[Crișul Repede]] river was a friendly one and was held in the [[Stadionul Tineretului (Oradea)|Rhédey Garden]]. The game was gaining in popularity fast, but there was not yet an organized club to represent the town in matches against other towns. This organizational problem led to the establishment of Nagyváradi Sport Egyesület (NSE), then appeared Nagyváradi Torna Club (NTK), both [[Sports club|multi-sport]] clubs, but none focused mainly on football. Then, eight years after that first football match played in Oradea's history, ''Nagyváradi Atlétikai Club (NAC)'' – in [[Romanian language|Romanian]]: '''Club Atletic Oradea (CAO)''' was established, also a multi-sport club, but with the football section as the "pearl of the crown".

[[File:CAOradea League Performance.svg|thumb|right|290px|Chart of yearly table positions of CA Oradea in the national leagues since 1932 and until their 1963 dissolution. Between 1940 and 1945 they activated in the Hungarian league system. In 2017 the team was revived in the fifth league.]]

The constituent assembly was held on 25 May 1910, in the EMKE Café (today Astoria Hotel), a place that also had an important contribution in the identity, bohemianism and cosmopolitanism of the football club. EMKE (Erdélyi Magyar Közművelődési Egyesület) Café, translated as the Coffee Shop of the Hungarian Cultural Association of Transylvania Coffee Shop, was the place where the Oradea's cultural elite spent much of its time, one of the main clients being the well-known poet [[Endre Ady]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ghidlocal.com/oradea/articole/6-curiozitati-despre-cafeneaua-emke/|title=6 curiozități despre cafeneaua EMKE|publisher=ghidlocal.com|language=ro|trans-title=6 curiosities about the EMKE cafe|date=31 March 2020| access-date=21 June 2022}}</ref> Back to the football club, the first board of directors was formed of: Dr. Emil Jonas (chairman), Béla Mikló (executive president), Andor Szabo (secretary) and Dr. Kálmán Kovács (cashier), one of the decision took also in that first day was to submit the documents for registration at the [[Hungarian Football Federation]].<ref name="Pioneers">{{cite web|url=https://caoradea.ro/ep-1-inceputurile-pionierii-fotbalului/|title=Ep. 1: Inceputurile, pionierii fotbalului|publisher=caoradea.ro|language=ro|trans-title=Ep. 1: The beginnings, the pioneers of football|date=1 May 2020| access-date=21 June 2022}}</ref>

On 31 July 1910, NAC played its first game, against [[CFR Cluj|KVSC]], and in January 1912 a home ground was secured, in the [[Stadionul Tineretului (Oradea)|Rhédey Garden]]. The next month, a touring team from [[England]] came to town: [[Bishop Auckland F.C.|Bishop Auckland]], the Northern League champions that season, NAC won with an incredible 8–0. Before [[World War I]], the club activated only on local and a regional level, they joined the eastern division of the Southern Hungarian League and in 1913 NAC won 25 out of 31 matches. One of the most important games for the local community, in this period, was the match against Hungarian giant, [[Ferencvárosi TC|Ferencváros]], played in [[Oradea|Nagyvárad]], on 6 July 1913 and lost honorable by NAC, with the score of 2–4.<ref name="Pioneers"/>

[[File:Iuliu Bodola.jpg|thumb|left|upright|[[Iuliu Bodola]], all time goalscorer of Club Atletic Oradea, with 109 goals.]]

During [[World War I]] (1914–1918), the football competitions were suspended, and the club suffered from the lack of activity. However, friendly matches and different sporting activities were held, even in that tough situation and with all the problems generated by world conflagration.

After the war, by the [[Treaty of Trianon]] Nagyvárad became part of [[Kingdom of Romania|Romania]] and officially became Oradea. The club and the city were still dominated by Hungarians. One of the most talented local players unearthed during this period was [[Elemér Berkessy]] (future [[FC Barcelona]] midfielder and [[Grimsby Town F.C.|Grimsby Town]] manager – in 1954 he became the first foreign manager in the English league).

The team joined the [[Liga I|Romania national championship]] in 1921–22, but NAC – now also known as Clubul Atletic Oradea – was beaten in the "fight" for Town of Oradea champion title by [[Stăruința Oradea]] and then by Înțelegerea Oradea for the first few seasons, thus did not qualify for the national finals until 1923–24. They beat [[FC Universitatea Cluj|Universitatea Cluj]] and [[Jahn Cernăuți]], before it was defeated in the final by [[Chinezul Timișoara]] – who would win the first six Romanian titles after the [[Great Union]].

[[File:Iuliu Baratky 2.jpg|thumb|right|upright|[[Iuliu Baratky]], one of the most talented local players promoted by CA Oradea during the interwar period.]]

In 1932–33, after another spell confined to the regional tournament, CAO appeared in an expanded national competition, organized as two parallel leagues of seven teams; they finished second in their division, while local rivals [[Crișana Oradea]] came third in the other one. Two years later,
with the national league reorganized into one division, CAO finished as runners-up, sandwiched between the two dominant clubs of the period, [[FC Ripensia Timișoara|Ripensia Timișoara]] and [[Venus București]]. In 1938–39 the club was relegated to a restructured Divizia B, where they remained until the next war brought a strange upturn in fortunes.

In 1932, the management of the club decided that contact with football in other countries would help the development of the sport in [[Oradea]]. So, they undertook a twelve-match tour in [[France]] and [[Switzerland]], during which they beat  (score 5–2) [[Olympique Lillois]], who would become in that season the inaugural French national champions, and obtained a 3–3 draw against [[Olympique de Marseille|Marseille]]. In the following year, the tour was in [[France]] and its North African colonies, and Oradea was spreading its fame with 21 victories and 4 draws, 110 goals scored and only 23 conceded. During the interwar period, CAO supplied eighteen Romanian internationals, however the majority were still ethnic Hungarians, Jews and Germans.

Players who starred in CAO's green and white stripes in this period included: [[Ferenc Rónay]], the first ever goalscorer for the [[Romania national football team]] (against [[Yugoslavia national football team|Yugoslavia]] in 1922); [[Nicolae Kovács]], a forward who was one of only five men to play at the first three World Cups; [[Iuliu Baratky]], a Hungarian from [[Oradea]] who opted to stay in Romania throughout the [[World War II]], becoming a legend at [[FC Rapid București|Rapid București]] and [[Iuliu Bodola]], a prolific goalscorer throughout the 1930s and into the 1940s. Bodola was transferred to [[Venus București]] in the Romanian capital in 1937.

Club Atletic Oradea's team that participated in the 1932 and 1933 Tours of [[France]], [[Switzerland]] and [[North Africa]] was formed of: [[Ștefan Czinczer]] – [[Andrei Glanzmann]], [[Iosif Bartha]], [[Vasile Chiroiu]], [[Iuliu Bodola]], [[József Moravetz]], [[Coloman Braun-Bogdan]], [[Elemér Kocsis]], [[Nicolae Kovács]], [[Ferenc Rónay]], Takács, Kraus, Nicolae Roșculeț and János Remmer (player and coach).

===The Romanian-Hungarian champion (1940–1949)===

{{football squad on pitch|align=left
| GK  = [[Adolf Vécsey|'''Vécsey''']]
| RCB = [[Francisc Mészáros|'''Mészáros''']]
| LCB = [[Andor Ónody|'''Ónody''']]
| RCM = [[József Pecsovszky|'''Pecsovszky''']]
| DM  = [[Gusztáv Juhász|'''Juhász''']]
| LCM = [[Rudolf Demetrovics|'''Demetrovics''']]
| RW  = [[Gyula Lóránt|'''Lóránt''']]
| RCF = [[Iosif Stibinger|'''Stibinger''']]
| CF  = [[Francisc Spielmann|'''Spielmann''']]
| LCF = [[Iuliu Bodola|'''Bodola''']]
| LW  = [[Mátyás Tóth|'''Tóth''']]
| caption = CAO's 1943–44 squad.
}}

[[File:CA Oradea 1943-44.jpg|thumb|right|350px|CA Oradea (1943–1944) – champion of [[Nemzeti Bajnokság I|Hungary]], under the name of Nagyváradi AC]].

The [[Second Vienna Award]] in August 1940 annexed northern [[Transylvania]], including [[Oradea]], to [[Adolf Hitler|Hitler]]'s ally [[Hungary]], while [[Romania]] was in the throes of its own right-wing military dictatorship. Many footballers of German or Hungarian origin who were at clubs in [[Bucharest]], [[Timișoara]], [[Arad, Romania|Arad]] or other parts of Romania, crossed the new border into this region and joined clubs in [[Oradea]] (Nagyvárad) or [[Cluj-Napoca]] (Kolozsvár); many of them signed for CAO – now, once again, known officially by its Hungarian name, NAC. After one season back in a Transylvanian league, NAC was promoted to the Hungarian top division. They finished second in 1942–43 and then in 1943–44 they became the first team from outside [[Budapest]] to win the [[Nemzeti Bajnokság I|Hungarian championship]] in its 43-year history, finishing a huge 13 points ahead of the second placed team [[Ferencvárosi TC|Ferencváros]].

The players who helped the club to this historic achievement included some major Hungarian and Romanian footballers of the age:

[[Gyula Lóránt]] was only 20 years old during NAC's title-winning season. He went on to play at [[Vasas SC|Vasas]], alongside [[László Kubala]], who in 1949 fled the incoming Communist government and formed a team of Hungarian footballers who would play exhibition matches around Western Europe. Lóránt tried to escape and join Kubala, but was captured and interred, until the national team coach secured his release. Lóránt played for Hungary from 1949 until 1955, encompassing the greatest period of Hungarian success: he played in central defense for the ''Aranycsapat'', the ''Mighty Magyars'' of the early 1950s. Besides winning the Romanian championship with [[FC UTA Arad|UTA Arad]] and three more Hungarian titles with [[Budapest Honvéd FC|Honvéd]], Lóránt went on to coach [[FC Bayern Munich|Bayern Munich]] in the late 1970s.

[[Iuliu Bodola]] or '''Gyula Bodola''' was an ethnic Hungarian born in what is now [[Brașov]] (then Brassó) in 1912. After a hugely successful seven-year spell as a prolific striker with CAO in the 1930s, and an equally fruitful three years at [[Venus București]], he headed back to Oradea after the annexation of northern Transylvania by Hungary in 1940 and played for NAC for five years. After the war, he moved to Budapest and represented [[MTK Budapest FC|MTK Budapest]]. During his years in Romania he played 48 times for the [[Romania national football team]], while from 1940 to 1943 he was a regular for [[Hungary national football team]]. Remarkably, he held the Romanian international goalscoring record for 66 years, from 1931 until 1997, when [[Gheorghe Hagi]] overtook his total of 30 goals. The municipal stadium in Oradea is now named after him.

{{football squad on pitch|align=right
| GK  = [[Adolf Vécsey|'''Vécsey''']]
| RCB = '''V. Ion'''
| LCB = '''Melan'''
| RDM = [[Gheorghe Bodo|'''Bodo''']]
| LDM = [[Ladislau Zilahi|'''Zilahi''']]
| AM  = [[Gavril Serfözö|'''Serfözö''']]
| RW  = '''[[János Kovács (footballer, born 1919)|Kovács II]]'''
| RCF = [[Francisc Spielmann|'''Spielmann''']]
| CF  = [[Gheorghe Váczi|'''Váczi''']]
| LCF = '''Tudose'''
| LW  = '''Turcuș'''
| caption = CAO's 1948–49 squad.
}}

[[József Pecsovszky]] known in Romania as Iosif Petschovschi or simply ‘Peci’, was another young member of the successful NAC team and was capped by [[Hungary national football team|Hungary]] at the age of 21. An attacking midfielder from [[Timișoara]], of Hungarian extraction, Peci would later become a hero in [[Arad, Romania|Arad]] due to his starring role in UTA's three league titles in the 1940s,
and then won two further championships with [[FCSB|CCA București]] in the 1950s. His first game for Romania was against Hungary in Budapest in 1945, alongside Spielmann and [[Nicolae Simatoc|Simatoc]]; he scored, but [[Nándor Hidegkuti|Hidegkuti]] and [[Ferenc Puskás|Puskás]] scored two each in a 7–2 win for the Magyars. Pecsovszky is one of the all-time greats of Romanian football.

[[File:CA Oradea 1948-49.jpg|thumb|left|270px|CA Oradea (1948–1949) – champion of [[Liga I|Romania]], under the name of IC Oradea]].

[[Francisc Spielmann]], known in Hungary as '''Ferenc Sárvári''', top-scorer for NAC in their title-winning season, with 23 goals; he was also the Hungarian player of the year.

The coach of the side throughout NAC's Hungarian period was 1920s CAO hot-shot [[Ferenc Rónay]].

[[Gusztáv Juhász]], also spelled (in Romania) as Gustav Iuhași, had been a regular in midfield for the [[Romania national football team]] since 1934, when he was also part of the CAO team that finished second in the [[Liga I|Romanian championship]]. Together with Bodola and [[Rudolf Demetrovics]], Juhász was part of the great [[Venus București]] team of the late 1930s.

[[Nicolae Simatoc]], a reserve, was the only ethnic Romanian in the NAC squad; he was kept out of the starting line-up by the all-Timișorean midfield of Petschovschi, Demetrovits and Juhász. Simatoc eventually would go on to spend one season alongside Kubala at [[FC Barcelona]], as well as two years at [[Inter Milan]].

The 1944–45 Hungarian season was abandoned after four games due to the movement of the front, and NAC never played in the Hungarian league again: [[Northern Transylvania]] was occupied by Soviet and Romanian troops in 1944 and later reverted to Romania at the end of the war. NAC/CAO changed its name to Libertatea Oradea in 1948, and then to ICO Oradea the following year after the Soviet takeover of Romania. Petschovschi, Bodola and Ronnay left for [[Ferar Cluj]] – the third-placed team in [[Kingdom of Hungary (1920–1946)|Hungary]] in 1943–44 - while five of the championship-winning team would form the core of a new dominant power in Romania, [[FC UTA Arad|ITA Arad]].

By 1948–49, only three players remained from the great NAC team of 1943–44. And yet ICO Oradea became Romanian champions. [[Gheorghe Váczi]], an ethnic Hungarian who was capped by Romania, contributed 21 goals in 26 matches. They also had names such as [[Adolf Vécsey|Vécsey]], [[Francisc Spielmann|Spielmann]], Vasile Ion, [[Gheorghe Bodo|Bodo]], [[Ladislau Zilahi|Zilahi]], [[Gavril Serfözö|Serfözö]] or [[Mircea David]] and the coach in that year was [[Nicolae Kovács]], former CAO player and brother of the [[Ștefan Kovács]] who would coach [[AFC Ajax|Ajax]] to great success in the early 1970s.

===The last performance and many changes (1950–1963)===
[[File:Gheorghe Váczi.jpg|thumb|right|upright|[[Gheorghe Váczi]], goalscorer of the team during the 1948–49 title campaign.]]

After the title won with ICO, coach [[Nicolae Kovács]] returned on the banks of [[Bega (Tisza)|Bega river]], in the city where he had learn the secrets of football, but this time as the coach of [[FC Politehnica Timișoara|Știința Timisoara]], (future Politehnica Timișoara). In the place of Kovács, his former teammate from the golden squad of NAC, [[Gusztáv Juhász]], had returned, now as a head coach of the "white and greens". The squad had not undergone major changes, but the organization of [[Romanian football league system]] had taken, with the year 1950, the total course of the Soviet model. The championship starts to be played in the spring-autumn frequency, instead of autumn-spring, then all the teams were renamed after the new agreed model, for example, the clubs supported by the army end up wearing the abbreviations "CCA", "CA" or "ASA". , the teams affiliated to the [[Miliția (Romania)|Miliția]] became Dinamo, in fact, [[FC Dinamo București|Dinamo București]] created a real system of satellites during this period, on the entire territory of [[Romania]], from [[Bacău]] to [[Brașov]] and from [[Cluj-Napoca]] to [[Slatina, Romania|Slatina]]. Other football clubs were also renamed, as "Science" (for teams affiliated to Universities), "Miner", "Flame" or "Metal" (for football clubs affiliated to industry branches, depending on the industry they represented).<ref name="Swan">{{cite web|url=https://caoradea.ro/ep-4-ultima-performanta-cantecul-de-lebada/|title=Ep. 4: Ultima performanta, cantecul de lebada!|trans-title=Ep. 4: The last performance, the swan song!|publisher=caoradea.ro|language=ro|access-date=27 June 2022}}</ref>

In 1951, the management of the football club opted for a new change of identity, ''ICO'' was renamed as ''Progresul Oradea'', the second important step in the plan of blurring the identity of the club. This time the club's colors were also changed from "white and green" to "blue, bleu and white" similar with the colors combination used by [[FC Progresul București|Progresul București]] (which was named Spartac Banca RPR at the time), but often combined with white or red, in any case, a new identity and not too well defined, but also not so representative for Oradea of those times. In the [[1951 Divizia A|1951]] season, however, Progresul, under the leadership of the same [[Gusztáv Juhász]], achieved a rank beyond expectations, occupying the last step of the podium after [[CSA Steaua București (football)|CCA București]] and [[FC Dinamo București|Dinamo București]]. In that team of Oradea appeared among others, the veterans [[Mircea David]], [[Adolf Vécsey]] or János Kovács II (from the past teams of CAO/NAC), the younger Vasile Ion, [[Ladislau Zilahi]], [[Gavril Serfözö]], [[Gheorghe Bodo]] or [[Gheorghe Váczi]] (from the ICO generation of 1949), but also the defender [[Iuliu Darok]] (a product of Dermata Cluj and already Romanian international since 1947) or the new "terrible child" of [[Crișana]], Iuliu Kiss, a product of [[Stăruința Oradea|Metalul Oradea Football Academy]] (former Stăruința), a club that also gave other "heavy names" to the Romanian football, such as [[Iosif Bartha]] or [[Iuliu Barátky]], among others.<ref name="Swan"/>

After a [[1952 Divizia A|1952]] season that was ended on an honorable 6th place, under the management of [[Dincă Schileru]], Progresul lost some important pieces, such as: [[Adolf Vécsey]], Vasile Ion, Gheorghe Melan, [[Gavril Serfözö]] or [[Gheorghe Váczi]], after it already lost [[Mircea David]] and János Kovács II at the end of 1951 (both retired). After two seasons, in which former important players of CAO, such as [[Elemér Kocsis]] or [[Iuliu Barátky]] (in his second term and the last one as manager of CAO) took the lead of the team, Progresul relegated under the command of the same [[Dincă Schileru]], who was signed in the summer of 1954 in order to save the team from relegation, but relegated from the bottom of the league table. The situation of Oradea's football club seemed problematic, but Progresul was unexpectedly well organized, signing in the spring of 1955 a new manager, its former player (newly retired, at that time) [[Ladislau Zilahi]].<ref name="Swan"/>

[[File:Progresul Oradea (1956 Romanian Cup).png|thumb|left|300px|upright|Progresul Oradea, lifting the [[1956 Cupa României|1956 Romanian Cup.]]]]

As a [[Liga II|Divizia B]] team, Progresul Oradea reached the [[1955 Cupa României Final|1955 Cupa României final]], which was lost with 3–6 în front of [[FC Steaua București|CCA București]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.digisport.ro/fotbal/cupa-romaniei/performanta-istorica-hermannstadt-e-prima-echipa-din-liga-2-calificata-in-finala-cupei-romaniei-dupa-36-de-ani-444059 | title=Performanţă istorică! Hermannstadt e prima echipă din Liga 2 calificată în finala Cupei României, după 36 de ani| publisher=Digisport.ro| language=ro |trans-title=Historical performance! Hermannstadt is the first team in Liga 2 to qualify for the Romanian Cup final, after 36 years| date=10 May 2018 | access-date=31 May 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=https://theplaymaker.ro/istorie-a-echipelor-din-ligile-inferioare-care-au-jucat-finala-cupei-romaniei/2647/ | title=80 de ani de suprize. O istorie a echipelor din ligile inferioare care au jucat finala Cupei României| publisher=Theplaymaker.ro| language=ro |trans-title=80 years of surprises. A history of the teams from the lower leagues that played the Romanian Cup final| date=13 May 2018 | access-date=31 May 2020}}</ref> The following year as a [[Liga I|Divizia A]] team, the club won the [[1956 Cupa României Final|1956 Cupa României final]], after a 2–0 win against [[Liga II|Divizia B]] team [[CSM Câmpia Turzii|Energia Câmpia Turzii]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.romaniansoccer.ro/romanian_cup/1956.shtml|title=Romanian Cup - Season 1956|publisher=RomanianSoccer|access-date=31 May 2020}}</ref> The winning squad of Progresul was managed by [[Camil Scherz]] and formed of the following players: Adalbert Gébner – Gheorghe Kromely, [[Andor Tyirják]], [[Gheorghe Barcu]], Iosif Bartha, Ștefan Cuc, Ludovic Tóth, Ladislau Köszegi, [[Alexandru Karikas]], [[Ladislau Vlad]] and Iosif Mészáros.<ref name="Swan"/>

However, the club's destiny had been sealed some time before this demotion, when the communist leadership of the Oradea Region decided that a new and "clean" club was needed, without a too twisted, cosmopolitan past or that could remind of times before the [[World War II]]. Thus, on 1 April 1958, Crișul Oradea Sports Club (the future [[FC Bihor Oradea (1958)|FC Bihor Oradea]]) was established, with red and blue as the main colors. In the summer of the same year, 1958, ''Progresul Oradea'' was renamed again, this time as ''CS Oradea''. For a total misleading of the public, the logos of the two clubs were now almost identical, and the colors of CS Oradea (CAO) had also become red and blue, both teams playing on the same stadium, [[Stadionul Iuliu Bodola|Iuliu Bodola Stadium]]. After a brief period as CS Oradea (1958–1962), the name of the football club was changed again, this time, the local authorities opted for ''CSM Crișana Oradea'', another confusing choice, because this name was already used by a completely different club (see [[Crișana Oradea]]), before [[World War II]], also a bitter rival of CA Oradea. After yo-yoing between the top two divisions for a few years (Rónay returned as coach in 1962–63), in 1963 the club was dissolved. That same year another club from Oradea won promotion to the top division, Crișul Oradea, a club which was mostly known as [[FC Bihor Oradea (1958)|FC Bihor Oradea]]. The city of Oradea blazed brightly on the region's football firmament, with some of Hungary and Romania's greatest players of the age – one cup, and a league title in two countries – but it is now very much in the shadows: FC Bihor was dissolved on 12 January 2016 after a stormy history and in the spring of 2017 this dissolution subsequently realizing a strange reversed situation of the early 1960s.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://caoradea.ro/istoria-clubului/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170729063226/http://caoradea.ro/istoria-clubului/|url-status=dead|archive-date=July 29, 2017|title=Istoria clubului|trans-title=Club history|publisher=caoradea.ro|language=ro|access-date=16 April 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://romaniaballs.wordpress.com/historic-clubs/ca-oradea/|title=CA Oradea|date=17 May 2016 |trans-title=CA Oradea|publisher=romaniaballs.wordpress.com|language=ro|access-date=16 April 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prosport.ro/fotbal-intern/povestea-singurei-echipe-care-a-castigat-titlul-in-ungaria-si-romania-si-a-unei-prietenii-romano-maghiare-vechi-de-sase-decenii-13371701|title=Povestea singurei echipe care a câștigat titlul în Ungaria și România și a unei prietenii româno-maghiare vechi de șase decenii|date=8 October 2014 |trans-title=The story of the only team that won the title in Hungary and Romania and a six decades old Romanian-Hungarian friendship|publisher=prosport.ro|language=ro|access-date=16 April 2018}}</ref>

===New era, the same spirit (2017–present)===
[[File:CA Oradea 2017-2018.jpg|thumb|right|270px|CA Oradea (2017–2018), first squad that played under CAO's colors after 54 years of inactivity.]]
On 22 December 2016 ''CAO 1910 Association'' was founded, then on 17 March 2017 the association changed its status as a sports association named: '''Asociația Club Sportiv CAO 1910''', thus marking the refoundation of the white and green team.<ref name="Status">{{cite web|url=http://caoradea.ro/membri/statut/|title=Statutul clubului|trans-title=Club status|publisher=caoradea.ro|language=ro|access-date=16 April 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170908150343/http://caoradea.ro/membri/statut/|archive-date=8 September 2017|url-status=dead}}</ref> The refounding of the club was followed by a marketing promotion period, in which, among other things, the official website of the club and the Facebook official page were launched.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.gsp.ro/fotbal/liga-b/exclusiv-s-a-reinfiintat-singura-echipa-care-a-castigat-titlul-atat-in-ungaria-cat-si-in-romania-ce-planuri-are-cine-o-conduce-sponsor-inedit-508072.html|title=S-a reînființat singura echipă care a câștigat titlul atât în Ungaria, cât și în România! Ce planuri are, cine o conduce + Sponsor inedit|trans-title=The only team that has won the title in Hungary and Romania has been re-established! What plans does it have, who leads it + Unusual sponsor|publisher=gsp.ro|language=ro|access-date=16 April 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.marca.com/futbol/futbol-internacional/2017/04/19/58f74c0a468aebc1358b45ba.html|title=Se refunda en Rumanía un club histórico que ganó las ligas húngara y rumana|date=19 April 2017 |trans-title=A historical club that won the Hungarian and Romanian leagues is refounded in Romania|publisher=marca.com|language=es|access-date=16 April 2018}}</ref>

Then, on 28 July 2017 a partnership was signed between CAO and [[CSM Oradea]], the team that took over the [[FC Bihor Oradea (1958)|FC Bihor Oradea]] youth academy after its dissolution, but which didn't have a senior squad, so through this partnership [[CSM Oradea]] ensured a continuity for the youth players at senior level and CAO assured a youth academy. In the same period the team was enrolled in [[Liga V]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ebihoreanul.ro/stiri/ultima-or-31-2/oradea-are-iar-echipa-de-fotbal-csm-si-cao-1910-si-au-facut-echipa-de-seniori-si-au-inscris-o-in-liga-a-v-a-135770.html|title=Oradea are echipă de fotbal! CSM și CAO 1910 și-au făcut formație de seniori și au înscris-o în Liga a V-a|trans-title=Oradea has a football team! CSM and the CAO 1910 formed a senior squad and entered it in the League 5|publisher=ebihoreanul.ro|language=ro|access-date=16 April 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://liga2.prosport.ro/seria-1/diverse/pentru-ca-brandul-fc-bihor-e-prea-scump-primaria-oradea-reinvie-legendara-cao-singura-echipa-care-a-castigat-titlul-in-ungaria-si-romania-primul-obiectiv-promovarea-16675729|title=Pentru că brandul FC Bihor e prea scump, primăria Oradea reînvie legendara CAO, singura echipă care a câștigat titlul în Ungaria și România. Primul obiectiv: promovarea|date=2 August 2017 |trans-title=Because FC Bihor brand is too expensive, Oradea Municipality revives the legendary CAO, the only team that won the title in Hungary and Romania. First objective: promotion|publisher=liga2.prosport.ro|language=ro|access-date=16 April 2018}}</ref>

At the end of the season CAO had an impressive ranking line, 24 wins, one draw and only one defeat, 146 goals scored and 21 conceded, 73 points, with 15 more than their main promotion rival, Dinamo Oradea.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.bihorpenet.ro/liga-5-etapa-13-ultima-a-turului-progresul-saniob-acumuleaza-primul-punct-cao-13-din-13/|title=Liga 5. Etapa 13 (ultima a turului): Progresul Sâniob acumulează primul punct! CAO: 13 din 13|trans-title=Liga 5. Stage 13 (last round): Progresul Sâniob accumulates its first point! CAO: 13 out of 13|publisher=bihorpenet.ro|language=ro|access-date=16 April 2018|archive-date=1 December 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171201040124/http://www.bihorpenet.ro/liga-5-etapa-13-ultima-a-turului-progresul-saniob-acumuleaza-primul-punct-cao-13-din-13/|url-status=dead}}</ref> After the promotion, "the white and greens" continued their strategy to promote young players, being ranked 2nd in the [[Liga IV]], Bihor series, at the end of the [[2018–19 Liga IV|2018–19]] season, 13 points away from the champions, [[CSC Sânmartin]], a team with many players of certain quality and experience, as [[Salif Nogo]], [[Alexandru Sorian]] or Florin Pop, among others.

The second season of [[2019–20 Liga IV Bihor|Liga IV]] and the third one after the refoundation was beyond the expectations for the "white and greens". CA Oradea won all his matches in the autumn campaign, scored 69 goals and conceded only 6, leading the league table with a total of 45 points. The season was suspended during the winter break, due to [[COVID-19 pandemic]] outbreak, then on 21 May 2020, CAO was crowned as the champions of [[Liga IV]], Bihor Series based on the results of the matches that were played in the autumn of 2019.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://liga2.prosport.ro/liga-4/ajf-bihor-a-inghetat-sezonul-si-a-desemnat-campioana-ligii-4-cine-merge-la-barajul-pentru-promovare-19133185|title=AJF Bihor a "înghețat" sezonul și a desemnat campioana Ligii 4. Club Atletic Oradea merge la barajul pentru promovare în Liga 3: "Acest mod de câștigare al campionatului nu știrbește din meritele unui grup de jucători valoroși"|trans-title=AJF Bihor "froze" the season and designated the champion of League 4. Club Atletic Oradea goes to the Liga III promotion play-offs: "This way of winning the championship does not detract from the merits of a group of valuable players"|publisher=liga2.prosport.ro|language=ro|access-date=16 April 2018}}</ref> The promotion play-offs were played on the [[Stadionul Municipal (Zalău)|Municipal Stadium]] in [[Zalău]], and CAO was assigned in a group of three teams, together with [[CSM Satu Mare (football)|CSM Satu Mare]] and [[CS Minerul 1947 Ocna Dej|Someșul Dej]]. CAO lost 1–3 against Satu Mare, than won 2–1 against [[CS Minerul 1947 Ocna Dej|Someșul]], being ranked 2nd. Finally all the teams from that group were promoted to [[2020–21 Liga III]], due to the [[Liga III]] competition format changes.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ebihoreanul.ro/stiri/cao-1910-oradea-a-fost-promovata-in-cele-din-urma-in-liga-a-iii-a-158291.html|title=CAO 1910 Oradea a fost promovată în cele din urmă în Liga a III-a|trans-title=CAO 1910 Oradea was finally promoted to the Liga III|publisher=ebihoreanul.ro|language=ro|access-date=27 June 2022}}</ref>

In 2020, Oradea Municipality and APTOR (Local Public Association for Tourism) entered in the association, along with the already existing Oradea Renaștem Împreună Association (the association that reunite the founding members, the private sponsors and which owns Club Atletic Oradea brands, registered at the Romanian State Office for Inventions and Trademarks).<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ebihoreanul.ro/stiri/bolojan-se-apuca-de-fotbal-primaria-oradea-a-decis-sa-bage184000-lei-in-clubul-cao-153125.html|title=Bolojan se apucă de fotbal! Primăria Oradea a decis să bage 184.000 lei în clubul CAO|trans-title=Bolojan invests in football! Oradea Municipality decided to put 184,000 lei in the CAO football club|publisher=ebihoreanul.ro|language=ro|access-date=27 June 2022}}</ref> At the end of the first season spent in the national divisions, after 58 years of absence, CA Oradea was ranked on an honorable 4th place, out of 10, then in the summer of 2021, the club announced that will be a break up between the owners (Oradea Municipality, APTOR and Oradea Renaștem Împreună) due to a difference of opinion between the public and the private parts. Municipality of Oradea wanted a merger between the two brands, Club Atletic Oradea (owned by Oradea Renaștem Împreună) and [[FC Bihor Oradea (1958)|FC Bihor Oradea]] (owned by the Municipality), while the private side did not agree with this and wanted to continue the Club Atletic Oradea project. The owners agreed that the private management of the club will retire from the executive management and the association will work as Club Atletic Oradea only for another season, being expected an exchange of places through which FC Bihor (supported by the public owners), will reach the third tier, while the private owners (Oradea Renaștem Împreună, the official owner of the Club Atletic Oradea brands) will continue to support the white and green club, but a division below, back in the fourth league.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bihon.ro/sport-local/primaria-oradea-reinvie-fc-bihor-3793982/|title=Schimbări în fotbalul orădean! Primăria Oradea reînvie FC Bihor!|date=26 August 2021 |trans-title=Changes in football from Oradea! Oradea City Hall revives FC Bihor!|publisher=ebihoreanul.ro|language=ro|access-date=27 June 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.ebihoreanul.ro/stiri/echipa-de-fotbal-fc-bihor-renasteprimaria-oradea-vrea-o-formatie-de-prima-liga-165828.html|title=Echipa de fotbal FC Bihor renaşte! Primăria Oradea vrea o formaţie de prima ligă|trans-title=FC Bihor football team will be reborn! Oradea Municipality wants a first league team|publisher=ebihoreanul.ro|language=ro|access-date=27 June 2022}}</ref>

CA Oradea had a good [[2021–22 Liga III|2021–22]] season and was ranked 2nd, out of 10, qualifying for [[Liga II]] promotion play-offs, where it was eliminated in the semi-final round, by [[FC Corvinul Hunedoara|Corvinul Hunedoara]], 2–4 on aggregate. On 24 June 2022, Club Atletic Oradea announced officially the break up, and that the club will continue in the county leagues, under the ownership of the private management, which also own the Club Atletic Oradea brands, registered at the Romanian State Office for Inventions and Trademarks.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://caoradea.ro/comunicat-kozlemeny/|title=Comunicat. Povestea continua|trans-title=Press release. The story goes on|publisher=caoradea.ro|language=ro|access-date=27 June 2022}}</ref> On the place of CAO, in the [[Liga III]] will play the club owned by the Municipality of Oradea and APTOR.

==Crest and colours==

===Crest===
Club Atletic Oradea's first emblem, used between 1910 and 1919, was an almost replica of [[Club Atlético River Plate|River Plate]] crest, the differences consist of a green sash instead of a red one, and also the initials ''NAC (Nagyváradi Atlétikai Club)'' wrote on diagonal, in opposition with the sash.<ref name="Crest">{{cite web|url=https://www.magyarfutball.hu/hu/csapat/1625|title=Nagyvárad, Nagyváradi AC|trans-title=Oradea, CA Oradea|publisher=magyarfutball.hu|language=hu|access-date=5 August 2019}}</ref> For the next 20 years (1920–1940), the club used the first logo that introduced the green stripes, positioned on a white background, inside of a brown circle. On the logo were the two initials, ''CAO (Club Atletic Oradea)'' and ''NAC'', as a symbol of the [[Romania]]n-[[Hungary|Hungarian]] culture and friendship that existed around the club.<ref name="Crest"/>

[[File:CAO_NAC_logo.png|250px|thumbnail|left|Historical crest used between 1920 and 1940.]]
In 1930, at the 20th anniversary of the club, the administrative staff decided to make a special logo. They modified the current logo, changing the places between the white background and green lines. At the time, the club was in the Hungarian championship, so on the top of the crest appeared only ''NAC'', as an abbreviation, wrote with gold colour. On the sides appeared the laurels and on the bottom of the logo, on two different ribbons were marked the year of foundation (1910) and the current year (1930).<ref name="Crest"/>

[[File:CA Oradea logo.png|180px|thumbnail|right|Crest used between 2017 and 2021.]]
The last form of the logo with Hungarian influences was during the 1940s, with the same white and green stripes, now having some gold lines between them. On the top of the logo was written ''Nagyváradi AC'', on the bottom, the year of foundation 1910 and in the middle was placed a local coat of arms.<ref name="Crest"/>

After 1945, the club was moved back in Romania, but this time under the communist regime installed by the Soviets, fact that led to the removal of any Hungarian names.  The club's name, as well as the crest, were frequently changed, not less than five times in the next 20 years. Some of them were lost in time, but for example, between 1951 and 1958, when the club was known under the name of ''Progresul Oradea'' used a triangular logo, with a bleu, blue and white water tower in the middle. On the top of the crest appeared the name of the club, in red colour.<ref name="Crest"/>

In 2017, after the refoundation, the club moved back to the name of Club Atletic Oradea and the original white and green colours. The new logo uses a rounded shape, with a green background and a gold outline. Above the logo are two golden stars representing the two national titles won by the club in Hungary ([[1943–44 Nemzeti Bajnokság I|1944]]) and Romania ([[1948–49 Divizia A|1949]]), inside the shape appears with white letters the name of the club and the year of foundation, as well as a stylized golden shape of the Oradea's Fortress.<ref name="Status"/>

In 2022, the club introduced a more modern variant of the logo used in the interwar period. The new logo is composed of a white shield, with green vertical stripes, having a geometric shape inspired by the emblems used both in the interwar period and in the first part of the 1940s. At the top of the logo, there are the two abbreviations so well known and confused with the club's history: CAO (Club Atletic Oradea) and NAC (Nagyváradi Atlétikai Club), a symbol of diversity and good cooperation between the main peoples who contributed to the development of Oradea. The new logo also borrows two elements from the last logo (used between 2017 and 2021), the two green stars, representing the titles won in Hungary (1944) and Romania (1949), as well as the year of founding, 1910.<ref name="CAO/NAC">{{cite web|url=https://caoradea.ro/comunicat-modificari-organizatorice/|title=Comunicat. Modificari organizatorice|publisher=caoradea.ro|language=ro|trans-title=Press release. Organizational changes|date=1 May 2020| access-date=19 July 2022}}</ref>

===Colours and Kits===
The original colours of the club are white and green, this combination was used almost regularly with the exception of some periods, in which colours such as bleu, blue or white were printed on the kits.

The classic home kit of Club Atletic Oradea consists of a white body with green stripes, white shorts and green or white socks. After the refoundation, the club used in the first season a printed form of the original kits used by the club, as a symbolic connecting bridge of the current side with the glorious history of the squad from the banks of the [[Crișul Repede]] river. Starting with the 2019–20 season, CAO also adopted a red and blue kit, current colors of [[Oradea]] and [[Bihor County]], city and region which it represents.

{| class="wikitable" style="margin: 1em auto 1em auto;"
|-
! colspan="7"|Selection of CAO kits through history
|-
|{{Football kit box|pattern_la=_cao4344h|pattern_b=_cao4344h|pattern_ra=_cao4344h|pattern_so=_cao4344h|leftarm=|body=|rightarm=|shorts=FFFFFF|socks=|alt=The white shirt with green stripes, white shorts and white-green socks. Worn 1943–1944|title=<div align="center">The white shirt with green stripes, white shorts and white-green socks. Worn 1943–1944</div>}}
|{{Football kit box|pattern_la=|pattern_b=_cao1718h|pattern_ra=|pattern_so=|leftarm=00746e|body=|rightarm=00746e|shorts=FFFFFF|socks=00746e|alt=The white shirt with three green stripes, white shorts and green socks. Worn 2017–2018|title=<div align="center">The white shirt with three green stripes, white shorts and greens socks. Worn 2017–2018</div>}}
|{{Football kit box|pattern_la=|pattern_b=_cao1819h|pattern_ra=|pattern_so=|leftarm=FFFFFF|body=FFFFFF|rightarm=FFFFFF|shorts=FFFFFF|socks=FFFFFF|alt=The white shirt with three green stripes, white shorts and white socks. Home kit worn 2018–2019|title=<div align="center">The white shirt with three green stripes, white shorts and white socks. Home kit worn 2018–2019</div>}}
|{{Football kit box|pattern_la=|pattern_b=_cao1819a|pattern_ra=|pattern_so=|leftarm=000000|body=|rightarm=000000|shorts=000000|socks=FFFFFF|alt=The black shirt with white vertical line, green insertion and white socks. Away kit worn 2018–2019|title=<div align="center">The black shirt with white vertical line, green insertion and white socks. Away kit worn 2018–2019</div>}}
|}

==Grounds==
{{main|Baza Sportivă Paleu|Stadionul Iuliu Bodola|Stadionul Tineretului (Oradea)}}
[[File:Baza Sportivă Paleu.png|250px|thumbnail|left|Paleu Sports Base, the current home ground of the club.]]
[[File:Stadionul Tineretului (Oradea).jpg|250px|thumbnail|right|Tineretului Stadium, the first home ground of Club Atletic Oradea.]]
[[File:Municipal Oradea.jpg|250px|thumbnail|right|Iuliu Bodola Stadium, the most used home ground of the club.]]
In the first 14 years of their existence (1910–1924), "the white and greens" used to play the home matches on the historical stadium of the city, [[Stadionul Tineretului (Oradea)|Tineretului Stadium]], known at that time as ''Rhédey Garden'', with a capacity of 5,000 people. The stadium was replaced as the first ground with the opening of the new stadium, [[Stadionul Iuliu Bodola|Municipal Stadium]], in 1924. Until its dissolution, in 1963, CAO played its home matches on the Municipal Stadium, with a capacity of approx. 10,000 people, at that time.

In 2017, after the re-establishment of the club, "the white and greens" started to play on the same Municipal Stadium, now known under the name of [[Stadionul Iuliu Bodola|Iuliu Bodola Stadium]], with a capacity of 11,155 on seats, the biggest from [[Bihor County]] and named after [[Iuliu Bodola]], CAO's great player of the 1930s and 1940s. The home ground of CAO was established here due to the partnership with CSM Oradea and the financial support of the Municipality of Oradea, the owner of the arena. In the summer of 2022, CAO and the Municipality broke up the partnership and the team moved to [[Paleu]], in the Oradea Metropolitan Area.

Club Atletic Oradea plays its home matches on [[Baza Sportivă Paleu|Paleu Sports Base]] in [[Paleu]], with a capacity of 1,500 (300 on seats).<ref>[https://www.bihon.ro/sport-local/club-atletic-oradea-si-a-readus-golgheterul-4047687/ Club Atletic Oradea și-a readus golgheterul]. bihon.ro {{inlang|ro}}</ref> In the past, the arena was the home ground of local team FC Paleu.

==Support==
Club Atletic Oradea had the most important fan base in the city of [[Oradea]], until its dissolution in 1963. The "sleeping giant" was revived in 2017, after 54 years of existence, but despite the skepticism from the beginning, the fan-base was fastly organized, mostly due to socios program of the club. In a short period of time an ultras group was also formed, under the name of "Galeria Verzilor" (The Greens).

===Rivalries===
CA Oradea's historical bitter rivals are [[FC Ripensia Timișoara|Ripensia Timișoara]] (since the 1930s), but has also other important rivalries with teams based in the west part of [[Romania]] such as: [[FC UTA Arad|UTA Arad]] or [[SSU Politehnica Timișoara|Politehnica Timișoara]], rivalries established during the 1950s. In the past, CAO also had important rivals at the local level, matches against teams such as [[Stăruința Oradea]] or [[Crișana Oradea]] being recognized for their intensity.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ripensia-sport-magazin.ro/istoria-fotbalului/echipe-din-romania-interbelica-cao-oradea-campioana-romano-maghiara/|title=Echipe din România interbelică – CAO. Oradea, campioana româno-maghiară|trans-title=Teams in interwar Romania – CAO Oradea, the Romanian-Hungarian champion|publisher=ripensia-sport-magazin.ro|language=ro|access-date=16 April 2018}}</ref>

In the modern times, Club Atletic Oradea supporters maintain a bitter rivalry with [[Oradea]]-based [[FC Bihor Oradea (2022)|FC Bihor Oradea]], phoenix club of [[FC Bihor Oradea (1958)|FC Bihor (1958)]]. The history of FC Bihor and CAO relationship is complicated and with a lot of ups and downs, the establishment of the original FC Bihor, in 1958, meant the death of the white-greens, situation that was almost repeated in 2022. A feeling of deja vu appeared when the Municipality of Oradea opted for the establishment of a new FC Bihor Oradea, but this time, CAO survived due to its private management and resources, but was needed to enroll a league below, in the [[Liga IV]]. In the modern era, an important local rivalry, but of lower intensity, is against [[CS Lotus Băile Felix|Lotus Băile Felix]].

==Youth program==
In 2017, after the re-foundation, CAO formed its academy following the partnership signed with [[CSM Oradea]], the club which took over the youth academy of [[FC Bihor Oradea (1958)|Bihor Oradea]] after its dissolution in 2016.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ebihoreanul.ro/stiri/ultima-or-31-1-2/csm-oradea-a-preluat-grupele-de-copii-ale-fc-bihor-si-vrea-sa-cumpere-brandul-clubului-125138.html|title=CSM Oradea a preluat grupele de copii ale FC Bihor și vrea să cumpere brandul clubului|trans-title=CSM Oradea took over FC Bihor's youth academy and wants to buy the club's brand|publisher=ebihoreanul.ro|language=ro|access-date=16 April 2018}}</ref> Between 2020 and 2021, CAO–CSM Academy was coordinated by Stelian Farcău and Florin Farcaș (who was also the manager of CA Oradea's senior squad) and the coaches were Claudiu Mutu, Sorin Todea, Horea Rădulescu, Sorin Pop, Lucian Ciocan and [[Adrian Gongolea]].<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bihon.ro/sport-local/stelian-farcau-la-academia-csm-oradea-2339067/|title=Stelian Farcău, la Academia CSM Oradea|date=29 July 2020 |trans-title=Stelian Farcău, at the CSM Oradea Academy|publisher=bihon.ro|language=ro|access-date=29 July 2020}}</ref>

In the summer of 2022, '''Club Atletic Oradea''' and CSM Oradea broke the partnership they had, "the white and greens" starting to form their own youth program, while CSM Oradea, supported by the Municipality of Oradea, starting to form their own senior squad, mainly with players that played for CAO.<ref name="CAO/NAC"/>

==Honours==
{{Col-begin}}
{{Col-4}}

===Romania===

====Leagues====
*'''[[Liga I]]'''
**'''Winners (1):''' [[1948–49 Divizia A|1948–49]]
**Runners-up (2): [[1923–24 Divizia A|1923–24]], [[1934–35 Divizia A|1934–35]]
*'''[[Liga II]]'''
**'''Winners (2):''' [[1955 Divizia B|1955]], [[1961–62 Divizia B|1961–62]]
**Runners-up (1): [[1938–39 Divizia B|1938–39]]
*'''[[Liga III]]'''
**Runners-up (1): [[2021–22 Liga III|2021–22]]
*'''[[Liga IV]] – [[Bihor County]]'''
**'''Winners (1):''' [[2019–20 Liga IV Bihor|2019–20]]
**Runners-up (1): [[2018–19 Liga IV Bihor|2018–19]]
*'''[[Liga V]] – [[Bihor County]]'''
**'''Winners (1):''' 2017–18
*'''Regional Championship'''
**'''Winners (2):''' 1923–24, 1924–25

====Cups====
*'''[[Cupa României]]'''
**'''Winners (1):''' [[1956 Cupa României|1956]]
**Runners-up (1): [[1955 Cupa României|1955]]

*'''[[Cupa României]] – [[Bihor County]]'''
**'''Winners (1):''' 2024–25
**Runners-up (1): 2023–24
{{Col-4}}

===Hungary===

====Leagues====
*'''[[Nemzeti Bajnokság I]]'''
**'''Winners (1):''' [[1943–44 Nemzeti Bajnokság I|1943–44]]
**Runners-up (1): [[1942–43 Nemzeti Bajnokság I|1942–43]]
*'''[[Nemzeti Bajnokság II]]'''
**'''Winners (1):''' 1940–41
*'''Regional Championship'''
**'''Winners (1):''' 1913–14
{{Col-end}}

==Players==

===First team squad===
{{updated|1 March 2025}}<ref name="First squad">{{cite web|url=https://caoradea.ro/echipe/|title=Prima echipă|trans-title=First squad|publisher=caoradea.ro|language=ro|access-date=1 August 2024}}</ref>
<!-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
 -- Do ''not'' add new players before their signing is officially announced by the club.
 -- Do not add clubnumber until it is official.
 -- This is Wikipedia, not a football gazette.
&nbsp;– Thanks in advance.
 ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------->
{{Fs start}}
{{Fs player|no= 3|nat=ROU|pos=DF|name=Norbert Király}}
{{Fs player|no= 4|nat=KOR|pos=DF|name=Jeong Hong-jae}}
{{Fs player|no= 7|nat=ROU|pos=MF|name=Andrei Șut}}
{{Fs player|no= 8|nat=ROU|pos=MF|name=Cristian Jurcuț}}
{{Fs player|no= 9|nat=ROU|pos=FW|name=Ákos Waritz}}
{{Fs player|no=10|nat=ROU|pos=FW|name=Sergiu Ciocan|other=[[Captain (association football)|3rd captain]]}}
{{Fs player|no=11|nat=BAH|pos=MF|name=[[Marcel Joseph]]}}
{{Fs player|no=12|nat=ROU|pos=GK|name=Cătălin Har}}
{{Fs player|no=13|nat=ROU|pos=DF|name=Vlad Naghi}}
{{Fs player|no=14|nat=ROU|pos=DF|name=Ovidiu Ienciu}}
{{Fs player|no=15|nat=ROU|pos=MF|name=Raul Ardelean}}
{{Fs mid}}
{{Fs player|no=16|nat=ROU|pos=MF|name=Rareș Catrișcău}}
{{Fs player|no=17|nat=ROU|pos=MF|name=Mario Vesa}}
{{Fs player|no=18|nat=ROU|pos=MF|name=Florin Vesa}}
{{Fs player|no=20|nat=SEN|pos=FW|name=Miguel Mendy}}
{{Fs player|no=22|nat=ROU|pos=MF|name=Sebastian Zádori|other=[[Captain (association football)|Captain]]}}
{{Fs player|no=25|nat=ROU|pos=DF|name=Sebastian Mîndrila}}
{{Fs player|no=27|nat=ROU|pos=GK|name=Krisztián Balog}}
{{Fs player|no=89|nat=ROU|pos=DF|name=Lucian Mănoiu|other=[[Captain (association football)|Vice-Captain]]}}
{{Fs player|no=90|nat=ROU|pos=DF|name=Andrei Alungi}}
{{Fs player|no=95|nat=ROU|pos=FW|name=Daniel Lăsconi}}
{{Fs end}}

===Out on loan===
{{Fs start}}
{{Fs player|no=  |nat=ROU|pos=MF|name=Ionuț Kălăucz|other=at [[CS Oșorhei|Oșorhei]]}}
{{Fs mid}}
{{Fs player|no=  |nat=ROU|pos=MF|name=David Miron|other=at Minerul Voivozi}}
{{Fs end}}

== Club officials ==
{{col-begin}}
{{col-4}}

===Board of directors===

{| class="toccolours"
|-
! style="background:#0e9447;color:#f9fbfc;border:1px solid #d9b62c;" |Role
! style="background:#0e9447;color:#f9fbfc;border:1px solid #d9b62c;" |Name
|-
| President
| {{Flagicon|ROU}} Florin Mal
|-
| Vice-president
| {{Flagicon|ROU}} Imre Lukács
|-
| Board members
| {{Flagicon|ROU}} Marcel Boldiș <br> {{Flagicon|ROU}} Liviu Zamfirescu
|-
| Sporting director
| {{Flagicon|ROU}} Marius Chereji
|}
{{col-4}}

=== Current technical staff ===

{| class="toccolours"
|-
! style="background:#0e9447;color:#f9fbfc;border:1px solid #d9b62c;" |Role
! style="background:#0e9447;color:#f9fbfc;border:1px solid #d9b62c;" |Name
|-
| Head coach
| {{Flagicon|ROU}} Andrei Haș
|-
| Team manager
| {{Flagicon|ROU}} Ionuț Șereș
|-
| Video analyst
| {{Flagicon|ROU}} Vlăduț Săcui
|-
| Club Doctor
| {{Flagicon|ROU}} Marian Flița
|}
{{col-end}}

==Shirt sponsors and manufacturers==
{| class="toccolours"
|-
! style="background:#0e9447;color:#f9fbfc;border:1px solid #d9b62c;" |Period
! style="background:#0e9447;color:#f9fbfc;border:1px solid #d9b62c;" |Kit manufacturer
! style="background:#0e9447;color:#f9fbfc;border:1px solid #d9b62c;" |Period
! style="background:#0e9447;color:#f9fbfc;border:1px solid #d9b62c;" |Shirt partner
|-
| 1910–1963
| rowspan=1| Unknown
| 1910–1963
| rowspan=1| None 
|-
| rowspan=4| 2017–
| rowspan=4| {{Flagicon|ROU}} Westiment
| 2017–2018 
| rowspan=1| None 
|-
| 2018–2021
| rowspan=1| Herald, Irnord, MarClean
|-
| 2021–2022
| rowspan=1| Eporoton, Interioo, SAM
|-
| 2022–
| rowspan=1| Reinert, Interioo, StarStone
|}

==Chronology of names==

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align: left" 
|-
! style="background:#0e9447;color:#f9fbfc;border:1px solid #d9b62c"|Name
! style="background:#0e9447;color:#f9fbfc;border:1px solid #d9b62c"|Period
|-
|align=left|''Nagyváradi Atlétikai Club (NAC)''
|1910–1919
|-
|align=left|'''Club Atletic Oradea (CAO)'''
|1919–1940
|-
|align=left|''Nagyváradi Atlétikai Club (NAC)''
|1940–1945
|-
|align=left|''Libertatea Oradea''
|1945–1948
|-
|align=left|''Întreprinderea Comunală Oradea (ICO)''
|1948–1951
|-
|align=left|''Progresul Oradea''
|1951–1958
|-
|align=left|''CS Oradea''
|1958–1961
|-
|align=left|''Crișana Oradea''
|1961–1963
|-
|align=left|'''Club Atletic Oradea (CAO)'''
|2017–present
|}

==League history==
{{For|additional information about all Club Atletic Oradea seasons with a Wikipedia article|Category:Club Atletic Oradea seasons}}
{{col-begin}}
{{col-2}}
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%"
! style="background:#0e9447;color:#f9fbfc;border:1px solid #d9b62c"| Season
! style="background:#0e9447;color:#f9fbfc;border:1px solid #d9b62c"| Tier 
! style="background:#0e9447;color:#f9fbfc;border:1px solid #d9b62c"| Division
! style="background:#0e9447;color:#f9fbfc;border:1px solid #d9b62c"| Place
! style="background:#0e9447;color:#f9fbfc;border:1px solid #d9b62c"| Notes
! style="background:#0e9447;color:#f9fbfc;border:1px solid #d9b62c"| Cupa României
|-
| [[2024–25 Liga IV|2024–25]] || '''4''' || [[Liga IV]] <small>([[Bihor County|BH]])</small> || align=center | TBD || || Preliminary Rounds
|-
| [[2023–24 Liga IV|2023–24]] || '''4''' || [[Liga IV]] <small>([[Bihor County|BH]])</small> || align=center bgcolor=bronze| 3rd || || Preliminary Rounds
|-
| [[2022–23 Liga IV|2022–23]] || '''4''' || [[Liga IV]] <small>([[Bihor County|BH]])</small> || align=center bgcolor=| 9th || ||
|-
| [[2021–22 Liga III#Seria 10|2021–22]] || '''3''' || [[Liga III]] <small>(Seria X)</small> || align=center bgcolor=#FFCCCC| '''2nd (R)''' || ''Withdrew'' || [[2021–22 Cupa României#Round of 32|Round of 32]]
|-
| [[2020–21 Liga III#Seria X|2020–21]] || '''3''' || [[Liga III]] <small>(Seria X)</small> || 4th || ||
|-
| [[2019–20 Liga IV Bihor|2019–20]] || '''4''' || [[Liga IV]] <small>([[Bihor County|BH]])</small> || align=center bgcolor=gold| '''1st (C, P)''' || Promoted ||
|-
| [[2018–19 Liga IV Bihor|2018–19]] || '''4''' || [[Liga IV]] <small>([[Bihor County|BH]])</small> || align=center bgcolor=silver| 2nd || ||
|-
| 2017–18 || '''5''' || [[Liga V]] <small>(Serie I)</small> <small>([[Bihor County|BH]])</small> || align=center bgcolor=gold| '''1st (C, P)''' || Promoted ||
|-
| [[1962–63 Divizia A|1962–63]] || '''1''' || [[Divizia A]] || align=center bgcolor=#FFCCCC| '''13th (R)''' || Relegated || [[1962–63 Cupa României|Round of 32]]
|-
| [[1961–62 Divizia B|1961–62]] || '''2''' || [[Divizia B]] <small>(Serie III)</small> || align=center bgcolor=gold| '''1st (C, P)''' || Promoted ||
|-
| [[1960–61 Divizia B|1960–61]] || '''2''' || [[Divizia B]] <small>(Serie III)</small> || 5th || || [[1960–61 Cupa României|Round of 32]]
|-
| [[1959–60 Divizia B|1959–60]] || '''2''' || [[Divizia B]] <small>(Serie III)</small> || align=center bgcolor=bronze| 3rd || ||
|-
| [[1958–59 Divizia B|1958–59]] || '''2''' || [[Divizia B]] <small>(Serie I)</small> || 14th || ||
|-
| [[1957–58 Divizia A|1957–58]] || '''1''' || [[Divizia A]] || align=center bgcolor=#FFCCCC| '''12th (R)''' || || [[1957–58 Cupa României|Semi-finals]] 
|-
| [[1956 Divizia A|1956]] || '''1''' || [[Divizia A]] || 8th || || align=center bgcolor=gold| [[1956 Cupa României Final|Winners]]
|-
| [[1955 Divizia B|1955]] || '''2''' || [[Divizia B]] <small>(Serie II)</small> || align=center bgcolor=gold| '''1st (C, P)'''  || Promoted || align=center bgcolor=silver| [[1955 Cupa României Final|Final]]
|-
| [[1954 Divizia A|1954]] || '''1''' || [[Divizia A]] || align=center bgcolor=#FFCCCC| '''14th (R)''' || Relegated || [[1954 Cupa României|Round of 32]]
|-
| [[1953 Divizia A|1953]] || '''1''' || [[Divizia A]] || 12th || || [[1953 Cupa României|Round of 32]]
|-
| [[1952 Divizia A|1952]] || '''1''' || [[Divizia A]] || 6th || || [[1952 Cupa României|Semi-finals]]
|}
{{col-2}}

{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:90%"
! style="background:#0e9447;color:#f9fbfc;border:1px solid #d9b62c"| Season
! style="background:#0e9447;color:#f9fbfc;border:1px solid #d9b62c"| Tier 
! style="background:#0e9447;color:#f9fbfc;border:1px solid #d9b62c"| Division
! style="background:#0e9447;color:#f9fbfc;border:1px solid #d9b62c"| Place
! style="background:#0e9447;color:#f9fbfc;border:1px solid #d9b62c"| Notes
! style="background:#0e9447;color:#f9fbfc;border:1px solid #d9b62c"| Cupa României
|-
| [[1951 Divizia A|1951]] || '''1''' || [[Divizia A]] || align=center bgcolor=bronze| 3rd || || [[1951 Cupa României|Round of 16]]
|-
| [[1950 Divizia A|1950]] || '''1''' || [[Divizia A]] || 7th || || [[1950 Cupa României|Semi-finals]]
|-
| [[1948–49 Divizia A|1948–49]] || '''1''' || [[Divizia A]] || align=center bgcolor=gold| '''1st (C)''' || Champions || [[1948–49 Cupa României|Semi-finals]]
|-
| [[1947–48 Divizia A|1947–48]] || '''1''' || Divizia A || 6th || || [[1947–48 Cupa României|Round of 32]]
|-
| [[1946–47 Divizia A|1946–47]] || '''1''' || Divizia A || 8th || ||
|-
| [[1943–44 Nemzeti Bajnokság I|1943–44]] || '''1''' || [[Nemzeti Bajnokság I|NB I]] || align=center bgcolor=gold| '''1st (C)''' || Champions ||
|-
| [[1942–43 Nemzeti Bajnokság I|1942–43]] || '''1''' || NB I || align=center bgcolor=silver| 2nd || ||
|-
| [[1941–42 Nemzeti Bajnokság I|1941–42]] || '''1''' || NB I || 5th || ||
|-
| 1940–41 || '''2''' || [[Nemzeti Bajnokság II|NB II]] <small>(Cluj Series)</small> || align=center bgcolor=gold| '''1st (C, P)''' || Promoted ||
|-
| [[1939–40 Divizia B|1939–40]] || '''2''' || [[Divizia B]] <small>(Serie I)</small> || 5th || ||
|-
| [[1938–39 Divizia B|1938–39]] || '''2''' || Divizia B <small>(South–West)</small> || align=center bgcolor=silver| 2nd || ||
|-
| [[1937–38 Divizia A|1937–38]] || '''1''' || [[Divizia A]] <small>(Group 1)</small> || align=center bgcolor=#FFCCCC| '''7th (R)''' || || [[1937–38 Cupa României|Round of 16]]
|-
| [[1936–37 Divizia A|1936–37]] || '''1''' || Divizia A || 6th || || [[1936–37 Cupa României|Round of 32]] 
|-
| [[1935–36 Divizia A|1935–36]] || '''1''' || Divizia A || 4th || || [[1935–36 Cupa României|Round of 16]]
|-
| [[1934–35 Divizia A|1934–35]] || '''1''' || Divizia A || align=center bgcolor=silver| 2nd || || [[1934–35 Cupa României|Quarter-finals]]
|-
| [[1933–34 Divizia A|1933–34]] || '''1''' || Divizia A <small>(Group 2)</small> || align=center bgcolor=bronze| 3rd || || [[1933–34 Cupa României|Round of 32]]
|-
| [[1932–33 Divizia A|1932–33]] || '''1''' || Divizia A <small>(Group 2)</small> || align=center bgcolor=silver| 2nd || ||
|-
| [[1924–25 Divizia A|1924–25]] || '''1''' || Divizia A || 5-8 || ||
|-
| [[1923–24 Divizia A|1923–24]] || '''1''' || Divizia A || align=center bgcolor=silver| 2nd || ||
|}
{{col-end}}

==Notable former players==
The footballers enlisted below have had international cap(s) for their respective countries at junior and/or senior level.

{{For|all former and current CA Oradea players with a Wikipedia article|Category:Club Atletic Oradea players}}

{{Col-begin}}
{{Col-4}}
;Romania
*{{Flagicon|ROU}} [[Iuliu Borbely]]
*{{Flagicon|ROU}} [[Vasile Chiroiu]]
*{{Flagicon|ROU}} [[Mircea David]]
*{{Flagicon|ROU}} [[Anton Fernbach-Ferenczi]]
*{{Flagicon|ROU}} [[Andrei Glanzmann]]
*{{Flagicon|ROU}} [[Gusztáv Juhász]]
*{{Flagicon|ROU}} [[Elemér Kocsis]]
*{{Flagicon|ROU}} [[Cornel Orza]]
*{{Flagicon|ROU}} [[Ferenc Rónay]]
*{{Flagicon|ROU}} [[Gavril Serfözö]]
*{{Flagicon|ROU}} [[Nicolae Simatoc]]
*{{Flagicon|ROU}} [[Iosif Stibinger]]
*{{Flagicon|ROU}} [[Gheorghe Váczi]]
*{{Flagicon|ROU}} [[Ladislau Zilahi]]

{{Col-4}}
;Hungary
*{{Flagicon|HUN}} [[Elemér Berkessy]]
*{{Flagicon|HUN}} [[Gyula Lóránt]]
*{{Flagicon|HUN}} [[Andor Ónody]]

{{Col-4}}
;Romania-Hungary
*{{Flagicon|ROU}} {{Flagicon|HUN}} [[Iuliu Baratky]]
*{{Flagicon|ROU}} {{Flagicon|HUN}} [[Iuliu Bodola]]
*{{Flagicon|ROU}} {{Flagicon|HUN}} [[Nicolae Kovács]]
*{{Flagicon|ROU}} {{Flagicon|HUN}} [[Francisc Mészáros]]
*{{Flagicon|ROU}} {{Flagicon|HUN}} [[József Pecsovszky]]
*{{Flagicon|ROU}} {{Flagicon|HUN}} [[Francisc Spielmann]]
*{{Flagicon|ROU}} {{Flagicon|HUN}} [[Albert Ströck]]
{{Col-end}}

==Notable former managers==
{{For|all former and current CA Oradea managers with a Wikipedia article|Category:Club Atletic Oradea managers}}

{{div col|colwidth=22em}}
*{{Flagicon|ROU}} {{Flagicon|HUN}} [[Iuliu Baratky]]
*{{Flagicon|ROU}} {{Flagicon|HUN}} [[Nicolae Kovács]]
*{{Flagicon|HUN}} Lajos Remmer
*{{Flagicon|ROU}} [[Ferenc Rónay]]
*{{Flagicon|ROU}} [[Camil Schertz]]
*{{Flagicon|ROU}} [[Ladislau Zilahi]]
{{div col end}}

==Management==
{{div col|colwidth=28em}}
*{{Flagicon|HUN}} dr. Emil Jonas (1910–1911)
*{{Flagicon|HUN}} dr. Sándor Dénes (1911–1913)
*{{Flagicon|HUN}} dr. Emil Adorján (1913–1919)
*{{Flagicon|HUN}} {{Flagicon|ROU}} János Pelle (1921–1930)
*{{Flagicon|HUN}} {{Flagicon|ROU}} István Kovács & Gyula Grünstein (1930–1932)
*{{Flagicon|HUN}} {{Flagicon|ROU}} János Pelle & Ernö Popper (1932–1933)
*{{Flagicon|ROU}} Justin Filip (1937–1938)
*{{Flagicon|HUN}} {{Flagicon|ROU}} János Pelle (1938–1939)
*{{Flagicon|HUN}} Rezső Jeney & Béla Jancsó (1940–1941)
*{{Flagicon|HUN}} Rezső Jeney & Károly Krüger (1941–1943)
*{{Flagicon|HUN}} Gyula Cseuz (1944–1945)
*{{Flagicon|ROU}} Ștefan Hittner (1945–1948)
*{{Flagicon|ROU}} dr. Ardelean (1962–1963)
*{{Flagicon|ROU}} Florin Mal (2017–2021)
*{{Flagicon|ROU}} Laurențiu Danșa (2021–2022)
*{{Flagicon|ROU}} Florin Mal (2022–present)
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==External links==
*{{Commons category-inline}}
*[http://caoradea.ro/ Official website]
*{{facebook|caoradea}}

{{CA Oradea}}
{{Navboxes|titlestyle=background:#0e9447;color:#f9fbfc;border:1px solid #d9b62c|list1=
{{Liga IV}}
{{Liga I}}
{{Nemzeti Bajnokság I}}
}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:CA Oradea}}
[[Category:Association football clubs established in 1910]]
[[Category:Football clubs in Bihor County]]
[[Category:Oradea]]
[[Category:Sport in Oradea]]
[[Category:Liga I clubs]]
[[Category:Liga II clubs]]
[[Category:Liga III clubs]]
[[Category:Liga IV clubs]]
[[Category:1910 establishments in Austria-Hungary]]
[[Category:Club Atletic Oradea|*]]