Which Romanian club won the 1986 European Cup final?

The story behind the answer

Steaua București won the 1986 European Cup final for Romania.

Steaua defeated Barcelona on penalties after a 0–0 draw at the Ramón Sánchez Pizjuán Stadium in Seville on 7 May 1986. The match remained scoreless through extra time, making it the first European Cup final decided by a penalty shoot-out.

Goalkeeper Helmut Duckadam became the defining figure. He saved all four of Barcelona’s penalties, while Steaua converted twice through Marius Lăcătuș and Gavril Balint to win 2–0 in the shoot-out. The victory made Steaua the first Romanian club to lift Europe’s premier club trophy and the first Eastern European winner.

The club is commonly called Steaua Bucharest in English, while Steaua București is the Romanian name used in the question. This final predates the competition’s 1992 rebranding as the UEFA Champions League, but it is part of the same European club championship history. CFR Cluj, Rapid București and Dinamo București did not win this final.

Source: Wikipedia · fact-checked Sept. 2026

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