Unknown Unirea set for new stratosphere

FC Unirea Urziceni are one of eight clubs making debuts in the UEFA Champions League group stage this season and, as part of a series of features on the competition's new boys, uefa.com runs the rule over Dan Petrescu's Romanian champions.

Who are they?
Formed: 1954
Nickname: Lupii din Baragan (The Wolves of Baragan)
League title: 1

Three years ago Unirea had yet to play in the Romanian top flight. Under the ownership of Dumitru Bucşaru and the steely leadership of coach Dan Petrescu, they will now complete a meteoric rise to the top table of European football. Although they were founded in 1954, it was not until 2003 that the club were promoted to Romania's second division – the first step in Bucşaru's ambitious development plan. Former Chelsea FC defender Petrescu arrived four months after promotion to Liga 1 in 2006 and Unirea's upward trajectory has continued ever since. Unirea reached their first Romanian Cup final in 2008, finishing fifth that year to gain a first European qualification, before last season's maiden league title earned entry to Europe's premier competition.

One to watch
Giedrius Arlauskis, 21, goalkeeper
In a team brimming with Romanian top-flight experience, it is the young and unheralded Arlauskis who has provided the foundation for Unirea's recent success. The Lithuanian international joined in 2008 from KFK Šiauliai in his homeland for less than €100,000 and quickly established himself as a key part of the side. Seldom prone to errors and with excellent reflexes, Arlauskis can always be relied upon.

Memorable match
Hamburger SV 0-0 FC Unirea Urziceni, UEFA Cup first round, 18 September 2008
Unirea's first foray into European football may have ended abruptly but their UEFA Cup bow proved they were far from out of their depth. Expected to be brushed aside by one-time European champions Hamburg, they held their own in Germany to post a creditable goalless draw and a chance to progress. While a 2-0 home defeat followed for the upstarts, Petrescu's men had caught the eye against the eventual semi-finalists.

Greatest player
Iulian Apostol
Much like the club for which he plies his trade, Apostol spent the early stages of his career in Romania's lower leagues. The 28-year-old midfielder went unnoticed by most but has shot to prominence with his box-to-box displays for Unirea. Such has been his progress, Apostol was handed a debut by new Romania coach Razvan Lucescu in June 2009 and is now a mainstay of the international setup.

Did you know?
The magnitude of Unirea's achievement is best put into context by considering the city from which the club hail. Located 55km east of Bucharest and home to just 17,000 inhabitants, Urziceni is both the smallest city to see its side crowned Romanian champions and the smallest to participate in this term's UEFA Champions League. The fact their ground holds only 8,000 seats will force them to play home games at FC Steaua Bucureşti's stadium in the capital.