By Jaroslaw Adamowski
April 28 – Steaua Bucharest’s controversial owner Gigi Becali has announced he will not seek to win the forthcoming auction of the club’s badge which is owned by the Romanian Armed Forces. Instead the businessman, who is currently serving a prison sentence for corruption, kidnapping and match-fixing, says that he wants to focus the club’s efforts on securing new transfers for the 2015/16 season and potential UEFA Champions League qualification.
The planned auction is expected to generate revenue of between €2 million and €8 million, reported local broadcaster Digi Sport.
In late 2014, Romania’s Supreme Court decided to ban the Bucharest-based club from using the name and the club badge after it lost a legal battle with the Romanian Ministry of Defence.
According to the ministry, Steaua has been using its brand illegally since 2004.
The club competes in the Liga I, Romania’s top tier of professional football league. Steaua is currently top of the 18 team league and heading for a third consecutive title.
Steaua plays its home matches at the 55.634-capacity National Arena in Romania’s capital Bucharest.
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