Romanian Senate approves merit indemnities for 1986 Steaua București players

The Romanian Senate has voted to approve a legislative project that would grant merit indemnities to the members of the Steaua București football team that won the European Cup in 1986. The vote resulted in 89 votes in favor and 15 abstentions, with no votes against.

The proposed amendment to Law 118/2002 aims to explicitly include the 1986 championship-winning squad as beneficiaries of merit indemnities, which are currently reserved for prestigious Romanian personalities in science, culture, and sports. Proponents of the bill, including deputies from the AUR and PSD parties, argue that the 1986 victory is a unique historical achievement that brought significant international prestige to Romanian sports.

The legislation must now move to the Chamber of Deputies, which serves as the decisive chamber for this matter. Former players, including Gabi Balint and Mihail Majearu, have expressed support for the initiative, noting that while some players previously received state funds, they were not specifically designated as merit indemnities.