broke into the first team. After the very good main campaign, the team had high hopes for the play-off, hoping to qualify for European competitions. However, this was not the case, and the team suffered a meltdown. After many financial problems, the players protested in the media, openly criticizing the owner Ioan Niculae for not paying their wages and boycotted training. Right-back Claudiu Belu even got his contract terminated after he complained about the money issue in a post match conference. Many first team starters filed a memorandum. The last few months of the season were nightmarish, losing eight games out of ten in the play-off, managing to beat only Sepsi OSK. Astra Giurgiu had a very easy road to the final of the Romanian Cup. Up until the final, they played only second division teams or teams who were not interested in the competition, using their B-side. After breezing past CS Luceafărul Oradea, FC Universitatea Cluj FC Dunărea Călărași and CFR Cluj, Astra faced FC Viitorul Constanța in the final. Alibec opened the score from a free kick right before half-time against the run of play. Viitorul dominated the game and Astra was forced to defend with all its resources and hoped to clinch the victory, but in the 72nd minute a series of unfortunate events started. Alibec was injured and substituted, five minutes later Viitorul equalized from a corner, and another 5 minutes later Romário Pires was sent off for a second yellow. In extra time, Astra changed the system to five defenders but still conceded a goal and lost their second final in the last three years, and also lost the chance to play in the Europa League next season. At the end of the campaign, most of the important players left for free alongside Costel Enache, who finished his contract with the club. In the summer of 2019, Dan Alexa was named as the new coach. Before signing with Astra Giurgiu, Alexa was a "yoyo" manager, because in all his managerial career he either promoted or got relegated every season. The Astra job was his chance to affirm himself at a bigger level. With the help of his controversial impresario Anamaria Prodan he recruited a big number of important new players such as Daniel Graovac, Mihai Răduț, Gabriel Tamaș and Ljuban Crepulja. The biggest transfer was the surprising return of former star playmaker Constantin Budescu, reforming