2001–02 season was finding the team back in the second league, with morale to the ground and trying to rebuild a competitive team, Gaz Metan finished only on 12th place. With the start of the 2002–03 season the club was again in the fight for promotion, but finally resembled with a 3rd place, first under the promotion places, occupied by Apulum Alba Iulia and FC Oradea. For the supporters things seemed clear, Gaz Metan had returned to its status as a Divizia B team, only now it seemed a team decided to fight for promotion than a mid-rank team. In the following season, the results were: 2003–04 – 4th, 2004–05 – 2nd, 2005–06 – 4th and 2006–07 – 6th with the statement that in 2005 the team missed the promotion in the last minute after finishing at the same number of points (65) with Jiul Petroșani.