SSU Politehnica Timișoara

Societatea Sportivă Universitară Politehnica Timișoara (Romanian pronunciation: [poliˈtehnika timiˈʃo̯ara]), commonly known as SSU Politehnica Timișoara, Politehnica Timișoara or simply Poli Timișoara, is a Romanian professional football club based in the city of Timișoara, Timiș County, which competes in the Liga II.

Politehnica Timișoara
Full nameSocietatea Sportivă Universitară Politehnica Timișoara SA[1]
Nickname(s)
  • Alb-violeții (The White-Purples)
  • Băieții în Ghete (Boys in Boots)
  • Timișorenii (The Timișoara People)
  • Bănățenii (The Banat People)
  • Echipa de pe Bega (The Bega River Team)
Short namePoli
Founded4 December 1921 (4 December 1921)
2012 (2012) (refoundation)
GroundȘtiința / Dan Păltinișanu
Capacity1,000 / 32,972
OwnersPolitehnica University of Timișoara (90%)
Druckeria (10%)
ChairmanViorel Șerban
ManagerNicolae Croitoru
LeagueLiga II
2020–21Liga II, 6th of 21
WebsiteClub website

Originally named ASU Politehnica, the team was formed following the dissolution of the original FC Politehnica Timișoara in 2012. During that year, ACS Recaș was also moved to Timișoara and renamed ACS Poli Timișoara; in spite of the latter club eventually reaching the top flight, the majority of the old fans chose to support SSU Politehnica. The Polytechnic University of Timișoara ceased the FC Politehnica brand and records for free use to ACS Poli between 2012 and 2021, but then moved them to SSU Politehnica starting from the latter year.

The colours of the club are white and purple, and it plays its home matches on the Dan Păltinișanu Stadium which has a capacity of 32,972 seats.

History

Former logo.

Founding (2012)

Lacking other ambitions, in most of its business the team has evolved in the municipal championship. Following the dissolution of the Liga II team and disagreeing with the mayor's proposal to move ACS Recaș to Timișoara, South Lawn representatives, together with other fans of Politehnica Timișoara, decided to support the Liga V team, ASU Politehnica, which is the only now that they can identify as belonging to the right of the Polytechnic Institute, institution which appeared in 1921 as Politehnica Timișoara. Even if ASU Politehnica is not the legal successor of the former Divizia A and B team and even if not holding Polytechnics old track record, this is the only team that Poli supporters recognize as the one that can carry forward the spirit of the white and purple colours of Timișoara.

County Leagues (2012–2015)

On their first season after founding they reached the second place in 2012–2013 Liga V season and promoted to the next league, Liga IV Timiș County. They reached again the second place but this time they not promoted to Liga III, anyway they won their first trophy Cupa României, Timiș County round, beating FC Giarmata in the final. Next year they won the championship and qualified to the 2014–15 Liga IV promotion play-offs. In the same year they won a new established trophy named Football without owners, a friendly tournament of four teams without owners from Romania. The other teams were fan-owned phoenix clubs like ASU Poli named Argeș 1953 Pitești, FC Vaslui 2002 and the host LSS Voința Sibiu. On 11 June, was announced that the team will play against Voința Lupac, the champions of Liga IV Caraș-Severin County, in the play-off promotion match for a place in the 2015–16 Liga III season. In the home match they beat them (5–1) and secured the promotion. Away they lost (1–2) but they still promoted to Liga III, for the first time in their short history.

Professional Leagues (2015–present)

ASU Poli debuted very good in the 2015–16 Liga III with a victory against Minerul Motru (3–0), then they had their first victory away against Millenium Giarmata (3–1), and in the third round they defeated the last year series runners-up Metalurgistul Cugir (2–0). At the end of the season ASU Poli won their series and promoted again, this time in Liga II, after a close fight with Performanța Ighiu and Metalurgistul Cugir. During the 2016–17 Cupa României, they had their first televised cup match, a 3–0 defeat against Pandurii Târgu Jiu in the Round of 32, this was also the best result in the cup after they defeated Șoimii Pâncota in the fourth round.

In the summer of 2021, ASU Politehnica Timișoara was renamed as SSU Politehnica Timișoara.[1] The Romanian Football Federation announced before the start of the 2021–22 Liga II championship that the Polytechnic University of Timișoara, the owner of the logo, history and all of Politehnica Timișoara's football records, approves the use of these by SSU Politehnica Timișoara. So from a legal point of view, from now on, this team will be considered as the official and legal successor of the old FC Politehnica Timișoara team.

Supporters and Rivalries

Poli Timișoara supporters during a First Division game.

Historically, Poli has been the most prominent football club in Timișoara after 1945, playing consistently in either the first or the second tier of Romanian football. Local rivalries with CFR Timișoara[2] and UM Timișoara[3] were relevant until the early 2000s. Afterwards, the former was relegated to a semi-professional status in the lower leagues and the latter was dissolved in 2008. A more recent local rivalry has emerged since the 2010s, with Ripensia Timișoara. SSU Poli has many fans in Romania but also in other countries. The roots of the Poli ultras movement was found in 1995 when groups like Urban Guerilla, Gruppo Soarelui, Frenetic, Banatica, Drojdierii or Gruppo Autonomo Viola appear in the South End.

Over the years, Poli developed rivalries with UTA Arad and Dinamo București. The rivalry with UTA, also known as West Derby, stems from the natural competition between the cities of Timișoara and Arad, which are located close to each other and are the main cities in the region. Both Timișoara and Arad claim to be the first place where football was played in Romania, with Timișoara being the true first city in Romania to host a football game.[4]

Other rivalries are shared with CFR Cluj, Bihor Oradea, Steaua București and Universitatea Craiova.

Over the years, Politehnica Timișoara fans have established close friendships with the supporters of Rapid București and the Nordkurve from Borussia Mönchengladbach.[5]

Honours

Leagues

Cups

Friendly

  • Football without Owners Tournament
    • Winners (1): 2015
  • Dinu Instal Winter Cup
    • Winners (1): 2014

Players

First team squad

As of 6 September 2021[6]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK  AUS Harrison Devenish-Meares
3 DF  ROU Călin Jurj
4 DF  ROU Cristian Bocșan
5 MF  ROU Denis Radu
6 DF  ROU Tudor Moțiu
7 FW  ROU Octavian Ursu
8 MF  ROU Adrian Zaluschi
9 FW  ITA Erik Gerbi (on loan from Sampdoria)
10 MF  ROU Cosmin Bîrnoi
11 MF  ROU Doru Andrei
13 DF  ROU Cristian Scutaru (Vice-captain)
14 DF  ROU Ioan Mera (Captain)
15 DF  ROU Nicolae Șofran
No. Pos. Nation Player
17 MF  ROU Samuel Costea
18 DF  ROU Claudiu Pamfile
19 FW  ROU Sebastian Serediuc (on loan from CFR Cluj)
20 MF  ROU Daniel Benzar
21 MF  ROU Rareș Lazăr (on loan from Rapid)
22 MF  ROU Roberto Hațegan
23 GK  ROU Rareș Murariu
24 MF  ROU Alin Ignea
25 MF  ROU Bogdan Minteuan
26 DF  ROU Cătălin Oanea
29 DF  ROU Răzvan Prodan
30 GK  ROU George Păduraru

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Pos. Nation Player
2 DF  ROU Rareș Bîrlovean (to Pobeda Stár Bišnov)
DF  ROU Dragoș Coroiu (to Ghiroda)
MF  ROU Alexandru Gașpar (to Avântul Periam)
MF  ROU Ilie Velcan (to Ghiroda)
No. Pos. Nation Player
FW  ROU Demetris Cristodulo (to CSM Reșița)
FW  ROU Robert Ehling (to Progresul Pecica)
FW  ROU Răzvan Pițigoi (to Topolovățu Mare)

Club Officials

League history

See also

References

  1. "ASU Politehnica și-a făcut societate pe acțiuni și așteaptă afilierea la FRF. Cramele Recaș și Cosmin Contra, printre membrii Consiliului de Administrație. "Vrem pe Poli în Liga 1"" [ASU Politehnica has set up a joint-stock company and is waiting to join FRF. Cramele Recaș and Cosmin Contra, among the members of the Board of Directors. "We want Poli in Liga 1"] (in Romanian). ProSport. 25 June 2021.
  2. "CFR Timișoara, legendă a fotbalului bănățean". Ripensia Sport Magazin.
  3. "Poveste UMT-ului". Ripensia Sport Magazin.
  4. "Poartă gigant în Timişoara, primul oraş din România unde s-a jucat fotbal GALERIE FOTO". Retrieved 13 December 2017.
  5. "Fan friendship". Tempo Poli.
  6. "Politehnica Timişoara 2021/2022" [Timişoara Polytechnic 2021/2022] (in Romanian). liga2.prosport.ro. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
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