FC Ripensia Timișoara

Fotbal Club Ripensia UVT Timișoara (Romanian pronunciation: [timiˈʃo̯ara]), commonly known as Ripensia Timișoara, or simply as Ripensia, is a Romanian professional football club based in Timișoara, Timiș County. It plays in the Liga II.

Ripensia Timișoara
Full nameFotbal Club Ripensia UVT Timișoara
Nickname(s)Ripi
Short nameRipensia
Founded
  • 21 October 1928 (1928-10-21)
  • 12 July 2012 (2012-07-12)
GroundElectrica
Capacity5,000
ChairmanDumitru Mihu
ManagerCosmin Petruescu
LeagueLiga II
2019–20Liga II, 13th of 20
WebsiteClub website

The team was founded in 1928 by Dr. Cornel Lazăr and folded after twenty years due to lack of funds.[1] However, Ripi was brought back to life and enrolled in the Liga VI, the sixth tier of the Romanian football league system, in 2012.[2]

Ripensia Timișoara was the first Romanian club to turn professional, and because of this status they were unable to compete in the national league until the 1932–33 season. After being granted permission in the national system, the club soon became one of the best in the country, winning four national titles and two national cups in their short history.

The colors of the team are red and yellow.

History
Ripensia Timișoara winning the 1933–34 Romanian Cup against "U. Cluj"
Ripensia Timișoara in 1931
Ripensia Timișoara in 1932
Ripensia-Unirea Tricolor 3–1 in 1932

It was founded in 1928 by Dr. Cornel Lazăr, a famous promoter of football in the Banat region, and the former president of Chinezul Timișoara. The players came from Chinezul Timișoara, C.A.T. and Poli Timișoara. Vilmos Kertész coached the team from 1931 to 1932.[3][4] Due to its professional status, until 1932–1933 (the first season of the National League – Divizia A), the team and its players could not participate in official national competitions.

They were champions of the Romanian Football League in 1933, 1935, 1936, and 1938, with two Romanian Cup appearances, winning 3–2 over Universitatea Cluj in 1934 and 5–1 over Unirea Tricolor București in 1936. They were national vice-champions for 1933–34 and 1938–39. After World War II, due to financial problems, the communist sports organisation and controversial actions, Ripensia played in Divizia B and Divizia C. After 1948, without any support, it disappeared, merging with Electrica Timișoara. Their colours were red-yellow. Their home stadium was called Electrica (today UMT; the original wooden stand was demolished in 2004–2005). The greatest players in team history were:

In the 2012 the team was reestablished and competed in the municipal championship, they won it and promoted to Liga V. In Liga V they reached the first place in the 2013–2014 season and promoted to the next league Liga IV. Also they made a good impression in the 2013–14 Romanian Cup, where they defeated again Universitatea Cluj to reach the Last 16 of the cup making them the surprise of the cup. In the Last 16 they lost to Pandurii Târgu Jiu.

In the 2014–15 Liga IV season, Ripi had a very tough opponent, in the position of ASU Politehnica Timișoara, the fan-owned phoenix club formed after the dissolution of FC Politehnica Timișoara by its fans and finished only on the 2nd place.

Next season Ripensia had a perfect journey, won Liga IV-Timiș County and qualified for the promotion play-offs to Liga III. At the promotion play-off Ripensia met the champion of Hunedoara County, Hercules Lupeni, and they won without major difficulties, 7–0 on aggregate, thus ensuring promotion to the Liga III.[5]

2016–17 Liga III season was the first one for Ripi in the last over 60 years. The team had a very close fight for supremacy in the Seria IV against CSM Școlar Reșița, CSM Lugoj, Cetate Deva and Național Sebiș but in the end they won and promoted to Liga II after an absence of 69 years.[6]

Honours

Leagues

Cups

Players

First team squad
As of 25 January 2021

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  ROU Ștefan Dobre
2 DF  ROU Mădălin Sturzu
3 DF  SRB Nenad Lalić
5 DF  ROU Darius Țieranu
7 FW  ROU Denis Golda
8 MF  ROU Alexandru Neagu
9 FW  SRB Nemanja Soković
11 MF  ROU Ionuț Vasluian
13 MF  MDA Valerii Macrițchii
14 FW  ROU Alexandru Popovici (Captain)
15 DF  ROU Mirjan Marić
16 DF  ROU Harald Fridrich
17 DF  MDA Andrei Macrițchii
18 MF  ROU Tudor Călin (Vice-captain)
19 DF  ROU Alexandru Benea
No. Pos. Nation Player
21 MF  CIV Stéphane Coulibaly
22 MF  ROU Gabriel Stoi
23 MF  ROU Mihai Ene
24 MF  ROU Vlad Tudorache
26 DF  MDA Radu Rogac
30 DF  ROU Cosmin Gladun
— GK  ROU Octavian Mosoarcă
— GK  ROU Valentin Velcea
— GK  ROU Róbert Miklos
— DF  ROU Ștefan Pădureț
— MF  ROU Alexandru Piftor
— MF  ROU Patrick Peter
— MF  ROU Marius Simedru
— MF  MAR Ouadie Salhi

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
16 MF  ROU Florin Dobie (to Avântul Periam)
No. Pos. Nation Player
— MF  ROU Denis Casian (to Cugir)

Club officials

Former players

The footballers enlisted below have had international cap(s) for their respective countries at junior and/or senior level.

Former managers

Domestic records and statistics

Key
Champions Runners-up Third place Promoted Relegated

The players in bold were the top goalscorers in the division.

Seasons
Season League Cup European Cup Other Top Goalscorer(s) Notes
DivisionPosPWDLGFGAPtsNameGoals
1932–33Div A1st121002491020 –FinalsW Ștefan Dobay16Foundation of the Romanian Football
League system
1933–341st141022551322WFinalsF Ștefan Dobay15
1934–351st221444663432F Ștefan Dobay24
1935–361st221345593730W Ștefan Dobay12
1936–373rd221318593927F Ștefan Dobay21
1937–381st181503632530R32FinalsW Silviu Bindea21
1938–392nd221147533926R32 Adalbert Marksteiner21
1939–406th22868363722R32 Adalbert Marksteiner15
1940–413rd241365583232R32 Silviu Bindea10
1941–42 – – – – – – – ––QF
1942–43 – – – – – – – ––R32
1943–46 Not involved in any competitions due to World War II.
1946–47Div C1st181341482130 –
1947–48Div B8th2912413445428R32Merged with Electrica Timișoara.
Disbanded.
1948–2012 Not involved in any competitions.
2012–13L61st222110143964 –Timiș County PhaseW Adrian Boghian23
2013–14L51st282521152977R16Timiș County Phase2R Raul Briciu37
2014–15L42nd3429231222789 –Timiș County PhaseW Ndiaye Mediop32
2015–16 1st3228311502887R32Timiș County PhaseSF Ndiaye Mediop55
2016–17L31st261673693055 – Ndiaye Mediop21
2017–18L211th38139167258483R Ndiaye Mediop19
2018–1912th381211154454474R Andrei Dumiter10
2019–2013th236107283428R32 Albert Voinea13

European record

Mitropa Cup

Ripensia played in the Mitropa Cup, an important inter-war football competition. In the 1938 season Ripensia knocked Italian giants AC Milan out of this competition. The Romanians won the first leg 3–0 at Bucharest, and lost the second leg 1–3. In the next round Ripensia was eliminated by Hungarian side of Ferencváros (1–4, 4–5).

Season Round Country Club Home Away Aggregate
1938 First round Italy A.C. Milan 3–0 1–3 4–3
Quarter-finals Hungary Ferencváros 4–5 1–4 5–9

References
  1. "Istorie" [History] (in Romanian). FC Ripensia Timișoara. Archived from the original on 4 October 2013. Retrieved 9 February 2017.
  2. "Radu Ienovan, presedintele Ripensia Timișoara: Facem totul din placerea de a construi ceva pentru Banat si pentru fotbal" [Radu Ienovan, Ripensia Timișoara chairman: Everything that we do is for the pleasure of building something for Banat and for football] (in Romanian). Opinia Timișoarei. 12 August 2012. Retrieved 9 February 2017.
  3. Jonathan Wilson (2019). The Names Heard Long Ago; How the Golden Age of Hungarian Soccer Shaped the Modern Game
  4. "Vilmos Kertész". worldfootball.net.
  5. http://liga2.prosport.ro/liga-4/ripensia-fc-arges-1953-si-csm-scolar-resita-au-devenit-campioane-vezi-toate-castigatoarele-judetene-si-meciurile-barajul-de-promovare-in-liga-3-15420731
  6. https://www.banatulazi.ro/sarbatoare-pe-arena-din-ciarda-rosie-ripensia-a-promovat-in-liga-a-doua-video/
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