ACS Viitorul Târgu Jiu
Asociația Clubul Sportiv Viitorul Pandurii Târgu Jiu, commonly known as Viitorul Pandurii Târgu Jiu or Viitorul Târgu Jiu, is a Romanian football club from Târgu Jiu, Gorj County, currently playing in Liga II.
 | ||
| Full name | Asociația Clubul Sportiv Viitorul Pandurii Târgu Jiu | |
|---|---|---|
| Short name | Viitorul Pandurii | |
| Founded | 17 July 1998 as AS Șirineasa | |
| Ground | Tudor Vladimirescu | |
| Capacity | 12,518 | |
| Owner | Nicolae Sarcină | |
| Chairman | Alin Zgripcea | |
| Manager | Călin Cojocaru | |
| League | Liga II | |
| 2022–23 | Liga II, 14th of 20 | |
|
| ||
Established in 1998, the team was known as Șirineasa and ACS Energeticianul, before moving to Târgu Jiu in the summer of 2019 and renaming as Viitorul Pandurii Târgu Jiu.
History
Viitorul Pandurii Târgu Jiu was founded in 1998 as AS Șirineasa and played for almost all its history at the county level, Liga IV and Liga V. At the end of the 2015–16 Liga IV season, the team was crowned the champion of Vâlcea County and went to the promotion play-off match where they defeated Dolj County champions, Tractorul Cetate, 5–4 on an aggregate and promoted to Liga III for the first time in the history of the club.[1]
The first Liga III season was a very difficult one, with financial problems and the weak number of players leading the team to the relegation area until the winter break. In the winter transfer period, CS Șirineasa transferred an entire team from the newly disbanded CSM Râmnicu Vâlcea, but the team did not find its rhythm, finishing in 13th place and relegated to Liga IV after only one season.[2]
In the summer of 2017, the club received an invitation from the Romanian Football Federation to continue in Liga III due to lack of teams. The club accepted and was later taken over by the businessman, Nicolae Sarcină.[3] Originally from Gorj County, he was planning to move the team to Târgu Jiu, following to play on the newly built Tudor Vladimirescu Stadium, within this idea the club changed its name from a legal point of view to ACS Energeticianul, shortly before the start of the season, but too late for a change in the Romanian Football Federation records, playing practically in the 2017–18 season with two names CS Șirineasa and ACS Energeticianul, fact that attracted a lot of complaints from the other competitors in the championship.[4] The completion of the stadium construction was delayed and Șirineasa was in the situation of not having where to play, so the team moved to Petroșani, hometown of the new club president, Alin Zgripcea, taking advantage of the disastrous situation of local club Jiul Petroșani and the football void in the city.[5][6] Șirineasa started to play in black and white, Jiul colors, with the promise that at the end of the season the club will merge with Jiul Petroșani, taking its brand and record, the club basically being in the incredible situation of having three identities, two legally and a third one, from an ideological point of view.[7] With important investments, former Romanian international Cristian Dulca as a coach and well-known players such as: Mihai Mincă, Daniel Lung, Florin Costea or Cătălin Țîră, the team dominated Seria IV of the Liga III and promoted with and advance of 9 points over CSMȘ Reșița, the main pursuer, promoting for the first time in its history in the Liga II.[8]
At the end of the season, Petroșani Municipality refused to pass the Jiul Stadium into the property of Șirineasa and even asking for a rent to use the sports base. Dissatisfied with the fact that they are not helped by the municipality and complaining that in the summer of 2017, they renovated the sports base from their own sources (the stadium being in the dereliction for over 10 years), the club officials of Șirineasa decided to move the team from Petroșani to Târgu Jiu.
On 29 June 2018, it was announced officially that the club will be named ACS Energeticianul also in the Romanian Football Federation records starting with the 2018–19 season. After one week, the club officials met with representatives of the municipality of Petroșani finally reaching an agreement to use Jiul Stadium in 2018–19, the club canceling its move.[9][10]
2019–present
On 30 June 2019, Luceafărul Oradea withdrew from Liga II in favor of Energeticianul, which was saved from relegation, as it was the first team relegated at the end of the last season. Most important players and the entire technical staff was moved from Luceafărul to Energeticianul. It was also announced that the club was moved again, this time from Petroșani to Târgu Jiu and renamed as Viitorul Pandurii Târgu Jiu, also changing its colors from white and black to white and blue.[11]
Grounds
Stadionul Municipal
From the summer until the early November 2019, Viitorul Pandurii Târgu Jiu played its home matches on Municipal Stadium in Drobeta-Turnu Severin, with a capacity of 20,054 seats. Municipal Stadium was used as temporary home ground, until Tudor Vladimirescu Stadium, in Târgu Jiu, was opened.
Stadionul Tudor Vladimirescu
Since 9 November 2019, Viitorul Pandurii Târgu Jiu plays its home matches on Tudor Vladimirescu Stadium in Târgu Jiu, with a capacity of 12,518 seats. The arena was opened in November 2019 in order to replace the former stadium and is also the home ground of Pandurii Târgu Jiu and FC U Craiova 1948.
Honours
- Liga III
- Winners (1): 2017–18
- Liga IV – Vâlcea County
- Winners (1): 2015–16
Players
First team squad
- As of 1 October 2023
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
|
|
.svg.png.webp){kind=small}
Out on loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
|
|
Club officials
Board of directors
|
Current technical staff
|
League history
|
|
References
- "Fotbal / Cetate a câştigat, dar Șirineasa a promovat" [Football / Cetate won, but Șirineasa promoted]. gds.ro. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
- "Situaţie tragică în judeţul Vâlcea: ar putea rămâne fără nicio echipă de fotbal în primele trei ligi" [Tragic situation in Vâlcea County: could remain without any football team in the first three leagues]. liga2.prosport.ro. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
- "ACS Şirineasa a fost preluată de Nicolae Sarcină pentru o sumă infimă. Omul de afaceri gorjean are în plan să ia şi Foresta Suceava şi să o mute la Târgu Jiu" [ACS Şirineasa was taken over by Nicolae Sarcină for a small sum. The businessman from Gorj County plans to take also Foresta Suceava and move it to Târgu Jiu.]. liga2.prosport.ro. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
- "Plouă cu memorii și contestații la FRF: Liderul Șirineasa, în ilegalitate?" [It's raining with memories and appeals to FRF: the leader Sirineasa, in illegality?]. sportarad.ro. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
- "Echipa lui Sarcină, la Petroşani!" [Sarcină's team at Petroșani.]. gorjeanul.ro. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
- "Interviu. Exclusivitate. / "La Petrosani nu s-a vrut performantã", declarã Alin Zgripcea, presedintele A.C.S. Sirineasa" [Interview. Exclusivity. / "At Petrosani they did not want performance," says Alin Zgripcea, president of A.C.S. Sirineasa.]. cronicavj.ro. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
- "În acte e Energeticianul, în competiţie poartă numele ACS Șirineasa și merge cu autocarul cu emblema clubului Pandurii şi colantat Jiul Petroșani" [In the papers is Energeticianul, in the championship is named ACS Șirineasa and goes with a bus with the emblem of Pandurii and painted with Jiul Petroşani]. liga2.prosport.ro. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
- "ACS Şirineasa a primit trofeul de campioană a Ligii 3. Suporterii din Petroşani au adoptat echipa ce se va numi Jiul în Liga 2" [ACS Şirineasa has received the Liga III trophy. The supporters of Petrosani have adopted the team that will be named as Jiul in the Liga II]. liga2.prosport.ro. Retrieved 3 July 2018.
- "La loc comanda! Energeticianul nu va mai jucat în Liga 2 la Severin, ci revine la Petroşani. Sarcină propune iar schimbarea numelui clubului: "Să găsim repede o modalitate"" [Reposition the order! Energeticianul will not play in Liga 2 in Severin, but will return to Petrosani. Task proposes to change the name of the club: "Let's quickly find a way"]. liga2.prosport.ro. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
- "La Petroşani au început lucrările de omologare a stadionului pentru Liga 2. Jucătorii ofertaţi de Energeticianul" [At Petrosani started the approval of the stadium for Liga II. The players offered by Energeticianul]. liga2.prosport.ro. Retrieved 11 July 2018.
- "ACS Viitorul Pandurii Tg. Jiu ia locul Luceafărului Oradea în Liga 2". frf.ro. Retrieved 31 July 2019.