FC Ripensia Timișoara

Fotbal Club Ripensia Timișoara (Romanian pronunciation: [timiˈʃo̯ara]), commonly known as Ripensia Timișoara, or simply as Ripensia, was a Romanian professional football club based in Timișoara, Timiș County.

Ripensia Timișoara
Full nameSC FC Ripensia Timișoara SA
Nickname(s)
  • Ripi
  • Galben-Roșii (The Yellow and Reds)
Short nameRipensia
Founded21 October 1928 (1928-10-21)
Dissolved2023 (2023)
GroundElectrica
Capacity5,000
OwnerDumitru Mihu
ManagerIulian Muntean
Leaguenot active at senior level
2022–23Liga II, 20th of 20 (relegated)
WebsiteClub website

The team was founded in 1928 by Lázár Kornél 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 Lázár Kornél, 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 5 March 2023

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 Romania ROU Paul Toroc
2 DF Romania ROU Claudiu Zamfirescu
3 DF Romania ROU Rareș Butnărașu
4 DF Serbia SRB Nenad Lalić
5 DF Romania ROU Darius Țieranu
9 FW Romania ROU Ioan Vermeșan
10 MF Romania ROU David Ciurel
13 DF Romania ROU Radu Ciurel
14 MF Romania ROU Daniel Dincă
15 MF Romania ROU Răzvan Morariu
No. Pos. Nation Player
20 FW Romania ROU Remus Bobocea
21 MF Romania ROU Nicolae Sofran
23 MF Romania ROU Nicolae Sofran
24 DF Romania ROU Caius Lungu
25 MF Romania ROU Robert Stoica
30 DF Romania ROU Cosmin Gladun
32 DF Romania ROU Mădălin Sturzu
33 GK Romania ROU Marian Brașoveanu
— DF Romania ROU David Bălace

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
— GK Romania ROU Octavian Moșoarcă (to Ghiroda)
— DF Romania ROU Alexandru Tismonar (to Dumbrăvița)
No. Pos. Nation Player
— MF Romania ROU Andrei Olaru (to Dumbrăvița)

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 –FinalsWRomania Ștefan Dobay16Foundation of the Romanian Football
League system
1933–341st141022551322WFinalsFRomania Ștefan Dobay15
1934–351st221444663432FRomania Ștefan Dobay24
1935–361st221345593730WRomania Ștefan Dobay12
1936–373rd221318593927FRomania Ștefan Dobay21
1937–381st181503632530R32FinalsWRomania Silviu Bindea21
1938–392nd221147533926R32Romania Adalbert Marksteiner21
1939–406th22868363722R32Romania Adalbert Marksteiner15
1940–413rd241365583232R32Romania 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 PhaseWRomania Adrian Boghian23
2013–14L51st282521152977R16Timiș County Phase2RRomania Raul Briciu37
2014–15L42nd3429231222789 –Timiș County PhaseWSenegal Ndiaye Mediop32
2015–16 1st3228311502887R32Timiș County PhaseSFSenegal Ndiaye Mediop55
2016–17L31st261673693055 –Senegal Ndiaye Mediop21
2017–18L211th38139167258483RSenegal Ndiaye Mediop19
2018–1912th381211154454474RRomania Andrei Dumiter10
2019–2013th236107283428R32Romania Albert Voinea13
2020–2115thR32
2021–2212thR32
2022–2317th (R)

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 Italy A.C. Milan 3–0 1–3 4–3
Quarter-finals Hungary 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. "Ripensia, FC Argeș 1953 și CSM Școlar Reșița au devenit campioane.** Vezi toate câștigătoarele județene și meciurile barajul de promovare în Liga 3". 13 June 2016.
  6. "SĂRBĂTOARE pe arena din Ciarda Roșie. Ripensia a promovat în Liga a doua! VIDEO". 26 May 2017.
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