ACS Poli Timișoara is a professional Romanianfootballclub from Timișoara, Romania. Founded in 2012, the club is the official record holder and successor [1] of the original club founded in 1921, FC Politehnica Timișoara, which went bankrupt and was dissolved, following the 2011–12 season. It is co-owned by the City Council and the County Council and has the backing of the Politehnica University of Timişoara, all three being active members in the legal entity running the club.[2]
In the summer of 2012, ACS Recaș, a club recently promoted to the Liga II, was moved to Timișoara and renamed ACS Poli Timișoara[3][4] after the dissolution of FC Politehnica Timișoara.[5] Valentin Velcea continued as head coach,[6] while the roster consisted mostly of the core ACS Recaş players and several current and ex-players from FC Politehnica.[7] Since its conception, the club has been primarily financed by the local authorities,[8][9][10] as Timişoara mayor Nicolae Robu has insisted control should not be forfeited to private investors.[11]
The club initially required consent from the owner of insolvent FC Politehnica, Marian Iancu, to use the historic badge, history, records and colours, as these had been bequeathed for a 25-year period.[12] In December 2012, it was announced that ACS Poli has received these free of charge [13] and that it could use them starting the following season.[14] However, due to the complications of the legal formalities and because of the FC Politehnica's debts, the team kept on playing under the ACS Poli name and using black/white/yellow for their official kits instead of the traditional purple colour.[15][16][17][18] This changed in the 2015-2016 season, as the club received temporary right to make use of the historic colours.[19] As of February 2016, it was announced that the club is now the sole and full owner of all the rights pertaining to and deriving from the Politehnica Timisoara brand and records, following a court decision which nullified the original agreement between the founding club and record holders, and Marian Iancu's insolvent club.[20]
From a competitive perspective, the club has achieved two promotions to the Liga I, while also being relegated once. Its rivalries with FC Steaua Bucureşti and FC Dinamo Bucureşti have endured, as the home matches against both teams keep drawing in above average crowds,[21][22][23][24] but the average attendance has decreased compared to the FC Politehnica's attendance numbers in the mid 2000s.[25]
Current squad
As of 20 March 2016
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Valentin Velcea (Aug 15, 2012 – Oct 10, 2013)
Cristian Barbut
Pedro Henrique
