Fotbal Club Ripensia Timișoara (), commonly known as Ripensia Timișoara, or simply as Ripensia, is a Romanian professional football club based in Timișoara, Timiș County, which currently plays in Liga IV Timiș County, the fourth tier of the Romanian football.

Ripensia Timișoara was founded in 1928 with red and yellow colours and was the first club in Romania to adopt professional status. It was initially unable to compete in the national league system until the 1932–33 season, after which it became one of the leading clubs in the country, winning four national titles and two national cups. The club was dissolved in 1948 due to a lack of support under the communist regime. It was re-established in 2012 and enrolled in Liga VI Timiș County, the sixth tier of the Romanian football league system and the third level of county football.

Historically, it has a heated rivalry with Politehnica Timișoara.

History

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.Jonathan Wilson (2019). The Names Heard Long Ago; How the Golden Age of Hungarian Soccer Shaped the Modern Game 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: Goalkeepers: Vilmos Zombori, Dumitru Pavlovici Defenders: Rudolf Bürger, Balázs Hoksary Midfielders: Vasile Chiroiu II, Vasile Deheleanu, Rudolf Kotormány, Eugen Lakatos, Nicolae Simatoc Forwards: Gheorghe Oprean, Zoltán Beke, Silviu Bindea, Gheorghe Ciolac, Ştefan Dobay, Ladislau Raffinski, Sándor Schwartz, Graţian Sepi II, Mihai Tänzer, Adalbert Marksteiner 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 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.

2016–17 Liga III season was the first one for Ripi in the last over 60 years. The team had a 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.

Honours

Domestic

Leagues Liga I Winners (4): 1932–33, 1934–35, 1935–36, 1937–38 Runners-up (2): 1933–34, 1938–39 Liga III Winners (2): 1946–47, 2016–17 Liga IV – Timiș County Winners (1): 2015–16 Runners-up (1): 2014–15 Liga V – Timiș County Winners (1): 2013–14 Liga VI – Timiș County Winners (2): 2012–13, 2023-24

Cups Cupa României Winners (2): 1933–34, 1935–36 Runners-up (2): 1934–35, 1936–37

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

Romania Zoltan Beke Silviu Bindea Rudolf Bürger Vasile Chiroiu Gheorghe Ciolac Sever Coracu Vasile Deheleanu Ștefan Dobay Andrei Glanzmann Balázs Hoksary Rudolf Kotormány Ștefan Kovács Eugen Lakatos József Moravetz Dumitru Pavlovici László Raffinsky Alexandru Schwartz Augustin Semler Grațian Sepi Nicolae Simatoc Iosif Slivăț Rudolf Wetzer Vilmos Zombori

Hungary Ferenc Plattkó

Romania-Hungary Nicolae Kovács Adalbert Marksteiner Mihai Tänzer

Former managers

Rudolf Bürger (1939–1940) Paul Codrea Rudolf Wetzer Vilmos Kertész Jenő Konrád Josef Uridil

Domestic records and statistics Key

Pos = Final position P = Played W = Games won D = Games drawn L = Games lost GF = Goals For GA = Goals Against Pts = Points

Div A / L1 = Liga I Div B / L2 = Liga II Div C / L3 = Liga III L4 = Liga IV L5 = Liga V L6 = Liga VI p = Preliminary Round 1R = Round 1 2R = Round 2

3R = Round 3 4R = Round 4 5R = Round 5 GS = Group stage R32 = Round of 32 QF = Quarter-finals R16 = Round of 16 SF = Semi-finals F = Final

ChampionsRunners-upThird placePromotedRelegated The players in bold were the top goalscorers in the division.

League history

Season Tier Division Place Notes Cupa României 2026–27 4 Liga IV (TM) 7th In progress Regional phase 2025–26 4 Liga IV (TM) 11th County winner 2024–25 5 Liga V (TM) 2nd 2023–24 6 Liga VI (TM) 1st (C, P) Promoted Second round 2022–23 2 Liga II 17th / 7th (R) Relegated; withdrew Fourth round 2021–22 2 Liga II 12th / 4th Play-out B Round of 32 2020–21 2 Liga II 15th / 4th Play-out A Round of 32 2019–20 2 Liga II 13th Round of 32 2018–19 2 Liga II 12th Fourth round 2017–18 2 Liga II 11th Third round 2016–17 3 Liga III 1st (C, P) Promoted 2015–16 4 Liga IV (TM) 1st (C, P) Promoted Round of 32 2014–15 4 Liga IV (TM) 2nd County cup winners 2013–14 5 Liga V (TM) 1st (C, P) Promoted Round of 16 2012–13 6 Liga VI (TM) 1st (C, P) Promoted County winner 1948–2012 Not active 1947–48 2 Divizia B (Series III) 8th (R) Dissolved Round of 32 1946–47 3 Divizia C (Series V-B) 1st (C, P) Promoted — 1944–46 Not active due to World War II 1943–44 — Cupa Eroilor (Series I) 7th Wartime Abandoned 1942–43 — Cupa Eroilor (Series I) 4th Wartime Round of 32 1941–42 — Cupa Basarabiei (Timișoara) — Wartime Quarter-finals 1940–41 1 Divizia A 3rd Round of 32 1939–40 1 Divizia A 6th Round of 32 1938–39 1 Divizia A 2nd Round of 32 1937–38 1 Divizia A (Group II) 1st (C) Champions Round of 32 1936–37 1 Divizia A 3rd Final 1935–36 1 Divizia A 1st (C) Champions Winners 1934–35 1 Divizia A 1st (C) Champions Final 1933–34 1 Divizia A (Group II) 2nd Runners-up Winners 1932–33 1 Divizia A (Group I) 1st (C) Champions — 1928–32 — — — Friendlies only —

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).

Ripensia participated in the Mitropa Cup, one of the most important European club competitions of the interwar period. In the 1938 edition, the club eliminated Italian side AC Milan in the first round, winning 4–3 on aggregate. Ripensia was subsequently eliminated in the quarter-finals by eventual champions Ferencváros, losing 5–9 on aggregate.

Season Competition Round Country Opponent Home Away Aggregate 1938 Mitropa Cup First round Italy Milano 3–0 1–3 4–3 Quarter-finals Hungary Ferencváros 4–5 1–4 5–9

References

External links

Club profile at UEFA.com