Clubul Sportiv Sporting Liești, commonly known as Sporting Liești, is a Romanian football club based in Liești, Galați County. The team currently competes in Liga III, the third tier of Romanian football.
History Led by Doru Buciumeanu since the summer of 2011, Sporting won the Liga IV – Galați County in the 2011–12 season but lost the promotion play-off against CSM Moinești, the winner of Liga IV – Bacău County, 0–5 on neutral ground at Municipal Stadium in Huși. However, promotion came at the end of the following season, after winning the county league for the second time in a row and defeating FC Gârceni, the Vaslui County winner, 5–3 at Letea Stadium in Bacău.
Sporting’s debut in Liga III was tough. Buciumeanu was replaced by Valentin Kramer three rounds before the end of the regular season, with the team finishing 9th. Sporting then ended 10th in the relegation play-out of Series II in the 2013–14 campaign. Kramer stayed on for the 2014–15 season, leading the team to 10th place in Series I.
Ionuț Niculcea took over in summer 2015 and guided Sporting to 6th place in Series I in 2015–16, followed by three consecutive 8th-place finishes in Series I from 2016–17, 2017–18, and 2018–19. During the 2018–19 season, Sporting also reached the Round of 32 in the Cupa României, losing 0–3 to Mioveni.
In 2019, Doru Balmuș was appointed head coach but was replaced by Niculcea in January 2020. The 2019–20 season was interrupted after 16 rounds on 9 March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with Sporting sitting in 10th place in Series I. In the 2020–21 season, Niculcea led the team to 6th place in Series II.
Initially appointed as interim following Niculcea’s departure, Cristian Brăneț was confirmed as permanent head coach for the 2021–22 season, guiding the team to 5th place in Series II at both the end of the regular season and after the play-out round.
Following a poor start to the 2022–23 campaign, with only six points from the first seven matches, Brăneț was replaced by Cătălin Savu. Under Savu’s guidance, Sporting finished 6th in the regular season and 5th overall after the Series II play-out. In the 2023–24 season, the team improved further, finishing 3rd in the regular season and 4th in the series play-off.
In the 2024–25 season, Lieștenii topped the regular season standings in Series II but finished 2nd in the play-off, behind Unirea Braniștea, achieving the club’s best-ever position in Liga III and qualifying for the promotion play-off. However, Sporting did not meet the Romanian Football Federation’s requirements regarding youth teams and was therefore unable to participate in the play-off match against FC Bacău.
Ground The club plays its home matches on Comunal Stadium in Liești, Galați County and has a capacity of 2,500 people on standing terrace.
Honours Leagues Liga III Runners-up (1): 2024–25
Liga IV – Galați County Winners (2): 2011–12, 2012–13
Cups Cupa României – Galați County Winners (1): 2012–13
Other performances 12 seasons in Liga III
Players
First-team squad
Out on loan
Club officials
Board of directors
RoleName Owner Liești Commune President Marcel Scarlat Sporting director Dorinel Matei
Current technical staff
RoleName Manager Cătălin Savu Assistant managers Cristian Brăneț Daniel Lovin Goalkeeping coach Ionuț Crihană Fitness coach Doru Buciumeanu
League history
SeasonTier DivisionPlaceNotesCupa României 2025–26 3 Liga III (Seria II) TBD Group Stage 2024–25 3 Liga III (Seria II) 2nd 2023–24 3 Liga III (Seria II) 4th 2022–23 3 Liga III (Seria II) 5th 2021–22 3 Liga III (Seria II) 5th 2020–21 3 Liga III (Seria II) 6th 2019–20 3 Liga III (Seria I) 10th 2018–19 3 Liga III (Seria I) 8th Round of 32
SeasonTier DivisionPlaceNotesCupa României 2017–18 3 Liga III (Seria I) 8th 2016–17 3 Liga III (Seria I) 8th 2015–16 3 Liga III (Seria I) 6th 2014–15 3 Liga III (Seria I) 10th 2013–14 3 Liga III (Seria II) 10th 2012–13 4 Liga IV (GL) 1st (C) Promoted 2011–12 4 Liga IV (GL) 1st (C) 2010–11 4 Liga IV (GL) 14th
Former managers
Doru Buciumeanu (2011–2014) Valentin Kramer (2014–2015) Ionuț Niculcea (2015–2019) Doru Balmuș (2019) Ionuț Niculcea (2020–2021) Cristian Brăneț (2021–2022) Cătălin Savu (2022–)
References
External links