FC UTA Arad

UTA Arad

Full name	Fotbal Club UTA Arad
Nickname(s)	Bătrâna Doamnă (The Old Lady) Campioana Proviciei (Provincial Champions)
Short name	UTA
Founded	18 April 1945 (1945-04-18) as IT Arad 1 July 2013 (2013-07-01) as UTA Bătrâna Doamnă
Ground	Motorul / Otto Greffner
Ground Capacity	2,000 / 2,000
Owner	UTA Supporters Association
Chairman	Florian Voinea
Manager	Adrian Mihalcea
League	Liga II
2016–17	Liga II, 3rd
Website	Club website
Home colours Away colours

Fotbal Club UTA Arad (Romanian pronunciation: [ˈuta aˈrad]), commonly known as UTA Arad, or simply as UTA, is a Romanian professional football club based in the city of Arad, Arad County, currently playing in Liga II.

Founded in 1945 as IT Arad, they won the national title six times and the national cup twice. Domestically, UTA can be considered one of the most successful Romanian clubs of the 20th century, with only three teams winning more championships during that period, Steaua, Dinamo and Venus, all from Bucharest.

After a decline which started in 1979 with a relegation to the second league, in 2014 the team was dissolved.^[1] With the support of fans, a new team started its way back from Liga IV, the fourth level of Romanian league system, and is credited as the official successor of the defunct club.^[2]

"The Old Lady" plays in red and white kits at the Motorul Stadium, as their traditional home ground, Francisc von Neumann, is currently under reconstruction.

History

The club's logo when it was known as Flamura Roșie Arad (1950–1957)

The club was founded in 1945 under the name of IT Arad (Industriile Textile Arad – Arad Textile Industries) under the ownership of baron Francisc von Neumann. Team colours: red-white. The beginning of the club's history was successful, between 1946–1954 the club won the championship 4 times (1946–47, 1947–48, 1950, 1954) and the cup twice (1947–48, 1953). A second period of success was during 1966–1970, when, under the coach Nicolae Dumitrescu III, they won another two titles (1968–69 and 1969–70) and played one Romanian cup final (1965–66). Also during this period they played in the European Cup, eliminating the defending champions Feyenoord in 1970. A period of decline started after 1975. At the end of 1978–79 season the club relegated for the first time in istory to the Divizia B In 1993 UTA returned to Divizia A, but only for a short time, because after two seasons, they were relegated again to Divizia B. During the years, the club has changed its name a couple of times: ITA (1945–1949), Flamura Roșie Arad (1950–1957) and UTA Arad since 1958. There were e few variations on the same theme: FCM UTA (1984–1985, 1985–1986, 2006–2010), CSM UTA (1985, 1986–1995), FC UTA (1995–2006, 2010–2014), ACS UTA Bătrâna Doamnă (2014–2017) and AFC UTA Arad (2017-present). Besides the titles won with the senior squad, the club has also won 5 titles one cup and one supercup with the junior squad (1957–58, 1958–59, 1967–68, 1995–1996, 2000–2001 titles) (2015–2016 cup) (2015–2016 supercup).

Grounds

Stadionul Motorul.

Stadionul Francisc von Neumann (Old Stadium).

The club plays its home matches on Stadionul Motorul in Arad, because their stadium, Stadionul Francisc von Neumann, is under reconstruction. Because the reconstruction of Stadionul Francisc von Neumann is not ready until 2018 the club decided to modernize Motorul Stadium so the club can play home if they promote at the end of 2016–17 season, until then the team will play at Otto Greffner.

Support

UTA also have a large collective of supporters named Ultras Arad. The only active ultras group of this collective is called Out of Control. Former groups: Red Fighters(1996-2006), Spetza Ultra Rossa(2003-2011), Directivo Ultra', Commando Hooligans, RASA, Red Skorpions, Rebel Yell, Rascals. After Spetza Ultra Rossa quit, all the remaining groups united into one single group named Arad 1945 which lasted from 2012 to 2016. Their main rivalry is with the supporters of Poli Timișoara, but also with FC Rapid București and FC Universitatea Cluj. They have a friendship with fans of Corvinul Hunedoara (currently supporting FC Hunedoara)^[3] and ultras of CSA Steaua București.

Rivalries

UTA's most important rivalry is with Politehnica Timișoara. The match between them, Derby-ul Vestului (The West Derby), has been the leading Romanian football encounter in the last 65 years, as UTA and Poli are the two most successful football teams from the west of the country.

Honours

Domestic

Leagues

• Liga I
  • Winners (6): 1946–47, 1947–48, 1950, 1954, 1968–69, 1969–70
  • Runners-up (1): 1971–72

• Liga II
  • Winners (3): 1980–81, 1992–93, 2001–02
  • Runners-up (6): 1982–83, 1988–89, 1989–90, 1991–92, 1998–99, 2015–16

• Liga III
  • Winners (1): 2014–15

• Liga IV – Arad County
  • Winners (1): 2013–14

Cups

• Cupa României
  • Winners (2): 1947–48, 1953
  • Runners-up (2): 1950, 1965–66

• Cupa României – Arad County Phase
  • Winners (1): 2013–14

• Cupa Ligii
  • Runners-up (1): 1994

European

• UEFA Champions League / European Cup
  • Best result: Second round 1970–71

• UEFA Europa League / UEFA Cup
  • Best result: Quarter-finals 1971–72

• Balkans Cup
  • Best result: Group stage 1966–67

European record

Players

First team squad

As of 10 August 2017

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player 1 GK Branko Grahovac (Vice-Captain) 12 GK Alexandru Barna 2 DF Cristian Scutaru 4 DF Rafael Iuga 5 DF Iulius Dinculescu 6 DF Mevlan Adili 8 DF Richard Filaret 14 DF Bogdan Burlă 19 DF Mădălin Ciucă (Third Captain) 20 DF Norbert Polgar 26 DF Alexandru Manea 9 MF Alin Cârstocea

No. Position Player 10 MF Ștefan Grigorie 13 MF Ionuț Tănase 17 MF Amir Jorza 18 MF Sorin Strătilă 21 MF Alin Buleică 22 MF Bujamin Asani 23 MF Victor Prună 27 MF Albert Stahl 98 MF Izet Ajrullahu 7 FW Marius Curtuiuș (Captain) 11 FW Dan Roman 30 FW Dorin Toma

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player — DF Bogdan Ciucifara (on loan at Voința Mailat) — DF Beniamin Cotoc (on loan at Gloria L.T. Cermei) — DF Raul Iova (on loan at CSM Şcolar Reşiţa) — DF Cătălin Morar (on loan at Șoimii Lipova) — DF Adrian Suslak (on loan at Gloria L.T. Cermei) — DF Eduard Varga (on loan at Gloria L.T. Cermei) — MF Cristian Costin (on loan at Olimpia Satu Mare) — MF Darius Covaci (on loan at Pandurii Târgu Jiu)

No. Position Player — MF Rareș Deta (on loan at Șoimii Lipova) — MF Valeriu Mager (on loan at Gloria L.T. Cermei) — MF Ovidiu Mandache (on loan at Șoimii Lipova) — MF Raul Moraru (on loan at Gloria L.T. Cermei) — MF Vlad Roșu (on loan at Voința Mailat) — MF Claudiu Vasile (on loan at Șoimii Lipova) — FW Daniel Bulza (on loan at Gloria L.T. Cermei)

Second team squad (UTA II)

As of 20 July 2017

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player — GK Denis Mureșan — GK Istvan Debre — GK Rafael Zamfir — GK Marinel Creța — DF Flavius Rogojan — DF Antonio Savin — DF Denis Laza — DF Bogdan Curta — DF Alexandru Deliman — DF Razvan Onuțan — DF Claudiu Frai — DF Sergiu Sabău — DF Beniamin Gabor

No. Position Player — MF Alexandru Lezeu — MF Luca Bodri — MF Toma Bodri — MF Călin Gruiescu — MF Raul Obrad — MF Andrei Țuța — FW Alexandru Bodri — FW Raul Petcuț — FW Nick Faur — FW Paul Stan — FW Răzvan Țurcanu

Club officials

Board of directors As of 27 August 2015.[4] Role Name Owner UTA Supporters Association President Florian Voinea General Director Codru Grădinariu Competitions Director Claudiu Drăgan Youth Center Coordonator Francisc Tisza Press Officer Radu Romanescu Social Media Department Sergiu Giurgiu

Current technical staff As of 4 July 2017.[5] Role Name Head Coach Adrian Mihalcea Assistant Coach Gheorghe Mihali Assistant Coach Cristian Todea Goalkeeping Coach Dan Țapoș UTA II Head Coach Cristian Păcurar UTA II Assistant Coach Adrian Ungur UTA II Goalkeeping Coach Vasile Sin Fitness Coach Vlad Țăran Physiotherapist Zsolt Nagy Masseur Nicolae Tomescu Doctor Roland Zsiros Kinetotherapist Stelian Tetulea

Notable former players

The footballers enlisted below have had international cap(s) for their respective countries at junior and/or senior level. Players whose name is listed in bold represented their countries at junior and/or senior level on through the time's passing. Additionally, these players have also had a significant number of caps and goals accumulated throughout a certain number of seasons for the club itself as well.

Famous managers

References

External links

• Official website
• Official Facebook profile
• Club profile on UEFA's official website