FC Inter Sibiu

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FC Inter Sibiu
Full nameFotbal Club Inter Stars 2020 Sibiu
Nickname(s)
  • Interiștii
  • Sibienii (The People from Sibiu)
  • Bleu-Albaștrii (The Bleu and Blues)
Short nameInter
Founded1968; 56 years ago (1968)
as Independența Sibiu
2020; 4 years ago (2020) (refounded)
as FC Inter Stars 2020 Sibiu
GroundObor
Capacity2,000
ChairmanTeodor Birț
ManagerLiviu Petrușel
LeagueLiga IV
2022–23Liga IV, Sibiu County, 2nd of 14

Fotbal Club Inter Stars 2020 Sibiu, commonly known as FC Inter Sibiu or Inter Sibiu (Romanian pronunciation: [ˌinter siˈbiw]), is a Romanian amateur football team based in the city of Sibiu, Sibiu County, which competes in the Liga IV, the fourth tier of the Romanian league system.

The club was originally founded in 1968 as Independența Sibiu, and managed important performances during the

Romanian Revolution, the club started to become associated with Nicu Ceaușescu, the youngest child of dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu
. Inter continued to also have results during the 1990s, but eventually went bankrupt in 2000.

In 2020, Inter Sibiu was refounded and commenced play in the fourth division.

History

First years and Nicu Ceaușescu support (1968–1990)

FC Inter Sibiu was founded in the summer of 1968, under the name of Independența Sibiu.[1] The club was financially supported by Independența Factory (a metallurgical machinery manufacturer) and was known for years as the football club of Terezian neighborhood of Sibiu, playing for the first time in the third tier in 1969, after won the 1968–69 Sibiu County Championship and the promotion play-off against the champion of Covasna County, Carpați Covasna (2–0 at Sibiu and 2–1 at Covasna). Until 1982, Independența oscillated between the third and fourth tier, than started to have a constant appearance at the level of Divizia C, under the management of Mihai Găldean, factory's chairman. At that time (1982), the historical and most representative football club of Sibiu was Șoimii Sibiu, former top-flight member and an important team of Divizia B.[2]

Former logo.
Nicu Ceaușescu

After 1982, for the next three seasons Independența was a middle-table team, ranking between fourth and seventh place. In the summer of 1985, the club changed its name from FC Independența Sibiu to AS Inter Sibiu, and although some claimed that the name was inspired by

Inter Milano, in fact was a juxtaposition of letters, In (Independența) and Ter (Terezian).[2] However, some inspiration related to Inter Milano existed, because the team played in blue kits, with black vertical lines. After only one year, Inter promoted to Divizia B
, after it was ranked first in the third tier, at the end of an intense fight against Electromureș Târgu Mureș (both teams obtaining 61 points).

Summer of 1986 was a summer of change in the history of football from

Nicu Ceauşescu (which was first secretary of Romanian Communist Party) started to be involved in the team's destiny. Legend of the club, Viorel Hizo, spoke about this issue a few years ago: "In 1984 I was brought to Inter Sibiu, where I stayed until 1991. I was the assistant of Bondrea and Titi Ardeleanu, but also head coach in two periods. Nicu Ceaușescu came when we were already almost promoted to Divizia A, we had a few points ahead of Petroșani, so he didn't help us. Nicu Ceaușescu helped us financially, especially with the transfers, because we took good footballers, without paying. When he came to the team, he said: “Don't imagine that I will win your matches. But I can help you make a team, so we don't make fun of each other in the Divizia A, but I want something, you would make me the happiest if you beat Steaua București and Dinamo București, but also FC Olt."[3]

Inter was ranked eleventh (

Romanian Revolution
.

From Balkans Cup to bankruptcy (1990–2000)

Inter Sibiu's 1990–91 squad that won the Balkans Cup.

In the first part of the 1990s, Inter remained a strong team, even without the support of Nicu Ceaușescu, reaching its peak in 1991, when it obtained the best rank in the history of the club (4th place) and won 1–0 (on aggregate) the Balkans Cup, in a final against Budućnost Titograd, goal scored by Lucian Cotora. After 1991, Inter started to obtain only rankings in the middle of the league table, then, at the end of the 1995–96 season, relegated back in the second division, after 8 years spent in the top-flight of the Romanian football league system.

Period Name
1968–1982 Independența Sibiu
1982–present Inter Sibiu

Back in the

Apulum Alba Iulia. In the next seasons Inter remained a middle-table team: 12th of 18 (1997–98), 11th of 18 (1998–99) and 9th of 18 (1999–2000, then, the club was dissolved in the first part of the 2000–01
edition, due to financial problems, to the disappointment of its supporters.

Rebirth (2021–present)

In 2001, at short period after Inter's bankruptcy, Șoimii Sibiu was dissolved, as well, the football from the Transylvanian city reaching a deep coma. First club that continued the football tradition was FC Sibiu, but dissolved after only 4 years. In the same year appeared Voința Sibiu, club that reached the top-flight in 2011, but relegated after only one season, then went bankruptcy, as well. After three years of fog, a new project appeared, FC Hermannstadt, club that achieved Liga I promotion in 2018 and resisted three years in the top-flight before relegating.

Inter was refounded in 2020, after 20 years of absence, at the initiative of Teodor Birț, first president of FC Hermannstadt, the man who led the club from Liga IV to Liga I.[4][5]

Grounds

The club plays its home matches on Păltiniș Stadium in

Municipal Stadium
, in Sub Arini Park zone, Sibiu.

Honours

Domestic

Continental

Other performances

Players

First team squad

As of 6 September 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
GK Romania ROU Rareș Agîrbiceanu (Captain)
GK Romania ROU Zoltán Peterfi
DF Romania ROU Paul Cotoară
DF Romania ROU Liviu Enea
DF Romania ROU Alexandru Ganea
DF Romania ROU Robert Haiser
DF Romania ROU Claudiu Mărgărit
DF Ukraine UKR Yevhenii Maistrenko
DF Ukraine UKR Volodymyr Skyba
No. Pos. Nation Player
DF Romania ROU Raul Vochescu
MF Romania ROU Mirel Balika
MF Romania ROU Raul Borcea
MF Romania ROU Flavius Damian
MF Romania ROU Paul Dragomir
MF Romania ROU Darian Muntean
MF Romania ROU Mario Șandru
FW Romania ROU Darius Grigore
FW Romania ROU Dragoș Suciu

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
No. Pos. Nation Player

Club officials

League history

Notable former players

Former managers

References

  1. ^ "Evoluția denumirilor echipelor de-a lungul anilor" [The evolution of team names over the years]. romaniansoccer.ro. Retrieved 28 June 2021.(in Romanian)
  2. ^ a b c d "Dosarele Tribuna Sporturilor: FC Inter - istoria unei promovări Naşterea unei echipe mari" [Sports Tribune files: FC Inter - the history of a promotion The birth of a great team]. tribuna.ro. Retrieved 25 June 2021.(in Romanian)
  3. ^ "Clubul susținut de Nicu Ceaușescu a revenit pe harta fotbalului românesc » Prima victorie după 21 de ani!" [The club supported by Nicu Ceaușescu has returned to the map of Romanian football »The first victory after 21 years!]. gsp.ro. Retrieved 25 June 2021.(in Romanian)
  4. ^ "Inter Sibiu revine oficial la viață – Teodor Birț: "Începem totul de la zero. Ne dorim să ajungem în liga 1"" [Inter Sibiu officially returns to life - Teodor Birț: “We start everything from scratch. We want to get to Liga I”]. oradesibiu.ro. Retrieved 24 June 2021. (in Romanian)
  5. ^ "Clubul susținut de Nicu Ceaușescu a revenit pe harta fotbalului românesc » Prima victorie după 21 de ani!" [The club supported by Nicu Ceaușescu has returned to the map of Romanian football »The first victory after 21 years!]. gsp.ro. Retrieved 24 June 2021. (in Romanian)

External links