SSU Politehnica Timișoara

That summer, the Polytechnic University of Timișoara, founder of the original team in 1921, ceased the FC Politehnica brand and records to SSU.

Hence, SSU Politehnica Timișoara is the only active entity asserting the history of the original club, which has totalled 44 seasons in the top national league and won two Cupa României trophies, in 1957–58 and 1979–80.

Players for the team were chosen on merit from the pool of Timișoara students and high-schoolers, who trained after school hours during the week and played football on weekends.

[3] After spending three years in the District Championships II, Politehnica won promotion to the first tier in 1924, by defeating Kadima Timișoara.

The club became established in the years to come, even finishing 2nd in the 1926–27 District Championships I, when Politehnica lost out to Chinezul by a single point, who were one of Romania's most famous football names at the time.

After a decline towards the end of the decade, the low-point came at the beginning of the 1930s, between 1931 and 1933, when due to insufficient material resources, Politehnica had to suspend its football activities.

In spite of suffering its first relegation in 1951,[9] the decade was an unusually consistent one, with the club returning swiftly to the top division[10] and staying there until the season 1959.

[11] The high-point of the Ştiinţa years was winning the 1957–58 Romanian Cup, a 1–0 victory against Progresul București,[12] with the club finishing joint first in the league in the same season, but losing out on goal difference.

It was initially named "1 Mai", honoring the socialist workers' day, before being renamed several times in the 90s and finally settling on Stadionul Dan Păltinişanu.

With the likes of Emeric Dembrovschi and Dan Păltinişanu in the team, who both played for Romania and went on to become some of the most capped players in the club's history, and under the management of prof. Ion V. Ionescu, Politehnica lost that season's cup final.

As the Romanian Revolution, which started in Timișoara, signalled the end of an era, Politehnica managed to grab its most impressive result yet in European competitions, by eliminating Atlético Madrid (2–0 and 0–1) in the 1990–91 UEFA Cup.

The club was temporarily owned by a Timișoara based businessman between 1998 and 2000, before the local authorities accepted the bid of an Italian investor, Claudio Zambon, to take over Politehnica.

To avoid such an outcome, Zambon and the local authorities struck a deal with a league two club, Dacia Pitești, and purchased their license to participate in the Divizia B.

[3] Forced to use mostly youth players, Politehnica finished the season dead last, with one win and four draws to its name, but negative eight points in the standings, due to unpaid debts.

[3][28] In 2002, AEK Bucharest were promoted to Liga I, Romanian football's top division, for the first time,[29] whereupon Anton Doboș, the club's owner, moved it to Timișoara.

Former president Anton Doboș stayed on at the club for another year in a new position, while Balkan Petroleum Ltd., owned by Marian Iancu, took full charge.

Significant investments in the transfer market transformed the club overnight, as it received the nickname "EuroPoli" for its newly found ambitions to reach the top of Romanian football.

[3] The Italian had struck a deal with AFC Politehnica, the non-profit association which owned said proprietary items, when he left Timișoara during the 2001–02 season.

[3][32] Results on the pitch improved immediately after the takeover, but a leap to the Liga 1 podium proved elusive until 2008–09, when Politehnica finished runner-up, a feat repeated two seasons later.

They reached again the second place but this time they not promoted to Liga III, anyway they won their first trophy Cupa României, Timiș County round, beating FC Giarmata in the final.

The other teams were fan-owned phoenix clubs like ASU Poli named Argeș 1953 Pitești, FC Vaslui 2002 and the host LSS Voința Sibiu.

At the end of the season ASU Poli won their series and promoted again, this time in Liga II, after a close fight with Performanța Ighiu and Metalurgistul Cugir.

Over the years, Politehnica Timișoara fans have established close friendships with the supporters of Rapid București and the Nordkurve from Borussia Mönchengladbach.

Former logo.
Dan Păltinișanu totalled 271 league matches for Politehnica Timișoara between 1973 and 1983. The largest stadium in the city is named after him.
Poli Timișoara supporters during a first division game against FC Steaua București , April 2011.
Poli Timișoara supporters during a First Division game.