CSM Reșița

CSM Reșița

Full name	Clubul Sportiv Muncitoresc Reșița
Nickname(s)	Rosso-Nerii (The Red and Blacks) Milan din Banat (Milan from Banat) Reșițenii (The Reșița People)
Short name	CSM, Reșița
Founded	25 May 1926; 95 years ago (1926-05-25) as UD Reșița 2009; 13 years ago (2009) as CSM Școlar Reșița
Ground	Mircea Chivu
Capacity	12,500
Owner	Reșița Municipality
Chairman	Cristian Bobar
Head coach	Dan Alexa
League	Liga III
2020–21	Liga II, 17th of 21 (relegated)
Website	Club website
Home colours Away colours Third colours

Clubul Sportiv Muncitoresc Reșița (Romanian pronunciation: [ˌklubul sporˈtiv ˌmuŋtʃi.toˈresk ˈreʃit͡sa]), commonly known as CSM Reșița or simply as Reșița, is a Romanian football club based in Reșița, Caraș-Severin County, currently playing in the Liga III.

The club was founded on 25 May 1926 as UD (Uzinele și Domeniile) Reșița and throughout its almost centennial history survived to many sharp ups and downs, from a national title in 1931 and a silver medal in 1932 to the last shine in the late 1990s, several reorganizations in the 2000s and an almost fatal fall at the level of amateur leagues during the 2010s.

Over time CSM had important battles with local rivals as Muncitorul Reșița or Gloria Reșița, but has secured itself the city's supremacy, as well as the title of county's most important and supported club. Despite the strong support from the Mountain Banat, Reșițenii have never succeeded in imposing themselves on a regional level, not even the national title won in 1931 or the 1954 cup not being able to tilt the balance in favor of "the red and blacks", in their duel for Banat against FC Politehnica Timișoara. In time the rivalry between the two sides increased as intensity and continued even after the bankruptcy of FC Politehnica, but now at a much lower level, against ASU Politehnica Timișoara, fans team and unofficial successor of the old white and violet side.

CSM Reșița is nicknamed by fans Rosso-Nerii or Milan from Banat due to its classical red kits with black stripes. Reșița's supporters are well-known in Romania for the eagerness with which support their team, the ultras group of CSM being named Guardia Rosso-Nera (GRN). Rosso-Nerii play their home matches on Mircea Chivu Stadium.

History[]

A chart showing the progress of CSM Reșița through the Romanian football league system from 1934 to 2017.

The club was founded on 25 May 1926, from a merger between two local teams. The new team was named UDR (Uzinele și Domeniile Reșița – Reșița Factories and Domains). In the 1930–31 season, it won the Romanian West League, qualifying in the national finals, where it defeated Prahova Ploiești and Societatea Gimnastică Sibiu.^[1] In the following season the club finished runners-up, after Bucharest powerhouse Venus.^[2]

After World War II and the advent of the Communist regime, professional football was forbidden. UDR has merged again, this time with the local labor union team, under the name Oțelul (Steel) Reșița. After changing its name several times, it settled to Metalul (Metal) Reșița.

The 1950s were a period of slow decline for the team. In 1954, Metalul Reșița was playing in the Romanian Second League (Divizia B), finishing the season on the 7th place. But in the Romanian Cup, the 1954 season brought its second trophy. The Reșița team, made up of steel factory workers, mechanics, electricians and railway workers, met in the Cup some of Romania's finest teams, including five from Divizia A. It defeated, in turn, Știința Timișoara (6th place in Divizia A in the 1954 season) 5–1, Locomotiva Tg. Mureș (10th place) 4–0, Locomotiva Timișoara (4th place) 2–0, and CCA București (2nd place) 1–0. In the final, on December 5, 1954, Metalul Reșița met, in Bucharest, Dinamo București (3rd place in Divizia A). The Reșița team won the game 2–0, with Szeles scoring twice ('30, '40). It was the first time that a team from the Romanian Second League had won the trophy.^[3][4][5]

During its 87-year history, the club won one championship and one cup and has played for 16 seasons in the Liga I, the last time in the 1999–2000 season.

The early 2000s brought financial problems in Domanului Valley and in 2004 the club was dissolved being transformed in FC Universitatea Craiova's reserve team, then in 2005 was refounded as FCM Reșița and bought its place in the second tier from Tricotaje Ineu, but lost its brand, record and the right to use the name of CSM Reșița.

The club was dissolved in the autumn of 2008 because of the lack of financial support. In the summer of 2009, it was brought back to life, this time with the name of Școlar Reșița, playing in Romania's third league. In the summer of 2012, it was renamed again, this time returning to the old name of FCM Reșița.

Former logo, as CSM Școlar Reșița.

In the 2012–13 season, it finished third in the series. The objective for the 2013–14 season was initially to promote back to the Liga II after a six-year absence, but in the summer of 2013 Damila Măciuca was moved to Reșița and was renamed as Metalul Reșița, therefore Reșița Municipality chose to support the new team and CSM Școlar Reșița chose to enroll in Liga IV due to lack of funds.^[6]

In 2015 the relationship between Metalul and Municipality of Reșița has cooled, the Municipality chose to sustain again financially CSM Școlar, while Metalul moved to Snagov in 2016 being renamed one year later as Sportul Snagov. On the other hand, CSM Școlar promoted back to Liga III at the end of the 2015–16, then being ranked two times in a row as runner-up (2017 and 2018) before winning the fourth series, after a spectacular comeback in the spring of 2019, promoting back to Liga II.

The return to the second division after 11 years of absence came at the package with a big win for the club, which won back the logo, name and record of the old club. After this victory, CSM Școlar Reșița was renamed as CSM Reșița, in the summer of 2019.

Ground[]

Mircea Chivu Stadium.

CSM Reșița plays its home matches on Mircea Chivu Stadium from the city, a sports complex named after Cristian Chivu's father, Mircea Chivu, the most important manager in the history of the club and a local legend. With a capacity of 12,500 seats, the stadium is located in Domanului Valley, enjoying very picturesque scenery. Opened in the 1920s the stadium suffered several renovations, most recently in 2018.

Honours[]

Domestic[]

The most successful team from Caraș-Severin County.

Leagues[]

• Liga I
  • Winners (1): 1930–31
  • Runners-up (1): 1931–32
• Liga II
  • Winners (4): 1937–38, 1971–72, 1991–92, 1996–97
  • Runners-up (5): 1948–49, 1961–62, 1962–63, 1963–64, 1968–69
• Liga III
  • Winners (2): 1936–37, 2018–19
  • Runners-up (2): 2016–17, 2017–18
• Liga IV – Caraș-Severin
  • Winners (1): 2015–16
  • Runners-up (1): 2014–15

Cups[]

• Cupa României
  • Winners (1): 1954
• Cupa României – Caraș-Severin
  • Winners (1): 2014–15

Players[]

First team squad[]

As of 17 January 2022

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

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK  ROU Cristian Zimmermann 2 DF  ROU Sergiu Rimovecz 3 DF  ROU Nicolae Sima (on loan from Farul II) 4 DF  ROU Bogdan Szijj 7 MF  ROU Valentin Munteanu (Vice-captain) 8 MF  ROU Laurențiu Breșneni (Captain) 9 FW  ROU Sebastian Velcotă 10 MF  ROU Marian Drăghiceanu 11 FW  ROU Andrei Mura 12 GK  ROU Sebastian Micu (on loan from Rapid II) 14 DF  ROU Nicușor Fota 15 FW  ROU Demetris Cristodulo 17 MF  ROU Amir Jorza

No. Pos. Nation Player 19 FW  ROU Ion Vasluian (on loan from Ripensia) 20 DF  ROU Ștefan Bărboianu 21 DF  ROU Alexandru Negru 22 DF  ROU Cornel Ardei 23 DF  ROU Ionuț Cioinac 24 MF  ROU Iulian Ciobotaru 28 MF  ROU Călin Cristea 29 FW  SEN Mediop Ndiaye (3rd captain) 30 FW  MLI Aboubacar Gakou 33 MF  ROU Paul Mereu — FW  BRA Pedro Henrique — DF  ROU Antoniu Manolache (on loan from Petrolul) — DF  ROU Alin Dudea (on loan from Dinamo)

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 — GK  ROU Cătălin Căpățână (to ) — GK  ROU Luis Spînu (to ) — DF  ROU Flavius Cega (to ) — MF  ROU Denis Jivan (to ) — MF  ROU Robert Mihaly (to )

No. Pos. Nation Player — MF  ROU Robert Dalea (to ) — MF  ROU Alexandru Giurică (to ) — MF  ROU Bogdan Dumitru (to ) — FW  ROU Antonio Nița (to Vedița Colonești)

Club officials[]

Board of directors[] Role Name Owner Reșița Municipality President Cristian Bobar Sporting Director Adrian Ciocan Delegate Aurelian Băbuțan Youth Center Manager Călin Cheregi Organizer of Competitions Dan Șandru Press Officer Miruna Mihancea

Current technical staff[] Role Name Head Coach Dan Alexa Assistant Coaches Ștefan Grigorie Dan Șandru Goalkeeping Coach Cristian Zimmermann Fitness Coach Iulian Ichim Club Doctor Ioan Șerbescu Masseur Alexandru Armaș Storeman Flavius Toader

Chronology of names[]

League history[]

Notable former players[]

The footballers enlisted below have had international cap(s) for their respective countries at junior and/or senior level and/or more than 100 caps for CSM Reșița.

Notable managers[]

References[]

External links[]

• Official website
• CSM Reșița on Facebook