Full name | Fotbal Club Politehnica Timișoara |
---|---|
Nickname(s) | The Banat Boys The Violets |
Short name | Poli Timișoara |
Founded | 4 December 1921 |
Dissolved | 2012 |
Ground | Dan Păltinișanu |
Capacity | 32,972 |
Fotbal Club Politehnica Timișoara, commonly referred to as Poli Timișoara, was a Romanian football club established in 1921 and dissolved in September 2012. The team had won two Romanian Cups and was twice a runner-up in Liga I. It is ranked 8th in the Liga I All-Time Table, with 49 seasons played.
Named after and initially run by the Polytechnic University of Timișoara, the club was founded in 1921 by Traian Lalescu. After two decades spent in the regional leagues, Poli promoted in the first division in 1948. They have since spent 49 seasons at the top level, finishing as runner-up twice and featuring in six Romanian Cup finals. In the 2010–11 season, they finished in the second spot, but were relegated because of unpaid debts and incapacity to obtain a license for the next season.
Over the years, Poli developed rivalries with Dinamo București and UTA Arad. Timișoara and Arad are located close to each other and are the main cities in the region. Both Timișoara and Arad claim to be the first place where football was played in Romania. Poli has a friendly fan-relationship with the supporters of Rapid București and Borussia Mönchengladbach.
The club was founded in 1921 by Polytechnic University of Timișoara under the name Societatea Sportiva Politehnica. Until the second World War, Poli was outclassed by two other teams from the city, Ripensia and Chinezul, both multiple winners of the Romanian championship.