CS Viitorul Ianca

Viitorul Ianca
Full name	Clubul Sportiv Viitorul Ianca
Nickname(s)	Alb-vișinii; (The White and Burgundies); Iancanii; (The People from Ianca)
Short name	Ianca
Founded	14 March 2003; 21 years ago
Ground	Ștefan Vrăbioru
Capacity	4,000
Owners	Ianca Town
Chairman	Francisc Chiriac
Manager	Vacant
League	Liga IV
2023–24	Liga III, Seria II, 7th (withdrew)
Home colours	Away colours

Clubul Sportiv Viitorul Ianca, commonly known as Viitorul Ianca (Romanian pronunciation: [vi.iˈtorul ˈjaŋka]), or simply as Ianca, is a Romanian football club based in Ianca, Brăila County. Founded in 2003 as the second team of town, after Liga III member Petrolul Brăila, the club reached the third tier twice, now being the only active football club in the locality known for oil exploitation.

History

Golden years of football in Ianca (1969–2007)

The history of professional football from Ianca started in 1969, with the foundation of Petrolul Brăila, club that promoted for the first time in the Divizia C at the end of the 1981–82 season.^[2] After only one season the club changed its name in Petrolul Ianca Brăila, in order to highlight the town where the home matches were played. Ianca is a well known place in Romania for oil exploitation, from there coming the name Petrolul (Oil in English) and the yellow and blue combination of colours, inspired by the one used by Petrolul Ploiești or Flacăra Moreni, other teams that represented towns in which the oil extraction was the main economical engine. Although launched harder in the Romanian football elite due to the smaller economic strength of the locality and the lower importance of the drilling rig, compared to Ploiești or Moreni, Petrolul Ianca Brăila had a brilliant journey in the late 1980s and with consistent developments during the 1990s.

In 1987 "the Oilmen" promoted for the first time in the Divizia B, but were relegated after only one season, finishing last, then after four seasons spent in the third tier, Petrolul promoted again and this time it was the same, relegating after one season, being ranked 13th out of 18. This was going to be their last participation in the second tier, but the club near Brăila continued to register important results in the third tier, where it was ranked second on three occasions: 1996, 1998 and 1999. Would be worth mentioning that the club changed again its name in 1994, returning to the name of Petrolul Brăila, but continuing to dispute its home matches at Ianca.

In the early 2000s, Iancanii were a common presence at the level of the Divizia C, making a last very good season and finishing second in 2005, then, after this result, things started to take a downturn and in 2007 Petrolul Brăila withdrew from championship and was declared bankrupt.

The fight for supremacy in town (2007–present)

The financial crisis of 2007–2008 took Petrolul Ianca Brăila to dissolution and one of the new clubs from the city that tried to continue the football tradition was Viitorul Ianca. Founded on 14 March 2003, the white and burgundies fought hard for supremacy in the town against clubs such as CSO Ianca (sponsored by Town of Ianca) and Fortino Ianca (private club, sponsored by Fortino company). CSO promoted in the Liga III in 2007 but did not cope financially and was disbanded after only one season. In 2009 Viitorul promoted as well, also being reorganized administratively, reason for which the year 2009 appears on the logo of the club, but has relegated after one season spent at this level.^[3] The third team that tried to be the main team of the town, Fortino, won Liga IV – Brăila County in 2012, but subsequently lost the promotion play-off and was dissolved.

With CSO and Fortino dissolved, Viitorul Ianca took its chance and started to impose itself as the new team of Ianca, finally being also supported by the town, both financially and emotionally and promoting back in the Liga III in 2019, when it won Liga IV – Brăila County and the promotion play-off match against Mausoleul Mărășești, Vrancea County champions.^[4]

Ground

Viitorul Ianca plays its home matches on the Ștefan Vrăbioru Stadium in Ianca, with a capacity of 4,000 seats. The stadium was built in the 1980s and renovated in 2009 with the support of the Town of Ianca and the Brăila County Youth and Sport Directorate.^[5] During the 2000s, the stadium was renamed as Ștefan Vrăbioru, in the honour of the footballer born in Ianca and who died in 1999 on the football pitch at the age of only 23, during a match between Rapid București and Astra Ploiești.^[6]

Honours

Liga IV – Brăila County

Winners (2): 2008–09, 2018–19
Runners-up (2): 2015–16, 2017–18

Cupa României – Brăila County

Winners (3): 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19
Runners-up (1): 2014–15

Players

First-team squad

As of 13 January 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
2	DF	ROU	Dan Tălmaciu
4	MF	ROU	Daniel Popa
5	MF	ROU	Denis Andrei
6	DF	ROU	Marius Moroianu
7	DF	ROU	Rareș Băluță
8	MF	ROU	Cosmin Chivu
9	FW	ROU	Dragoș Mucuță
10	MF	ROU	Marius Dima (Captain)
14	FW	ROU	Andrei Gherghișan (on loan from Colțea)
15	MF	ROU	Leonard Coteț
16	MF	ROU	Ionuț Catrina (on loan from Chiajna)
17	FW	ROU	Dragoş Cheleş
18	FW	ROU	Robert Șoptică


No.	Pos.	Nation	Player
20	MF	ROU	Aurelian Petrache
21	GK	ROU	David Ochiană
22	MF	ROU	George Dănilă
24	DF	ROU	Rareş Ciochină
25	MF	ROU	Narcis Ioniță
26	MF	ROU	Răzvan Păvălache
28	GK	ROU	Alexandru Vlasie
29	MF	ROU	Costin Ciucureanu (Vice-Captain)
77	MF	ROU	Victor Neagu
99	GK	ROU	Ionuț Poiană
—	DF	ROU	Cătălin Defta
—	GK	ROU	Theodor Gabor

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

Board of directors

Name	Period
Owners	Ianca Town
President	Francisc Chiriac
Sporting director	Cosmin Necoară

Current technical staff

Name	Period
Manager	Vacant
Assistant manager	Tudorel Pelin
Goalkeeping Coach	Leonard Drăgan

League history

Season	Tier	Division	Place	Cupa României
2023–24	3	Liga III (Seria II)	7th (R)	Play-off round
2022–23	3	Liga III (Seria II)	7th
2021–22	3	Liga III (Seria II)	6th
2020–21	3	Liga III (Seria II)	5th
2019–20	3	Liga III (Seria II)	7th
2018–19	4	Liga IV (BR)	1st (C, P)
2017–18	4	Liga IV (BR)	2nd
2016–17	4	Liga IV (BR)	3rd

Season	Tier	Division	Place
2015–16	4	Liga IV (BR)	2nd
2014–15	4	Liga IV (BR)	7th
2013–14	4	Liga IV (BR)	4th
2012–13	4	Liga IV (BR)	11th
2011–12	5	Liga V (Seria I)	3rd
2009–10	3	Liga III (Seria II)	16th (R)
2008–09	4	Liga IV (BR)	1st (C, P)

Former managers

Viorel Tănase (2023)

References

^ "Fără personalitate juridică" [No legal personality] (in Romanian). dst-braila.gov.ro. 27 November 2019. Archived from the original on 5 December 2021. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
^ "CS Petrolul Brăila" [CS Petrolul Brăila] (in Romanian). romaniansoccer.ro. 1 November 2017. Archived from the original on 19 April 2022. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
^ "Club Sportiv Viitorul Ianca" [Club Sportiv Viitorul Ianca] (in Romanian). firme.info. 1 November 2017. Archived from the original on 18 April 2022. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
^ "Viitorul Ianca a revenit oficial în Liga a III-a" [Viitorul Ianca officially returned to Liga III]. obiectivbr.ro. Archived from the original on 24 June 2019. Retrieved 15 August 2021.(in Romanian)
^ "Baza sportivă "Ștefan Vrăbioru"" [„Ștefan Vrăbioru” Sports base] (in Romanian). primaria-ianca.ro. 1 November 2017. Archived from the original on 25 March 2015. Retrieved 20 November 2019.
^ "Moarte survenită în urma unor accidente pe terenul de fotbal" [Death occurred following accidents on the football pitch] (in Romanian). romaniansoccer.ro. 1 November 2017. Archived from the original on 14 April 2021. Retrieved 20 November 2019.