West derby (Romania)

UTA Arad logo

At first glance, the reasons for rivalry between Timișoara and Arad are multiple. At first sight, it is the rivalry between the cities, both with a rich economic and cultural activity. Then it would be the postwar period, when, in administratively terms, Arad destiny was decided by Timișoara. In football, the two cities dispute the status of pioneer in the Romanian football. All these aspects have contributed to today's enmity, between Poli and UTA. A decisive episode, however, was consumed in 1964.

The flame that lit irreversible the rivalry between Poli and UTA was the match from 16 May 1964 in Timișoara. Both teams were hungry for points and the pressure was greater on the shoulders of Timișoara players, who were in a tough situation, the bottom of the table. Over 25,000 spectators stormed the new stadium on May 16, a stadium that was not completely built.

On UTA's bench was Coloman Braun-Bogdan aka "Csibi", coach that a year before finished in 3rd place with Timișoara. After a quarrel with Remus Lazăr and Nelu Igna, it has been removed from the team and took over UTA. So it is understandable that the famous coach has to pay some "debts".

"Csibi not come alone, but with the referee Lulu Mihăilescu. They have scored a goal from offside, led us, and when we equalized at 3–3, Lereter scored, but the referee cancelled the goal. When people saw that, they triggered the scandal", remember, many years ago, Cicerone Manolache, one of the protagonists of that match. Then followed a bombing rocks on the lockers. The police intervened, but viewers could not be calmed so easy. Witnesses said that one of the police cars was overthrown by Druckers (Poli fans). The whole incident was left with arrests and expulsions for students who actively participated in the scandal.

Timișoara stadium was suspended, they disputed their last home matches in exile, at Reșița. At the end of that edition of the championship, Știința Timișoara relegated.[1]

In the last 20 years, both teams faced financial problems, so the meetings between them becoming rarer, but perhaps more explosive. Firstly FC Politehnica Timișoara, it was the one who had financial problems in the early 2000s. Then Timișoara recovered and returns in the first league through an alliance with AEK București, they became for a short period Politehnica AEK Timișoara. But 2000s did not have to be gentle with their great rival, UTA Arad, as well. They played mostly in the second league except the moment when promoted instead of Liberty Salonta, which promoted on the pitch, but sold its place. Then in the early 2010s, both teams arrived in the second league. Then in 2012 FC Politehnica Timișoara went bankrupt and it was followed by her biggest rival UTA Arad, two years later, in 2014.[2][3] If at Arad the team started from Liga IV, being supported by everyone and holding the old team record and logo, at Timișoara things had to be more complicated. After the dissolution of FC Politehnica Timișoara in 2012, appeared 2 teams. ACS Poli Timișoara, former ACS Recaș which was moved from Recaș to Timișoara and inheriting the old team record, a team that is supported by local authorities. The second one is ASU Politehnica Timișoara, a team supported by the fans of Poli (Druckeria), who started its road from Liga V. UTA fans consider ASU Politehnica Timișoara as their real rival because it is supported by FC Politehnica Timișoara fans.

On 13 November 2016, UTA and Poli met again, for the first time in this new format. The match end draw but UTA Arad had possession and occasions. Even though UTA controlled the match from the beginning to end, Poli managed to score the opening goal. Later, UTA scored and the match ended 1-1.[4]

As of 4 May 2019

All-known meetings:

Date	Venue	Score	Competition
29 August 1948	Francisc von Neumann	2–0	Divizia A
20 March 1949	Știința	0–0
4 June 1950	Francisc von Neumann	4–0
29 October 1950	Știința	2–1
25 March 1951	Francisc von Neumann	2–2
26 August 1951	Știința	0–3
19 April 1953	Știința	0–0
4 October 1953	Francisc von Neumann	2–0
21 October 1953	Știința	1–4	Cupa României
16 June 1954	Francisc von Neumann	1–1	Divizia A
27 October 1954	Știința	4–0
20 March 1955	Francisc von Neumann	1–0
28 August 1955	Știința	1–4
1 July 1956	Francisc von Neumann	1–2
11 November 1956	Știința	3–2
8 September 1957	Francisc von Neumann	3–3
20 April 1958	Știința	2–2
21 September 1958	Francisc von Neumann	1–1
29 March 1959	Știința	1–2
13 October 1960	Știința	2–3
23 April 1961	Francisc von Neumann	1–1
3 September 1961	Știința	1–0
1 April 1962	Francisc von Neumann	1–1
28 November 1962	Francisc von Neumann	3–2
21 April 1963	Știința	1–1
20 October 1963	Francisc von Neumann	2–1
16 May 1964	1 Mai	3–3
5 September 1965	Francisc von Neumann	0–0
10 April 1966	1 Mai	1–0
9 November 1966	Francisc von Neumann	5–2
28 May 1967	1 Mai	4–2
9 December 1973	Francisc von Neumann	3–0
19 June 1974	1 Mai	1–3
10 November 1974	1 Mai	0–0
18 May 1975	Francisc von Neumann	2–0
23 November 1975	1 Mai	3–0
9 June 1976	Francisc von Neumann	2–1
10 October 1976	1 Mai	2–1
15 May 1977	Francisc von Neumann	2–1
12 October 1977	1 Mai	1–1
23 April 1978	Francisc von Neumann	2–1
28 October 1978	Francisc von Neumann	1–0
25 April 1979	1 Mai	1–0
14 October 1981	1 Mai	0–0
17 April 1982	Francisc von Neumann	0–0
18 September 1983	Francisc von Neumann	1–2	Divizia B
1 April 1984	1 Mai	3–0
16 November 1986	1 Mai	4–2
7 June 1987	Francisc von Neumann	0–2
11 December 1988	1 Mai	3–1
12 March 1989	Francisc von Neumann	2–3
11 September 1993	Francisc von Neumann	1–0	Divizia A
27 February 1994	1 Mai	1–0
6 September 1997	Francisc von Neumann	1–3	Divizia B
28 March 1998	Dan Păltinișanu	1–1
5 September 1998	Francisc von Neumann	1–1
7 April 1999	Dan Păltinișanu	1–2
27 October 1999	Francisc von Neumann	1–0
3 May 2000	Dan Păltinișanu	1–0
18 October 2000	Dan Păltinișanu	0–1
12 May 2001	Francisc von Neumann	0–0
13 October 2001	Dan Păltinișanu	1–2
11 May 2002	Francisc von Neumann	7–0
5 October 2002	Dan Păltinișanu	3–4	Divizia A
16 April 2003	Francisc von Neumann	0–1
18 November 2006	Dan Păltinișanu	2–0	Liga I
18 May 2007	Francisc von Neumann	2–1
1 September 2007	Francisc von Neumann	2–3
15 March 2008	Dan Păltinișanu	2–0
23 August 2011	Dan Păltinișanu	1–1 (pen.)	Cupa României
30 September 2011	Francisc von Neumann	0–0	Liga II
20 April 2012	Dan Păltinișanu	0–1
13 November 2016	Motorul	1–1
21 May 2017	Dan Păltinișanu	0–3
15 October 2017	Dan Păltinișanu	2–1
24 April 2018	Otto Greffner	3–0 (forfait)
27 October 2018	Dan Păltinișanu	1–3
4 May 2019	Motorul	0–2
21 October 2019	Motorul	1–0

Notes:

• UTA Arad won the match disputed on 24 April 2018 by (forfait), after ASU Politehnica Timișoara players have retired from the pitch in the 62nd minute, at the score of 0-0, as a protest for the fact that only 70 supporters of Politehnica were allowed on the stadium.[5]

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