FC UTA Arad facts for kids
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| Full name | Asociația Fotbal Club UTA Arad | ||
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| Short name | UTA | ||
| Founded | 18 April 1945 as IT Arad 2013 (refounded) as UTA Bătrâna Doamnă |
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| Ground | Francisc von Neuman | ||
| Capacity | 12,700 | ||
| Owners | UTA Supporters Association Arad Municipality |
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| Chairman | Florian Voinea | ||
| Head coach | Mircea Rednic | ||
| League | Liga I | ||
| 2023–24 | Liga I, 7th of 16 | ||
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Asociația Fotbal Club UTA Arad, often called UTA Arad or just UTA, is a professional football club from Arad, Romania. The team plays in the top Romanian league, Liga I.
The club started in 1945 as IT Arad. It has won six national titles and two Cupa României (Romanian Cups). UTA is known as one of the most successful Romanian teams from outside Bucharest in the 20th century. This earned them the nickname Campioana Provinciei, meaning "Provincial Champion".
UTA Arad plays in red and white uniforms. Their home games are held at the new Francisc von Neuman Stadium, which opened in 2020. UTA has a big rivalry with their nearby team, SSU Politehnica Timișoara. Their matches are known as the West derby.
Contents
Club History
| Name | Period |
| ITA Arad | 1945–1949 |
| Flamura Roșie Arad | 1950–1957 |
| UTA Arad | 1958–2014 |
| UTA Bătrâna Doamnă Arad | 2014–2017 |
| UTA Arad | 2017–present |
Early Years (1945–1965)
The club was founded on April 18, 1945. Its founder was Francisc von Neuman, who owned the Arad Textile Company. He named the team ITA Arad. The club's colors, white and red, were inspired by Arsenal in England, as Neuman was a big fan of that team.
The first game for the new team was on May 27, 1945. They played against Banatul Sânnicolau Mic and lost 3–2. The team's home stadium, Francisc von Neuman Stadium, opened on September 1, 1946. This was during a match between ITA Arad and Ciocanul București, which ITA Arad won 1–0.
Golden Era (1965–1975)
This period was a very successful time for UTA Arad. In the 1970–71 season, the team finished fourth in the league. They also played in the European Champion Clubs' Cup. They famously knocked out Feyenoord, who were the champions at the time. UTA drew 1–1 in Rotterdam and 0–0 in Arad, advancing on away goals.
In the 1971–72 season, UTA Arad finished second in Romania. They then played in the UEFA Cup. They reached the quarter-finals, beating teams like Austria Salzburg and Vitória Setúbal. They were finally knocked out by Tottenham Hotspur from England.
Challenges and Comebacks (1975–Present)
After 1975, the team faced some tough times. In the 1978–79 season, they finished 17th and were moved down to the second division. They returned to the top league, Divizia A, in 1981 but only stayed for one year.
For many years, UTA Arad played in the second or third divisions. In 1999, they played a special play-off match to try and get promoted to Divizia A, but they lost. In 2006, they managed to get back into Liga I for the 2006–07 season. They finished 12th that year.
In 2013, a new team called UTA Bătrâna Doamnă was started by a former player, Marius Ţucudean. This team was supported by many UTA fans. It began in the fourth division, Liga IV. In 2014, this new team officially took over the name, logo, and history of UTA Arad. The old Liga II team was eventually dissolved.
UTA Bătrâna Doamnă quickly moved up through the leagues. They were promoted to Liga III in 2014 and then to Liga II in 2015. In 2016, they almost got promoted to Liga I but lost in the play-offs. In 2017, the Romanian Football Federation officially changed the name back to FC UTA Arad. The club finally returned to Liga I in 2020.
Home Stadium
UTA Arad plays its home games at the Stadionul Francisc von Neuman. This stadium is very modern and is ranked as a UEFA Category 4 stadium. This means it's good enough to host big European matches, like UEFA Europa League semi-finals.
The first match at the new stadium was a Liga I game between UTA Arad and Voluntari. It ended in a 0–0 draw. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, no fans were allowed to watch this first game.
The first game with fans was a women's football match in 2021. It was the Romanian Cup final between U Olimpia Cluj and Heniu Prundu Bârgăului. U Olimpia Cluj won 1–0. The first international game at the stadium was a friendly match between UTA Arad and Kolubara Lazarevac, which also ended in a draw.
Club Achievements
National Leagues
- Liga I (Top League)
- Winners (6): 1946–47, 1947–48, 1950, 1954, 1968–69, 1969–70
- Runners-up (1): 1971–72
- Liga II (Second League)
- Winners (4): 1980–81, 1992–93, 2001–02, 2019–20
- Runners-up (6): 1982–83, 1988–89, 1989–90, 1991–92, 1998–99, 2015–16
- Liga III (Third League)
- Winners (1): 2014–15
- Liga IV – Arad County (Fourth League)
- Winners (1): 2013–14
National Cups
- Cupa României (Romanian Cup)
- Winners (2): 1947–48, 1953
- Runners-up (2): 1950, 1965–66
- Cupa României – Arad County Phase
- Winners (1): 2013–14
- Cupa Ligii (League Cup)
- Runners-up (1): 1994
European Competitions
- UEFA Champions League / European Cup
- Best result: Second round in 1970–71
- UEFA Europa League / UEFA Cup
- Best result: Quarter-finals in 1971–72
- Balkans Cup
- Best result: Group stage in 1966–67
Current Team Squad
First-team players
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Players on loan to other teams
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Club Officials
Board of Directors
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Current Coaching Staff
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European Record
| Competition | S | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
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| Balkans Cup | 1 | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 4 | 12 | –8 |
| UEFA Champions League / European Cup | 2 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 17 | –14 |
| UEFA Europa League / UEFA Cup | 2 | 10 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 13 | 14 | –1 |
| Total | 5 | 22 | 4 | 4 | 14 | 20 | 43 | –23 |
League History
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Images for kids
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UTA Arad team in 1946–47.
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József Pecsovszky (left) won three league titles with UTA Arad.
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The club's logo when it was known as Flamura Roșie Arad (1950–1957).
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Flavius Domide spent almost his entire career with UTA from 1966 to 1979.
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UTA Arad, champions of Romania (1969–70).
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Mircea Petescu, captain of UTA's golden team of the 1970s.
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Nicolae "Coco" Dumitrescu (left), former player and manager of UTA.
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See also
In Spanish: FC UTA Arad para niños
