AS Viitorul Lupac

Viitorul Lupac
Full nameAsociația Sportivă
Viitorul 2025 Lupac
NicknameCroații (The Croats)
Short nameLupac
Founded1982 (1982)
as Voința Lupac
2025 (2025)
as Viitorul 2025 Lupac
GroundVoința
Capacity350
LeagueLiga V
2023–24Liga III, Seria VII, 7th (withdrew)

Asociația Sportivă Viitorul 2025 Lupac, commonly known as Viitorul Lupac, is a Romanian football club based in Lupac, Caraș-Severin County, and currently plays in Liga V – Caraș-Severin County, the fifth tier of the Romanian football. The players are nicknamed "the Croats," as the Lupac commune is predominantly inhabited by Krashovani Croats.

Founded in 1982 as Voința Lupac, the Croats earned promotion to Liga III at the end of the 2020–21 season, and after three seasons in the third tier, Voința was disbanded in 2024 and later refounded in 2025 as Viitorul 2025 Lupac.

History

Founded in 1982 as Voința Lupac, the team from the foothills of the Banat Mountains spent its early years competing at the second level of the Caraș-Severin county championships. In 2005, they managed to secure promotion to the first tier, finishing 10th in 2005–06, 13th in 2006–07, 6th in 2007–08, 3rd in 2008–09, and runners-up in 2009–10. After finishing 3rd in 2010–11, Voința again claimed runners-up spots in 2011–12 and 2012–13, establishing themselves as serious contenders in the county league.

The Croats managed to top the Caraș-Severin County league in 2014–15 for the first time. However, their hopes of promotion to Liga III were dashed after a play-off against ASU Politehnica Timișoara, the champions of Liga IV – Timiș County, suffering a heavy 1–5 defeat in Timișoara, despite a 2–1 win at home in Lupac.[1][2][3]

Voința managed to win again the Liga IV – Caraș-Severin County in the 2017–18 season[4] and faced in the promotion play-off, the winner of Liga IV – Hunedoara County, CS Hunedoara, but despite a 1–0 away win in the first leg, Voința lost the promotion after an 1–2 defeat in the second leg in front of their own supporters.[5][6]

At the end of 2018–19 season, Voința Lupac, led by Boșco Vișatovici, crowned as county champion of Liga IV – Caraș-Severin County and qualified for the promotion play-off in Liga III,[7][8][9] but lost (0–2 at home and 1–6 away) in front of Fortuna Becicherecu Mic, the winner of Liga IV – Timiș County.[10][11]

Voința promoted for the first time in its history to Liga III at the end of the 2020–21 season. Coached by Boșco Vișatovici, the Croats won the Liga IV – Caraș-Severin County and the promotion play-off against Universitatea Craiova II (0–1 at Craiova and 3–0 at Lupac).[12]

As newly promoted in the 2021–22 Liga III, Voința Lupac finished 3rd in Series VII, both in the regular season and in the play-off, ahead of Pandurii Târgu Jiu and CSM Reșita and CSM Deva, who claimed the first two spots. The squad for their debut season in the third league included players such as Căpățână, Trașcă, D. Petruț, Circa, Danci, Banac, Vădrariu, Vaștag, Avramovici, Giurică, Flucica, Bărbulescu, Dalea, Kawagoe, Săndescu, Jivan, Arjocan, Cega, Marcu, Jinga, Cr. Popa, and Cristodulo, among others.[13]

Voința Lupac appointed Lucian Dobre as head coach for the 2022–23 campaign, but he left in January with three rounds remaining in the regular season of Series VII. Adrian Enășescu took over and guided the Croats to a 6th-place finish in the first stage, ultimately securing 5th place overall after the play-out round.[14][15][16]

The following season, Enășescu departed Voința after five rounds, with Mircea Manu taking charge and leading the team to 7th place in both the regular season and the play-out stage of Series VII.[17] However, financial problems led to Voința’s dissolution in the summer of 2024, and the club was excluded by the Romanian Football Federation from all competitions. After one year of inactivity, it was subsequently refounded in 2025 as Viitorul 2025 Lupac and enrolled in Liga V – Caraș-Severin County, the fifth tier of the Romanian football league system.[18][19]

Honours

Liga IV – Caraș-Severin County

League and Cup history

See also: Romanian football league system

References

  1. ^ "Voința Lupac este campioana județului Caraș-Severin la fotbal" [Voința Lupac is the champion of Caraș-Severin county in football] (in Romanian). radioresita.ro. 9 June 2015. Archived from the original on 11 February 2025. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  2. ^ "ASU Poli a spart voința "croaților". Echipa din Lupac a fost îngenuncheată la Timișoara în prima manșă a barajului" [ASU Poli broke the will of the "Croats". The team from Lupac was kneel at Timișoara in the first leg of the play-off] (in Romanian). liga2.prosport.ro. 21 June 2015. Archived from the original on 11 February 2025. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  3. ^ "Voința Lupac a câștigat returul cu ASU Politehnica dar nu a reușit să promoveze în Liga a treia de fotbal" [Voința Lupac won the return match with ASU Politehnica but failed to promote to the Third Football League] (in Romanian). radioresita.ro. 27 June 2015. Archived from the original on 7 September 2022. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  4. ^ "Voința Lupac a câștigat ediția 2017/2018 a Ligii 4" [Voința Lupac won the 2017/2018 edition of Liga 4] (in Romanian). frf.ro. Archived from the original on 13 December 2020. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  5. ^ "CS Hunedoara a pierdut acasă în turul barajului pentru Liga a III-a" [CS Hunedoara lost at home in the first round of the play-off for the League III] (in Romanian). servuspress.ro. 18 June 2018. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  6. ^ "CS Hunedoara promovează în Liga a III-a după victoria cu 2-1 la Voința Lupac" [CS Hunedoara is promoted to the 3rd League after the 2-1 victory at Voința Lupac] (in Romanian). mesagerulhunedorean.ro. 24 June 2018. Archived from the original on 10 July 2021. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  7. ^ "Final de campionat și în Liga a IV-a Caraș-Severin: Voința Lupac, din nou pe primul loc!" [Championship final in Liga IV Caraș-Severin: Voința Lupac, again in first place!] (in Romanian). reper24.ro. 10 June 2019. Archived from the original on 13 December 2020. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  8. ^ "Liga a IV-a, sezon 2018/2019" [Liga a IV-a, 2018/2019 season] (in Romanian). frf-ajf.ro. Archived from the original on 18 July 2021. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
  9. ^ "Voința Lupac a cucerit cupa și campionatul" [Voința Lupac won the cup and the championship] (in Romanian). caon.ro. 10 June 2019. Archived from the original on 17 June 2019. Retrieved 16 July 2021.
  10. ^ "Voința Lupac – Fortuna Becicherecu Mic 0-2 (0-1)" (in Romanian). sporttim.ro. Archived from the original on 6 September 2022. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  11. ^ "Fortuna Becicherecu Mic – Voința Lupac 6-1 (2-0)" (in Romanian). sporttim.ro. Archived from the original on 15 July 2021. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  12. ^ "Voința Lupac trece de Craiova 2 și urcă în Liga 3" [Voința Lupac passes Craiova 2 and climbs to League 3] (in Romanian). caon.ro. 24 May 2021. Archived from the original on 24 May 2021. Retrieved 6 September 2022.
  13. ^ "Modificări importante de lot la Voința Lupac, în lupta pentru play-off-ul de promovare al Seriei 7 din Liga 3" [Important changes to the squad at Voința Lupac, in the fight for the promotion play-off of Series 7 of League 3] (in Romanian). liga2.prosport.ro. 6 February 2022. Archived from the original on 2 January 2026. Retrieved 2 January 2026.
  14. ^ "Lucian Dobre a semnat cu AFC Voința Lupac" [Lucian Dobre signed with AFC Voința Lupac] (in Romanian). caon.ro. 27 July 2022. Archived from the original on 8 September 2022. Retrieved 8 September 2022.
  15. ^ "Lucian Dobre nu mai este antrenorul Lupacului!" [Lucian Dobre is no longer the coach of Lupac!] (in Romanian). caon.ro. 8 January 2023. Archived from the original on 11 February 2025. Retrieved 11 February 2025.
  16. ^ "Voința Lupac și-a prezentat noul antrenor și a renunțat la un mijlocaș cu multă experiență, fost la Dinamo, Viitorul Constanța și Corona Brașov" [Voința Lupac introduced its new coach and gave up a midfielder with a lot of experience, formerly at Dinamo, Viitorul Constanța and Corona Brașov] (in Romanian). liga2.prosport.ro. 25 January 2023. Archived from the original on 11 February 2025. Retrieved 11 February 2025.
  17. ^ "Mircea Manu, debut cu victorie pe banca Voinței Lupac" [Mircea Manu, debut with victory on the bench of Voințea Lupac] (in Romanian). caon.ro. 1 October 2023. Archived from the original on 2 January 2026. Retrieved 2 January 2026.
  18. ^ "AFC Voința Lupac, în pragul desființării" [AFC Voința Lupac, on the verge of dissolution] (in Romanian). caon.ro. 20 August 2024. Archived from the original on 2 January 2026. Retrieved 2 January 2026.
  19. ^ "FRF a făcut seriile din Liga 3! Fără Voința Lupac!" [FRF made the series in League 3! Without Lupac's Will!] (in Romanian). caon.ro. 16 August 2024. Archived from the original on 2 January 2026. Retrieved 2 January 2026.
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