Olimpia Satu Mare


Fotbal Club Olimpia Satu Mare, commonly known as Olimpia Satu Mare or simply as Olimpia, was a Romanian professional football club from Satu Mare, Satu Mare County, Romania, founded on 5 May 1921, re-founded in 2010 and dissolved in 2018. The club played in the Liga I in the following seasons: 1937–38, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1977–78, 1978–79, 1979–80 and 1998–99.

Chronology of names

NamePeriod
Olimpia Satu Mare1921–1932
Olimpia CFR Satu Mare1932–1947
CFR Satu Mare1947–1949
Locomotiva Satu Mare1950–1952
Progresul Satu Mare1952–1957
Victoria Satu Mare1957–1961
A.S.M.D. Satu Mare1961–1965
Sătmăreana1965–1967
Metalul Satu Mare1967–1968
Olimpia Satu Mare1968–2018

History

The club was founded in 1921. In 1934, the club reached the quarter finals of the first ever Romanian Cup. Olimpia was placed in Liga 1 after the Romanian league system was re-structured in 1936, but the team relegated before long. After World War II, the club faced various financial challenges and did not make an appearance in Divizia A until 1974. Olimpia reached the final of the Romanian Cup in 1978 and lost to a strong Universitatea Craiova team 3–1. After two years, the team returns to Divizia B, where he was among the leaders of the series, until 1993 when it was relegated to Divizia C after a scandal.
Two years later, Olimpia returns to Divizia B and in 1998 it promoted to Divizia A, but it immediately relegated. The team was then a regular Divizia B presence, with no notable performances, the maximum reached was a 4th place at the end of the 2004–05 season. In 2006, the team relegated to Liga III where it had disastrous results, saving from relegation in the last moment for the next two seasons, then the club was relegated to Liga IV due to financial problems and reached the brink of collapse even suffering a major reorganization in 2010.
In 2011 the team won Liga IV-Satu Mare and then the play-off match against Meseșul Treznea Sălaj County champions, with an imposing score, 6–0. The match was played in Oradea on Iuliu Bodola Stadium and Oli was encouraged by its groups of supporters Commando Oli and Sezione Ostile and by Bihor Oradea supporters, Peluza Nord Oradea.
At the end of 2011–12 Liga III season, Olimpia finished only second, at 3 points distance from Corona Brașov, but promoted the next season with an advance of 5 points over FC Hunedoara. Then Olimpia becoming again a regular Liga II team, the best performance being 5th place, obtained at the end of 2014–15 season.
In the winter break of the 2017–18 season, Olimpia withdrew from Liga II due to financial problems, also having 70 points deducted. In the same time, the local authorities founded CSM Satu Mare, also known as CSM-Olimpia Satu Mare, a new entity that pretend to be the successor of FC Olimpia, but has no legal connections with the old club. After this second dissolution, supporters, organized as Voluntarii Olimpiști, dissatisfied with the way the club has been administered in recent years, have created their own club, Olimpia MCMXXI, a fan-owned phoenix club inspired by models such as: ASU Politehnica Timișoara, LSS Voința Sibiu or FC Argeș 1953 Pitești. This club also pretend to be the successor of FC Olimpia, but again, are not legal connection between the old entity and this new one. In recent years, other football clubs from Romania were also refounded by their supporters, but subsequently were recognized as the official successors of the original clubs, among them: Petrolul Ploiești or Oțelul Galați.

Stadium

Olimpia Satu Mare used to play its home matches on Daniel Prodan Stadium in Satu Mare, which has a capacity of 18,000.

Supporters

Olimpia has many supporters in Satu Mare and especially in Satu Mare County. The ultras groups of Olimpia Satu Mare are known as Commando Oli and Sezione Ostile. From 2015 the two groups merged and formed Peluza Olimpia 1921. Olimpia supporters consider Bihor Oradea supporters to be their allies, fans of both teams had the opportunity to support the other during matches.

Honours

Leagues

SeasonTierDivisionPlaceCupa României
2018–194Liga IV 1st
2017–182Liga II20th '
2016–172Liga II9thRound of 32
2015–162Liga II 9th
2014–152Liga II 5th
2013–142Liga II 7th
2012–133Liga III 1st 'Round of 32
2011–123Liga III 2nd
2007–083Liga III 13th '
2006–073Liga III 15th
2005–062Divizia B 11th '
2004–052Divizia B 4thRound of 32
2003–042Divizia B 3rd
2002–032Divizia B 5th

SeasonTierDivisionPlaceCupa României
2001–022Divizia B 13th
2000–012Divizia B 10th
1999–002Divizia B 5th
1998–991Divizia A18th 'Round of 32
1997–982Divizia B 1st '
1996–972Divizia B 11thRound of 16
1995–962Divizia B 12th
1994–953Divizia C2nd
1993–943Divizia C8th
1992–932Divizia B 18th
1991–922Divizia B 9th
1990–912Divizia B 3rd
1989–902Divizia B 12th