Sepsi OSK Sfântu Gheorghe

Asociația Club Sportiv Sepsi OSK Sfântu Gheorghe (Hungarian pronunciation: [ˈʃɛpʃi], Romanian pronunciation: [sfɨntu ˈɡe̯orɡe]), commonly known as Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe, Sepsi OSK, or simply Sepsi, is a Romanian professional football club based in Sfântu Gheorghe, Covasna County.

Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe
Full nameAsociația Club Sportiv Sepsi OSK Sfântu Gheorghe
Nickname(s)
  • Piros-fehérek (The Red and Whites)
  • Székelyek (The Székelys)
Short nameSepsi
Founded2011 (2011)
GroundMunicipal
Capacity5,200
OwnerLászló Diószegi
ChairmanCornel Șfaițer
ManagerLeontin Grozavu
LeagueLiga I
2018–19Liga I, 6th
WebsiteClub website

Sepsi was founded in 2011 and enrolled in the fifth division, which it immediately went on to win. Six years later, it became the first team from Covasna—a county with a majority of Székely ethnics—to achieve promotion to the highest tier of Romanian football. In its first season in the Liga I, Sepsi finished ninth out of 14, being spared from relegation.

"The Red and Whites" hold their home games at the 5,200-capacity Municipal Stadium.

History

Sepsi OSK Sfântu Gheorghe was established in 2011 to continue the football tradition in the city of Sfântu Gheorghe, following the dissolution of Oltul Sfântu Gheorghe. Team founders László Diószegi and Dávid Kertész were fans of Oltul, choosing "OSK" (an acronym for Oltul Sport Klub) as a tribute to the defunct team. "Sepsi" is part of Sepsiszentgyörgy (Hungarian name for Sfântu Gheorghe), and refers to the area which the ancestors of the local Székely population had previously inhabited (sebesi → sepsi, meaning "of Sebes"—now Sebeș).[1]

In their debut season, Sepsi won the Liga V – Covasna County and were promoted to the fourth league. They finished the latter competition on the second place, eight points behind local rival Viitorul Sfântu Gheorghe.[2] At the end of the 2013–14 campaign, Sepsi effortlessly won the Liga IV and qualified for the Liga III promotion play-off,[3] where they faced the champion of Vrancea County, Selena Jariștea. Sepsi managed to win 7–6 after a penalty shoot-out, being subsequently promoted to the third division.[4]

The first Liga III season was satisfying for "The Székelys", who finished third and announced their intentions for the future. In the 2015–16 Liga III season, Sepsi won its series and was promoted, which represented a notable performance for the team and for the city.[5] Sepsi managed a consecutive promotion after it came second in the Liga II, thus equalling the best ranking of dissolved Oltul Sfântu Gheorghe and becoming the first club from Covasna County to play in the Liga I, the highest level of the Romanian football league system.[6][7]

In the 2017–18 season, Sepsi finished third in the relegation play-outs—and ninth overall—and maintained its place in the first division.[8] The following year, the club managed to qualify for the championship play-offs and reached the quarter-finals of the Cupa României.

Ownership and finances

One of the two club founders and current owner, László Diószegi, is an entrepreneur who runs the Diószegi chain of bakeries. Initially consisting in one shop opened in the 1990s in Sfântu Gheorghe by his family and another associate, the business expanded in several cities in the country and also abroad in England.[9]

In addition to several other sponsors, Sepsi receives financing from the Government of Hungary, which has sparked controversy in Romania.[10][11] However, the sum is supposed to be invested exclusively in club infrastructure development and the youth sector.[12]

Grounds

Sepsi OSK plays its home matches at the Stadionul Municipal in Sfântu Gheorghe, which has a capacity of 5,200 seats. After the Liga I promotion, Sepsi was forced to move to the Stadionul Silviu Ploeșteanu in nearby Brașov, as their stadium did not meet the licensing requirements.[13] The team also played two home matches on the Ilie Oană Stadium in Ploiești, before returning to Sfântu Gheorghe in March 2018.

The club announced the plan of building a new stadium with a capacity of 8,000 seats, due to be opened by the year 2021.[14][11]

Support

The club's main group of supporters is named Székely Légió (The Szekler Legion). They also display flags of the Székely Land.[15]

Honours

Domestic

Leagues

Players

First team squad
As of 15 March 2020[16]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
3 DF Hrvoje Barišić
4 DF Răzvan Tincu
5 MF Lóránt Kovács
6 DF Daniel Celea
7 MF George Dragomir
8 MF Gabriel Vașvari
9 FW Andrei Dumiter
10 MF Lóránd Fülöp (on loan from Puskás Akadémia)
11 FW Marius Ștefănescu
13 MF Ronaldo Deaconu
14 FW Tomás Díaz
17 MF Călin Popescu
18 FW Pavol Šafranko
No. Position Player
21 MF Peter Gál-Andrezly
23 FW Anass Achahbar
24 MF István Fülöp (captain)
25 FW Goran Karanović
27 MF Nicolae Carnat
29 MF Rachid Bouhenna
33 GK Roland Niczuly
77 MF Stefan Velev
88 DF Radoslav Dimitrov
95 GK Béla Fejér
96 DF Florin Ștefan
98 GK Cătălin Căpățână
99 DF Balázs Csiszér

Other players under contract

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
— FW Zsombor Veress
No. Position Player

Out on loan

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No. Position Player
— DF Nicolae Păun (to KSE Târgu Secuiesc)
— MF Yasin Hamed (to Miercurea Ciuc)
No. Position Player
— MF Claudiu Vereș (to Dunărea Călărași)

Club officials

Records and statistics

League history

References
  1. "Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe e la un punct de o promovare istorică în Liga 1. Patronul Laszlo Dioszegy "Eram țintuit la pat când mi-a venit ideea să fac echipa"" [Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe is one point from a historic Liga 1 promotion. Owner László Diószegi "I was bedridden when I got the idea of creating the team"]. Libertatea (in Romanian). 26 May 2017.
  2. "Liga a IV-a, Seniori, sezon 2012/2013 Asociatia Judeteana de Fotbal Covasna frf-ajf.ro" (in Romanian). Romanian Football Federation. Archived from the original on 23 October 2018.
  3. "Liga a IV-a, Seniori, sezon 2013/2014 Asociatia Judeteana de Fotbal Covasna frf-ajf.ro" (in Romanian). Romanian Football Federation. Archived from the original on 23 October 2018.
  4. "Echipele promovate in Liga 3 in urma meciurilor de baraj!" [The teams which promoted to the Liga 3 following the play-off] (in Romanian). Sport Total FM. 21 June 2014.
  5. "Sepsi OSK Sfântu Gheorghe, a doua echipă promovată matematic în Liga 2. Judeţul Covasna are din nou club în eşalonul secund după o pauză de 12 ani" [Sepsi OSK Sfântu Gheorghe, the second team mathematically promoted to the Liga 2. Covasna County has a club in the second tier after a twelve-year pause] (in Romanian). ProSport. 15 May 2016.
  6. "Sepsi, surpriza ligii secunde, visează la prima ligă. Cum ar putea beneficia de investiţiile guvernului maghiar echipa din Sfântu Gheorghe. "Am putea face faţă"" [Sepsi, the shock of the second league, dreams of the first league. How the Sfântu Gheorghe-based team could benefit from the investments of the Hungarian Government. "We could deal with this situation"] (in Romanian). ProSport. 13 May 2017.
  7. "A doua echipă promovată în Liga 1! Sepsi și-a asigurat locul în prima divizie » Toate rezultatele din Liga a 2-a" [The second team promoted to the Liga 1! Sepsi secured its place in the first division » All the Liga 2 results]. Gazeta Sporturilor (in Romanian). 28 May 2017.
  8. "Tables - Liga I - Romania - Results, fixtures, tables and news". Soccerway. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
  9. "Pâinea secuiască de 7 milioane de euro, apreciată şi de prinţul Charles. "Secretul afacerii este să faci lucrurile cu inima"" [The Szekler bread worth 7 million euros, also fancied by Prince Charles. "The secret of the business is to put heart into things"]. Adevărul (in Romanian). 27 August 2015. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
  10. "Guvernul de la Budapesta a confirmat că susţine financiar Sepsi Sf Gheorghe şi Csikszereda Miercurea Ciuc" [The Budapest Government confirmed that it financially supports Sepsi Sf. Gheorghe and Csikszereda Miercurea Ciuc] (in Romanian). Digi Sport. 14 November 2018. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
  11. "Sepsi primește o nouă sponsorizare de la Guvernul Ungariei. Va avea un nou stadion" [Sepsi receives another sponsorship from the Government of Hungary. It will have a new stadium] (in Romanian). Digi Sport. 1 March 2019. Retrieved 1 March 2019. The investments of the Hungarian Government at Sepsi Sf. Gheorghe revolted a significant number of Romanian supporters at the end of last year. [...] The stadium will have around 8,000 seats, but I am not aware of the costs.
  12. "Ungaria dublează finanțarea pentru Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe, după ce s-a calificat în play-off!" [Hungary doubles the financing for Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe, after it qualified for the championship play-off!]. Gazeta Sporturilor (in Romanian). 26 February 2019. Retrieved 1 March 2019. Sepsi will be capable of using the money exclusively for the club's Academy and for infrastructure development.
  13. "Dacă promovează în Liga I, Sepsi OSK va juca meciurile de acasă la Brașov" [If it promotes to the Liga I, Sepsi OSK will play its home matches in Brașov] (in Romanian). Observatorul de Covasna. 11 May 2017.
  14. "Guvernul Ungariei construieste un stadion in Romania" [The Governmemt of Hungary will build a stadium in Romania] (in Romanian). Ziare. 1 March 2019. Retrieved 1 March 2019.
  15. "Sepsi-Dinamo, conflict interetnic. "Câinii" au furat steagul Ungariei. Dănciulescu, jeturi de gaze" [Sepsi-Dinamo, interethnic conflict. "The Dogs" stole the flag of Hungary. Dănciulescu, gassed] (in Romanian). Realitatea TV. 30 April 2018. Retrieved 2 March 2019.
  16. "ECHIPĂ" [Squad] (in Romanian). LPF. Retrieved 12 March 2020.
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