Asociația Club Sportiv Sepsi OSK Sfântu Gheorghe,commonly known asSepsi OSK(Hungarian:[ˈʃɛpʃiˈoɛʃkaː]),Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe(Romanian:[ˈsepsiˈsfɨntuˈɡe̯orɡe]), or simplySepsi,is a Romanian professionalfootballclubbased inSfântu Gheorghe,Covasna County,that competes in theLiga I.
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| Full name | Asociația Club Sportiv Sepsi OSK Sfântu Gheorghe[1] | |||
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| Short name | Sepsi | |||
| Founded | 2011 | |||
| Ground | Sepsi Arena | |||
| Capacity | 8,400 | |||
| Owner | László Diószegi | |||
| Chairman | Attila Hadnagy | |||
| Head coach | Valentin Suciu | |||
| League | Liga I | |||
| 2023–24 | Liga I, 5th of 16 | |||
| Website | sepsiosk.ro | |||
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Founded in 2011, it achieved promotion to the top tier in six years by quickly climbing through theRomanian league system.Sepsi thus became the first team from Covasna—a county with a majority ofSzékely ethnics—to play in the Liga I. Since its promotion, it qualified for threeCupa Românieifinals, claiming the trophy in the2021–22and2022–23 seasons.As cup holders, Sepsi also participated in the2022and the2023 Supercupa României,winning both.
Sepsi's club colours are red and white in honour of the local football tradition. After playing during its first years at theMunicipal Stadiumin Sfântu Gheorghe, the squad was moved to the namesakeSepsi Arena Stadiumin 2021.
History
editFormation and ascent (2011–2017)
editLászló Diószegi and Dávid Kertész decided to start a new football club in the summer of 2011.[2]They picked the red and white colors to honor the football traditions ofSfântu Gheorgheand chose the nameOSKas anacronymreminiscent of the defunctOlt Sport Klub.[2]They wanted the name of the city to be also included in the club's name, so they chose the prefixSepsiformSepsiszentgyörgy,which is the Hungarian name of the city.[2]In order to be able to enroll toLiga Vthey signed a collaboration agreement with Clubul Sportiv Școlar from Sfântu Gheorghe and formed a junior team.[2]
In their debut season, they won the Liga V competition of Covasna County and were promoted toLiga IV.[2]They finished second in their first Liga IV season, eight points behind local Viitorul Sfântu Gheorghe.[3]Valentin Suciu—who would eventually guide them to Liga I—was appointed manager in 2013.[4]At the end of the 2013–14 campaign, Sepsi OSK effortlessly won the Liga IV competition of Covasna County and qualified for theLiga IIIpromotion play-off,[5]where they faced the champion ofVrancea County,Selena Jariștea. Following a 1–1 draw after extra time, they won 6–5 on penalties, being subsequently promoted to the third division.[6]
After a satisfying third place in the2014–15 Liga III,promotion toLiga IIwas set as the objective for the next season.[2]They won the2015–16 Liga IIIand were promoted, which represented a notable performance for the team at the time.[7]In the summer of 2016,Attila Hadnagyjoined the team and became its captain. As he scored 28 goals in 31 games, the unexpected happened in the season which followed. They finished second in the2016–17 Liga IIand were promoted toLiga I,the top tier of theRomanian football league system.[8][9]
Top league years (2017–present)
edit
As a last step in becoming fully professional in 2017, the club started a series of investments into infrastructure which included the creation of training grounds for its youth center and building aUEFA Category 4 stadium.In the years which followed the promotion, Sepsi OSK managed to stay in the Liga I, qualifying for the first time to the championship play-offs in the2018–19 season.
In the summer of 2020, Sepsi reached theCupa României finalfor the first time, but lost it 0–1 toFCSBat theIlie Oană StadiuminPloiești.On their route to the last game of the competition, Sepsi eliminatedRipensia Timișoara,Astra Giurgiu,Petrolul PloieștiandPolitehnica Iași;in all but one of the five matches "the Székelys" scored at least three goals.
In the2020–21 season,Sepsi entered the championship play-offs for the second time in their history. They finished fourth place and went on to defeatViitorul Constanța1–0 in the European play-offs, which meant they would take part for the first time inEuropean competitions.Sepsi was drawn against Slovakian sideSpartak Trnavain the second round of theUEFA Conference League,but were eliminated due to a 3–4 penalty shoot-out loss after two draws.
The club secured a European spot again at the end of the2021–22 campaignby winning theCupa României final—left midfielderMarius Ștefănescuscored a double to bring Sepsi a 2–1 win overVoluntariat theStadionul Rapid-GiuleștiinBucharest.[10]The club went on to win the2022 Supercupa Românieiwith the same score against league championsCFR Cluj.
On 24 May 2023, Sepsi claimed its second consecutive national cup after a 5–4penalty shoot-outdefeat ofUniversitatea Clujat theStadionul MunicipalinSibiu,with goalkeeperRoland Niczulysaving three penalty shots.[11]The club also repeated its performance in theSupercupa României,winning the2023 edition1–0 againstFarul Constanța.
Ownership and finances
editCo-founder and present owner László Diószegi is an entrepreneur who runs the Diószegi chain of bakeries. After starting with a bakery shop opened in Sfântu Gheorghe by his family and another associate in the 1990s, the business grew to sell bakery products through several shops in Romania and England.[12]
In comparison to other Liga I teams at the end of 2019, Sepsi OSK stood out with by far the highest revenue obtained from corporate sponsorship deals and having the least debt.[13]Some of the companies that have or had sponsorship deals with Sepsi OSK include Hungarian firms Gyermelyi,OTP BankandMOL.
Sepsi OSK was granted in total 2 billionHungarian forintsbetween 2017 and 2018 by theHungarian governmentto be used for developing club infrastructure, thus contributing with approximately €6 million to build a youth center and the new stadium.[14]
Grounds
edit
Municipal Stadium
editSepsi OSK holds its home games at theMunicipal StadiuminSfântu Gheorghe.Located in the Simeria neighbourhood, it has a capacity of 5,200 seats. After the Liga I promotion of Sepsi OSK the Municipal Stadium did not meet the Liga I licensing requirements. As a result, Sepsi OSK was forced to hold all of its autumn 2017 home games at theSilviu Ploeșteanu StadiuminBrașov[15]and the first two 2018 home games at theIlie Oană StadiuminPloiești.[16]
Meanwhile, the structure of the stand was fortified to support TV-radio cabins in 2017. Also the seating capacity was increased the same year with 1,500 seats donated to Sepsi OSK from the demolishedFerenc Puskás Stadium.[17]The old floodlight system ofDACwas also donated to Sepsi OSK and installed in the stadium in 2018.[18]As a result, Sepsi OSK was able to play its first ever Liga I game in Sfântu Gheorghe on 19 March 2018.[19]Ownership of the stadium was transferred from the Romanian Ministry of Youth and Sport to the City Council of Sfântu Gheorghe in 2019.[20]
Sepsi OSK Stadium
editThe construction of a newUEFA Category 4stadium with a capacity of 8,450 seats was started on a lot nearSepsi Arenain the summer of 2018.[21]The newSepsi OSK Stadiumwas opened with a league match againstFC Voluntariin 2021.[22]
Support
edit
Being the first team from Covasna County—a county with a majority of ethnic Szeklers/Hungarians—to achieve promotion to the top tier of Romanian football, Sepsi OSK is widely supported among Hungarians. In the2018–19 seasonhome game attendance fluctuated between 2,000 and 3,500, with an average of 2,682 spectators per game.
The only known organised supporter group of the club is namedSzékely Légiówhich is Hungarian for "Szekler Legion". The group traces its origins to the supporters of the defunct Olt Sport Klub from the 1970s.[23]Members of the group are known for showing their support for Sepsi OSK through singing before, during and after the game regardless of the result.[23]
Honours
editDomestic
editLeagues
edit- Liga II
- Runners-up (1):2016–17
- Liga III
- Winners (1):2015–16
- Liga IV – Covasna County
- Liga V–Covasna County
- Winners (1):2011–12
Cups
editPlayers
editFirst-team squad
editNote: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules.Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Out on loan
editNote: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules.Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Club officials
edit
Board of directorsedit
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Current technical staffedit
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Records and statistics
editLeague and cup history
edit
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European record
edit- Notes
- QR:Qualifying round
- 2QR:Second qualifying round
- 3QR:Third qualifying round
| Season | Competition | Round | Club | Home | Away | Agg. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021–22 | UEFA Europa Conference League | 2QR |  Spartak Trnava
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1–1 (a.e.t.) | 0–0 | 1–1(3–4p) |
| 2022–23 | UEFA Europa Conference League | 2QR |  Olimpija Ljubljana
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3–1 | 0–2 (a.e.t.) | 3–3(4–2p) |
| 3QR |  Djurgårdens
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1–3 | 1–3 | 2–6 | ||
| 2023–24 | UEFA Europa Conference League | 2QR |  CSKA Sofia
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4–0 | 2–0 | 6–0 |
| 3QR |  Aktobe
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1−1 | 1−0 | 2−1 | ||
| PO |  Bodø/Glimt
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2−2 | 2−3 (a.e.t.) | 4−5 |
Player records
editBoldindicates players who play still at the club.
- As of 3 December 2024
Most appearances
edit| Rank | Player | Years | League | Cup | Europe | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Roland Niczuly |
2016– | 253 | 20 | 12 | 3[a][b] | 288 |
| 2 | Marius Ștefănescu |
2017–2024 | 160 | 20 | 9 | 3[a][b] | 192 |
| 3 |  Adnan Aganović |
2020–2024 | 130 | 13 | 11 | 3[a][b] | 157 |
| 4 | Pavol Šafranko |
2019–2021,2022–2024 | 133 | 14 | 6 | 2[a][b] | 155 |
| 5 | Branislav Niňaj |
2021– | 123 | 9 | 8 | 2[a][b] | 142 |
| 6 | Florin Ștefan |
2018–2021,2023– | 125 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 136 |
| 7 | Radoslav Dimitrov |
2019–2023 | 114 | 13 | 6 | 2[a][b] | 135 |
| 8 | Nicolae Păun |
2019– | 99 | 12 | 12 | 3[a][b] | 126 |
| 9 | Gabriel Vașvari |
2018–2022 | 110 | 11 | 2 | 1[a] | 124 |
| 10 | Andres Dumitrescu |
2020–2023,2024– | 90 | 10 | 9 | 2[b] | 111 |
Top scorers
edit| Rank | Player | Years | League | Cup | Europe | Other | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Marius Ștefănescu |
2017–2024 | 31 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 37 |
| 2 | Attila Hadnagy |
2016–2019 | 33 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 33 |
| 3 | Pavol Šafranko |
2019–2021,2022–2024 | 30 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 32 |
| 4 | Cosmin Matei |
2022– | 13 | 3 | 3 | 1[a] | 20 |
| Alexandru Tudorie |
2022–2023 | 18 | 1 | 1 | 0 | ||
| 6 | István Fülöp |
2017–2022 | 16 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 18 |
| 7 |  Ibrahima Tandia |
2018–2019 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
| Gabriel Vașvari |
2018–2022 | ||||||
| 9 | Adnan Aganovic |
2020–2024 | 12 | 0 | 1 | 1[b] | 14 |
| 10 |  Isnik Alimi |
2023– | 10 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 13 |
 Goran Karanović |
2019–2020 | 9 | 4 | 0 | 0 | ||
| Nicolae Păun |
2019– | 8 | 2 | 3 | 0 | ||
 Mario Rondón |
2022–2024 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 1[a] |
- ^abGoal(s) inSupercupa României
- ^Goal(s) inLiga IEuropean play-offs
Managers
edit- Listed according to when they were appointed manager of Sepsi OSK.(c)means caretaker.
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Notable former players
editThe footballers enlisted below have had at least 50 league appearances for Sepsi OSK or they have had international cap(s) for their respective countries at senior level and at least 20 league appearances for Sepsi OSK.
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References
edit- ^"ACS Sepsi OSK Sfântu Gheorghe"(in Romanian).Romanian Football Federation.Retrieved4 August2021.
- ^abcdef"Sepsi OSK – Istorie scrisă în șase ani"[Sepsi OSK – History written in six years] (in Romanian).Retrieved2 January2021.
- ^"Liga a IV-a, Seniori, sezon 2012/2013 Asociatia Judeteana de Fotbal Covasna frf-ajf.ro"(in Romanian).Romanian Football Federation.Archived fromthe originalon 23 October 2018.
- ^Măcicășan, Vlad (11 July 2017)."Nici Mourinho n-a reușit așa ceva. Cazul unic al antrenorului lui Sepsi care a promovat echipa din Liga a 4-a în Liga 1. Valentin Suciu povestește cum visele devin realitate"[Neither Mourinho didn't achieve this. The unic case of the Sepsi manager who promoted from Liga IV to Liga I. Valentin Suciu tells us how dreams become reality].PROSPORT(in Romanian). București.Retrieved2 December2020.
- ^"Liga a IV-a, Seniori, sezon 2013/2014 Asociatia Judeteana de Fotbal Covasna frf-ajf.ro"(in Romanian). Romanian Football Federation. Archived fromthe originalon 23 October 2018.
- ^"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.
- ^"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.
- ^"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.
- ^"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.
- ^"FOTO Finala Cupei României: Sepsi – FC Voluntari 2-1! Ștefănescu aduce Cupa la Sfântu Gheorghe!"[PHOTO Romanian Cup Final: Sepsi - FC Voluntari 2–1! Ștefănescu brings the Cup to Sfântu Gheorghe!] (in Romanian). Romanian Football Federation. 19 May 2022.Retrieved21 May2022.
- ^"Niczuly, eroul finalei, a dezvăluit secretul loviturilor de departajare:" Două ore, în ziua meciului! "+" E un moment istoric pentru noi ""[Niczuly, the hero of the final, revealed the penalty shoot-out secret: "Two hours, on the day of the match" + "It's a historic moment for us" ].Gazeta Sporturilor(in Romanian). 25 May 2023.Retrieved25 May2023.
- ^"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.Retrieved1 March2019.
- ^"ANALIZĂ FINANCIARĂ. Sepsi şochează Liga 1: venituri uluitoare cu care surclasează toate celelalte cluburi"[FINANCIAL ANALYSIS. Sepsi shocks Liga 1: beating all other teams with its unbelievable revenue].Gazeta Sporturilor(in Romanian). 23 April 2020.Retrieved1 May2020.
- ^Sipos, Zoltán (12 December 2018)."Will the Hungarian government bring Sekler football to success?".Átlátszó Erdély.Cluj Napoca.Retrieved1 January2020.
- ^Miu, Sever Ioan (11 May 2017)."Dacă promovează în Liga I, Sepsi OSK va juca meciurile de acasă la Brașov"[If promoted to Liga I, Sepsi OSK will play its home games at Brașov].Covasna Media(in Romanian). Sfântu Gheorghe.Retrieved11 June2017.
- ^"Sepsi OSK nu va putea juca nici la Sfântu Gheorghe, nici la Braşov. Unde au loc primele două etape „acasă" din 2018 "[Sepsi OSK won't be able to play its home games at Sfântu Gheorghe or Braşov. Where will the first two "home" games of 2018 take place?].We Radio(in Romanian). Sfântu Gheorghe. 23 January 2018.Retrieved12 March2018.
- ^Miu, Sever Ioan (27 November 2016)."VIDEO: 1.500 de scaune pentru stadionul din Sfântu Gheorghe"[VIDEO: 1,500 seats for the stadium of Sfântu Gheorghe].Covasna Media(in Romanian). Sfântu Gheorghe.Retrieved4 April2017.
- ^Nagy, Zsolt (1 August 2018)."Sepsi: példaértékű segítség a Dunaszerdahelytől"[Sepsi: exemplary help from Dunaszerdahely].Nemzeti Sport(in Hungarian). Budapest.Retrieved4 September2018.
- ^"VIDEO + FOTO Sepsi inaugurează stadionul cu 3 penalty-uri și două puncte pierdute la ultima fază"[VIDEO + PHOTO Sepsi inaugurates the stadium with 3 penalties and two points lost in the last minute].Gazeta Sporturilor(in Romanian). București. 19 March 2018.Retrieved20 March2018.
- ^"După zece ani de cereri, Guvernul transferă Primăriei Sfântu Gheorghe stadionul pe care joacă Sepsi OSK"[After 10 years of asking, the Government transfers the home stadium of Sepsi OSK to the City Council of Sfântu Gheorghe].G4 Media(in Romanian). București. 17 January 2019.Retrieved19 February2019.
- ^Kovács, Zsolt (18 June 2018)."Itt épül az új sepsiszentgyörgyi futballstadion"[Here will the new stadium of Sfântu Gheorghe be built].Maszol(in Hungarian). Cluj Napoca.Retrieved1 January2021.
- ^"Încă un stadion nou în Liga 1"[Another Liga I stadium].Telekom Sport(in Romanian). București. 25 November 2020.Retrieved2 January2021.
- ^abKovács, Zsolt (14 November 2017)."Akik magyarul szurkolnak a román stadionokban – ismerjük meg a Székely Légiót"[Those who cheer in Hungarian at Romanian stadiums – let's meet the Székely Légió].Maszol(in Hungarian). Cluj Napoca.Retrieved12 November2019.
- ^"Jucători"[Players] (in Romanian). Sepsi OSK.Retrieved15 February2022.
- ^"ECHIPĂ"[Squad] (in Romanian). LPF.Retrieved15 July2022.
External links
edit- Official website
- Sepsi OSK Sfântu GheorgheonFacebook
- Club profileon UEFA.com
- Club profileon LPF.ro