FC Hermannstadt

Hermannstadt
Full nameAsociația Fotbal Club Hermannstadt
NicknamesRoș-negrii (The Red and Blacks)
Sibienii (The Sibiu People)
Founded29 July 2015 (2015-07-29)[1]
Dissolved1 August 2026
GroundMunicipal
Capacity12,363
2025–26Liga I, 14th of 16
(relegated via play-offs)

Asociația Fotbal Club Hermannstadt (German pronunciation: [ˈhɛʁmanʃtat]), commonly known as FC Hermannstadt, Hermannstadt, or familiarly as Sibiu (Romanian pronunciation: [siˈbiw]), was a Romanian professional football club based in the city of Sibiu, Sibiu County.

The team was founded in 2015 and entered the fourth division, with Hermannstadt being the equivalent of the city's name in the standard German language (i.e. Hochdeutsch). Nicknamed Roș-negrii ("the Red-Blacks"), they achieved successive promotions and reached the Liga I, the top tier of the Romanian league system, in 2018.

That same year, Hermannstadt also reached the final of Cupa României, which they lost 0–2 to Universitatea Craiova. They repeated this achievement in 2025, but again finished as runners-up after a narrow 2–3 defeat to CFR Cluj.

History

AFC Hermannstadt was founded in 2015 with the aim of restoring senior football in Sibiu, a city with a long football tradition represented over the decades by clubs such as Șoimii Sibiu, Societatea Gimnastică Sibiu (German: Hermannstädter Turnverein - HATV), Inter Sibiu, FC Sibiu and Voința Sibiu. Hermannstadt is not the legal successor of any of these clubs, but emerged as a new football project following the disappearance of Sibiu's previous senior teams. The name Hermannstadt is the historical German-language name of the city.[2]

Immediately after its establishment, the club was entered in Liga IV. Hermannstadt won the county championship in its first season and qualified for the promotion play-off to Liga III.[3] The Sibiu side defeated Gilortul Târgu Cărbunești, the Gorj County champions, 6–1 on aggregate and secured promotion to the third tier.[4]

Hermannstadt continued its rapid rise during the 2016–17 season, winning Series V of Liga III and earning a second consecutive promotion, this time to Liga II.[5]

The club played its first Liga II match on 5 August 2017, defeating CS Balotești 3–0 at home. Hermannstadt finished the 2017–18 season as runners-up and secured promotion to Liga I after only three years of existence.[6]

The same season also brought the first major cup performance in club history. Hermannstadt became the first lower-division club in 36 years to reach the Cupa României final.[7] On its way to the final, the club eliminated four Liga I opponents: FC Voluntari, Juventus București, FCSB and county rival Gaz Metan Mediaș. Hermannstadt lost the final 0–2 to Universitatea Craiova on 27 May 2018.[8]

On 21 July 2018, Hermannstadt recorded its first Liga I victory, defeating Sepsi OSK 1–0 through a goal scored by Ștefan Blănaru.[9]

Hermannstadt spent three consecutive seasons in the top flight between 2018 and 2021. During this period, the club was frequently involved in relegation battles while also dealing with the reconstruction of the Municipal Stadium in Sibiu, which forced the team to play a significant number of home matches away from its traditional ground.

At the end of the 2020–21 season, Hermannstadt finished in the relegation play-off places and faced CS Mioveni. After a 0–0 draw in the first leg, the Sibiu side lost 1–2 at home and was relegated to Liga II.

The club's financial situation also deteriorated and, in September 2021, AFC Hermannstadt entered insolvency proceedings. The club nevertheless continued its sporting activity and mounted an immediate promotion challenge in the 2021–22 season.

Under head coach Marius Măldărășanu, Hermannstadt finished 3rd in the regular season and then 2nd in the promotion play-off, behind Petrolul Ploiești, securing an immediate return to the Romanian top flight.

Second top-flight spell (2022–2026)

Hermannstadt returned to Liga I for the 2022–23 season. The campaign was affected by the club's continuing insolvency proceedings and a nine-point deduction imposed because of outstanding financial obligations. Despite the penalty, Hermannstadt comfortably avoided relegation and finished the play-out in the upper half of the standings.

The club remained in the top flight over the following seasons. In 2023–24, Hermannstadt narrowly missed qualification for the championship play-off and subsequently finished near the top of the play-out standings. The 2024–25 season again ended with the Sibiu side retaining its place in the first division.

Sporting and financial difficulties intensified during the 2025–26 season. Hermannstadt entered the relegation play-out and eventually faced FC Voluntari in a two-legged promotion/relegation play-off. The Sibiu side won the first leg 3–2 at home, but lost the return match 0–3 at the Anghel Iordănescu Stadium, losing 3–5 on aggregate and being relegated to Liga II.

Financial collapse and dissolution (2026)

Relegation significantly worsened the club's already precarious financial situation. Hermannstadt had been in insolvency proceedings since 2021 and, following the loss of top-flight television and commercial revenue, its ability to continue operating became increasingly uncertain.

In June 2026, the club initially announced that it intended to continue in Liga II and denied reports that it would be dissolved. However, the financial situation deteriorated further during July. The club's special administrator proposed that AFC Hermannstadt enter bankruptcy, stating that the financial position had worsened following relegation.[10]

Although Hermannstadt had initially been included among the clubs due to participate in the 2026–27 Liga II, the project collapsed shortly before the beginning of the championship. On 31 July 2026, one day before the opening round, AFC Hermannstadt formally informed the Romanian Football Federation that it was withdrawing from the competition.[11]

The withdrawal left a vacant place in Liga II, which was subsequently awarded to CSM Olimpia Satu Mare.[12]

Players were informed on the same day that the senior team would cease activity, bringing an end to AFC Hermannstadt's eleven-year sporting existence. The club had risen from Liga IV to Liga I in only three seasons, reached the 2018 Cupa României final, and spent eight seasons in the Romanian top flight across two separate spells.[13]

While the legal entity remained subject to insolvency and potential bankruptcy proceedings, the withdrawal from Liga II marked the effective dissolution of AFC Hermannstadt as an active senior football team.

Football in Sibiu after Hermannstadt

Following the disappearance of AFC Hermannstadt's senior team, the highest-ranked active football club in the city became Inter Sibiu. The historic Inter identity had been revived in 2020 under a new sporting project led by Teodor Birț, and the club earned promotion to Liga III in 2025.[14]

Inter continued in Liga III in 2026–27, maintaining a project focused primarily on players from Sibiu and the surrounding county. In the aftermath of Hermannstadt's withdrawal, local reports indicated that potential investors and supporters could redirect their attention towards Inter, which consequently became the principal senior football representative of Sibiu in the national leagues.[15]

Ground

Hermannstadt's home ground, Stadionul Municipal, was originally built in 1927 and served as the home venue for several other teams from the city. In 2018, it was demolished to make way for a modern version, prompting Hermannstadt to temporarily relocate to the Stadionul Gaz Metan in Mediaș.[16] The new stadium was inaugurated in 2022.

Support

In its beginnings, Hermannstadt enjoyed the interest of about 4,000 fans. The team also has an ultras group, named D'acii, which appeared for the first time at a match against ASU Politehnica Timișoara in September 2017.[17] Their name is a pun on the words dacii ("the Dacians") and d-aci, a contraction of de aici (meaning "from here").

Rivalries

Hermannstadt had a local rivalry with Gaz Metan Mediaș, referred to as the "Derby of Sibiu County".

Honours

Domestic

Leagues

Cups

Notable former players

The footballers enlisted below have had international cap(s) for their respective countries at junior and/or senior level and/or significant caps for FC Hermannstadt.

Romania
Brazil
Bulgaria
Cyprus
Congo
Croatia
Côte d'Ivoire
Ghana
Italy
Japan
Luxembourg
Portugal
Switzerland

Notable former managers

Statistics and records

League history

References

  1. ↑ "ASOCIATIA FOTBAL CLUB HERMANNSTADT, SIBIU" (in Romanian). Pagini Aurii. Archived from the original on 26 August 2019. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  2. ↑ "Fotbal cosmopolit la Sibiu: Nu era suficient FC Hermannstadt, există și CS Sion!" [Cosmopolitan football in Sibiu: FC Hermannstadt was not enough, there is also CS Sion!] (in Romanian). Justitiarul. 2019. Archived from the original on 18 August 2022. Retrieved 25 July 2022.
  3. ↑ "F.C Hermannstadt Sibiu" (in Romanian). Asociația Județeană de Fotbal Sibiu. Archived from the original on 6 August 2017. Retrieved 6 August 2017.
  4. ↑ "FC Hermannstadt a defilat la Cărbunești și va juca în Liga a III-a în noul sezon. Întăriri masive pentru sibieni" (in Romanian). SbSport.ro. 26 June 2016. Archived from the original on 6 August 2017. Retrieved 26 June 2016.
  5. ↑ "Fotbalul renaşte ca Pasărea Phoenix la Sibiu! Clubul cu 19 conducători vrea să devină o legendă: "Acum e un proiect mult mai bine organizat"" (in Romanian). ProSport. 19 May 2017. Archived from the original on 12 April 2021. Retrieved 26 May 2017.
  6. ↑ "AFC Hermannstadt a promovat în Liga I după 1-1 cu Chindia; Echipa din Târgovişte va juca la baraj" (in Romanian). News.ro. 13 May 2018. Archived from the original on 22 April 2021. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
  7. ↑ "AFC Hermannstadt intră în istorie. Ce s-a întâmplat în precedentele 14 finale de Cupa României în care au evoluat formații din eșaloanele inferioare". Gazeta Sporturilor (in Romanian). 10 May 2018. Archived from the original on 11 May 2018. Retrieved 11 May 2018.
  8. ↑ "Toată lumea știe, Cupa-i în Bănie!" (in Romanian). CS Universitatea Craiova. 27 May 2018. Archived from the original on 28 May 2018. Retrieved 28 May 2018.
  9. ↑ "Hermannstadt - Sepsi OSK 1-0. Nou-promovata a triumfat la debutul în Liga 1. Blănaru a decis partida" (in Romanian). ProSport. 21 July 2018. Archived from the original on 18 January 2022. Retrieved 16 November 2018.
  10. ↑ "Administratorul special al lui FC Hermannstadt a propus intrarea în faliment a clubului: „Situația financiară s-a înrăutățit"" (in Romanian). Ora de Sibiu. 18 July 2026. Retrieved 16 August 2026.
  11. ↑ "OFICIAL: FC Hermannstadt s-a retras din Liga 2. Clubul sibian, în pragul dispariției" (in Romanian). Sibiu Independent. 31 July 2026. Retrieved 16 August 2026.
  12. ↑ "FRF, anunț oficial: Hermannstadt s-a retras din Liga 2 și o echipă retrogradată îi va lua locul!" (in Romanian). Digi Sport. 31 July 2026. Retrieved 16 August 2026.
  13. ↑ "Hermannstadt avea meci sâmbătă și jucătorii au fost anunțați vineri că echipa se desființează: „Total dezamăgit"" (in Romanian). Digi Sport. 31 July 2026. Retrieved 16 August 2026.
  14. ↑ "Inter Sibiu nu schimbă macazul nici sezonul viitor. „Ne axăm pe sibieni"" (in Romanian). Ora de Sibiu. 2 June 2026. Retrieved 16 August 2026.
  15. ↑ "Planuri mari pentru FC Inter Sibiu. Ce pregătește Teodor Birț pentru noul sezon" (in Romanian). Sport în Sibiu. 31 July 2026. Retrieved 16 August 2026.
  16. ↑ "Hermannstadt pleacă din Sibiu!" [Hermannstadt leaves Sibiu!]. Archived from the original on 2021-07-26. Retrieved 2020-08-31.
  17. ↑ "Liga 2 / FC Hermannstadt - ASU Poli Timişoara: Galerie pentru lider" [Liga 2 / FC Hermannstadt - ASU Poli Timișoara: Support for the leader] (in Romanian). Tribuna. 7 September 2017. Archived from the original on 16 November 2018. Retrieved 19 February 2018.
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