ASA Târgu Mureș (1962)
Romanian football club
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Asociația Fotbal Club ASA Târgu Mureș, commonly known as ASA Târgu Mureș or simply ASA, is a Romanian football club based in Târgu Mureș, Mureș County, which competes in Liga II, the second tier of the Romanian football league system.
_logo.png){kind=logo}
- Roș-albaștrii (The Red-Blues)
- Mureșenii (The Mureș Men)
- Militarii (The Army Men)
2021 (identity revived by a new club)
| |||
| Full name | Asociația Fotbal Club ASA Târgu Mureș | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nicknames |
| ||
| Short name | ASA | ||
| Founded | 1962 2021 (identity revived by a new club) | ||
| Ground | Trans-Sil | ||
| Capacity | 8,200 | ||
| Chairman | Liviu Muruțan | ||
| Head coach | Eusebiu Tudor | ||
| League | Liga II | ||
| 2025–26 | Liga II, 7th of 22 | ||
| Website | https://asatargumures.com/ | ||
|
| |||
The historic Asociația Sportivă Armata Târgu Mureș was founded in 1962 as a military-backed club and became one of Romania's strongest provincial sides during the 1970s. Its greatest achievement was finishing runners-up in 1974–75, while it also represented Romania in three consecutive editions of the UEFA Cup. Following the end of communist rule, the club entered a prolonged decline and eventually ceased activity in 2005.
A separate club, ASA 2013 Târgu Mureș, used the ASA name between 2013 and 2018 but was not the legal continuation of the historic military club. In 2021, another new legal entity, AFC ASA Târgu Mureș, revived the historic identity and began competing in Liga IV Mureș. In 2025, the Romanian Football Federation approved the transfer of sporting activity and competition rights from CS Unirea Ungheni to AFC ASA Târgu Mureș, allowing the club to enter Liga II.[1]
History
Foundation and merger with Mureșul (1962–1967)
Asociația Sportivă Armata Târgu Mureș was established in 1962 as a sports organisation associated with the Romanian armed forces. It was therefore distinct from both the older Mureșul Târgu Mureș, founded in 1921, and CS Târgu Mureș, the separate post-war club which had disappeared in 1960.
In September 1964, ASA merged with Mureșul Târgu Mureș, which had been competing in Divizia B. Following the merger, the club competed under the name ASA Mureșul Târgu Mureș.[2]
The merger provided the military-backed organisation with an established place in the national league system. ASA Mureșul finished 4th in Series II of the 1964–65 season and remained in the second tier the following campaign.
In 1966–67, ASA won Series II of Divizia B and earned promotion to Divizia A.[3]
Establishment in Divizia A (1967–1971)
ASA made its top-flight debut in the 1967–68 season and finished 12th. The team remained in Divizia A in 1968–69, finishing 14th, but was relegated after placing 16th in 1969–70.
By this period the club had shortened its name to ASA Târgu Mureș.
The relegation lasted only one season. ASA won its Divizia B series in 1970–71 and immediately returned to the top flight.[4]
Golden era and European football (1971–1978)
The 1970s represented the strongest period in ASA's history. After returning to Divizia A, the club finished 4th in 1971–72 and established itself among the leading teams in the Romanian championship.
ASA also gained international experience through the Balkans Cup. The club reached the final of the 1973 Balkans Cup, where it was defeated by Bulgarian side Lokomotiv Sofia.
The club's greatest domestic achievement came in the 1974–75 season. ASA finished 2nd in Divizia A, behind Dinamo București, achieving the highest league position in its history. The same season also brought a semi-final appearance in the Cupa României.
The runners-up finish qualified ASA for the 1975–76 UEFA Cup. In the first round, the club drew 2–2 at home with East German side Dynamo Dresden before losing 1–4 away.
ASA followed its runners-up campaign with another excellent season, finishing 3rd in 1975–76. It consequently qualified for a second consecutive UEFA Cup campaign, facing Dinamo Zagreb in 1976–77. ASA lost both legs, 0–1 at home and 0–3 away.
The club remained among Romania's strongest sides in 1976–77, finishing 4th and qualifying for the UEFA Cup for the third consecutive season. In 1977–78, ASA defeated AEK Athens 1–0 at home but lost 0–3 in Greece and was eliminated 1–3 on aggregate.
Among the central figures of this period were László Bölöni and Florea Ispir. Bölöni became one of the most important players in club history before later joining Steaua București, while Ispir spent his entire top-flight career with ASA.
Long top-flight spell and decline (1978–1989)
After its European period, ASA remained a regular presence in Divizia A. The club finished 9th in 1978–79, 15th in 1979–80, 13th in 1980–81, 15th in 1981–82, 8th in 1982–83 and 14th in 1983–84.
A stronger campaign followed in 1984–85, when ASA finished 6th. However, the club was relegated the following season after finishing 17th.
ASA immediately recovered by winning its Divizia B series in 1986–87. It finished 11th in the 1987–88 season but suffered another relegation after ending 1988–89 in 18th and last place.
In total, ASA spent most of the 1967–89 period in the Romanian top flight and became one of the best-known clubs outside Bucharest.
Post-communist period and final top-flight season (1989–1992)
The fall of the communist regime ended the institutional environment in which ASA had operated as an army-associated sports club.
In 1990, the team competed under the name ASA Electromureș Târgu Mureș. After finishing 7th in Divizia B in 1989–90, the club won Series III in 1990–91 and returned to Divizia A.
The 1991–92 season proved to be ASA's final campaign in the Romanian top flight. The club finished 17th and was relegated.
The ASA Târgu Mureș name was subsequently restored.
Decline and dissolution (1992–2005)
Following relegation, ASA spent the next decade primarily in Divizia B. The club remained competitive during the mid-1990s, finishing 5th in 1992–93 and 1993–94, 5th again in 1994–95, and 3rd in 1995–96.
Results gradually deteriorated. ASA finished 8th in 1996–97, 4th in 1997–98, 7th in 1998–99, 13th in 1999–2000 and 12th in 2000–01.
At the end of the 2001–02 season, ASA finished 14th in Series II and was relegated to Divizia C for the first time in its history.
The club struggled financially during its final seasons. ASA finished 14th in its first third-tier campaign, 8th in 2003–04 and 2nd in Series VIII in 2004–05. Despite the strong final league position, accumulated financial problems proved unsustainable.
In 2005, the original ASA organisation ceased activity.[5]
The separate ASA 2013 project (2008–2018)
A separate football club was founded in 2008 following the reorganisation of Trans-Sil Târgu Mureș. It initially competed as FCM Târgu Mureș and obtained a Liga II place associated with newly promoted Unirea Sânnicolau Mare.
FCM won promotion to Liga I in 2010 and later returned to Liga II.
In 2013, the club was renamed ASA 2013 Târgu Mureș, reusing the historic ASA identity. The new club was not the legal continuation of the organisation dissolved in 2005.
ASA 2013 returned to Liga I in 2014 and produced an unexpectedly strong 2014–15 season, finishing runners-up after challenging FCSB for the title until the final round.
The club won the 2015 Supercupa României and also represented Romania in the 2015–16 UEFA Europa League, where it was eliminated by AS Saint-Étienne.
Financial problems later overwhelmed the club, which entered insolvency and ultimately ceased activity in 2018.
Revival of the historic identity (2021–2025)
In the summer of 2021, a new organisation named AFC ASA Târgu Mureș was established and entered Liga IV Mureș.[6]
The new entity revived the name, colours and identity associated with the historic ASA but was legally distinct from both the original club dissolved in 2005 and ASA 2013 Târgu Mureș.
ASA finished 3rd in the 2021–22 Liga IV Mureș season and improved to 2nd in 2022–23. The club finished 4th in 2023–24.
In 2024–25, ASA won the Mureș County championship and qualified for the promotion play-off to Liga III. The club did not secure promotion through the play-off and remained, on sporting merit, a fourth-tier side at the end of the campaign.
Transfer of Unirea Ungheni's sporting activity and return to Liga II (2025–present)
During the summer of 2025, a major administrative change transformed the club's competitive status.
On 18 July 2025, the Executive Committee of the Romanian Football Federation approved, under a resolutory condition, the transfer of the sporting activity and the right to participate in FRF competitions from Clubul Sportiv Unirea Ungheni 2018, a public-law club, to Asociația Fotbal Club ASA Târgu Mureș, a private-law club.[7]
The decision allowed ASA to take part directly in the 2025–26 Liga II season, despite having competed in Liga IV during the previous campaign.[8]
Under head coach Eusebiu Tudor, ASA made an excellent start to the season, going unbeaten through the first five rounds with four wins and one draw. Tudor was named Liga II Coach of the Month for August 2025.[9]
ASA remained in contention for the promotion play-off for most of the regular season. The team entered 2026 in 5th place but missed the top six following a difficult final stretch, finishing the regular season with 37 points and entering Play-out Group A.[10]
The club produced a strong play-out campaign and finished the season in the equivalent of 7th place overall. Across the entire league campaign, ASA played 28 matches, winning 15, drawing six and losing seven, with 53 goals scored and 29 conceded.[11]
ASA retained its Liga II place for the 2026–27 season. In July 2026, the FRF officially listed AFC ASA Târgu Mureș among the fourteen clubs continuing in the second division from the previous campaign.[12]
In May 2026, former Romanian international Gabriel Tamaș joined the club as executive manager, while Liviu Muruțan remained president.[13]
As of August 2026, ASA continues to compete in Liga II under Eusebiu Tudor.
Relationship with other Târgu Mureș clubs
The history of the ASA identity should be distinguished from several other football projects from Târgu Mureș.
Mureșul Târgu Mureș was founded in 1921 and was an important interwar club. It was revived in 1960 and merged with the newly established ASA in September 1964.
CS Târgu Mureș was a separate post-war club founded in 1945 as Dermagant Târgu Mureș. It spent ten seasons in Divizia A and disappeared in 1960.
ASA 2013 Târgu Mureș originated from the club founded in 2008 as FCM Târgu Mureș. It adopted the ASA name in 2013 but did not legally inherit the original club's history. It ceased activity in 2018.
The present AFC ASA Târgu Mureș was established in 2021. It likewise constitutes a separate legal entity, although it deliberately revived the name, colours and football identity of the historic ASA and currently carries that tradition in the national league system.
Chronology of names
| Name | Period |
|---|---|
| Asociația Sportivă Armata Târgu Mureș | 1962–1964 |
| ASA Mureșul Târgu Mureș | 1964–1969 |
| ASA Târgu Mureș | 1969–1990 |
| ASA Electromureș Târgu Mureș | 1990–1992 |
| ASA Târgu Mureș | 1992–2005 |
| Original club inactive / dissolved | |
| AFC ASA Târgu Mureș | 2021–present |
Grounds
The original ASA played its home matches at the stadium later known as the Ladislau Bölöni Stadium. The venue had a capacity of approximately 15,000 spectators and remained associated with the club throughout most of its existence.
During the original club's final period, the deteriorating condition of the stadium forced the team to use alternative venues, including matches at Ungheni.
Since the revival of the ASA identity in 2021, the current club has played its home matches at the Trans-Sil Stadium, which has a capacity of approximately 8,200 spectators.[14]
Honours
ASA Târgu Mureș in Europe
| Season | Competition | Round | Opponent | Home | Away | Aggregate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975–76 | UEFA Cup | First round |  Dynamo Dresden |
2–2 | 1–4 | 3–6 |
| 1976–77 | First round |  Dinamo Zagreb |
0–1 | 0–3 | 0–4 | |
| 1977–78 | First round |  AEK Athens |
1–0 | 0–3 | 1–3 |
| Competition | Seasons | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UEFA Cup | 3 | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 4 | 13 | −9 |
Players
First-team squad
- As of 18 August 2026[15]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
|
|
Club officials
Board of directors
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| President |  Liviu Muruțan |
| Executive Manager | Gabriel Tamaș |
| Club official | László Sepsi |
| Team Manager | Sorin Dumbrăvean |
| Press Officer | Cătălin Cîmpian |
Technical staff
| Role | Name |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Eusebiu Tudor |
| Assistant coach | Cezar Zamfir |
| Goalkeeping coach | Gabriel Vasiliu |
| Fitness coach | Mircea Șcheau |
| Video analyst | Emil Ștef |
League and Cup history
|
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Notable former players
Imre Bíró- László Bölöni
- Gyuri Both
- Horațiu Cioloboc
- George Ciorceri
- Levente Czakó
- Árpád Fazekas
- Dezső Gáll
- Iuliu Hajnal
- Florea Ispir
- Ovidiu Maier
- Attila Kanyaró
- Ion Mureșan
- Zoltán Nágel
- Nicolae Nagy
- Carol Onuțan
- Vasile Pîslaru
- Gabriel Raksi
- Csaba Solyom
- László Szöllősi
- Petre Varodi
- Eugen Vodă
- Dumitru Unchiașu
- Vasile Zavoda