CS Gloria Bistrița (football)

Following the bankruptcy of ACF Gloria Bistrița in 2015, football in the city sought revival through FC Bistrița and Academia Gloria Bistrița. However, both projects were short-lived due to financial difficulties, dissolving in 2017 and 2018, respectively.

1. FC Gloria Bistrița was founded on 31 May 2018 and directly enrolled in Liga III, taking the place of newly promoted ACS Dumitra. The latter ceded its spot and right to compete in the third tier, along with all its players, administrative and technical staff, to the newly established club. Simultaneously, ACS Dumitra enrolled in Liga IV – Bistrița-Năsăud County and became the official second team and partner of 1. FC Gloria.^[2][3]

The club is widely regarded as the unofficial successor of the historic club by supporters, the media, and by the club itself, which has embraced this legacy. It shares a similar name, the same white and blue colors, plays at the same stadium, and includes former directors, managers, and players from the original club, further reinforcing the continuity between the two entities.^[4][5]

In the following three seasons, under the guidance of Dănuț Matei and featuring experienced top-flight players such as Sergiu Costin, Alin Chibulcutean, Adrian Nalați, József Lőrincz, Ovidiu Stoianof, Marius Curtuiuș, Călin Albuț, and Andrei Enescu, 1. FC Gloria finished 9th in Series V of the 2018–19 Liga III season. In the 2019–20 season, which was interrupted in March 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the team placed 7th in the same series. During the 2020–21 season, competing in Series X, Gloria achieved a 3rd-place finish.

In the summer of 2021, 1. FC Gloria, facing financial collapse,^[6] was taken over by the Bistrița-Năsăud County Council and renamed Gloria 2018 Bistrița-Năsăud. In the 2021–22 season, the team competed in Series IX of Liga III, finishing 5th in both the regular season and the play-out round, with Adrian Falub taking charge in February 2022.^[7]

In the 2022–23 campaign, playing in Series X, Gloria finished 3rd in the regular season and 2nd in the play-off round, thus qualifying for the promotion play-off, where it was eliminated in the first round by Corvinul Hunedoara (1–2 at home and 1–2 away). During the 2023–24 season, the club once again qualified for the promotion play-off after winning Series IX, but was knocked out in the first round by Unirea Ungheni (2–2 at home and 1–2 away).

Named in June as the new head coach, Iosif Rotariu parted ways with the club just a month later.^[8] In his place, Cristian Pustai was appointed as head coach for the 2024–25 season. With a core of players including R. Avram, R. Began, T. Mitran, M. Salka, I. Chukwu, Al. Mogoș, A. Burdeț, S. Vișinar, I. Vencu, A. Llullaku (cpt.), V. Alexandru, Tonini, Fr. Cristea, D. Covaci, Rafael Tavares, P. Chiorean, B. Forizs, A. Buziuc, Andraș and G. Deac, the White and Blues dominated Series VII, securing qualification for the promotion play-off. After advancing past CSO Filiași, who was disqualified, Gloria earned promotion to Liga II with a 1–0 home victory and a dramatic second leg against SCM Râmnicu Vâlcea, which ended 2–3 after extra time and 5–4 in the penalty shootout.^[9]

1. FC Gloria, like its predecessor, ACF Gloria Bistrița, plays its home matches on Jean Pădureanu Stadium in Bistrița, with a capacity of 7,800 seats. The stadium is named in honor of the longest-running president of a football club in Romania, Jean Pădureanu, the man who led the old Gloria for 47 years (1966–2013). A respected, but also a controversial character, the Lord, as he was called, managed to maintain the club in the Liga I for 22 consecutive years.^[10]

Liga III

• Winners (2): 2023–24, 2024–25
• Runners-up (1): 2022–23

2025–26 Cupa României Quarterfinal

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

Romania