Politehnica Timișoara celebrates today the 66th anniversary of winning the first trophy in the club’s history.

On July 6, 1958, Știința, as the team was then called, defeated Progresul Bucharest 1-0 in the Romanian Cup final. The competition was called the RPR Cup, and the Bega students’ club was playing in its first final. The match was played at the 23 August stadium in the capital. The only goal of the match was scored by Cădariu in the 37th minute. The Timisoara side played, among others, the famous halfs Cojereanu – Tănase, the future international Lereter and Ciosescu, who, with 21 goals, was the top scorer in the 1957/58 first division season. The season in which Știința finished in third place, but level on points with the top two, Petrolul and CCA Bucharest (later Steaua)! Dincă Schileru was the coach on the students’ bench. Karikas, Oaidă, Ozon, Ozon and the former Polish inter player Dinulescu, among others, played for the Bucharest team. It is interesting to note that only a few days earlier, on June 26, on June 26, Știința had been “destroyed” by Progresul, 0-7, in the championship, away from home!

In the same year, Știința also participated in the first official international competition in the club’s history, in the Danube Cup, which took the place of the Central European Cup for that edition only, and in the Scînteii Cup (unofficial edition of the Romanian Super Cup), which was lost to Petrolului.

It was one of the best years in the history of polytechnic football. That team became known as the “Golden Team”.

Știința Timișoara – Progresul București 1-0 (1-0)
RPR Cup 1957/58 (final), 6.07.1958, 17:30, Bucharest, 23 August stadium, 40.000 spectators.
Scored: Cădariu (37).
Referee: S. Segal (Bucharest).
Știința: Enăchescu – Zbîrcea, Codreanu, Florescu – Cojereanu, Tănase – Lereter, Cădariu, Ciosescu, Mazăre, I. Boroș. Coach: Dincă Schileru.
Progresul: Mîndru – Dobrescu, Karikas, Cojocaru – Ciocea, Știrbei – Oaidă, Smărăndescu, Ozon, Dinulescu, P. Moldoveanu. Coach: Ion Lupaș.

Octavian Stăncioiu

Photo from introduction: Cojereanu, captain of the team, second from left, with the trophy (source: press of the time)