Politehnica Timisoara Academy has strengthened its technical staff with three coaches whose names are well known to the druckers: Cristian Petcu, Ionuț Vucea and Srgian Luchin.

Cristian Petcu is the most successful coach in youth football in the region and will coach the under-18 team, which participates in the Youth League. Politehnica’s youth team started the season under coach Sorin Brîndescu, who is the coordinator of the Politehnica Academy.

Cristian Petcu was born on 8 May 1972, in Făget (Timișș county). A teacher and coach since 1995, he has worked at CSȘ Timișoara, LPS Banatul, National Training Centre Timișoara and at Ripensia Academy, where he has fulfilled several roles. He also collaborated with Politehnica in the early days of our academy, when the club’s senior junior groups came from LPS Banatul. He also coached Romania’s U16 and U17 national teams. More than 30 of his students have gone on to play in the top two echelons in the country. Among the reference generations he coached were those born in 1994 (multiple national champion) and 2002 from LPS Banatul.

“I came with the idea of performing, of helping the development of the players in the Politehnica Timisoara academy. I come to a team of competent people, former footballers, quality coaches at children and junior level. We hope to bring a qualitative addition to what is happening in the Academy. There have been a number of changes (n.r. the U19 Elite League has been replaced by the Youth League), but we have to adapt, there are a lot of boys training with the first team, there are boys coming from the younger age groups as well. The important thing is that they play, get minutes, have good, quality games, grow. The most important thing is to propose good players to the first team and to improve the quality of those who train with us. The results are secondary, they already matter at their age, but they are not the main priority”, Cristian Petcu, Politehnica U18 coach.

Vucea, coach of the youngest Politheists
Ionuț Vucea returns to the white-violet, in a new position, after being as a player one of the favourites of the “Știința” tribune, contributing to the promotion of Politehnica from League 4 to League 2. He has taken over the newly formed group of children born since 2016 and will also continue to work with Cristi Petcu in the U18 squad. Thus, Cristian Scutaru – initially announced as coach of this generation – has taken over the 2015 group (Under 8).

Ionut Vucea was born on September 21, 1990, in Dr. Tr. Severin (Mehedinți county). At youth level he played for Dierna Orșova, LPS Banatul and FC Politehnica Timișoara. At senior level he played for ACS Recaș (in the first part of the promotion season to “B”), FC Politehnica II, CS Autocatania Caransebeș, Sporting Roșiori, Politehnica Timișoara and CSU Univ. de Vest Timișoara (he still plays for the last one for pleasure). As a coach he worked at the National Training Centre Timișoara, LPS Banatul and Ripensia Academy, where he was assistant coach of Cristian Petcu’s U19 team.

“I guess I feel this feeling of excitement, because I’m coming back after six years and I’m coming back in a different position, which makes me proud of the choice I made. And I come with a little more energetic thoughts, I want to go on this side of children, I really like working with them, developing children, bringing them the pleasure of playing football. The most important thing is that it’s a choice well made, there are people in the club who made me make the choice, because we’re talking from a character point of view, from a human point of view, not just a football point of view, and I think a lot of things haven’t changed here. For me it’s only the position that changes, the one from player to coach, I think it’s about pride. I come back with big ambitions and to do a good job. I started this journey with Cristi Petcu and I think he’s the best choice I could have made, he’s the man who helped me become the man I am in terms of coaching. I’m still at the beginning, but for me it’s the right moment, I gave up competitive football after leaving Poli and I’m coming back as a different man, with other dreams and desires”, Ionuț Vucea, Politehnica U7 coach.

Srgian Luchin will collaborate with Tavi Popescu
Srgian Luchin toyed with the idea of joining our team as a player in the summer of 2021, but ultimately decided to hang up his boots. Now, however, the native of Variaș, has joined Politehnica from a new position. As a rookie coach, the former international is Octavian Popescu’s collaborator in the group of kids born in 2010.

Srgian Luchin was born on 4 March 1986 in Timisoara. He grew up at LPS Banatul, Someșul Satu Mare, FC Baia Mare and Olimpia Satu Mare, for the last three of which he also played at senior level. He started out at FC Politehnica Timișoara, with whom he was twice national vice-champion. He also played for Dinamo București (with whom he won the Romanian Cup and Super Cup), Botev Plovdiv, FCSB (national champion, Romanian Cup and League Cup winner), ACS Poli, Levski Sofia (Bulgarian vice-champion), CFR Cluj (national champion), FC Viitorul, Dunărea Călărași, FC Hermannstadt and “U” Cluj. He played in 11 European Cup matches. He has 11 caps and scored one goal for the first team.

“I wanted, after I finished my playing career, to take a break, I spent a year at home. I have now started my coaching courses and I wanted to do my training at the same time. I found understanding with Mr Brîndescu, who was also my first coach. He was pleased with my initiative and asked me if I agreed to work with Mr Tavi Popescu. I am at the beginning of my career, he has a lot of experience behind him and it is clear that I have something to learn from him and I was really happy to have someone next to me, a support. Yesterday I went to the first training session, I had my first contact with the children, they are very obedient, receptive, I saw seven or eight very good children with extraordinary qualities. I hope it will be a good start and a long-lasting collaboration. I’ve even spoken to Scutaru, I know he’s taken this step, we’ll be colleagues, I’m happy about that. Even my father was teasing me, why don’t I sign up for the coaching school, because I was always complaining about the situation Romanian football has reached… and he told me that: all of you, who played at a certain level, don’t get involved but point the finger, throw the blame. Try to change something, at least a group of children; And I sat a little, I reflected on what my father told me and he is really right”, Srgian Luchin, Politehnica U13 assistant coach

Welcome and lots of hard work!