Politehnica Timisoara celebrates, today, 65 years since it managed to win the first trophy in the club’s history.

On 6 July 1958, Știința, as the team was called at the time, defeated Progresul București 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. Timisoara’s players included, among others, the famous halfi duo Cojereanu – Tănase, the future international Lereter and Ciosescu, who, with 21 goals, was the goal scorer of the 1957/58 season of the first division. A season in which Știința finished in 3rd place, but on equal points with the first two, Petrolul and CCA București (later Steaua)! Dincă Schileru was the coach of the students. The Bucharest players included Karikas, Oaidă, Ozon and the former Polist midfielder Dinulescu. It is interesting that Știința had been “destroyed” by Progresul, just a few days before, on 26 June, scoring 0-7, away in the championship!

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, for that edition only, of the Central European Cup, but also in the Scînteii Cup (unofficial edition of the Romanian Super Cup), 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 the introduction: Second from the left, with the trophy, Cojereanu, team captain (source: press of the time)