AsociaÃÂia Club Sportiv Viitorul Horezu, commonly known as Viitorul Horezu, or simply as Viitorul, is a Romanian football club originally from Horezu, Vâlcea County. The team currently competes in Liga IV â Vâlcea County, the fourth tier of the Romanian football.
FlacÃÂra Horezu, under the ownership of Costel Chelcea, achieved successive promotions from the fourth division to the second division. The first attempt came in the 1996âÂÂ97 season, but after winning the county championship, the team failed to secure promotion, losing 0âÂÂ2 in the promotion play-off to Severnav Drobeta-Turnu Severin, the MehedinÃÂi County winner, on neutral ground in Târgu Jiu. In the 1997âÂÂ98 season, the team won Divizia D â Vâlcea County and earned promotion to the third division by defeating Soda Ocna MureÃÂ, the Alba County winner, 2âÂÂ0 in the promotion play-off. The squad included, among others, Mihai ChiriÃÂoiu, Adrian Ionescu, Adrian GlÃÂvan, Mihai Diaconu, Dumitru BÃÂrbuÃÂ, Emil Popescu, Ion Olaru, Marian LeÃÂea, Aurel Pavel, Marius ChiÃÂÃÂ, Constantin Chelcea, Ion CÃÂpÃÂtan, PasÃÂre, Mihai Pufu, and LaurenÃÂiu Pufu.
In the 1998âÂÂ99 season, FlacÃÂra moved to Râmnicu Vâlcea, playing home matches at the Municipal Stadium and strengthening its squad with experienced players such as Cosmin Ursu, Adrian ChircuÃÂ, Constantin GaiÃÂÃÂ, Bogdan PistriÃÂu, Constantin PÃÂsÃÂricÃÂ, and Romeo NeacÃÂu. In the second part of the season, new additions included Valentin David, M. Catargiu, Fl. Stancu, D. FrunzÃÂ, CeauÃÂu, Petre Panescu, D. Huza, Nicu NÃÂstasie, and D. Dumitrescu. Initially coached by Marian BaÃÂno, then by Marcel Pigulea between rounds 16 and 24, and once again by BaÃÂno until the end of the season, FlacÃÂra had a strong campaign in Divizia C, finishing second and qualifying for the promotion play-off. In a balanced match played in Sibiu against Sticla ArieÃÂul Turda, victory came in a penalty shoot-out after a 1âÂÂ1 draw in extra time, securing promotion to the second division. The team also impressed in Cupa României, reaching the Round of 32, where it lost 0âÂÂ1 to CeahlÃÂul Piatra NeamÃÂ.
In 1999, FlacÃÂra Horezu ceded its place in Divizia B to the newly formed team of Râmnicu Vâlcea Municipality, FlacÃÂra Râmnicu Vâlcea, while continuing to compete in Divizia C under the name Minerul Horezu, after taking over Minerul BerbeÃÂtiâÂÂs third-division spot. In the 1999âÂÂ2000 season, the club finished 11th in Series V. In the 2000âÂÂ01 season, ownership was transferred to the Prelcon Company, leading to a name change to Prelcon Horezu and a 14th-place finish. In the summer of 2002, the club ceded its Divizia C place to Minerul BerbeÃÂti.
Costel Chelcea, as head coach, led the team for the next three and a half seasons, finishing 2nd in the 2005âÂÂ06 season of Divizia D â Vâlcea County. With the league later renamed Liga IV, the team placed 8th in the 2006âÂÂ07 season and 14th in 2007âÂÂ08, barely avoiding relegation after a three-point deduction. Chelcea left the team during the winter break and was replaced by Adrian GlÃÂvan as player-coach, who guided the team through the rest of the 2008âÂÂ09 season, finishing in 9th place.
With VicenÃÂiu Marinescu as the new head coach, FlacÃÂra finished the 2009âÂÂ10 season in 13th place and 8th in the 2010âÂÂ11 season. In the summer of 2011, Vasile Ilinca was appointed as head coach, leading the team to a 3rd place finish in the 2011âÂÂ12 season, followed by 4th place in the North Series during the 2012âÂÂ13 season.
In the 2013âÂÂ14 season, under Vasile Ilinca's guidance, FlacÃÂra won Liga IV â Vâlcea County, finishing 1st in the North Series and defeating ÃÂirineasa in the semi-finals, 5âÂÂ3 on aggregate, and beating Posada PeriÃÂani 2âÂÂ1 in the county championship final. FlacÃÂra, however, lost the promotion play-off to FiliaÃÂi, the winner of Liga IV â Dolj County, 2âÂÂ3 at the Municipal Stadium in Drobeta-Turnu Severin.
In the following season, Ilinca led the Roosters of Hurez to a second consecutive county title, again winning the North Series, defeating AFC BÃÂbeni in the semi-finals, and overcoming ÃÂirineasa in the county league final. In the promotion play-off, after a 0âÂÂ0 draw in the first leg at CisnÃÂdie, FlacÃÂra lost 1âÂÂ2 in the second leg on Treapt against MÃÂgura CisnÃÂdie, the winner of Liga IV â Sibiu County.
The next two seasons saw the âÂÂPottersâ continue to challenge for promotion, with the team led by Ilinca finishing the 2015âÂÂ16 season on 2nd place one point behind ÃÂirineasa and 3rd place in the 2016âÂÂ17 season.
After six years at FlacÃÂra, Ilinca was replaced by Adrian Popa who, at only 28 years old, assumed the role of player-coach for the 2017âÂÂ18 season. Under his leadership, FlacÃÂra won the Liga IV â Vâlcea County and earned promotion to Liga III by defeating Rapid Buzescu, the Liga IV â Teleorman County winners, 9âÂÂ0 on aggregate. The squad included, among others, Florin Matache, Dorin HârÃÂu, Samson Nwabueze, Ciprian Dinu, Mircea ÃÂcheau, DragoàGheorghescu, IonuàVladu, ÃÂtefan Covalschi, Ovidiu Popescu, Gabriel Precup, Adrian Popa, Raul Nistor, IonuàSimeanu, Radu Georgescu, Adrian StÃÂnicÃÂ, David Oprescu and Bobi VerdeÃÂ.
In the 2018âÂÂ19 Liga III season, FlacÃÂra Horezu competed in Series III, finishing 3rd out of 16 teams, seventeen points behind leaders Turris-Oltul Turnu MÃÂgurele and five behind runners-up FC U Craiova 1948. The 2019âÂÂ20 season was interrupted in March 2020 after sixteen rounds due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with FlacÃÂra sitting in 4th place in Series IV. Also, FlacÃÂra managed to reach the Round of 32 in the Cupa României, eliminating Minerul CosteÃÂti (3âÂÂ2), Pandurii Târgu Jiu (2âÂÂ0), and FC Argeà(2âÂÂ1) before losing 0âÂÂ2 to Astra Giurgiu.
The clubâÂÂs financial problems impacted the team in the 2020âÂÂ21 season, leading to the departure of key players such as S. Nwabueze, C. Dinu, M. Gueye, and R. Georgescu in the summer. With a squad mostly composed of young players, FlacÃÂra still managed to have a solid first half of the season. Head coach Adrian Popa announced his resignation in October 2020 but later reconsidered and remained in charge until January 2021, when he signed with local rivals Viitorul DÃÂeÃÂti. In his place, FlacÃÂra appointed Gabriel Mangalagiu, a former Viitorul DÃÂeÃÂti coach, as the new head coach. Transfers between the two Vâlcea-based clubs continued, with players like Gabriel Precup, Cr. Munteanu, and Sebastian Preda following Adrian Popa to Viitorul DÃÂeÃÂti, while FlacÃÂra Horezu brought in Ion Marian, Ovidiu ComÃÂnescu, and DragoàTraÃÂcàfrom DÃÂeÃÂti. Under MangalagiuâÂÂs leadership, the team finished the season in 7th place in Series VII.
Liga IV â Vâlcea County
Cupa României â Vâlcea County
The footballers mentioned below have played at least 1 season for FlacÃÂra and also played in Liga 1 for another team.