Clubul Sportiv CIL Blaj commonly known as CIL Blaj, is a Romanian football club based in Blaj, Alba County, currently playing in the Liga III, the third tier of the Romanian football, following their promotion at the end of the 2023âÂÂ24 season.
The football club from Little Rome was founded in 1961 as CIL Blaj, coinciding with the opening of the Combinatul de Industrializare a Lemnului () in the town, which also supported the team. The club initially competed in the MediaÃÂ District Championship, the fifth tier of Romanian football, and the second tier of the BraÃÂov Regional Championship at that time.
The club reached the Round of 16 in the 1963âÂÂ64 season of Cupa României, defeating Chimica TârnÃÂveni 2âÂÂ0, Gaz Metan Mediaà2âÂÂ1, Rapid Târgu Mureà2âÂÂ0 and managing one of the biggest surprises in Romanian Cup history by eliminating Petrolul PloieÃÂti 1âÂÂ0 , the winner of the trophy in the previous season and one of Romania's best teams of that period. However, in the Round of 16, CIL suffered a heavy defeat, losing 0âÂÂ12 to Steaua BucureÃÂti.
CIL promoted to Divizia C for the first time at the end of the 1971âÂÂ72 season, winning the Alba County Championship and the promotion play-off against Dacia OrÃÂÃÂtie, the Hunedoara County Championship winner, 5âÂÂ0 at home and 0âÂÂ2 away.
In their first season in Divizia C, CIL Blaj finished 4th in Series IX. In the following seasons, the team narrowly avoided relegation by finishing 13th in Series XII in 1973âÂÂ74 and 13th in Series IX in 1974âÂÂ75. A slight improvement followed with a 10th-place finish in Series XI in the 1975âÂÂ76 season, but the team was eventually relegated at the end of the 1976âÂÂ77 season after finishing 15th in Series XII.
CIL quickly returned to Divizia C at the end of the following season, winning the county championship again and earning promotion without a play-off match, as a team from a less-represented county in the third division.
In the 1978âÂÂ79 season, CIL finished 13th in Series VIII, two points above the relegation line. The following two seasons, 1979âÂÂ80 and 1980âÂÂ81, brought 7th-place finishes in Series XI. However, the stay in the third tier ended after the 1981âÂÂ82 season, with a 15th-place finish leading to relegation.
CIL won the 1982âÂÂ83 Alba County Championship but lost the promotion to Divizia C to Minerul ÃÂuncuiuÃÂ, the Bihor County Championship winner, with a 2âÂÂ3 aggregate score (2âÂÂ1 at home and 0âÂÂ2 away).
In 1983, the team was renamed Târnavele Blaj, after the Târnava river, formed by the confluence of Târnava Mare and Târnava Micàin Blaj. The team earned promotion to the third division by winning the 1983âÂÂ84 Alba County Championship and defeating Metalul Reghin, the MureàCounty Championship winner, in the promotion play-off with a 4âÂÂ3 aggregate score (0âÂÂ2 away, 4âÂÂ1 at home).
The stay in Divizia C was short, as Târnavele ranked last in Series XI the following season and were relegated back to the fourth division. However, Târnavele quickly returned to the third division, winning the Alba County Championship again in the 1985âÂÂ86 season and beating CFR Arad, the Arad County Championship winner, in the promotion play-off with a 5âÂÂ1 aggregate score (3âÂÂ1 away, 2âÂÂ0 at home).
Liga V â Alba County