Romanian third-tier football club CSM Râmnicu Sărat is confronting a severe financial crisis that has persisted since winter 2025, putting its participation in the upcoming Liga 3 season in jeopardy. The team, coached by Marius Tîrîlă, is reportedly considering withdrawing from the competition if new sponsorships and funding sources are not secured soon.
Earlier this year, after the first 2025 matchday, the club made a strategic decision to overhaul its squad drastically. Positioned 6th in their series at the time, CSM Râmnicu Sărat replaced most senior players with a youthful roster composed mainly of homegrown talents from the club’s youth academy and students from the local Ștefan cel Mare Theoretical High School. This move was aimed at rebuilding for the 2025-2026 season with an average squad age of only 18 and a half years, one of the youngest in Liga 3.
Coach Tîrîlă has openly acknowledged the difficult financial environment, reflecting broader economic challenges in Romania, and emphasized the need for private investment alongside municipal support to maintain the club’s survival. Despite municipal backing from the local mayor, the club’s financial resources remain insufficient. The club has reduced salaries by over 60%, paying at county-level wages, and relies heavily on local youth development and existing training facilities to keep operations going.
Last season, CSM Râmnicu Sărat finished 6th in Series 2 of Liga 3 with 24 points from 18 regular-season games, registering 7 wins, 3 draws, and 8 losses. In the subsequent play-out phase, they secured 2 wins and 6 defeats, ending second in their group with 30 points—well behind the leader but comfortably above lower-ranked teams.
The potential withdrawal of CSM Râmnicu Sărat would highlight the persistent financial difficulties faced by smaller clubs in Romanian lower leagues, underscoring the critical need for sustainable funding models and community support to preserve football traditions in regional towns.