Speed Academy Pitești has announced its withdrawal from Romania’s Liga 3 following the disciplinary committee’s rejection of appeals against ASA Târgu Mureș’s direct promotion to Liga 2 via Unirea Ungheni’s spot transfer. The club’s owner, Mugurel Rizea, condemned the decision as a flagrant violation of sporting merit and regulations, accusing the system of favoring financial power and political influence over fair competition. Speed Academy and CS Vulturii Fărcășești intend to seek further legal recourse, including possible appeals to the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The move signals deep unrest within Romanian lower leagues regarding integrity and governance, casting a shadow over the promotion system and raising questions about the future of meritocratic football development in the country.
This dramatic withdrawal underlines escalating tensions about governance and fairness in Romanian football’s league structure as financial and political considerations appear to overshadow sport-based achievement.