| Competition: | Liga I |
| Relegated: | Pandurii Târgu Jiu Târgu Mureș |
| Winners: | Viitorul Constanța (1st title) |
| Continentalcup1: | Champions League |
| Continentalcup1 Qualifiers: | Viitorul Constanța FCSB |
| Continentalcup2: | Europa League |
| Continentalcup2 Qualifiers: | Dinamo București Universitatea Craiova Astra Giurgiu |
| Matches: | 268 |
| Total Goals: | 613 |
| League Topscorer: | Azdren Llullaku (16 goals) |
| Best Goalkeeper: | Florin Niță Branko Grahovac (13 clean sheets) |
| Biggest Home Win: | (17 September 2016) (4 February 2017) (25 February 2017) |
| Biggest Away Win: | (18 August 2016) |
| Highest Scoring: | (10 December 2016) |
| Longest Wins: | 8 matches: Astra Giurgiu |
| Longest Unbeaten: | 15 matches: Politehnica Iași |
| Longest Winless: | 12 matches: ASA Târgu Mureș |
| Longest Losses: | 6 matches: ASA Târgu Mureș Politehnica Iași |
| Highest Attendance: | 37,669 Dinamo București 2–1 FCSB (1 May 2017) |
| Lowest Attendance: | 34 Pandurii Târgu Jiu 1–1 Voluntari (1 December 2016) |
| Attendance: | 1,103,039 |
| Average Attendance: | 4,178 |
| Prevseason: | 2015–16 |
| Nextseason: | 2017–18 |
| Updated: | 5 June 2017 |
| Season: | 2016–17 |
The 2016–17 Liga I (also known as Liga 1 Betano for sponsorship reasons) was the 99th season of the Liga I, the top professional league for Romanian association football clubs. The season began on 22 July 2016 and concluded on 5 June 2017, being the second to take place since the play-off/play-out format has been introduced. Viitorul Constanța were crowned champions for the first time in their history.
The last two teams from the 2015–16 season, ACS Poli Timișoara and Petrolul Ploiești, were relegated to their respective 2016–17 Liga II division. The first team from each of the two divisions of 2015–16 Liga II advanced to Liga I.
On 21 July 2016 Rapid București was excluded from Liga I after the club went into dissolution. Their place was taken by ACS Poli Timișoara.[1]
CSM Studențesc Iași was renamed as CSM Politehnica Iași.[2]
FC Steaua București was renamed as FCSB.[3]
| FCSB | ACS Poli Timișoara | CFR Cluj | Pandurii Târgu Jiu | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arena Națională | Dan Păltinișanu | Dr. Constantin Rădulescu | Municipal[4] | |
| Capacity: 55,634 | Capacity: 32,972 | Capacity: 23,500 | Capacity: 20,054 | |
| Dinamo București | CSM Politehnica Iași | |||
| Dinamo | Emil Alexandrescu | |||
| Capacity: 15,032 | Capacity: 11,390 | |||
| Astra Giurgiu | Târgu Mureș | |||
| Marin Anastasovici | Trans-Sil | |||
| Capacity: 8,500 | Capacity: 8,200 | |||
| Gaz Metan Mediaș | FC Botoșani | |||
| Gaz Metan | Municipal | |||
| Capacity: 7,814 | Capacity: 7,782 | |||
| Universitatea Craiova | Concordia Chiajna | FC Voluntari | Viitorul Constanța | |
| Extensiv | Concordia | Anghel Iordănescu | Viitorul | |
| Capacity: 7,000 | Capacity: 5,123 | Capacity: 4,600 | Capacity: 4,554 | |
Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players and Managers may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| Team | Manager | Captain | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACS Poli Timișoara |  | Marius Croitoru | Joma | Casa Rusu | |
| Astra Giurgiu | |  Júnior Morais | Joma | Tinmar | |
| Botoșani | | Gabriel Vașvari | Nike | Elsaco | |
| CFR Cluj | | Mário Camora | Masita | Enex | |
| Concordia Chiajna | | Cristian Bălgrădean | Lotto | — | |
| CSM Politehnica Iași | | Ionuț Voicu | Nike | Blue Air | |
| CS U Craiova | | Andrei Ivan | Joma | Sticky | |
| Dinamo București | | Antun Palić | Nike | Orange | |
| FCSB | | Denis Alibec | Nike | City Insurance | |
| Gaz Metan Mediaș | | Ionuț Buzean | Joma | Romgaz | |
| Pandurii Târgu Jiu | | Răzvan Stanca | Nike | Artego | |
| Târgu Mureș | | Gabriel Mureșan | Joma | energo+ | |
| Viitorul Constanța | | Romario Benzar | Nike | Lotto Snacks | |
| Voluntari | | Vasile Maftei | Puma | Primăria Orașului Voluntari |
| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Position in table | Incoming manager | Date of appointment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dinamo București | | Mutual agreement | 20 May 2016[5] | Pre-season | | 23 May 2016[6] | |
| Universitatea Craiova | | End of contract | 31 May 2016 | Pre-season | | 9 June 2016[7] | |
| Târgu Mureș | | End of contract | 31 May 2016 | Pre-season |  | 17 June 2016[8] | |
| Pandurii Târgu Jiu | | End of contract | 31 May 2016[9] | Pre-season | | 26 June 2016[10] | |
| Concordia Chiajna | | End of contract | 31 May 2016 | Pre-season | | 28 June 2016[11] | |
| CFR Cluj | Mutual agreement | 27 June 2016[12] | Pre-season | | 27 June 2016[13] | ||
| Târgu Mureș | | Mutual agreement | 6 August 2016 | 13 | | 11 August 2016[14] | |
| CSM Poli Iași | | Sacked | 7 October 2016 | 9 | | 8 October 2016[15] | |
| Concordia Chiajna | | Mutual agreement | 5 November 2016 | 11 | (caretaker) | 6 November 2016[16] | |
| Concordia Chiajna | (caretaker) | End of tenure as caretaker | 23 December 2016 | 12 | | 23 December 2016[17] | |
| Târgu Mureș | | Mutual agreement | 22 December 2016[18] | 13 | | 28 December 2016[19] | |
| Pandurii Târgu Jiu | | Sacked | 9 January 2017[20] | 11 | | 11 January 2017[21] | |
| Dinamo București | | Sacked | 14 February 2017[22] | 6 | | 17 February 2017[23] | |
| Târgu Mureș | | Mutual agreement | 20 March 2017[24] | 14 | | 24 March 2017[25] | |
| Voluntari | | Mutual agreement | 2 April 2017 | 10 | | 3 April 2017[26] | |
| Târgu Mureș | | Sacked | 12 April 2017[27] | 14 | | 15 April 2017[28] |
In the regular season the 14 teams will meet twice, a total of 26 matches per team, with the top 6 advancing to the Championship round and the bottom 8 qualifying for Relegation round.[29]
The top six teams from Regular season will meet twice (10 matches per team) for places in 2017–18 UEFA Champions League and 2017–18 UEFA Europa League as well as deciding the league champion. Teams start the Championship round with their points from the Regular season halved, rounded upwards, and no other records carried over from the Regular season.[30]
The bottom eight teams from regular season will meet twice (14 matches per team) to contest against relegation. Teams start the Relegation round with their points from the Regular season halved, rounded upwards, and no other records carried over from the Regular season. The winner of the Relegation round finishes 7th in the overall season standings, the second placed team - 8th, and so on, with the last placed team in the Relegation round being 14th.
The 12th-placed team of the Liga I faced the 3rd-placed team of the Liga II.
Notes:
Updated to matches played on 5 June 2017.[31] [32] [33] [34]
Azdren Llullaku was transferred to Astana during the winter transfer window.| Player | For | Against | Result | Date | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | 4–1 | ||||
| | 5–0 | ||||
| | 5–2 | ||||
| | 5–0 |
Updated to matches played on 5 June 2017.
As of 5 June 2017
| Month | DigiSport Player of the Month | Reference | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | Club | |||
| August | Dorin Rotariu | Dinamo București | [40] | |
| September | Cristian Bud | CFR Cluj | [41] | |
| October | Valentin Lazăr | Dinamo București | [42] | |
| November | Liviu Antal | Pandurii Târgu Jiu | [43] | |
| December | Constantin Budescu | Astra Giurgiu | [44] | |
| February | Florinel Coman | Viitorul Constanța | [45] | |
| March | Ciprian Deac | CFR Cluj | [46] | |
| April | Sergiu Hanca | Dinamo București | [47] | |
| May | Denis Alibec | FCSB | [48] | |
