| Competition: | Liga I |
| Season: | 2019–20 |
| Dates: | 12 July 2019 – 5 August 2020 |
| Winners: | CFR Cluj 6th title |
| Continentalcup1: | Champions League |
| Continentalcup1 Qualifiers: | CFR Cluj |
| Continentalcup2: | UEFA Europa League |
| Continentalcup2 Qualifiers: | Universitatea Craiova Botoșani FCSB |
| League Topscorer: | Gabriel Iancu (18 goals) |
| Best Goalkeeper: | Giedrius Arlauskis (16 clean sheets) |
| Biggest Home Win: | (15 July 2019) (13 September 2019) |
| Biggest Away Win: | (26 October 2019) (21 December 2019) |
| Highest Scoring: | (14 July 2019) (1 December 2019) (15 February 2020) |
| Matches: | 261 |
| Total Goals: | 520 |
| Longest Wins: | 8 matches Astra Giurgiu |
| Longest Losses: | 9 matches Politehnica Iași |
| Longest Unbeaten: | 9 matches Astra Giurgiu FCSB |
| Longest Winless: | 16 matches Voluntari |
| Highest Attendance: | 30,235 (5 October 2019) |
| Lowest Attendance: | 01 |
| Attendance: | 684,565 |
| Average Attendance: | 3,493 |
| Prevseason: | 2018–19 |
| Nextseason: | 2020–21 |
| Updated: | 16 June 2020 1Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on association football |
The 2019–20 Liga I (also known as Casa Liga 1 for sponsorship reasons) was the 102nd season of the Liga I, the top professional league for Romanian association football clubs, which began in July 2019 and was scheduled to end in June 2020. Suspended in March 2020 because of the COVID-19 pandemic in Romania, the season resumed on 13 June and effectively ended on 5 August.[1] It was the fifth season to take place since the play-off/play-out rule had been introduced.
CFR Cluj were two-time defending champions, and they successfully defended their title once more. Universitatea Craiova competed for the trophy until the final fixture of the championship play-offs, and ultimately finished as runner-ups, while FCSB were unable to claim a top three spot in the table for the first time since the 2010–11 season. Because of the aforementioned situation created by the pandemic, it was decided that no club would be relegated directly. Instead, the 14th-placed team would take part in the promotion/relegation play-offs, which resulted in no club being relegated at all.
The derby between FCSB and Universitatea Craiova on 8 March 2020 was played without spectators because of the COVID-19 pandemic.[2] Four days later, all football leagues and competitions were suspended by the Romanian Football Federation until 31 March in regard to the COVID-19 pandemic in Romania.[3] In May, it was announced that the Liga I would restart on the second weekend of June.[4]
The first match meant to be played at the resumption was Universitatea Craiova versus FC Botoșani, on 12 June at 20:00 EEST (UTC+3),[5] but was postponed after the latter club's doctor tested positive for the virus.[6] This was the second game announced to be postponed on the same day after Dinamo București versus Chindia Târgoviște, which was scheduled for 13 June.[7] Nevertheless, the season resumed with three other matches on 13 June.[8]
After the restart, many matches were postponed due to COVID-19 cases that appeared inside the teams. At the end the season, two matches were cancelled in the play-off after Coronavirus cases from Astra Giurgiu and five matches were canceled in the play-out, after the emergence of the same issue at Dinamo București. The final league tables were approved without these matches and it was announced that only the last place, Chindia Târgoviște, would play a promotion/relegation play-off, with the rest of the teams being spared from relegation and the format being changed from 14 teams to 16 teams starting with the next season.[9]
The league consists of 14 teams: twelve teams from the 2018–19 Liga I and two new teams from the 2018–19 Liga II.
Teams promoted to the Liga I
The first club to be promoted was Academica Clinceni, following their 2–1 win against Argeș Pitești on 24 May 2019. Academica will play in the Liga I for the first time in their history.[10]
The second club to be promoted was Chindia Târgoviște, following their 4–1 win against Luceafărul Oradea on 25 May 2019. AFC Chindia will play in the Liga I for the first time in their history, but the city of Târgoviște, returned in the Liga I after 21 years of absence, where it was last represented by FCM Târgoviște, named between 1996 and 2003 as CF Chindia, club that was also the first club of the city and which was replaced by the new club (AFC Chindia) after some internal conflicts.[11]
Teams relegated to the Liga II
The first club to be relegated was Concordia Chiajna, which were relegated on 22 May 2019 following a 0–2 defeat against Dunărea Călărași, ending their 8-year stay in the top flight.[12] [13]
The second club to be relegated was Dunărea Călărași, which were relegated on 2 June 2019 following a 1–2 defeat against FC Hermannstadt, ending their 1-year stay in the top flight.[14] [15]
| FCSB | Universitatea Craiova | CFR Cluj | Chindia Târgoviște | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arena Națională | Ion Oblemenco | Dr. Constantin Rădulescu | Ilie Oană | |
| Capacity: 55,634 | Capacity: 30,929 | Capacity: 23,500 | Capacity: 15,073 | |
| Dinamo București | Politehnica Iași | |||
| Stadionul Dinamo | Emil Alexandrescu | |||
| Capacity: 15,032 | Capacity: 11,390 | |||
| Astra Giurgiu | Gaz Metan Mediaș | |||
| Marin Anastasovici | Gaz Metan | |||
| Capacity: 8,500 | Capacity: 7,814 | |||
| FC Botoșani | Sepsi OSK | |||
| Municipal | Municipal | |||
| Capacity: 7,782 | Capacity: 5,200 | |||
| Hermannstadt | Voluntari | Viitorul Constanța | Academica Clinceni | |
| Municipal | Anghel Iordănescu | Viitorul | Clinceni | |
| Capacity: 5,000 | Capacity: 4,600 | Capacity: 4,554 | Capacity: 4,500 | |
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 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Academica Clinceni |  | Răzvan Patriche | Joma | Nicmar Prima, Fermele Crevedia | |
| Astra Giurgiu | | Denis Alibec | Joma | Tinmar, Pambac | |
| Botoșani | | | Erreà | Elsaco | |
| CFR Cluj | | Mário Camora | Joma | NTT Data | |
| Chindia Târgoviște | | Cristian Cherchez | Joma | Primăria Târgoviște, CJ Dâmbovița | |
| Dinamo București | | Ante Puljić | Macron | Unibet | |
| FCSB | | Florin Tănase | Nike | City Insurance | |
| Gaz Metan Mediaș |  | Marius Constantin | Joma | Romgaz | |
| Hermannstadt |  | Răzvan Dâlbea | Joma | Natur House | |
| Politehnica Iași | | Cosmin Frăsinescu | Joma | Superbet | |
| Sepsi OSK | Leontin Grozavu | István Fülöp | Adidas | Diószegi, Gyermelyi | |
| Universitatea Craiova |  | Nicușor Bancu | Joma | Betano | |
| Viitorul Constanța | | Gabriel Iancu | Nike | Pepsi | |
| Voluntari | | Ionuț Balaur | Macron | Winner |
| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Position in table | Incoming manager | Date of appointment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FCSB | | Sacked | 21 May 2019[16] | Pre-season | | 5 June 2019[17] | |
| Sepsi | (caretaker) | End of tenure as a caretaker | 31 May 2019 | Pre-season |  Csaba László | 1 June 2019[18] | |
| Botoșani | | Signed by Lebanon | 31 May 2019[19] | Pre-season | | 10 July 2019 | |
| Politehnica | | Signed by Petrolul Ploiești | 31 May 2019[20] | Pre-season | | 10 June 2019[21] | |
| Dinamo | | Mutual agreement | 3 June 2019[22] | Pre-season | | 3 June 2019[23] | |
| Astra | | Sacked | 12 June 2019[24] | Pre-season | | 13 June 2019[25] | |
| Hermannstadt | | Signed by Kisvárda | 13 June 2019[26] | Pre-season | | 17 June 2019[27] | |
| FCSB | | Released | 2 August 2019[28] | 8 | (caretaker) | 2 August 2019 | |
| Academica | | No UEFA Pro Licence | 8 August 2019 | 14 | | 8 August 2019[29] | |
| Dinamo | | Mutual agreement | 13 August 2019 | 13 | | 13 August 2019[30] | |
| FCSB | (caretaker) | Mutual agreement | 23 August 2019[31] | 11 | | 23 August 2019 | |
| Universitatea | | Mutual agreement | 2 September 2019[32] | 3 | | 2 September 2019 | |
| Hermannstadt | | Mutual agreement | 28 September 2019[33] | 12 | | 2 October 2019[34] | |
| Astra | | Sacked | 9 October 2019 | 7 | | 9 October 2019[35] | |
| Sepsi | Csaba László | Mutual agreement | 12 November 2019 | 11 | | 12 November 2019[36] | |
| Politehnica | | Mutual agreement | 23 December 2019[37] | 11 | | 31 December 2019 | |
| Hermannstadt | | Mutual agreement | 27 December 2019[38] | 10 | | 27 December 2019 | |
| Voluntari | | Sacked | 1 January 2020[39] | 14 | | 8 January 2020[40] | |
| Universitatea | | Mutual agreement | 14 January 2020[41] | 4 | | 14 January 2020 | |
| Dinamo | | Mutual agreement | 11 March 2020 | 10 | | 11 March 2020[42] | |
| Gaz Metan | | Mutual agreement | 4 May 2020[43] | 6 | | 15 June 2020[44] | |
| Universitatea | | Mutual agreement | 8 May 2020 | 3 | | 9 May 2020 | |
| Hermannstadt | | Sacked | 14 June 2020[45] | 9 | | 19 June 2020[46] | |
| Chindia | | End of contract | 30 June 2020 | 13 | | 1 July 2020[47] | |
| Dinamo | | Mutual agreement | 13 July 2020 | 13 | | 13 July 2020[48] | |
| FCSB | | Sacked | 19 July 2020 | 5 | | 19 July 2020 | |
| Viitorul | | Mutual agreement | 3 August 2020[49] | 7 | | 3 August 2020 |
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.
The top six teams from Regular season will meet twice (10 matches per team) for places in 2020–21 UEFA Champions League and 2020–21 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.[50]
The bottom eight teams from regular season met twice (14 matches per team) to contest against relegation. Teams started 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 finished 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.[50]
The 14th-placed team of the Liga I faces the 3rd-placed team of the Liga II.
Updated to matches played on 16 June 2020.[51] [52] [53]
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Gabriel Iancu | Viitorul Constanța | 18 |
| 2 | Ciprian Deac | CFR Cluj | 14 |
| Denis Alibec | Astra Giurgiu | ||
| Alexandru Cicâldău | Universitatea Craiova | ||
| 5 | Florinel Coman | FCSB | 12 |
| Gabriel Debeljuh | Hermannstadt | ||
| 7 |  Rivaldinho | Viitorul Constanța | 11 |
| 8 | Sergiu Buș | Gaz Metan Mediaș | 10 |
| Deian Sorescu | Dinamo București | ||
| Valentin Gheorghe | Astra Giurgiu |
| Player | For | Against | Result | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Daniel Popa | Dinamo București | Academica Clinceni | 4–2 | 2 August 2019 |
| George Merloi | Academica Clinceni | Chindia Târgoviște | 5–2 | 1 December 2019 |
Updated to matches played on 9 March 2020.
