Liga II explained

Pixels:	100
Country:	Romania
Organiser:	FRF
Founded:	1934
Teams:	20
Promotion:	Liga I
Relegation:	Liga III
Levels:	2
Domest Cup:	Cupa României Supercupa României
Champions:	Unirea Slobozia (1st title)
Season:	2023–24
Current:	2024–25 Liga II
Tv:	Digi Sport Prima Sport Orange Sport
Website:	frfotbal.ro https://liga2.prosport.ro

The Liga 2, most commonly spelled as Liga II, is the second level of the Romanian football league system. The league changed its name from Divizia B just before the start of the 2006–07 football season. It is currently sponsored by Casa Pariurilor, a betting company under the official name Liga 2 Casa Pariurilor.^[1]

Format

Since its inception in 1934, Liga II has had between 2 and 9 parallel divisions, with clubs divided based on geographic regions. But since the 2016-17 Liga II, it changed to one group of 20 teams. Currently, the top six teams goes in the promotion play-off, in which the top 2 teams get promoted and the next 2 play a promotion play-off against teams from Liga I. In the play-out, there are 2 groups, 7th, 10th, 11th, etc. in group 1, 8th, 9th, 12th, etc. in group 2. the bottom 2 teams from each group gets relegated and the 3rd worst places in the 2 groups play each other home and away to decide the last team relegated.

New format from 2024

On 14 July 2023, the federation announced that the league will be expanded to 22 teams starting with the 2024-2025 season.^[2]

The expansion will be achieved by having only 4 teams relegate at the end of the 2023-24 Liga II season (by giving up on the extra relegation match-up between the second to last teams in the play-out groups), and having 6 teams promote from Liga III (5 play-off winners plus a sixth team to be determined by extra matches between the best 4 teams that lost in the final round of the Liga III play-off).

The new format will be similar to the current one, with teams playing each other once in the regular season (for a total of 21 match days this time), followed by a promotion play-off with 6 teams, playing each other twice, and a relegation play-out with two groups of 8 teams playing each other once (as opposed to the current play-out format with groups of 7 also playing each other once).

On the promotion end, the format will be the same as currently, with the top two teams from the play-off promoting directly and next two playing an extra promotion play-off against teams from Liga I.

List of champions and promoted teams

Teams promoted are shown in bold or in "Other teams promoted" column.^{[3] [4]}

Year	Winners	Runners-up	Other teams promoted	Notes (summarily)
1934–35	Maccabi București Jiul Petroșani Phoenix Baia Mare SG Sibiu Dacia Unirea Brăila	CFR Brașov ILSA Timișoara Tricolor Baia Mare CFR Simeria Franco-Româna Brăila		League play-off won by Jiul Petroșani. Promotion/relegation play-off won by AMEF Arad (last place 1934–35 Divizia A).
1935–36	Victoria Constanța ILSA Timișoara Phoenix Baia Mare IAR Brașov Franco-Româna Brăila	CFR Brașov Rovine Grivița Craiova Olimpia CFR Satu Mare Șoimii Sibiu Dacia Unirea Brăila		League play-off won by ILSA Timișoara. Promotion/relegation play-off won by Universitatea Cluj (last place 1935–36 Divizia A).
1936–37	Sportul Studențesc București Phoenix Baia Mare	CFR Brașov Jiul Petroșani	Dacia Unirea Brăila (3rd) Vulturii Textila Lugoj (3rd)	Six teams were promoted, and no teams were relegated. 1937–38 Divizia A was expanded to 20 teams (two groups of 10).
1937–38	Tricolor Ploiești UD Reșița	Victoria Constanța CAM Timișoara		Two teams were promoted, and 10 teams were relegated. 1938–39 Divizia A reverted to 12 Teams.
1938–39	Unirea Tricolor București Gloria CFR Galați CAM Timișoara Mureșul Târgu Mureș	Maccabi București Dacia VA Galați CA Oradea IS Câmpia Turzii		Mureșul Târgu Mureș lost in the promotion play-off, and the other three winners were promoted. 3 teams were relegated.
1939–40	FC Ploiești Mica Brad Crișana Oradea Franco-Româna Brăila	Mureșul Târgu Mureș Minerul Lupeni Universitatea Cluj Feroemail Ploiești	FC Craiova (3rd) FC Brăila (4th) Gloria Arad (6th)	Workers' teams were banned. FC Brăila replaced Franco-Româna Brăila. FC Craiova and Gloria Arad replaced CAM Timișoara and AMEF Arad. Crișana Oradea from Oradea was under Hungary occupation.
1940–41	CFR Turnu Severin Jiul Petroșani Juventus București	SSM Resița IS Câmpia Turzii Franco-Româna Brăila		1942 Heroes Cup was organised between the three winners of Divizia B and the 13 teams of 1940–41 Divizia A.^[5] The Heroes Cup was unofficial due to World War II-related circumstances.
1941–46	Two unofficial editions were played due to World War II.
1946–47	Unirea Tricolor București FC Ploiești Dermata Cluj	AMEF Arad Textila Sfântu Gheorghe Karres Mediaș
1947–48	Dezrobirea Constanța Metalochimic București Politehnica Timișoara Phoenix Baia Mare	Șoimii CFR Sibiu Concordia Ploiești CAM Timișoara IS Câmpia Turzii
1948–49	Șoimii CFR Sibiu Unirea Tricolor București	ARLUS Bacău Metalochimic Reșița
1950	Unirea Tricolor București Universitatea Cluj	Metalul București CS Armata Cluj
1951	CA Câmpulung Moldovenesc Metalul Câmpia Turzii	Flacăra Moreni Metalul Sibiu
1952	Locomotiva București Știința Timișoara	Locomotiva Iași Flacăra Mediaș
1953	Flacăra Ploiești Metalul Hunedoara	Spartac București Metalul Câmpia Turzii
1954	Progresul București Avântul Reghin Locomotiva Constanța	Progresul Sibiu Flacăra Mediaș Dinamo Bacău
1955	Locomotiva București Progresul Oradea Dinamo Bacău	Progresul Sibiu Metalul Câmpia Turzii Flacăra Poiana Câmpina
1956	Recolta Târgu Mureș Steagul Roșu Brașov	Energia Hunedoara Progresul București
1957–58	Știința Cluj Farul Constanța	Corvinul Hunedoara Dinamo Bacău
1958–59	Minerul Lupeni Tarom București	CFR Timișoara Metalul Titanii București
1959–60	CSMS Iași Știința Timișoara Corvinul Hunedoara	Dinamo Galați Dinamo Obor București CSM Baia Mare
1960–61	Metalul Târgoviște Dinamo Pitești Jiul Petroșani	Dinamo Galați Știința Craiova CSM Baia Mare
1961–62	CSMS Iași Farul Constanța Crișana Oradea	FCM Poiana Câmpina CSM Reșița IS Câmpia Turzii
1962–63	Siderurgistul Galați Dinamo Pitești Crișul Oradea	Metalul Târgoviște CSM Reșița CFR Timișoara
1963–64	Știința Craiova Minerul Baia Mare	Metalul Târgoviște CSM Reșița
1964–65	Siderurgistul Galați Știința Timișoara	Dinamo Bacău IS Câmpia Turzii
1965–66	Progresul București Jiul Petrila	Știința București Minerul Baia Mare
1966–67	Dinamo Bacău ASA Târgu Mureș	Siderurgistul Galați Minerul Baia Mare
1967–68	Politehnica Iași Vagonul Arad	Politehnica Galați Crișul Oradea
1968–69	Steagul Roșu Brașov CFR Cluj	Politehnica Galați CSM Reșița
1969–70	Progresul București CFR Timișoara	Metalul Târgoviște CSM Sibiu
1970–71	ASA Târgu Mureș Crișul Oradea	Sportul Studențesc București Politehnica Timișoara
1971–72	Sportul Studențesc București CSM Reșița	Progresul București Minerul Baia Mare
1972–73	Politehnica Iași Politehnica Timișoara	Metalul București Bihor Oradea
1973–74	FC Galați Chimia Râmnicu Vâlcea Olimpia Satu Mare	Gloria Buzău Șoimii Sibiu Bihor Oradea
1974–75	Sport Club Bacău Rapid București Bihor Oradea	Progresul Brăila Progresul București Șoimii Sibiu
1975–76	FCM Galați Progresul București Corvinul Hunedoara	FC Brăila Dinamo Slatina Șoimii Sibiu
1976–77	Petrolul Ploiești CS Târgoviște Olimpia Satu Mare	Gloria Buzău Steagul Roșu Brașov Gloria Bistrița
1977–78	Gloria Buzău Chimia Râmnicu Vâlcea FC Baia Mare	FCM Galați Dinamo Slatina CFR Cluj
1978–79	FCM Galați Viitorul Scornicești Universitatea Cluj	Steagul Roșu Brașov Metalul București Gloria Bistrița
1979–80	FCM Brașov Progresul Vulcan București Corvinul Hunedoara	FC Constanța Rapid București Bihor Oradea
1980–81	FC Constanța CS Târgoviște UTA Arad	Gloria Bistrița Petrolul Ploiești Olimpia Satu Mare
1981–82	Politehnica Iași Petrolul Ploiești Bihor Oradea	Gloria Bistrița Rapid București FC Baia Mare
1982–83	Dunărea CSU Galați Rapid București FC Baia Mare	Gloria Buzău Dinamo Victoria București UTA Arad
1983–84	Gloria Buzău FCM Brașov Politehnica Timișoara	Gloria Bistrița Șoimii IPA Sibiu Universitatea Cluj
1984–85	Petrolul Ploiești Dinamo Victoria București Universitatea Cluj	Dunărea CSU Galați Șoimii Sibiu Gloria Bistrița
1985–86	Oțelul Galați Flacăra Moreni Jiul Petroșani	Politehnica Iași Progresul Vulcan București FCM Baia Mare
1986–87	CSM Suceava ASA Târgu Mureș Politehnica Timișoara	Politehnica Iași Progresul Vulcan București FCM Baia Mare
1987–88	FC Constanța Inter Sibiu Bihor Oradea	Politehnica Iași Jiul Petroșani Gloria Bistrița
1988–89	Petrolul Ploiești Jiul Petroșani Politehnica Timișoara	Progresul Brăila Chimia Râmnicu Vâlcea UTA Arad
1989–90	Progresul Brăila Rapid București Gloria Bistrița	Gloria Buzău AS Drobeta-Turnu Severin UTA Arad		Three teams were promoted and replaced Olt Scornicești. Victoria București was dissolved, and Flacăra Moreni was relegated.
1990–91	Oțelul Galați Electroputere Craiova ASA Târgu Mureș	Gloria Buzău Chimia Râmnicu Vâlcea CFR Timișoara		Three teams were promoted, and three teams were relegated.
1991–92	Progresul București CSM Reșița Universitatea Cluj	Gloria CFR Galați UTA Arad FCM Baia Mare		Three teams were promoted, and three teams were relegated.
1992–93	Ceahlăul Piatra Neamț UTA Arad	Steaua Mizil Bihor Oradea		Two teams were promoted, and two teams were relegated.
1993–94	Argeș Pitești FCM Baia Mare	Politehnica Iași Unirea Alba Iulia		Two teams were promoted, and two teams were relegated.
1994–95	Selena Bacău Politehnica Timișoara	Dacia Unirea Brăila Corvinul Hunedoara	Politehnica Iași (3rd) –––	Promotion/relegation play-off won by Politehnica Iași and Sportul. Dacia Unirea Brăila was not allowed to compete.
1995–96	Oțelul Târgoviște Jiul Petroșani	Dacia Unirea Brăila Foresta Fălticeni		Two teams were promoted, and two teams were relegated.
1996–97	Foresta Fălticeni CSM Reșița	Precizia Săcele Electroputere Craiova		Two teams were promoted, and two teams were relegated.
1997–98	Astra Ploiești Olimpia Satu Mare	FC Onești Electroputere Craiova		Three teams were promoted, and three teams were relegated. FC Onești won the promotion play-off against Electroputere.
1998–99	FC Brașov Extensiv Craiova	Rocar București UTA Arad		Three teams were promoted, and three teams were relegated. Rocar București won the promotion play-off against UTA Arad.
1999–00	Foresta Suceava Gaz Metan Mediaș	Midia Năvodari ARO Câmpulung		Two teams were promoted, and four teams were relegated. Divizia A was reduced to 16 teams.
2000–01	Sportul Studențesc București UM Timișoara	Farul Constanța FC Baia Mare		Promotion/relegation play-off won by Farul and Baia Mare. FC Baia Mare sold their 2001–02 Divizia A place to FCM Bacău.
2001–02	AEK București UTA Arad	Cimentul Fieni FC Baia Mare		Promotion/relegation play-off won by Sportul & Farul. Two teams were promoted, and two teams were relegated.
2002–03	Petrolul Ploiești Apulum Alba Iulia	Gloria Buzău Bihor Oradea		Promotion/relegation play-off won by Bihor & AEK Timișoara. Petrolul sold its promotion place to Oțelul and merged with Astra.
2003–04	Politehnica Iași Sportul Studențesc București CFR Cluj	FC Vaslui Pandurii Târgu Jiu Jiul Petroșani		Three teams were promoted, and three teams were relegated.
2004–05	FC Vaslui Pandurii Târgu Jiu Jiul Petroșani	Midia Năvodari FC Sibiu Gaz Metan Mediaș		Three teams were promoted, and three teams were relegated.
2005–06	Ceahlăul Piatra Neamț Universitatea Craiova Liberty Salonta	Forex Brașov Unirea Urziceni Bihor Oradea	UTA Arad (14th)	Salonta sold its promotion to UTA even though they were relegated. The promotion play-off was won by Urziceni against Bihor and Forex. Four teams were promoted, and two teams were relegated.
2006–07	Delta Tulcea Universitatea Cluj	Gloria Buzău Dacia Mioveni		Delta were denied a licence, so Ceahlăul (15th) was not relegated. Three teams were promoted, and three teams were relegated.
2007–08	FC Brașov Argeș Pitești	CS Otopeni Gaz Metan Mediaș		Four teams were promoted, and four teams were relegated.
2008–09	Ceahlăul Piatra Neamț Unirea Alba Iulia	FC Ploiești Internațional Curtea de Argeș		Four teams were promoted, and four teams were relegated.
2009–10	Victoria Brănești FCM Târgu Mureș	Sportul Studențesc București Universitatea Cluj		Four teams were promoted, and four teams were relegated.
2010–11	Ceahlăul Piatra Neamț Petrolul Ploiești	Concordia Chiajna Bihor Oradea	Voința Sibiu (4th) CS Mioveni (3rd)	Bihor were denied a licence, so Mioveni (3rd) were promoted instead. The promotion play-off was won by Voința (4th) against Săgeata (3rd).
2011–12	CSM Studențesc Iași Politehnica Timișoara	Viitorul Constanța Gloria Bistrița	––– Gaz Metan Severin (3rd)	Timișoara canceled their licence, so Severin were promoted. Four teams were promoted, and four teams were relegated.
2012–13	FC Botoșani Corona Brașov	Săgeata Năvodari ACS Poli Timișoara		Four teams were promoted, and four teams were relegated.
2013–14	CSM Studențesc Iași CS Universitatea Craiova	Rapid București ASA 2013 Târgu Mureș		Four teams were promoted, and four teams were relegated.
2014–15	FC Voluntari ACS Poli Timișoara	Academica Argeș CS Mioveni		Two teams were promoted, and six teams were relegated. Liga I was reduced to 14 teams.
2015–16	Rapid București Gaz Metan Mediaș	Dunărea Călărași UTA Arad		Two teams were promoted, and two teams were relegated.
2016–17	Juventus București	Sepsi OSK		Two teams were promoted, and two teams were relegated.
2017–18	Dunărea Călărași	FC Hermannstadt		Two teams were promoted, and two teams were relegated.
2018–19	Chindia Târgoviște	Academica Clinceni		Two teams were promoted, and two teams were relegated.
2019–20	UTA Arad	Argeș Pitești		Two teams were promoted, and no team was relegated due to the coronavirus pandemic. Liga I returned to 16 teams.
2020–21	FC U Craiova	FC Rapid București	CS Mioveni Farul Constanța (7th)	Four teams were promoted, and five were relegated. Farul Constanța merged with Liga I's Viitorul.
2021–22	Petrolul Ploiești	Hermannstadt	Universitatea Cluj	Three teams were promoted, and five were relegated.
2022–23	Politehnica Iași	Steaua București	Oțelul Galați Dinamo București	Three teams were promoted, and five were relegated. Steaua was ineligible for promotion due to the club being owned by a governmental department/entity, all Liga I clubs are required to be privately owned.^[6]

Champions and promotions

194 titles were awarded for winning the Liga II championship.
86 teams won the Liga II championship.

Club	Winners	Runners-up	Winning Years
Politehnica Timișoara			1947–48, 1952, 1959–60, 1964–65, 1972–73, 1983–84, 1986–87, 1988–89, 1994–95, 2011–12
Politehnica Iași			1959–60, 1961–62, 1967–68, 1972–73, 1981–82, 2003–04, 2011–12, 2013–14, 2022–23
Petrolul Ploiești			1940–41, 1954, 1976–77, 1981–82, 1984–85, 1988–89, 2002–03, 2010–11, 2021–22
Jiul Petroșani			1934–35, 1940–41, 1960–61, 1965–66, 1985–86, 1988–89, 1995–96, 2004–05
Progresul București			1954, 1965–66, 1969–70, 1975–76, 1979–80, 1991–92
Rapid București			1952, 1955, 1974–75, 1982–83, 1989–90, 2015–16
Universitatea Cluj			1950, 1957–58, 1978–79, 1984–85, 1991–92, 2006–07
FC Brașov			1956, 1968–69, 1979–80, 1983–84, 1998–99, 2007–08
Bihor Oradea			1962–63, 1970–71, 1974–75, 1981–82, 1987–88
Farul Constanța			1954, 1957–58, 1961–62, 1980–81, 1987–88
FCM Baia Mare			1963–64, 1977–78, 1982–83, 1993–94
UTA Arad			1980–81, 1992–93, 2001–02, 2019–20
CSM Reșița			1937–38, 1971–72, 1991–92, 1996–97
Sportul Studențesc București			1936–37, 1971–72, 2000–01, 2003–04
FCM Târgoviște			1960–61, 1976–77, 1980–81, 1995–96
FCM Bacău			1955, 1966–67, 1974–75, 1994–95
Dunărea Galați			1973–74, 1975–76, 1978–79, 1982–83
Corvinul Hunedoara			1953, 1959–60, 1975–76, 1979–80
Argeș Pitești			1960–61, 1962–63, 1993–94, 2007–08
Ceahlăul Piatra Neamț			1992–93, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2010–11
ASA Târgu Mureș			1966–67, 1970–71, 1986–87, 1990–91
Unirea Tricolor București			1938–39, 1946–47, 1948–49, 1950
Phoenix Baia Mare			1934–35, 1935–36, 1936–37, 1947–48
Olimpia Satu Mare			1973–74, 1976–77, 1997–98
FC Ploiești			1937–38, 1939–40, 1946–47
Dacia Unirea Brăila			1934–35, 1989–90
Gloria Buzău			1977–78, 1983–84
Gaz Metan Mediaș			1999–00, 2015–16
Siderurgistul Galați			1962–63, 1964–65
FC Caracal			1990–91, 1998–99
Chimia Râmnicu Vâlcea			1973–74, 1977–78
Franco-Româna Brăila			1935–36, 1939–40
Universitatea Craiova			1963–64, 2013–14
Unirea Alba Iulia			2002–03, 2008–09
CFR Cluj			1968–69, 2003–04
Foresta Fălticeni			1996–97, 1999–00
Club Atletic Oradea			1955, 1961–62
Oțelul Galați			1985–86, 1990–91
FC U Craiova 1948			2005–06, 2020–21
Gloria Bistrița			1989–90
CSM Câmpia Turzii			1951
Șoimii Sibiu			1948–49
Faur București			1947–48
CFR Timișoara			1969–70
Victoria București			1984–85
CAM Timișoara			1938–39
Dunărea Călărași			2017–18
Poli Timișoara			2014–15
ASA 2013 Târgu Mureș			2009–10
Pandurii Târgu Jiu			2004–05
Sporting Vaslui			2004–05
Astra Giurgiu			1997–98
Flacăra Moreni			1985–86
Vagonul Arad			1967–68
Minerul Lupeni			1958–59
Mureșul Târgu Mureș			1938–39
Victoria Constanța			1935–36
ILSA Timișoara			1935–36
Maccabi București			1934–35
Unirea Slobozia			2023–24
Chindia Târgoviște			2018–19
Daco-Getica București			2016–17
FC Voluntari			2014–15
FC Botoșani			2012–13
Corona Brașov			2012–13
Victoria Brănești			2009–10
Delta Tulcea			2006–07
Liberty Oradea			2005–06
AEK București			2001–02
UM Timișoara			2000–01
Inter Sibiu			1987–88
CSM Suceava			1986–87
Olt Scornicești			1978–79
Tarom București			1958–59
CS Târgu Mureș			1956
Avântul Reghin			1954
CA Câmpulung Moldovenesc			1951
Dezrobirea Constanța			1947–48
Dermata Cluj			1946–47
CFR Turnu Severin			1940–41
Aurul Brad			1939–40
Crișana Oradea			1939–40
Gloria CFR Galați			1938–39
IAR Brașov			1935–36
Societatea Gimnastică Sibiu			1934–35

See also

• Liga I
• Liga III
• Liga IV

External links

• Web site: Divizia B – Istorie – statistics. romaniansoccer.ro. 27 October 2015.
• Web site: Competitii Interne – FRF. frfotbal.ro. 27 October 2015.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Casa Pariurilor este noul sponsor al Ligii 2 și al Cupei României. Casa Pariurilor is the new sponsor of Liga II and Romanian Cup. FRF. ro. 20 October 2017. 20 October 2017. 24 December 2017. https://web.archive.org/web/20171224035624/http://frf.ro/comunicate/comunicate-frf/casa-pariurilor-este-noul-sponsor-al-ligii-2-si-al-cupei-romaniei-id23098.html. dead.
2. Web site: Liga 2 2024/2025, cu 22 de echipe la start . 14 July 2023 .
3. Web site: Romania - List of Second Division Final Tables. RSSSF. 27 October 2015.
4. Web site: Divizia B - Istorie - statistics. romaniansoccer.ro. 27 October 2015.
5. Web site: Divizia A – Tables – statistics. romaniansoccer.ro. 27 October 2015.
6. Web site: E clar: Steaua nu poate promova in Liga 1! Federația a intervenit azi. Steaua can not promote in Liga 1. gsp.ro. ro. 14 March 2022. 14 March 2022.