Liga II

Liga II
Organising body	FRF
Founded	1934
Country	Romania
Number of teams	20
Level on pyramid	2
Promotion to	Liga I
Relegation to	Liga III
Domestic cup(s)	Cupa României; Supercupa României
Current champions	Politehnica Iași (9th title) ; (2022–23)
Most championships	Politehnica Timișoara; (10 titles)
TV partners	Digi Sport; Prima Sport; Orange Sport
Website	liga2.prosport.ro
	Current: 2023–24 Liga II

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	Dacia Unirea Brăila	CFR Brașov ILSA Timișoara Tricolor Baia Mare CFR Simeria Franco-Româna Brăila	None	League 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	Dacia Unirea Brăila	None	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	Jiul Petroșani	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	UD Reșița	Victoria Constanța CAM Timișoara	None	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	CA Oradea IS Câmpia Turzii	None	Mureșul Târgu Mureș lost in the promotion play-off, and the other three winners were promoted. 3 teams were relegated.
1939–40	Mica Brad Crișana Oradea Franco-Româna Brăila	Minerul Lupeni Universitatea Cluj Feroemail Ploiești	Gloria Arad (6th)	Workers' teams were banned. AMEF Arad. Crișana Oradea from Oradea was under Hungary occupation.
1940–41	Jiul Petroșani Juventus București	SSM Resița IS Câmpia Turzii Franco-Româna Brăila	None	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	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	Metalul Câmpia Turzii	Flacăra Moreni Metalul Sibiu
1952	Locomotiva București Știința Timișoara	Locomotiva Iași Flacăra Mediaș
1953	Metalul Hunedoara	Metalul Câmpia Turzii
1954	Locomotiva Constanța	Progresul Sibiu Flacăra Mediaș Dinamo Bacău
1955	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	Farul Constanța	Corvinul Hunedoara Dinamo Bacău
1958–59	Minerul Lupeni Tarom București	CFR Timișoara Metalul Titanii București
1959–60	Corvinul Hunedoara	CSM Baia Mare
1960–61	Jiul Petroșani	CSM Baia Mare
1961–62	Crișana Oradea	IS Câmpia Turzii
1962–63	Siderurgistul Galați Dinamo Pitești Crișul Oradea	CFR Timișoara
1963–64	Minerul Baia Mare	CSM Reșița
1964–65	Siderurgistul Galați Știința Timișoara	IS Câmpia Turzii
1965–66	Jiul Petrila	Minerul Baia Mare
1966–67	ASA Târgu Mureș	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	CFR Timișoara	Metalul Târgoviște CSM Sibiu
1970–71	ASA Târgu Mureș Crișul Oradea	Sportul Studențesc București Politehnica Timișoara
1971–72	CSM Reșița	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	Corvinul Hunedoara	FC Brăila Dinamo Slatina Șoimii Sibiu
1976–77	Petrolul Ploiești CS Târgoviște Olimpia Satu Mare	Gloria Bistrița
1977–78	FC Baia Mare	FCM Galați Dinamo Slatina CFR Cluj
1978–79	FCM Galați Viitorul Scornicești Universitatea Cluj	Gloria Bistrița
1979–80	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	FC Baia Mare
1982–83	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	Gloria Bistrița
1985–86	Jiul Petroșani	FCM Baia Mare
1986–87	ASA Târgu Mureș Politehnica Timișoara	FCM Baia Mare
1987–88	FC Constanța Inter Sibiu Bihor Oradea	Gloria Bistrița
1988–89	Jiul Petroșani Politehnica Timișoara	Progresul Brăila Chimia Râmnicu Vâlcea UTA Arad
1989–90	Gloria Bistrița	Gloria Buzău AS Drobeta-Turnu Severin UTA Arad	None	Three teams were promoted and replaced Olt Scornicești. Victoria București was dissolved, and Flacăra Moreni was relegated.
1990–91	ASA Târgu Mureș	CFR Timișoara	None	Three teams were promoted, and three teams were relegated.
1991–92	CSM Reșița Universitatea Cluj	FCM Baia Mare	None	Three teams were promoted, and three teams were relegated.
1992–93	Ceahlăul Piatra Neamț UTA Arad	Steaua Mizil Bihor Oradea	None	Two teams were promoted, and two teams were relegated.
1993–94	FCM Baia Mare	Unirea Alba Iulia	None	Two teams were promoted, and two teams were relegated.
1994–95	Selena Bacău Politehnica Timișoara	Corvinul Hunedoara	Politehnica Iași (3rd) –––	Promotion/relegation play-off won by Dacia Unirea Brăila was not allowed to compete.
1995–96	Jiul Petroșani	Dacia Unirea Brăila Foresta Fălticeni	None	Two teams were promoted, and two teams were relegated.
1996–97	CSM Reșița	Electroputere Craiova	None	Two teams were promoted, and two teams were relegated.
1997–98	Astra Ploiești Olimpia Satu Mare	Electroputere Craiova	None	Three teams were promoted, and three teams were relegated. Electroputere .
1998–99	Extensiv Craiova	Rocar București UTA Arad	None	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	ARO Câmpulung	None	Two teams were promoted, and four teams were relegated. Divizia A was reduced to 16 teams.
2000–01	Sportul Studențesc București UM Timișoara	FC Baia Mare	None	Promotion/relegation play-off won by FC Baia Mare sold their 2001–02 Divizia A place to FCM Bacău .
2001–02	AEK București UTA Arad	FC Baia Mare	None	Promotion/relegation play-off won by Farul . Two teams were promoted, and two teams were relegated.
2002–03	Apulum Alba Iulia	Gloria Buzău Bihor Oradea	None	Promotion/relegation play-off won by Astra .
2003–04	Politehnica Iași Sportul Studențesc București CFR Cluj	Jiul Petroșani	None	Three teams were promoted, and three teams were relegated.
2004–05	Jiul Petroșani	Midia Năvodari FC Sibiu Gaz Metan Mediaș	None	Three teams were promoted, and three teams were relegated.
2005–06	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	None	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	None	Four teams were promoted, and four teams were relegated.
2008–09	Unirea Alba Iulia	FC Ploiești Internațional Curtea de Argeș	None	Four teams were promoted, and four teams were relegated.
2009–10	Victoria Brănești FCM Târgu Mureș	Sportul Studențesc București Universitatea Cluj	None	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	Gloria Bistrița	––– Gaz Metan Severin (3rd)	Severin were promoted. Four teams were promoted, and four teams were relegated.
2012–13	Corona Brașov	Săgeata Năvodari ACS Poli Timișoara	None	Four teams were promoted, and four teams were relegated.
2013–14	CS Universitatea Craiova	Rapid București ASA 2013 Târgu Mureș	None	Four teams were promoted, and four teams were relegated.
2014–15	FC Voluntari ACS Poli Timișoara	Academica Argeș CS Mioveni	None	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	None	Two teams were promoted, and two teams were relegated.
2016–17	Juventus București	Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe	None	Two teams were promoted, and two teams were relegated.
2017–18	Dunărea Călărași	FC Hermannstadt	None	Two teams were promoted, and two teams were relegated.
2018–19	Chindia Târgoviște	Academica Clinceni	None	Two teams were promoted, and two teams were relegated.
2019–20	UTA Arad	Argeș Pitești	None	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

193 titles were awarded for winning the Liga II championship.
85 teams won the Liga II championship.

Club	Winners	Runners-up	Winning Years
Politehnica Timișoara	10	1	1947–48, 1952, 1959–60, 1964–65, 1972–73, 1983–84, 1986–87, 1988–89, 1994–95, 2011–12
Politehnica Iași	9	4	2011–12, 2013–14, 2022–23
Petrolul Ploiești	9	1	1940–41, 1954, 1976–77, 1981–82, 1984–85, 1988–89, 2002–03, 2010–11, 2021–22
Jiul Petroșani	8	3	1934–35, 1940–41, 1960–61, 1965–66, 1985–86, 1988–89, 1995–96, 2004–05
Progresul București	6	6	1991–92
Rapid București	6	4	1989–90, 2015–16
Universitatea Cluj	6	3	1950, 1957–58, 1978–79, 1984–85, 1991–92, 2006–07
FC Brașov	6	2	1956, 1968–69, 1979–80, 1983–84, 1998–99, 2007–08
Bihor Oradea	5	8	1962–63, 1970–71, 1974–75, 1981–82, 1987–88
Farul Constanța	5	2	1961–62, 1980–81, 1987–88
FCM Baia Mare	4	11	1963–64, 1977–78, 1982–83, 1993–94
UTA Arad	4	6	2001–02, 2019–20
CSM Reșița	4	5	1937–38, 1971–72, 1991–92, 1996–97
Sportul Studențesc București	4	3	1936–37, 1971–72, 2000–01, 2003–04
FCM Târgoviște	4	3	1960–61, 1976–77, 1980–81, 1995–96
FCM Bacău	4	3	1994–95
Dunărea Galați	4	3	1973–74, 1975–76, 1978–79, 1982–83
Corvinul Hunedoara	4	3	1959–60, 1975–76, 1979–80
Argeș Pitești	4	1	1960–61, 1962–63, 1993–94, 2007–08
Ceahlăul Piatra Neamț	4	-	2008–09, 2010–11
ASA Târgu Mureș	4	-	1966–67, 1970–71, 1986–87, 1990–91
Unirea Tricolor București	4	-	1938–39, 1946–47, 1948–49, 1950
Phoenix Baia Mare	4	-	1934–35, 1935–36, 1936–37, 1947–48
Olimpia Satu Mare	3	2	1997–98
FC Ploiești	3	-	1937–38, 1939–40, 1946–47
Dacia Unirea Brăila	2	6	1934–35, 1989–90
Gloria Buzău	2	7	1977–78, 1983–84
Gaz Metan Mediaș	2	5	1999–00, 2015–16
Siderurgistul Galați	2	3	1964–65
FC Caracal	2	2	1990–91, 1998–99
Chimia Râmnicu Vâlcea	2	2	1973–74, 1977–78
Franco-Româna Brăila	2	2	1935–36, 1939–40
Universitatea Craiova	2	1	1963–64, 2013–14
Unirea Alba Iulia	2	1	2002–03, 2008–09
CFR Cluj	2	1	1968–69, 2003–04
Foresta Fălticeni	2	1	1999–00
Club Atletic Oradea	2	1	1961–62
Oțelul Galați	2	-	1985–86, 1990–91
FC U Craiova 1948	2	-	2005–06, 2020–21
Gloria Bistrița	1	8	1989–90
CSM Câmpia Turzii	1	7	1951
Șoimii Sibiu	1	7	1948–49
Faur București	1	4	1947–48
CFR Timișoara	1	3	1969–70
Victoria București	1	2	1984–85
CAM Timișoara	1	2	1938–39
Dunărea Călărași	1	1	2017–18
Poli Timișoara	1	1	2014–15
ASA 2013 Târgu Mureș	1	1	2009–10
Pandurii Târgu Jiu	1	1	2004–05
Sporting Vaslui	1	1	2004–05
Astra Giurgiu	1	1	1997–98
Flacăra Moreni	1	1	1985–86
Vagonul Arad	1	1	1967–68
Minerul Lupeni	1	1	1958–59
Mureșul Târgu Mureș	1	1	1938–39
Victoria Constanța	1	1	1935–36
ILSA Timișoara	1	1	1935–36
Maccabi București	1	1	1934–35
Chindia Târgoviște	1	-	2018–19
Daco-Getica București	1	-	2016–17
FC Voluntari	1	-	2014–15
FC Botoșani	1	-	2012–13
Corona Brașov	1	-	2012–13
Victoria Brănești	1	-	2009–10
Delta Tulcea	1	-	2006–07
Liberty Oradea	1	-	2005–06
AEK București	1	-	2001–02
UM Timișoara	1	-	2000–01
Inter Sibiu	1	-	1987–88
CSM Suceava	1	-	1986–87
Olt Scornicești	1	-	1978–79
Tarom București	1	-	1958–59
CS Târgu Mureș	1	-	1956
Avântul Reghin	1	-	1954
CA Câmpulung Moldovenesc	1	-	1951
Dezrobirea Constanța	1	-	1947–48
Dermata Cluj	1	-	1946–47
CFR Turnu Severin	1	-	1940–41
Aurul Brad	1	-	1939–40
Crișana Oradea	1	-	1939–40
Gloria CFR Galați	1	-	1938–39
IAR Brașov	1	-	1935–36
Societatea Gimnastică Sibiu	1	-	1934–35

External links

"Divizia B – Istorie – statistics". romaniansoccer.ro. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
"Competitii Interne – FRF". frfotbal.ro. Retrieved 27 October 2015.

References

^ "Casa Pariurilor este noul sponsor al Ligii 2 și al Cupei României" [Casa Pariurilor is the new sponsor of Liga II and Romanian Cup] (in Romanian). FRF. 20 October 2017. Archived from the original on 24 December 2017. Retrieved 20 October 2017.
^ "Liga 2 2024/2025, cu 22 de echipe la start". 14 July 2023.
^ "Romania - List of Second Division Final Tables". RSSSF. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
^ "Divizia B - Istorie - statistics". romaniansoccer.ro. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
^ "Divizia A – Tables – statistics". romaniansoccer.ro. Retrieved 27 October 2015.
^ "E clar: Steaua nu poate promova in Liga 1! Federația a intervenit azi" [Steaua can not promote in Liga 1] (in Romanian). gsp.ro. 14 March 2022. Retrieved 14 March 2022.

[1] "Casa Pariurilor este noul sponsor al Ligii 2 și al Cupei României" [Casa Pariurilor is the new sponsor of Liga II and Romanian Cup] (in Romanian). FRF. 20 October 2017. Archived from the original on 24 December 2017. Retrieved 20 October 2017.

[2] "Liga 2 2024/2025, cu 22 de echipe la start". 14 July 2023.

[rsssf-3] "Romania - List of Second Division Final Tables". RSSSF. Retrieved 27 October 2015.

[romaniansoccer-4] "Divizia B - Istorie - statistics". romaniansoccer.ro. Retrieved 27 October 2015.

[romaniansoccer2-5] "Divizia A – Tables – statistics". romaniansoccer.ro. Retrieved 27 October 2015.

[6] "E clar: Steaua nu poate promova in Liga 1! Federația a intervenit azi" [Steaua can not promote in Liga 1] (in Romanian). gsp.ro. 14 March 2022. Retrieved 14 March 2022.

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