Liga I (women's football)

The Liga I is the top level women's football league in Romania. The champion team qualifies for UEFA Women's Champions League.

Liga I
Founded1990 as Divizia A
2006 as Liga I
2013 as Superliga
2017 as Liga I
Country Romania
ConfederationUEFA
Number of teams12
Level on pyramid1
Relegation toLiga II
Domestic cup(s)Romanian Women's Cup
International cup(s)UEFA Champions League
Current championsOlimpia Cluj (10th title)
(2019–20)
Most championshipsOlimpia Cluj (10 titles)
Websitefrfotbal.ro
Current: 2020–21 Liga I

After the fall of communism, organised women's football started to take off, and the founded clubs were distributed into 2 leagues - Divizia A with 12 teams and Divizia B with 30 teams grouped into 3 series, following a tournament called Cupa Libertății.[1] In 2006, the league was rebranded as Liga I along with its male counterparts, since the name Divizia A was found to already be trademarked.[2]

The top league was renamed Superliga for 4 seasons between the 2013–14 season, when the league-system was restructured, and until the 2016-17 season. Between these seasons, the name Liga I was given to the second-tier league.

Format

The league started with 12 teams at its creation in 1990. It has suffered various format changes since. In some years, a play-off was held to decide the champion. For the 2011–2012 season, the league was split into East and West divisions. Teams played each other twice with the top two teams advancing to the championship round. In 2012–13 the teams were split into three divisions, after which the top two teams each advanced to the championship round. Points from the regular season were reset to zero for that round. Starting from 2013-14 and until 2015–16 eight teams played each other twice- and the top four teams played the championship play-off, while the bottom four played a relegation play-off. The last two places in the relegation play-off got relegated.[3] For 2016–17 the league was expanded to 10 teams, with no play-off. A play-off was reintroduced in the 2018–19 season, but since the 2019–20 season the league was expanded to 12 teams, dropping the play-off altogether.[4]

Due to the 2019–20 edition being frozen halfway thanks to the 2019-20 coronavirus pandemic, no teams were supposed to be relegated and the league was planned to be temporarily expanded to 14 teams for the 2020–21 season.[5] However, as two teams withdrew after the initial program[6][7] was announced since they were unable to comply with medical protocol, a new draw was performed on 26 August 2020.[8] Along with this new draw, a decision was made to change the play system: the remaining 12 teams will play a single round-robin for the regular season, after which the first six will enter a double round-robin play-off to decide the champion, while the remaining teams (six) will enter a double round-robin play-out to decide the relegated teams.

Winners

The following is a list of all Romanian women's top football league winners.[9] The national champion is presented with the Romanian League trophy, and the top three teams currently receive gold, silver and bronze medals from the Romanian Football Federation.

Ed. Season Champions Runner-up Third place No. Teams System
11990–91 Divizia AICIM Brașov12
21991–92 Divizia ACFR Craiova
31992–93 Divizia AICIM Brașov
41993–94 Divizia AFartec Brașov
51994–95 Divizia AFartec Brașov
61995–96 Divizia AInterindustrial Oradea
71996–97 Divizia AMotorul Oradea
81997–98 Divizia AMotorul Oradea
91998–99 Divizia AConpet Ploiești
101999–2000 Divizia AConpet Ploiești
112000–01 Divizia ARegal București7[10]
122001–02 Divizia ARegal BucureștiȘantierul Naval ConstanțaMotorul Oradea72 divisions (West/South) with 3/4 teams each- playing a double round robin. First two places in each division qualify to the final tournament (single-leg semifinals and finals).
132002–03 Divizia AClujana ClujȘantierul Naval ConstanțaSmart Sport Bucharest82 divisions (West/South) with 4 teams each- playing a sextuple round robin. First two places in each division qualify to the final tournament (single-leg semifinals and finals).
142003–04 Divizia AClujana ClujCrișul AleșdPandurii Târgu Jiu
152004–05 Divizia AClujana ClujPandurii Târgu JiuMotorul Oradea
162005–06 Divizia AClujana ClujPandurii Târgu JiuCSȘ Târgoviște82 divisions (West/South) with 4 teams each- playing a double round robin. First two places in each division qualify in the Championship play-off (4 teams playing a single round-robin).
172006–07 Liga IClujana ClujPandurii Târgu JiuCSȘ Târgoviște9Double round-robin. First 4 teams qualify in the Championship play-off (single round-robin).
182007–08 Liga IClujana ClujCSȘ TârgovișteSmart Sport Bucharest8Double round-robin.
192008–09 Liga IClujana ClujRipensia TimișoaraCSȘ Târgoviște12Double round-robin.
202009–10 Liga IFCM Târgu MureşSporting CraiovaClujana Cluj12Double round-robin.
212010–11 Liga IOlimpia ClujFCM Târgu MureşReal Craiova13Double round-robin.
222011–12 Liga IOlimpia ClujFCM Târgu MureşReal Craiova 202 divisions (East/West) with 10 teams each- playing a double round robin. First two places in each division qualify in the Championship play-off (4 teams playing a double round-robin).
232012–13 Liga IOlimpia ClujFCM Târgu MureşCFR Timișoara183 divisions (East/West/South) with 6 teams each- playing a double round robin. First two places in each division qualify in the Championship play-off (6 teams playing a double round-robin). Third place in each division qualifies in the Superliga qualification play-off (3 teams playing a double round-robin). Last two places in each division qualify in the play-out (2 Groups of 4 teams playing a double round-robin).
242013–14 SuperligaOlimpia ClujFCM Târgu MureşReal Craiova8Double round-robin. First 4 teams qualify for the Championship play-off (double round robin), while the last 4 teams play in the Relegation play-off (double round-robin).
252014–15 SuperligaOlimpia ClujASA Târgu MureşHeniu Prundu Bârgăului8Double round-robin. First 4 teams qualify for the Championship play-off (double round robin), while the last 4 teams play in the Relegation play-off (double round-robin).
262015–16 SuperligaOlimpia ClujASA Târgu MureşNăvobi Iași8Double round-robin. First 4 teams qualify for the Championship play-off (double round robin), while the last 4 teams play in the Relegation play-off (double round-robin).
272016–17 SuperligaOlimpia ClujNăvobi IașiCFR Timișoara10Double round-robin.
282017–18 Liga IOlimpia ClujVasas Femina OdorheiCFR Timișoara10Double round-robin.
292018–19 Liga IU Olimpia ClujFortuna Becicherecu MicHeniu Prundu Bârgăului10Double round-robin. First 3 teams qualify for the Championship play-off (double round robin), next 3 teams qualify for a mid-table tournament (double round-robin), while the remaining teams play in the play-out (double round-robin).
302019–20 Liga IU Olimpia ClujUniversitatea GalațiFortuna Becicherecu Mic12Double round-robin planned, but only single round-robin completed due to the 2019-20 coronavirus pandemic.
312020–21 Liga I12Originally drawn as a double round-robin for 14 teams. Format changed to a 12 team single round-robin regular season. Top 6 teams qualify for the Championship play-off (double round robin), bottom 6 teams play in the play-out (double round-robin).

Record Champions
Titles Team
10 U Olimpia Cluj
7 Clujana Cluj
4 Fartec Brașov (includes ICIM; change of patron company)
3 Motorul Oradea (includes Interindustrial; change of patron company)
2 Conpet Ploiești
Regal București
1 CFR Craiova
FCM Târgu Mureș

References
  1. Celălalt fotbal (PDF)
  2. Cotidianul, Divizia A a fost mitraliată (The "A Division" was gunned down), accessed on 3 February 2007 Archived 12 March 2007 at the Wayback Machine
  3. "New system for women's football" (in Romanian). ziare.com. 9 August 2013. Retrieved 9 February 2014.
  4. frf.ro, Începe noul sezon al Ligii 1 feminin! (The new season of the women's Liga I starts!), accessed on 22 August 2019 Archived 22 August 2019 at Archive.today
  5. "Liga 3 nu se reia: fără retrogradări, serii de 18 formații în sezonul viitor! Decizii similare pentru futsal și fotbal feminin" [The third league will not resume: no relegations, series of 18 teams in the next season! Similar decisions for futsal and women's football]. frf.ro (in Romanian). Retrieved 21 May 2020. Archived 21 May 2020 at Archive.today
  6. "S-a tras la sorți țintarul Ligii 1 feminin!" [The draw for the women's Liga 1 scheduled was performed!]. frf.ro (in Romanian). Archived from the original on 26 August 2020. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  7. "Liga I Feminin - Meciurile Etapei 1" [Women's Liga I - Round 1 Matches]. frfotbal.ro (in Romanian). Archived from the original on 26 August 2020. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  8. "Programul Ligii 1 la fotbal feminin, sezonul 2020-2021" [The program for women's football Liga 1, season 2020-2021]. frf.ro (in Romanian). Archived from the original on 26 August 2020. Retrieved 26 August 2020.
  9. "Romania - List of Women Champions". RSSSF. Retrieved 6 June 2011.
  10. RSSSF
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