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Liga I (women's football)

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Liga I
Founded1990 as Divizia A
2006 as Liga I
2013 as Superliga
2017 as Liga I
Country Romania
ConfederationUEFA
Number of teams8
Level on pyramid1
Relegation toLiga II
Domestic cup(s)Romanian Women's Cup
International cup(s)UEFA Champions League
Current championsFarul Constanța (1st title)
(2023–24)
Most championshipsU Olimpia Cluj (12 titles)
Websitefrfotbal.ro
Current: 2024–25 Liga I

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

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

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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 to 2014 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

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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
1 1990–91 Divizia A ICIM Brașov 12
2 1991–92 Divizia A CFR Craiova
3 1992–93 Divizia A ICIM Brașov
4 1993–94 Divizia A Fartec Brașov
5 1994–95 Divizia A Fartec Brașov
6 1995–96 Divizia A Interindustrial Oradea
7 1996–97 Divizia A Motorul Oradea
8 1997–98 Divizia A Motorul Oradea
9 1998–99 Divizia A Conpet Ploiești
10 1999–2000 Divizia A Conpet Ploiești
11 2000–01 Divizia A Regal București 7[10]
12 2001–02 Divizia A Regal București Șantierul Naval Constanța Motorul Oradea 7 2 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).
13 2002–03 Divizia A Clujana Cluj Șantierul Naval Constanța Smart Sport Bucharest 8 2 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).
14 2003–04 Divizia A Clujana Cluj Crișul Aleșd Pandurii Târgu Jiu
15 2004–05 Divizia A Clujana Cluj Pandurii Târgu Jiu Motorul Oradea
16 2005–06 Divizia A Clujana Cluj Pandurii Târgu Jiu CSȘ Târgoviște 8 2 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).
17 2006–07 Liga I Clujana Cluj Pandurii Târgu Jiu CSȘ Târgoviște 9 Double round-robin. First 4 teams qualify in the Championship play-off (single round-robin).
18 2007–08 Liga I Clujana Cluj CSȘ Târgoviște Smart Sport Bucharest 8 Double round-robin.
19 2008–09 Liga I Clujana Cluj Ripensia Timișoara CSȘ Târgoviște 12 Double round-robin.
20 2009–10 Liga I FCM Târgu Mureş Sporting Craiova Clujana Cluj 12 Double round-robin.
21 2010–11 Liga I Olimpia Cluj FCM Târgu Mureş Real Craiova 13 Double round-robin.
22 2011–12 Liga I Olimpia Cluj FCM Târgu Mureş Real Craiova 20 2 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).
23 2012–13 Liga I Olimpia Cluj FCM Târgu Mureş CFR Timișoara 18 3 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).
24 2013–14 Superliga Olimpia Cluj FCM Târgu Mureş Real Craiova 8 Double 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).
25 2014–15 Superliga Olimpia Cluj ASA Târgu Mureş Heniu Prundu Bârgăului 8 Double 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).
26 2015–16 Superliga Olimpia Cluj ASA Târgu Mureş Navobi Iași 8 Double 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).
27 2016–17 Superliga Olimpia Cluj Navobi Iași CFR Timișoara 10 Double round-robin.
28 2017–18 Liga I Olimpia Cluj Vasas Femina Odorhei CFR Timișoara 10 Double round-robin.
29 2018–19 Liga I U Olimpia Cluj Fortuna Becicherecu Mic Heniu Prundu Bârgăului 10 Double 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).
30 2019–20 Liga I U Olimpia Cluj[a] Universitatea Galați Fortuna Becicherecu Mic 12 Double round-robin planned, but only single round-robin completed due to the 2019-20 coronavirus pandemic. First place team not counted as champions.
31 2020–21 Liga I U Olimpia Cluj Heniu Prundu Bârgăului Piroș Security Lioness Arad 12 Originally 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).
32 2021–22 Liga I U Olimpia Cluj Heniu Prundu Bârgăului Politehnica Femina 12 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).
33 2022–23 Liga I U Olimpia Cluj Politehnica Timișoara Carmen București 12 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).
34 2023–24 Liga I Farul Constanța U Olimpia Cluj Csíkszereda MC 8 Single round-robin regular season. Top 4 teams qualify for the Championship play-off (double round robin), bottom 4 teams play in the play-out (double round-robin).
35 2024–25 Liga I 8 Single round-robin regular season. Top 4 teams qualify for the Championship play-off (double round robin), bottom 4 teams play in the play-out (double round-robin).
Ed. Season Champions Runner-up Third place No. Teams System
  1. ^ 1st place after regular season, not crowned as Champions due to incomplete season

Record Champions

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Titles Team
12 Olimpia/U Olimpia Cluj
7 Clujana Cluj
4 ICIM/Fartec Brașov
3 Interindustrial/Motorul Oradea
2 Conpet Ploiești
Regal București
1 CFR Craiova
FCM Târgu Mureș
Farul Constanța

References

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  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). Archived from the original on 21 May 2020. Retrieved 21 May 2020.
  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 25 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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