Liga I

Romanian League ("Liga I")
2007-08 Season
File:Liga1Burger.gif
Founded
1909
Nation
Romania
Relegation To
Liga II
Number of Teams
18
European Qualification
Champions League UEFA Cup Intertoto Cup
Main Competitions
Liga I Cupa României Supercupa României
Current Champions (2006-07)
Dinamo Bucureşti
Most Successful Club
Steaua Bucureşti (23)
Website
Official

Liga I is the name of the top division of the Romanian football league system. It was established in 1909 and commenced play for the 1909-10 campaign. Until 1932 it had various play-off types. Liga I is part of Romanian Professional Footbal League (LPF). Before the 2006/2007 season, it was called Divizia A, but the name had to be changed following the discovery that someone else had registered the trade mark "Divizia A".

History

The first football club's organization formula was "A Divisional College" ("Colegiul Divizionar A") founded on October 5, 1970 and led by Mircea Angelescu. Until 1990, the "A Divisional College" was formal without remarkable decisions. During the 90's a lot of changes were implemented, reflected in the new names of the organization, e.g. "A Divisional Team's League", " National Football League", "Professional Club's League", etc. On October 10, 1992, the organization's name became "Professional Football A Division League", led by Mircea Angelescu - president, Dumitru Dragomir - vice-president and Daniel Lăzărescu - general secretary. On 22 January 1993, the name of the organization became "Professional Football League of Romania", an A-Division professional football clubs representation. On October 13, 1993, the B Division clubs members were included. On September 30, 1996, Dumitru Dragomir has been elected president of the "Professional Football League of Romania". The headquarters is located on 47 Mihai Eminescu Street (since February 1997). In December the same year it was decided that the league will organize the A-Division Championship starting with 1997-1998 edition.

In October 2000, Dumitru Dragomir has been re-elected president of the "Professional Football League of Romania"

There are currently 18 teams at this level, of which the bottom four are relegated at the season's end. These teams are replaced by the champions of the two divisions that make up Liga 2, the second level of the Romanian football league system.

Starting in 2005-06, the champions and runners-up of Divizia A are eligible to compete in the UEFA Champions League during the following season. The 3rd-placed team is eligible to compete in the UEFA Cup.

The most successful teams over the years have been Steaua Bucureşti and Dinamo Bucureşti, other notable teams being: Universitatea Craiova, Rapid Bucureşti, and UTA. Universitatea Craiova was the last non-Bucharest team to win the championship (in 1990-91).

List of champions

Year By Year

Main article: Divizia A Final Tables

Performance by club

• Steaua Bucureşti/CCA Bucureşti: 23
  • 1951, 1952, 1953, 1956, 1959-60, 1960-61, 1967-68, 1975-76, 1977-78, 1984-85, 1985-86, 1986-87, 1987-88, 1988-89, 1992-93, 1993-94, 1994-95, 1995-96, 1996-97, 1997-98, 2000-01, 2004-05, 2005-06
• Dinamo Bucureşti: 18
  • 1955, 1961-62, 1962-63, 1963-64, 1964-65, 1970-71, 1972-73, 1974-75, 1976-77, 1981-82, 1982-83, 1983-84, 1989-90, 1991-92, 1999-00, 2001-02, 2003-04, 2006-07
• Venus Bucureşti: 8 (defunct)
  • 1919-20, 1920-21, 1928-29, 1931-32, 1933-34, 1936-37, 1938-39, 1939-40
• Chinezul Timişoara: 6 (defunct)
  • 1921-22, 1922-23, 1923-24, 1924-25, 1925-26, 1926-27
• UTA Arad/ITA Arad/Flamura Roşie Arad: 6
  • 1946-47, 1947-1948, 1950, 1954, 1968-69, 1969-70
• Ripensia Timişoara: 4 (defunct)
  • 1932-33, 1934-35, 1935-36, 1937-38
• Universitatea Craiova: 4
  • 1973-74, 1979-80, 1980-81, 1990-91
• Petrolul Ploieşti: 3
  • 1957-58, 1958-59, 1965-66
• Rapid Bucureşti: 3
  • 1966-67, 1998-99, 2002-03
• FC Argeş Piteşti: 2
  • 1971-72, 1978-79
• Colentina AC Bucureşti: 2 (defunct)
  • 1912-13, 1913-14
• Olympia Bucureşti: 2 (defunct)
  • 1909-10, 1910-11
• Colţea Braşov: 1 (defunct)
  • 1927-28
• ICO Oradea/FC Oradea: 1
  • 1948-49
• Juventus Bucureşti: 1
  • 1929-30
• Prahova Ploieşti: 1 (defunct)
  • 1915-16
• Româno-Americana Ploieşti: 1 (defunct)
  • 1914-15
• UDR Reşiţa/FCM Reşiţa: 1
  • 1930-31
• Unirea Tricolor Bucureşti: 1 (defunct)
  • 1940-41
• United AC Ploieşti: 1 (defunct)
  • 1911-12

UEFA Ranking

Current National League Ranking

• 01 La Liga
• 02 Premier League
• 03 Serie A
• 04 Ligue 1
• 05 Bundesliga
• 06 Portuguese Liga
• 07 Liga I
• 08 Eredivisie

(see UEFA coefficients full list for more information)

Best results by Liga I teams in the international competitions

Steaua Bucharest: European champions in 1986 and finalists in 1990. Dinamo Bucharest: UEFA cup quarter-finals. Universitatea Craiova: UEFA cup quarter-finals.

Notable former foreign players

Roland Agalliu Elton Ceno Armend Dallku Albert Duro Sulejman Demollari Arben Minga Agim Canaj Elias Bazzi Alejandro Gavatorta Marian Zeciu Edel Bete Josh Mitchell Spase Dilevski Joshua Rose Michael Baird Michael Thwaite Ryan Griffiths Daniel McBreen Levent Osman Karl Dodd Vasily Khomutovsky Vladimir Gaev Manuel Godfroid

Grégory Delwarte Roberto Bisconti Rubenilson Monteiro Ferreira Elton Andrey Slavisa Mitrovic Boris Keca Radostin Stanev Milen Radukanov Nana Falemi Patrick Bengondo Jérémie Njock Roger Batoum Camille Muzinga Cyril Théréau Fabrice Fernandes Emmanuel Osei Ibrahim Dossey Ben Owu

Peter Simek Vasile Miriuta Klemi Saban Kobi Nachtailer Maris Smirnovs Jurica Siljanoski Slavcho Georgievski Dumitru Ciumac Gheorghe Stratulat Khalid Fouhami Noureddine Ziyati Samuel Okunowo Henry Makinwa Carlos Fernandes Diogo Andrade

Zoran Milosevic Sead Bruncevic Danilo Pustinjakovic Radiša Ilić Park Jae-Hong Henri Siqueira Andrey Fedorenko Ricardo Paez

See also

• Liga II
• Liga III
• List of attendance figures at domestic professional sports leagues
• List of foreign football players in Liga I

External Links

• English-language Romanian football blog
• Results and statistics since 1932(Romanian-language)

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