Liga III

Liga III
Organising bodyRomanian Football Federation
Founded1936
CountryRomania
Number of clubs96 (8x12)
Level on pyramid3
Promotion toLiga II
Relegation toLiga IV
Domestic cup(s)Cupa României
Supercupa României
Current championsBucovina Rădăuți, Metalul Buzău, Afumați, CS Dinamo București, Câmpulung Muscel, Râmnicu Vâlcea, Ghiroda, Bihor Oradea, Gloria Bistrița-Năsăud, Zalău
(2023–24)
Websitefrfotbal.ro
Current: 2025–26 Liga III

Liga 3, most often spelled as Liga III, and known as Superscore Liga 3 for sponsorship reasons,[1] is the third level of the Romanian football league system. Founded in 1936 as Divizia C, the competition was known as Divizia B between 1992 and 1997 and has been called Liga III since the 2006–07 season.[2]

History

Divizia C was founded in 1936 with the aim of creating an organisational and managerial buffer between national and regional football. Over time, the competition was abolished and reintroduced several times, particularly during periods when a fully local management structure was preferred. In other periods, its format was highly unstable.[3]

Until 1963, the competition was held irregularly. After the first two seasons (1936–37 and 1937–38), Divizia C was discontinued and resumed only for the 1946–47 season. Following another interruption, a new attempt was made in 1948–49, but the season was abandoned midway.[4][5][3]

The fourth edition took place in 1956, followed by the 1957–58 and 1958–59 seasons. After a further four-year hiatus, the competition returned in 1963–64, organised into four geographical series (East, West, South and North), each consisting of twelve teams, with the number of teams per series increasing to fourteen in the next season, and from that point the competition was held annually, undergoing several format changes in the following years.[3]

From 1968–69, the league expanded to eight geographical series of sixteen teams each. In 1971–72, it was reorganised again into twelve series of fourteen teams, later increased to sixteen teams from the 1973–74 season, this format being maintained until the 1992 restructuring of the Romanian football system, when it was reduced to four geographical series of twenty teams each and renamed Divizia B.[3]

In the 2020–21 season, Liga III was reorganised from five to ten geographically based series of ten teams each during the COVID-19 pandemic period. Each series was played in a double round-robin format. At the end of the regular season, a promotion play-off system was introduced in two rounds, with teams from paired series (1–2, 3–4, 5–6, 7–8, 9–10) competing to determine the five teams promoted to Liga II.[6]

From the 2021–22 season, the format was adjusted to include internal post-season phases within each series. The top four teams entered a series play-off, while the remaining six teams competed in a play-out to determine relegation. Following these stages, the top two teams from each series qualified for the inter-series promotion play-offs, which ultimately produced five teams promoted to Liga II.

This structure remained in place in the following seasons, with an exception in the 2023–24 season, when the number of promoted teams was increased to six following the expansion of Liga II to 22 teams. The sixth promotion place is decided through a knockout tournament involving four of the five teams defeated in the promotion play-off finals.

Current format

Starting with the 2025–26 season, the format was changed to 96 teams divided into eight series of twelve teams, played across three phases: a regular season, post-season play-offs and play-outs, and a knockout tournament for the fifth promotion place.[7]

In the regular season, each team plays 22 matches in a double round-robin format. The top four teams from each series advance to the promotion play-offs, while the remaining teams enter the play-outs.[7]

In the promotion play-offs, qualified teams are paired with those from a neighbouring series (1–2, 3–4, 5–6, 7–8), forming four play-off groups. The winners of each group are promoted to Liga II, while the runners-up compete in a knockout tournament for a fifth promotion place.[7]

In the play-outs, teams ranked 5th–12th play a single round-robin (7 matches), carrying over the points accumulated during the regular season. The bottom two teams from each play-out group are relegated, along with five additional 6th-placed teams, determined by an overall ranking.[7]

List of champions and promoted teams

Source:[8]

Divizia C (–1992)

Season Seria I Seria II Seria III Seria IV Seria V Seria VI Seria VII Seria VIII Seria IX Seria X Seria XI Seria XII
1977–78 Minerul Gura Humorului Constructorul Iași Progresul Brăila Chimia Brazi ȘN Oltenița Viitorul Scornicești Drobeta-Turnu Severin Minerul Anina Înfrățirea Oradea Minerul Cavnic Poiana Câmpina IS Câmpia Turzii
1978–79 Botoșani Energia Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej Unirea Focșani Cimentul Medgidia Mecanică Fină București Flacăra-Automecanica Moreni Pandurii Târgu Jiu Unirea Alba Iulia Strungul Arad Someșul Satu Mare Carpați Mârșa Viitorul Gheorgheni
1979–80 Ceahlăul Piatra Neamț Borzești CSU Galați IMU Medgidia Sirena București ROVA Roșiori Minerul Lupeni CFR Timișoara Rapid Arad CIL Sighet Metalul Aiud Oltul Sfântu Gheorghe
1980–81 Constructorul Iași Relonul Săvinești Oțelul Galați Dunărea Călărași Automatica București Energia Slatina Drobeta-Turnu Severin Strungul Arad Someșul Satu Mare Minerul Ilba-Seini Carpați Mârșa ICIM Brașov
1981–82 Minerul Gura Humorului Borzești Prahova Ploiești Metalosport Galați Dinamo Victoria București ROVA Roșiori Minerul Motru Metalurgistul Cugir Gloria Reșița Armătura Zalău IS Câmpia Turzii Precizia Săcele
1982–83 Chimia Fălticeni Partizanul Bacău Olimpia Râmnicu Sărat Unirea Slobozia Metalul Plopeni Chimia Turnu Măgurele Constructorul TCI Craiova CFR Caransebeș Minerul Lupeni CFR Cluj-Napoca Avântul Reghin Nitramonia Făgăraș
1983–84 CFR Pașcani FEPA 74 Bârlad Metalul Mangalia AS Mizil Mecanică Fină București Flacăra-Automecanica Moreni Drobeta-Turnu Severin Mureșul Deva Strungul Arad Sticla Arieșul Turda Unirea Alba Iulia Tractorul Brașov
1984–85 Minerul Vatra Dornei Aripile Bacău Delta Tulcea Dunărea Călărași ICSIM București Muscelul Câmpulung Electroputere Craiova Metalul Bocșa Înfrățirea Oradea CIL Sighet Mecanica Orăștie ICIM Brașov
1985–86 Minerul Gura Humorului Unirea Dinamo Focșani FEPA 74 Bârlad Unirea Slobozia Autobuzul București ROVA Roșiori Gloria Pandurii Târgu Jiu Minerul Paroșeni Steaua CFR Cluj-Napoca Unio Satu Mare Inter Sibiu Poiana Câmpina
1986–87 Siretul Pașcani Inter Vaslui Petrolul Ianca Sportul 30 Decembrie Metalul București Sportul Muncitoresc Caracal Gloria Reșița Progresul Timișoara Sticla Arieșul Turda Minerul Baia Sprie Electromureș Târgu Mureș Metalul Plopeni
1987–88 ASA Explorări Câmpulung-Moldovenesc Aripile Victoria Bacău Metalul Mangalia Dunărea Călărași Metalul Mija Dacia Pitești Minerul Motru CFR Timișoara Minerul Cavnic Unirea Alba Iulia Avântul Reghin Poiana Câmpina
1988–89 Foresta Fălticeni Viitorul Vaslui Olimpia Râmnicu Sărat Unirea Slobozia Autobuzul București Mecanică Fină București Constructorul TCI Craiova Vagonul Arad Mureșul Explorări Deva IMASA Sfântu Gheorghe Steaua CFR Cluj-Napoca Someșul Satu Mare
1989–90 Fortus Iași Borzești Gloria CFR Galați Callatis Mangalia Progresul București Electroputere Craiova Șoimii IPA Sibiu Montana Sinaia Vulturii Lugoj Aurul Brad Metalurgistul Cugir CIL Sighet
1990–91 Relonul Săvinești FEPA 74 Bârlad Petrolul Ianca Portul Constanța Metalul București Metrom Brașov Olt Scornicești Jiul IEELIF Craiova Electromureș Târgu Mureș Minerul Cavnic CFR Cluj-Napoca UM Timișoara
1991–92 CFR Pașcani Cotidianul Bacău Delta Tulcea Metalul Plopeni Electrica Fieni Dunărea Călărași Dacia Pitești Mureșul Toplița Minerul Mătăsari Arsenal Reșița Șoimii Lipova Cuprom Baia Mare
Due to the reorganization of the competitive system in the summer of 1992, dictated by the Romanian Football Federation, no team promoted from the third tier.

Divizia B (1992–1997)

Season Seria I Seria II Seria III Seria IV
1992–93 Constructorul Iași Metalul Plopeni Gaz Metan Mediaș Phoenix Baia Mare
1993–94 Cetatea Târgu Neamț Poiana Câmpina Dacia Pitești Unirea Dej
1994–95 Foresta Fălticeni Oțelul Târgoviște Minerul Motru Minaur Zlatna
Other promoted teams: Electro Mecon Onești (I), Dunărea Călărași (II), ARO Câmpulung (III), Olimpia Satu Mare (IV).
1995–96 Petrolul Moinești Danubiana București Precizia Săcele CFR Cluj-Napoca
1996–97 Nitramonia Făgăraș Midia Năvodari Vega Deva UM Timișoara

Divizia C (1997–2006)

Season Seria I Seria II Seria III Seria IV
1997–98 Laminorul Roman Cimentul Fieni Rulmentul Alexandria Bihor Oradea
Other promoted teams: Chimica Târnăveni (I), Drobeta-Turnu Severin (III)
1998–99 Diplomatic Focșani Callatis Mangalia Electro Bere Craiova UM Timișoara
Other promoted teams: Juventus București (II), Flacăra Râmnicu Vâlcea (III)
Season Seria I Seria II Seria III Seria IV Seria V Seria VI
1999–00 Apemin Borsec Hondor Agigea Fulgerul Bragadiru Cetate Deva Pandurii Târgu Jiu Baia Mare
Season Seria I Seria II Seria III Seria IV Seria V Seria VI Seria VII Seria VIII
2000–01 Petrolul Moinești Dacia Unirea Brăila Inter Gaz București Electromagnetica București Inter Pitești Minaur Zlatna IS Câmpia Turzii Universitatea Cluj
2001–02 Politehnica Unirea Iași Gloria Buzău Medgidia Rulmentul Alexandria Minerul Motru Corvinul Hunedoara Metrom Brașov CFR Cluj-Napoca
2002–03 Petrolul Moinești Unirea Urziceni Juventus București Dacia Mioveni Rarora Râmnicu Vâlcea Jiul Petroșani Oltul Sfântu Gheorghe Armătura Zalău
Other promoted teams: Laminorul Roman (I), FC Vaslui (I), Poiana Câmpina (II), Callatis Mangalia (III), Electrica Constanța (III), Chindia Târgoviște (IV), Building Vânju Mare (V), Certej (VI), ACU Arad (VI), Precizia Săcele (VII), Tricotaje Ineu (VIII), Oașul Negrești (VIII).
Season Seria I Seria II Seria III Seria IV Seria V Seria VI Seria VII Seria VIII Seria IX
2003–04 Botoșani Dunărea Galați Otopeni Ghimbav Oltul Slatina Politehnica Timișoara Unirea Sânnicolau Mare Unirea Dej FC Sibiu
2004–05 Cetatea Suceava Portul Constanța Dunărea Giurgiu Poiana Câmpina Râmnicu Vâlcea CFR Timișoara Minerul Lupeni Forex Brașov Gloria Bistrița II
2005–06 Politehnica Iași II Delta Tulcea Snagov Chimia Brazi Building Vânju Mare Oltchim Râmnicu Vâlcea Auxerre Lugoj Baia Mare Ghimbav
Other promoted teams: Ghimbav were not eligible for promotion, runners-up Tractorul Brașov promoted.

Liga III (2006–2022)

Season Seria I Seria II Seria III Seria IV Seria V Seria VI
2006–07 Focșani Dinamo București II Concordia Chiajna Drobeta-Turnu Severin Arieșul Turda Liberty Salonta
Other promoted teams: Inter Gaz București (II), Mureșul Deva (V).
2007–08 Cetatea Suceava Snagov Ploiești Inter Curtea de Argeș Unirea Sânnicolau Mare Luceafărul Lotus Băile Felix
Other promoted teams: Buftea (III), ACU Arad (V).
2008–09 Râmnicu Sărat FCSB II Victoria Brănești Gaz Metan CFR Craiova Fortuna Covaci Baia Mare
Other promoted teams: Tricolorul Breaza (III), Silvania Șimleu Silvaniei (VI).
2009–10 Dacia Unirea Brăila Viitorul Constanța Juventus București Alro Slatina Pandurii Târgu Jiu II Voința Sibiu
Other promoted teams: Pandurii Târgu Jiu II were not eligible for promotion, runners-up ACU Arad promoted.
2010–11 FCM Bacău Callatis Mangalia Chindia Târgoviște Slatina Luceafărul Oradea FCMU Baia Mare
2011–12 Rapid CFR Suceava Unirea Slobozia Buftea Damila Măciuca Recaș Corona Brașov
2012–13 SC Bacău Gloria Buzău Berceni Minerul Motru Olimpia Satu Mare Unirea Tărlungeni
2013–14 Dorohoi Voluntari Balotești Caransebeș Șoimii Pâncota Fortuna Poiana Câmpina
Season Seria I Seria II Seria III Seria IV Seria V
2014–15 Bucovina Pojorâta Dunărea Călărași Chindia Târgoviște UTA Arad Baia Mare
2015–16 Sepsi OSK Juventus București Afumați Politehnica Timișoara Luceafărul Oradea
2016–17 Știința Miroslava Metaloglobus București Pitești Ripensia Timișoara Hermannstadt
2017–18 Aerostar Bacău Farul Constanța Petrolul Ploiești Șirineasa Universitatea Cluj
2018–19 Gloria Buzău Rapid București Turris-Oltul Turnu Măgurele Reșița Csíkszereda Miercurea Ciuc
2019–20 Aerostar Bacău Unirea Slobozia Slatina FCU 1948 Craiova Comuna Recea
Season was suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Romania.
Season Seria I Seria II Seria III Seria IV Seria V Seria VI Seria VII Seria VIII Seria IX Seria X
2020–21 Bucovina Rădăuți Oțelul Galați Afumați Steaua București Corona Brașov Vedița Colonești Viitorul Șelimbăr Șoimii Lipova Cugir Minaur Baia Mare
Promoted teams via play-offs: Dacia Unirea Brăila, Steaua București, Corona Brașov, Viitorul Șelimbăr, Unirea Dej
2021–22 Dante Botoșani Oțelul Galați Afumați Progresul Spartac Odorheiu Secuiesc Slatina Reșița Dumbrăvița Hunedoara Minaur Baia Mare
Promoted teams via play-offs: Oțelul Galați, Progresul Spartac București, Slatina, Dumbrăvița, Minaur Baia Mare
2022–23 Foresta Suceava Metalul Buzău Afumați Tunari Blejoi Alexandria Deva Reșița Corvinul Hunedoara Bihor Oradea
Promoted teams via play-offs: Ceahlăul Piatra Neamț, Tunari, Alexandria, Reșița, Corvinul Hunedoara
2023–24 Bucovina Rădăuți Metalul Buzău Afumați Dinamo București Câmpulung Muscel Râmnicu Vâlcea Ghiroda Bihor Oradea Gloria Bistrița-Năsăud Zalău
Promoted teams via play-offs: Metalul Buzău, Afumați, Câmpulung Muscel, Bihor Oradea, Unirea Ungheni, Focșani
2024–25 Bacău Unirea Braniștea Popești-Leordeni Dinamo București Tunari Odorheiu Secuiesc Gloria Bistrița-Năsăud Râmnicu Vâlcea Minerul Lupeni Minaur Baia Mare
Promoted teams via play-offs: Bacău, Dinamo București, Tunari, Gloria Bistrița-Năsăud, Olimpia Satu Mare

See also

References

  1. ^ "Sponsor nou, denumire modificată pentru Liga 3 din România" [New sponsor, changed name for Romanian Liga 3] (in Romanian). gsp.ro. 14 April 2026. Archived from the original on 19 April 2026. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  2. ^ "Divizia A a fost mitraliată" [Divizia A was machine-gunned] (in Romanian). cotidianul.ro. 12 March 2007. Archived from the original on 12 March 2007. Retrieved 3 February 2007.
  3. ^ a b c d "Liga 3 clasamente" [Liga 3 tables]. romaniansoccer.ro. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  4. ^ "Divizia C - Season 1948-49 - Edition 4". romaniansoccer.ro. Archived from the original on 1 May 2023. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  5. ^ "Este oare Divizia C necesară?" [Is Divizia C necessary?] (in Romanian). Sportul Popular. 22 February 1949. pp. 1–3. Archived from the original on 1 October 2023. Retrieved 1 October 2023 – via adt.arcanum.com.
  6. ^ "Noul format competițional pentru sezonul 2020/21!" [The new competition format for the 2020/21 season!] (in Romanian). frf.ro. 18 August 2020. Archived from the original on 19 April 2026. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  7. ^ a b c d "Un nou format competițional la Liga 3 din sezonul 2025/2026" [A new competitive format in League 3 from the 2025/2026 season] (in Romanian). frf.ro. 20 March 2025. Archived from the original on 22 August 2025. Retrieved 19 April 2026.
  8. ^ "Câștigătoare Divizia C" [Divizia C winners] (in Romanian). prosport.ro. Archived from the original on 12 March 2005. Retrieved 25 April 2026.
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