2011–12 Liga I

Teams

The league was originally expected to comprise eighteen teams, fourteen teams from the 2010–11 season and four teams eligible for promotion from the 2010–11 Liga II. However, the exact composition of the league was further affected by the licensing controversies, see below.

Four teams from the 2010–11 season were relegated to their respective 2011–12 Liga II division; these teams are Universitatea Craiova, Unirea Urziceni, Victoria Brăneşti and Sportul Studenţesc. Unirea Urziceni were relegated just two seasons after they won the 2008–09 Liga I. It was the fastest relegation of a former champion, Unirea being also the 2009–10 Liga I runners-up. After the relegation, the team was disbanded. Universitatea Craiova was relegated for the second time in club history, ending a five-year tenure in the highest football league of Romania. After the relegation, the team was temporary excluded by FRF from all internal competitions. Victoria and Sportul was supposed to make their immediate return to the second level, but Sportul remained in Liga I after the relegation of Timişoara and Gloria Bistriţa on licensing problems, see below.

The teams promoted from 2010–11 Liga II are Seria I winners Ceahlăul Piatra Neamţ, Seria II winners Petrolul Ploieşti and Seria I runners-up Concordia Chiajna. Ceahlăul Piatra Neamţ is returning to the first division after one year, Petrolul Ploieşti after seven years, while Concordia Chiajna promoted for the first time in Liga I. After Seria II runners-up Bihor Oradea were denied a Liga I licence (see below), Mioveni, third placed in Liga II respective series, was promoted instead.

Personnel and kits

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Licensing controversies

The start of the 2011–12 season was affected by multiple licensing controversies involving Timişoara, Gloria Bistriţa and Bihor Oradea.

On 30 May 2011, the Romanian Football Federation denied licences to four 2010–11 Liga I teams, Timişoara, Gloria Bistriţa, Universitatea Craiova and Victoria Brăneşti, while a fifth team, Unirea Urziceni, did not apply for a licence. Of these five teams, Timişoara and Gloria Bistriţa had achieved qualification for the 2011–12 season on competitional grounds. A final decision by the Executive Committee of the FRF on the matter, particularly on the question to which league both teams will be incorporated, was scheduled for 2 June 2011, but eventually postponed to 20 June 2011. As a direct consequence from the licence denial, Timişoara were not allowed to participate in the 2011–12 UEFA Champions League.

On 6 June 2011, the FRF announced that Bihor Oradea, runners-up in the 2010–11 Liga II Seria II and therefore having earned promotion, did not meet requirements for a Liga I licence.

On 11 June 2011, a FRF communique stated that the Executive committee doesn't have the power to change the Licensing Commission decisions. However, on 20 June, the FRF Executive Committee decided that for the next three years the licences won't matter for Liga I promotion. Therefore, Timişoara, Gloria Bistriţa and Bihor Oradea could play in the 2011–12 Liga I season. The decision was reverted in the same day, after an intervention of FRF president, Mircea Sandu. The only chance for the three teams to play in the next season would be a favorable decision from Court of Arbitration for Sport for their appeals.

On 22 June 2011, FRF announced that Sportul Studenţesc will retain their Liga I place and Mioveni will promote instead of Bihor Oradea. FRF decided also that a play-off round will be played between Săgeata Năvodari and Voinţa Sibiu for the last remaining place in Liga 1. On 2 July, in Săgeata Năvodari, the first match of the play-off was a goalless draw. Voinţa Sibiu promoted for the first time in history in Liga I after a 2–0 victory in the second match of the play-off.

On 8 July, Court of Arbitration for Sport announced that the appeals from Timişoara, Bihor and Bistriţa will be heard in an expedited manner in order to have a decision before the start of the season. On 18 July, CAS announced that the appeals were dismissed. The challenged decisions taken by the competent authorities in Romania and by UEFA were confirmed in their entirety.

Home ground dilemmas

Two of the most supported teams, Steaua Bucureşti and Rapid Bucureşti started the season without a contract with their traditional home grounds, Ghencea and Giuleşti.

The Ministry of National Defense, owner of Ghencea, denounced the contract with Steaua for unpaid debts. A new agreement is expected to be signed. Meanwhile, because Steaua's home ground was suspended for the first two stages because of the incidents in the 2010–11 Romanian Cup final and the 2011 Romanian Supercup, the team played the first two home matches at Constanţa and Ploieşti. Further matches was played in Ploieşti and Buzău. Numerous other stadiums were considered by the Steaua owner George Becali for a new home: the new National Arena, CFR Cluj stadium, Buzău and Astra stadium. Ghencea owners invited Steaua to return to Ghencea, but only after the debts (around 560.000 euro) will be fully paid. However, Steaua played further matches on Astra and Buzău stadiums and National Arena. George Becali declared at the beginning of November that the team will settle on the National Arena until the end of 2011.

Rapid played the first game match on Regie, because they were suspended for the incidents created by fans during the last match of the 2010–11 Liga I. Because of debts towards CS Rapid Bucureşti, owners of Giuleşti, they were still unable to use their traditional home stadium. CS Rapid Bucureşti agreed to sign a new contract if a part of the debts were paid until the coming match of the fourth stage against Concordia Chiajna. The match was eventually played on the Nicolae Dobrin Stadium in Piteşti. Before the sixth stage, Rapid president Dinu Gheorghe announced there isn't yet an agreement and thus the match with FC Braşov will be played on Regie. On 12 September, a temporary accord was signed between the two parts, meaning that Rapid will return to their traditionally home ground for at least two matches. On 11 October 2011, was signed a contract for the entire season.

Investigations and arrests

On 25 September 2011, Vasile Avram, the president of Romanian Referees Commission (CCA), has been arrested on suspicion of taking bribes from a businessman close to Târgu Mureş. Further information revealed that in the same investigation are involved the presidents of other two clubs, Dinamo Bucureşti and Vaslui, and the heads of Romanian Football Federation, Mircea Sandu, and Romanian Professional Football League, Dumitru Dragomir. It's still unclear how the 2011–12 Liga 1 season will be affected by these investigations. Vasile Avram was released after 58 days of arrest with some restrictions, but the process will continue. However, he was already replaced as the president of CCA with Ion Crăciunescu.

Also, in October 2011 National Anticorruption Directorate (DNA) started the investigation of the members of Romanian Football Federation Execute Committee, accusing them of abuse in the Universitatea Craiova temporary exclusion of all competition after last season relegation. Following the exclusion, all the Craiova's players was declared free of contract.

League table

Updated to games played on 21 May 2012.
Source: LPF (Romanian)
Rules for classification: 1st points; 2nd overall goals difference; 3rd overall goals scored (until the end of the season)
¹ Dinamo Bucureşti won the 2011–12 Cupa României so it qualified for the 2012–13 UEFA Europa League play-off round.
(C) = Champion; (R) = Relegated; (P) = Promoted; (E) = Eliminated; (O) = Play-off winner; (A) = Advances to a further round.
Only applicable when the season is not finished:
(Q) = Qualified to the phase of tournament indicated; (TQ) = Qualified to tournament, but not yet to the particular phase indicated; (RQ) = Qualified to the relegation tournament indicated; (DQ) = Disqualified from tournament.

Positions by round

Last updated: 21 May 2012
Source: kicker.de (German)

Results

Updated to games played on 21 May 2012.
Source: LPF (Romanian)
1 ^{^} The home team is listed in the left-hand column.
² Match was played at Stadionul Trans-Sil, Târgu Mureş because FC Braşov home ground was suspended for incidents in the 2010–11 Romanian Cup against Steaua.
³ Match was played at Stadionul Astra, Ploieşti because Dinamo home ground was suspended for incidents in the 2010–11 Romanian Cup final.
⁴ Match was played at Stadionul Municipal, Buzău because Petrolul home ground was in construction at that time.
⁵ Match was played at Stadionul Regie, Bucharest because Rapid home ground was suspended for incidents in the last match of the 2010–11 Liga I.
⁶ Match was played at Stadionul Farul, Constanţa because Steaua home ground was suspended for incidents in the 2010–11 Romanian Cup final.
⁷ Match was played at Stadionul Astra, Ploieşti because Steaua home ground was suspended for incidents in the 2010–11 Romanian Supercup.
⁸ Match was played at Stadionul Nicolae Dobrin, Piteşti
⁹ Match was played at Stadionul Astra, Ploieşti
¹⁰ Match was played at Stadionul Gaz Metan, Mediaş because U Cluj home ground was in construction at that time.
¹¹ Match was played at Stadionul Regie, Bucharest
¹² Match was played at Stadionul Municipal
¹³ Match was played at National Arena
¹⁴ Match awarded to Steaua (0–3) after it was suspended in the 45+10-minute at the score of 0–2 for incidents with Petrolul supporters.
Colours: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Top goalscorers

Source: Liga1.ro (Romanian)

Scoring

Discipline

Penalties

Miscellaneous