The 2011–12 Liga I was the ninety-fourth season of Liga I, the top-level football league of Romania. It began on 22 July 2011 and ended on 19 May 2012. The defending champions are Oțelul Galați.
Since Romania dropped from eighth to fourteenth place in the UEFA association coefficient rankings at the end of the 2010–11 season, the league has lost its UEFA Europa League playoff round berth. Further, the champions will not directly be entered into the group stage of the UEFA Champions League any more, but rather have to begin in the third qualification round.
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 Brănești and Sportul Studențesc. 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 Timișoara and Gloria Bistrița on licensing problems, see below.
The teams promoted from 2010–11 Liga II are Seria I winners Ceahlăul Piatra Neamț, Seria II winners Petrolul Ploiești and Seria I runners-up Concordia Chiajna. Ceahlăul Piatra Neamț is returning to the first division after one year, Petrolul Ploiești 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.
Venues Universitatea Cluj Steaua București CFR Cluj Ceahlăul Piatra Neamț Cluj Arena Steaua Dr. Constantin Rădulescu Ceahlăul Capacity: 30,201 Capacity: 28,365 Capacity: 23,500 Capacity: 17,500 Petrolul Ploiești Dinamo București Voința Sibiu Oțelul Galați Ilie Oană Dinamo Municipal Oțelul Capacity: 15,073 Capacity: 15,032 Capacity: 14,200 Capacity: 13,500 Rapid București Sportul Studențesc Giulești-Valentin Stănescu Regie Capacity: 11,704 Capacity: 10,020 FC Vaslui Pandurii Târgu Jiu Municipal Tudor Vladimirescu Capacity: 9,240 Capacity: 9,200 Astra Ploiești FC Brașov Astra Silviu Ploeșteanu Capacity: 9,000 Capacity: 8,800 Târgu Mureș Gaz Metan Mediaș Mioveni Concordia Chiajna Trans-Sil Gaz Metan Orășenesc Concordia Capacity: 8,200 Capacity: 7,814 Capacity: 7,000 Capacity: 5,123
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. Team Head coach Captain Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor Astra Ploiești Takayuki Seto Adidas InterAgro Brașov Cristian Munteanu Puma Roman Ceahlăul Piatra Neamț Andrei Dumitraș Garman Giga TV CFR Cluj Cadú Joma EnergoBit Concordia Chiajna Vlad Munteanu Joma Alexandrion Dinamo București Ionel Dănciulescu Nike Orange Gaz Metan Mediaș Cristian Todea Joma Romgaz Mioveni Mihai Olteanu Adidas Consiliul Local Mioveni Oțelul Galați Sergiu Costin Masita ArcelorMittal Pandurii Târgu Jiu Mihai Pintilii Umbro USMO Petrolul Ploiești Sony Mustivar Adidas Consiliul Local Ploiești Rapid București Marcos António Puma SuperBet Sportul Studențesc Costin Curelea Puma CitySmart Steaua București Alexandru Bourceanu Nike— Târgu Mureș László Sepsi Joma Primăria Târgu Mureș Universitatea Cluj Łukasz Szukała Nike Romprest Vaslui Wesley1 Adidas — Voința Sibiu Nicolae Grigore Joma Primăria SibiuGabriel Cânu was previously Vaslui's captain, but since he got injured at the beginning of the season, Wesley was handed the captaincy in Cânu's absence.
Managerial changes
Team Outgoing manager Manner of departure Date of vacancy Position in table Replaced by Date of appointmentCFR ClujAlin MinteuanEnd of contract22 May 2011Off-seasonJorge Costa1 June 2011Steaua BucureștiGabriel CaramarinEnd of tenure as caretaker26 May 2011Ronny Levy10 June 2011Rapid BucureștiMarian RadaEnd of tenure as caretaker4 June 2011Răzvan Lucescu4 June 2011Dinamo BucureștiIoan AndoneResigned8 June 2011Liviu Ciobotariu13 June 2011BrașovAntónio ConceiçãoResigned14 July 2011Daniel Isăilă14 July 2011Astra PloieștiTibor SelymesSacked1 August 201115Marius Șumudică3 August 2011BrașovDaniel IsăilăEnd of tenure as caretaker9 August 201110José Murcia9 August 2011MioveniIonuț PopaResigned22 August 201118Ilie Stan22 August 2011BrașovJosé MurciaResigned29 August 2011 11Daniel Isăilă29 August 2011MioveniIlie StanResigned18 September 2011 17Constantin Stancu19 September 2011 Târgu MureșIoan SabăuResigned26 September 2011 16Tibor Selymes27 September 2011 Steaua BucureștiResigned30 September 2011 9Ilie Stan30 September 2011 MioveniConstantin StancuEnd of tenure as caretaker4 October 201117Mihai Stoichiță4 October 2011 Sportul StudențescGheorghe MulțescuResigned15 October 2011 15Daniel Timofte17 October 2011 Astra PloieștiMarius ȘumudicăResigned30 October 2011 8Tibor Selymes3 November 2011 Târgu MureșTibor SelymesSacked1 November 2011 17Maurizio Trombetta4 November 2011 BrașovDaniel IsăilăEnd of tenure as caretaker1 November 201112Marius Șumudică1 November 2011 Sportul StudențescDaniel TimofteEnd of tenure as caretaker4 November 201115Daniel Isăilă4 November 2011MioveniMihai StoichițăResigned14 November 2011 18Mihai Stoica16 November 2011MioveniMihai StoicaResigned1 December 2011 18Marian Pană4 December 2011 Concordia ChiajnaLaurențiu DinițăResigned17 December 2011 17Laurențiu Reghecampf18 December 2011 Astra PloieștiTibor SelymesSacked18 December 2011 9Toni Conceição6 January 2012Târgu MureșMaurizio TrombettaSacked21 January 2012 15Marius Lăcătuș21 January 2012Universitatea ClujIonuț BadeaSacked14 March 2012 8Claudiu Niculescu14 March 2012Târgu MureșMarius LăcătușResigned19 March 2012 16Ioan Sabău19 March 2012Astra PloieștiToni ConceiçãoSacked26 March 2012 11Mircea Rednic29 March 2012Steaua BucureștiIlie StanResigned27 March 2012 4Mihai Stoichiță27 March 2012Petrolul PloieștiValeriu RăchităResigned28 March 2012 17Gheorghe Mulțescu28 March 2012CFR ClujJorge CostaSacked8 April 2012 1Ioan Andone8 April 2012Dinamo BucureștiLiviu CiobotariuResigned10 April 2012 2Dario Bonetti10 April 2012 BrașovMarius ȘumudicăSacked16 April 2012 11Ionuț Badea16 April 2012MioveniMarian PanăSacked4 May 2012 18Constantin Stancu4 May 2012
Season events
Licensing controversies The start of the 2011–12 season was affected by multiple licensing controversies involving Timișoara, Gloria Bistrița and Bihor Oradea.
On 30 May 2011, the Romanian Football Federation denied licences to four 2010–11 Liga I teams, Timișoara, Gloria Bistrița, Universitatea Craiova and Victoria Brănești, while a fifth team, Unirea Urziceni, did not apply for a licence. Of these five teams, Timișoara and Gloria Bistrița 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, Timișoara 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 will not matter for Liga I promotion. Therefore, Timișoara, Gloria Bistrița and Bihor Oradea could play in the 2011–12 Liga I season. The decision was reverted on 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 Studențesc 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 Voința 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. Voința 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 Timișoara, Bihor and Bistrița 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 București and Rapid București started the season without a contract with their traditional home grounds, Ghencea and Giulești.
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 Constanța and Ploiești. Further matches was played in Ploiești and Buzău. Numerous other stadiums were considered by the Steaua owner George Becali for a new home: the new Arena Națională, 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 București, owners of Giulești, they were still unable to use their traditional home stadium. CS Rapid București 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 Pitești. Before the sixth stage, Rapid president Dinu Gheorghe announced there is not yet an agreement and thus the match with FC Brașov 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