The 2023–24 Liga III was the 68th season of Liga III, the third tier of the Romanian football league system. The season will begin in August 2023 and is scheduled to end in June 2024.
Team changes
Promoted from 2022–23 Liga IV Relegated from 2022–23 Liga II Promoted to 2023–24 Liga II Relegated to 2023–24 Liga IV Viitorul Curița (debut) Viitorul Liteni (after 17 years of absence) CSM Vaslui (debut) Olimpia MCMXXI Satu Mare (after 10 years of absence) Crișul Sântandrei (debut) Industria Galda (after 2 years of absence) Mediaș (debut) Ciucaș Tărlungeni (debut) Socodor (debut) Peciu Nou (debut) Turceni (after 9 years of absence) Râmnicu Vâlcea (after 18 years of absence) ARO Muscelul Câmpulung (after 7 years of absence) FC U Craiova 1948 II (after 18 years of absence) Progresul Fundulea (debut) Dunărea Giurgiu (after 18 years of absence) Tricolorul Breaza (after 14 years of absence) Hamangia Baia (after 10 years of absence) Viitorul Șuțești (debut) Axiopolis Cernavodă (after 2 years of absence) FC Brașov (debut)Ripensia Timișoara (after 6 years of absence)Minaur Baia Mare (after 1 year of absence)Politehnica Timișoara (after 7 years of absence)Unirea Constanța (debut) Ceahlăul Piatra Neamț(ended 5-year stay) Tunari (ended 14-year stay) Alexandria (ended 7-year stay) CSM Reșița (ended 2-year stay) Corvinul Hunedoara (ended 5-year stay) Csíkszereda II (ended 1-year stay) Dante Botoșani (ended 3-year stay) Amara (ended 1-year stay) FCSB II (ended 7-year stay) Astra Giurgiu (ended 1-year stay) Minerul Costești (ended 3-years stay) Aurul Brad (ended 2-year stay) Progresul Ezeriș (ended 3-year stay) Pobeda Stár Bišnov (ended 2-years stay) Ocna Mureș (ended 3-years stay) CFR II Cluj (ended 2-year stay) Sportul Șimleu Silvaniei (ended 3-year stay)
FC Brașov saga FC Brașov had comfortably avoided relegation from Liga II last season, while Progresul Spartac were relegated after losing their last chance, the play-off against Metaloglobus. However FC Brașov did not have their finances in order and the FRF had no choice but to relegate them. FC Brașov appealed the decision, including at the court in Lausanne, but ultimately lost.
On 7 August 2023, FC Brașov was definitively relegated from Liga II by the Romanian Football Federation, with Progresul Spartac being readmitted to the Liga II.
Soon after leadership decided to disband the senior team of FC Brașov with the view to eventually merge with fellow city club SR Brașov, freeing up another spot in Liga III.
Teams spared from relegation Progresul Spartac București was spared from relegation to 2023–24 Liga III season, due to the decision to relegate FC Brașov, decision that vacanted place in the 2022–23 Liga II season.
Sănătatea Cluj, ACB Ineu, KSE Târgu Secuiesc and Vedița Colonești were spared from relegation to 2023–24 Liga IV season.
Withdrawn teams Real Bradu, Farul II Constanța, Retezatul Hațeg, Ripensia Timișoara, Viitorul Liteni, Unirea Constanța and Academica Recea withdrew from the competition, before the start of the season. Crișul Chișineu-Criș withdrew at the time of the draw due to a political decision. Gloria Albești also withdrew last minute.
Renamed teams and other changes Dinamo Bacău merged with Academia FC Bacău to form FC Bacău.
CSM Satu Mare was renamed as CSM Olimpia Satu Mare.
Muscelul Câmpulung Elite was renamed as AFC Câmpulung Muscel 2022
Last minute changes With the disbanding of FC Brașov, and the last minute withdrawals of Crișul Chișineu-Criș and Gloria Albești, the FRF decided to readmit some teams and reshuffle some of the series in order to better adhere to geographic criteria. As such Dacia Unirea Braila were readmitted, even though they had relegated after the last season, also LPS HD Clinceni (formerly known as Academica Clinceni) and Oltul Curtișoara were allowed to join Liga III, even though they had lost their respective promotion playoffs from Liga IV.
League map
Regular season
Seria I
Seria II
Seria III
Seria IV
Seria V
Seria VI
Seria VII
Seria VIII
Seria IX
Seria X
Play-off round Seria I
Seria II
Seria III
Seria IV
Seria V
Seria VI
Seria VII
Seria VIII
Seria IX
Seria X
Play-out round Seria I
Seria II
Seria III
Seria IV
Seria V
Seria VI
Seria VII
Seria VIII
Seria IX
Seria X
Promotion play-offs The promotion play-offs are disputed between the first two teams from each of the ten play-off round series. Only the best five teams will be promoted to 2024–25 Liga II. To determine the sixth promoted, a mini-competition will be held, in which the best four of the five teams defeated in the finals of the playoffs will participate. The mini-competition will consist of semi-finals and a final (one game on the field of the first draw), the winner of the final advancing to Liga II, which goes from 20 to 22 participants.
First round
Second round
The sixth promoted team
|colspan=3 style="background-color:#97DEFF;"|Semi-finals
|colspan=3 style="background-color:#97DEFF;"|Final
References