How Romania's top football tier resets its standings mid-season
In short: The 2026–27 Liga I season introduces a high-stakes mathematical twist. After the regular season, teams enter new championship or relegation rounds, but they don't start with their full scores. Instead, they must navigate a landscape where their hard-earned points are suddenly cut in half.
The 2026–27 Liga I, also known for sponsorship reasons as the Superliga, marks the 109th season of Romania's premier football division. The campaign commenced on 18 July 2026 and is projected to conclude in May 2027. This season features sixteen competing teams, consisting of thirteen returning sides and three newcomers from Liga II—two of whom earned direct promotion and one via a promotion/relegation play-off. Known as the Superliga for sponsorship reasons, this 109th iteration of the top flight began on 18 July 2026. It is expected to finish in May 2027.
The league employs a complex post-season structure designed to intensify competition. Following the regular season, the top six teams advance to a championship round to compete for the title and spots in the UEFA Champions League and UEFA Conference League. Simultaneously, the bottom ten teams enter a relegation round to determine survival. This split ensures that every match in the final stages carries significant weight for European qualification or league status. The top six finishers battle for European spots in the Champions and Conference Leagues. Meanwhile, the bottom ten must fight to avoid relegation.
Crucially, the transition to these secondary rounds involves a dramatic mathematical adjustment. Teams enter both the championship and relegation rounds with their regular season points halved and rounded upwards. To ensure fairness and fresh competition, no other records or statistics are carried over from the initial phase. This mechanism forces teams to maintain momentum, as their previous successes are effectively halved before the final battle begins. This points reduction applies to both the championship and relegation phases. Only the halved total is used, with no other statistics transferred.
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Sources
- Summary by Intellect · source: 2026–27 Liga I
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