The 2015–16 Liga II was the 76th season of the Liga II, the second tier of the Romanian football league system. The season began on 29 August.
The 28 teams were divided in two series (with 14 teams each). The regular season was played in a round-robin tournament. The first six teams from each series played a play-off for promotion to Liga I. Because of switching to a system with just one series of 22 teams from next season, there will be 11 teams relegated from Liga II this year. After the regular season, the last two teams in each series relegated to Liga III; the last 3 teams in each play-out pool also relegated, while the 3rd placed teams in the play-out faced off in a game that determined the 11th relegated team.
Team changes At the end of 2014–15 season, Voluntari from Seria I and Poli Timișoara from Seria II were promoted to Liga I. Four teams were relegated to Liga III: Unirea Slobozia and Săgeata Năvodari (Seria I), Olt Slatina and Fortuna Poiana Câmpina (Seria II).Last six teams from 2014–15 Liga I were relegated to Liga II: Gaz Metan Mediaș, Brașov, Universitatea Cluj, Rapid București, Oțelul Galați, Ceahlăul Piatra Neamț.The winners of the five 2014–15 Liga III series were promoted to Liga II: Bucovina Pojorâta, Dunărea Călărași, Chindia Târgoviște, UTA Arad and Baia Mare.
Renamed teams
Academica Argeș was moved back to Clinceni and renamed Academica Clinceni. CF Brăila was renamed Dacia Unirea Brăila.
Seria I
Stadia by capacity and locations
Club City Stadium Capacity Academica Clinceni Clinceni 2,800 Bacău Bacău Letea 2,000 Balotești Balotești Central 3,780 Berceni Berceni Berceni 2,700 Bucovina Pojorâta Pojorâta 1,000 Ceahlăul Piatra Neamț Ceahlăul 18,000 Dacia Unirea Brăila Municipal 20,154 Dorohoi Dorohoi Municipal 2,000 Dunărea Călărași Ion Comșa 10,400 Farul Constanța Farul 15,520 Gloria Buzău Municipal 18,000 Oțelul Galați OțelulNicolae Rainea 13,50023,000 Rapid București Giulești-Valentin Stănescu 11,704 Rapid CFR Suceava Areni 12,500
Personnel and kits
Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players and Managers may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Team Manager Captain Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor Academica Clinceni Andrei Marinescu Joma Imamed Bacău Bogdan Miron Nike Sir Safety Balotești Cornel Nica Ionuţ Sandu Onze Sport — Berceni Epaminonda Nicu Givova — Bucovina Pojorâta Traian Jarda Legea — Ceahlăul Piatra Neamț Alexandru Barna Gems Getica 95, Rifil Dacia Unirea Brăila Alin Pânzaru Sorin Frunză Joma Comision Trade Dorohoi — — — — Dunărea Călărași Bogdan Panait Joma Prosol Farul Constanța Ion Barbu Florin Pătrașcu Legea — Gloria Buzău Cătălin Vlaicu Givova — Oțelul Galați Robert Ciurea Adidas — Rapid București Nicolae Vasile Puma Azuga Waters Rapid CFR Suceava Dorin Semeghin Givova Primăria și Consiliul Local Suceava
Managerial changes TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyPosition in tableIncoming managerDate of appointment Ceahlăul Mutual agreement 31 May 2015 Pre-season 21 July 2015 Academica Mutual agreement 30 June 2015 2 July 2015 Berceni Mutual agreement 30 June 2015 13 July 2015 Balotești Giovanni Pisano Mutual agreement 30 June 2015 18 July 2015 Rapid București End of contract 30 June 2015 24 July 2015 Rapid București Signed by Poli Timișoara 24 August 2015 28 August 2015 Dorohoi The club was dissolved 29 August 2015 — — Berceni Sacked 3 October 2015 13 (caretaker) 6 October 2015 Ceahlăul Resigned 4 October 2015 11 Mihai Ionescu (caretaker) 4 October 2015 Ceahlăul Mihai Ionescu (caretaker) End of tenure as a caretaker 29 October 2015 13 29 October 2015 Balotești Mutual agreement 11 November 2015 9 (caretaker) 11 November 2015 Berceni (caretaker) End of tenure as a caretaker 21 November 2015 9 21 November 2015 Ceahlăul Sacked 23 November 2015 13 23 November 2015 Rapid Suceava Mutual agreement 20 December 2015 8 21 December 2015 Balotești (caretaker) End of tenure as a caretaker 14 January 2016 10 14 January 2016 Ceahlăul Mutual agreement 18 January 2016 13 18 January 2016 Dunărea Signed by Voluntari 25 January 2016 1 4 February 2016 Oțelul Galați Daniel Florea Resigned 5 February 2016 12 26 February 2016 Academica Mutual agreement 15 March 2016 4 15 March 2016 Farul Resigned 16 March 2016 5 17 March 2016 Ceahlăul Mutual agreement 19 April 2016 6 Play-Out 19 April 2016 Farul Resigned 25 April 2016 6 Play-Off Ion Barbu 25 April 2016 Berceni Sacked 26 April 2016 2 Play-Out 26 April 2016 Rapid Suceava Mutual agreement 26 April 2016 4 Play-Out 26 April 2016
Seria II
Stadia by capacity and locations
Club City Stadium Capacity Baia Mare Baia Mare Viorel Mateianu 15,500 Bihor Oradea Oradea Iuliu Bodola 11,155 Brașov Brașov Silviu Ploeșteanu 8,800 Caransebeș Caransebeș Municipal 3,000 Chindia Târgoviște Eugen Popescu 10,000 Gaz Metan Mediaș Gaz Metan 7,814 Metalul Reșița Mircea Chivu 12,500 Mioveni Mioveni Orășenesc 7,000 Olimpia Satu Mare Olimpia 18,000 Râmnicu Vâlcea Râmnicu Vâlcea Municipal 12,000 Șoimii Pâncota Șoimii 2,000 Unirea Tărlungeni Unirea 1,000 Universitatea Cluj-Napoca Cluj Arena 30,201 UTA Arad Motorul 2,000
Personnel and kits
Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players and Managers may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Team Manager Captain Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor Baia Mare Ciprian Duruș Gems Baia Mare Bihor Oradea — — — — Brașov Mugurel Buga Acerbis Maurer Imobiliare Caransebeș — — — — Chindia Târgoviște Dragoș Pătru Joma Claunic, Azuga Waters Gaz Metan Mediaș Ionuț Buzean Joma Romgaz, Transgaz Metalul Reșița Nicolas Vitorović Uhlsport — Mioveni Bogdan Stoica Legea Mioveni Olimpia Satu Mare Cosmin Iuhas Joma Consiliul Judeţean Satu Mare Râmnicu Vâlcea Ionuț Stoica Adidas Damila Șoimii Pâncota Issa Thiaw Adidas Primăria Pâncota, Piroș Security Unirea Tărlungeni Liviu Nicolae Legea — Universitatea Cluj Raul Ciupe Erima — UTA Arad Sorin Botiș Saller Gemi Junior, Fornetti
Managerial changes TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyPosition in tableIncoming managerDate of appointment Brașov Mutual agreement 31 May 2015 Pre-season 15 June 2015 Metalul Mutual agreement 30 June 2015 16 July 2015 U Cluj Mutual agreement 30 June 2015 27 July 2015 Caransebeș Resigned 13 July 2015 Giovanni Pisano 28 July 2015 Brașov Resigned 8 September 2015 11 10 September 2015 Metalul Resigned 20 September 2015 14 22 September 2015 Gaz Metan Resigned 7 October 2015 3 (caretaker) 7 October 2015 Gaz Metan (caretaker) End of tenure as a caretaker 12 October 2015 7 12 October 2015 Mioveni Mutual agreement 19 October 2015 9 19 October 2015 Bihor Oradea Resigned 20 October 2015 11 (caretaker) 20 October 2015 Bihor Oradea (caretaker) End of tenure as a caretaker 27 October 2015 12 27 October 2015 U Cluj Sacked 27 October 2015 10 29 October 2015 Metalul Resigned 9 November 2015 14 9 November 2015 Caransebeș Giovanni Pisano Sacked 13 November 2015 12 (caretaker) 13 November 2015 Caransebeș (caretaker) End of tenure as a caretaker 23 November 2015 13 23 November 2015 Caransebeș The club was dissolved 31 December 2015 14 — — Brașov Mutual agreement 7 January 2016 5 8 January 2016 Bihor Oradea Signed by Mureşul Vinţu 8 January 2016 12 — — Brașov Resigned 15 March 2016 7 15 March 2016 Olimpia Mutual agreement 15 March 2016 10 15 March 2016 Șoimii Resigned 28 March 2016 9 29 March 2016 Râmnicu Vâlcea Resigned 4 April 2016 7 5 April 2016 Gaz Metan Signed by Botoșani 5 April 2016 1 6 April 2016 U Cluj Resigned 9 April 2016 2 Play-Out Zsolt Szilágyi 15 April 2016 Mioveni Resigned 17 April 2016 5 Play-Off 18 April 2016 U Cluj Zsolt Szilágyi Resigned 18 April 2016 3 Play-Out (caretaker) 18 April 2016 Baia Mare Resigned 25 April 2016 6 Play-Off (caretaker) 25 April 2016 Baia Mare (caretaker) End of tenure as a caretaker 28 April 2016 6 Play-Off 28 April 2016
League tables Seria I
Seria II
Promotion play-offs
At the end of the regular season, the first six teams from each series will play a Promotion play-off. The winners will be promoted to Liga I and the second place from both series will play a Play-Off match. The winner will play against 12th place in Liga I, and the winner of this second match will play in Liga I. The teams will start the play-off with half of the number of points gained in the regular season, after the results with the last two teams are canceled.
Seria I
Seria II
Relegation play-outs At the end of the regular season, the teams that are on 13th and 14th places will be relegated to Liga III. The teams from 7th place to 12th place will play a relegation play-out. At the end of the play-out, the last 3 teams in both series relegate directly, while the team that finishes on 3rd place from Seria I will play a Play-Out match with the 3rd place from Seria II, the loser of which will also relegate to Liga III. The teams will start the play-out with half of the number of points gained in the regular season, after the results with the last two teams are canceled.
Seria I
Seria II
Liga I play-offs The 12th-placed team of the Liga I faced the winner of the match between the 2nd-placed teams of Seria I and Seria II.
First round
Second round
Notes: Voluntari qualified for 2016–17 Liga I and UTA Arad qualified for 2016–17 Liga II.
Liga II play-out The 9th-placed team of the Seria I faced 9th-placed team of Seria II.
Notes: Gloria Buzău withdrew from the relegation play-out and the matches were homologated with 0–3. Gloria Buzău relegated to Liga III.
References