The 2016–17 Liga II was the 77th season of the Liga II, the second tier of the Romanian football league system. The season began on 6 August 2016.
A total of 20 teams contested the league. It was the first Liga II season with a single series. The season was played in a round-robin tournament. The first two teams promoted to Liga I at the end of the season and the third-placed team played a play-off match against the 12th-placed team from Liga I. The last five teams relegated to Liga III.
Team changes
To Liga II Promoted from Liga III Sepsi OSK Juventus București Afumați ASU Politehnica Timișoara Luceafărul Oradea Relegated from Liga I —
From Liga II Relegated to Liga III Gloria Buzău Universitatea Cluj Bucovina Pojorâta Ceahlăul Piatra Neamț Oțelul Galați Bihor Oradea Dorohoi Caransebeș Promoted to Liga I Gaz Metan Mediaș
Excluded teams After the end of the last season, Petrolul Ploiești was dissolved.
On 21 July 2016 Rapid București was excluded from Liga I after the club went into dissolution. Their place was taken by Poli Timișoara.
Farul Constanța withdrew from Liga II due to financial difficulties and enrolled in Liga III.
SC Bacău withdrew from Liga II due to financial difficulties and enrolled in Liga III.
Baia Mare withdrew from the championship due to financial difficulties.
Teams spared from relegation Foresta Suceava, Unirea Tărlungeni and Metalul Reșița were spared from relegation due to lack of teams.
Renamed teams Rapid CFR Suceava was renamed as Foresta Suceava.
Moved teams ACS Berceni moved from Berceni to Buftea.
Unirea Tărlungeni was moved from Tărlungeni to Ștefăneștii de Jos and took all the players and the staff of CS Ștefănești which was dissolved.
Metalul Reșița was moved from Reșița to Snagov and took all the players and the staff of Voința Snagov which was dissolved.
Șoimii Pâncota was moved from Pâncota to Șiria.
Stadiums by capacity Club City Stadium Capacity Academica Clinceni Clinceni 2,800 Afumați Afumați Comunal 3,000 ASU Politehnica Timișoara Știința / Dan Păltinișanu 1,000 / 32,972 Balotești Balotești Central 3,780 Berceni Berceni CNAF / Orășenesc 1,600 / 1,500 Brașov Brașov Silviu Ploeșteanu 8,800 Chindia Târgoviște Eugen Popescu 6,500 Dacia Unirea Brăila Municipal 20,154 Dunărea Călărași Ion Comșa 10,400 Foresta Suceava Areni 7,000 Juventus Bucharest Juventus 6,000 Luceafărul Oradea Luceafărul / Iuliu Bodola 2,200 / 11,155 Metalul Snagov Voința 2,000 Mioveni Mioveni Orășenesc 7,000 Olimpia Satu Mare Olimpia 18,000 Râmnicu Vâlcea Râmnicu Vâlcea Municipal 12,000 Sepsi Sfântu Gheorghe Municipal 5,000 Șoimii Șiria Otto Greffner 1,100 Unirea Ștefănești Dumitru Mătărău 1,200 UTA Arad Motorul / Otto Greffner 2,000 / 1,380
Stadiums by locations
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 Florin Matache Joma Salerm Cosmetics Afumați Răzvan Patriche Nike — ASU Politehnica Westiment Alexandrion Balotești Augustin Călin Ionuț Sandu Joma — Berceni — — — — Brașov Florin Iacob Acerbis Maurer Imobiliare Chindia Târgoviște Dragoș Pătru Joma Regata Dacia Unirea Brăila Alin Pânzaru Laurențiu Ivan Joma Trade Dunărea Călărași Cezar Lungu Jako Condorul, Prosol Foresta Suceava Daniel Lung Givova Primăria Suceava Juventus București Valentin Bărbulescu Joma — Luceafărul Oradea Constantin Roșu Adidas — Metalul Reșița Mihai Stoica Cristian Munteanu Nike — Mioveni Roberto Ayza Legea Primăria Mioveni Olimpia Satu Mare Cosmin Iuhas Joma Consiliul Judeţean Satu Mare Râmnicu Vâlcea — — — — Sepsi OSK Attila Hadnagy Adidas Gyermelyi Șoimii Pâncota — — — — Unirea Tărlungeni — — — — UTA Arad Alin Gligor Saller Pletl
Managerial changes TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyPosition in tableIncoming managerDate of appointment Luceafărul (caretaker) End of tenure as a caretaker 31 May 2016 Pre-season 9 June 2016 Unirea Tărlungeni Mutual agreement 17 June 2016 Pre-season 2 August 2016 Râmnicu Vâlcea Mutual agreement 26 June 2016 Pre-season 27 June 2016 Mioveni Mutual agreement 26 June 2016 Pre-season 27 June 2016 Foresta Suceava End of contract 2 July 2016 Pre-season 2 July 2016 Brașov End of contract 3 July 2016 Pre-season 25 July 2016 Olimpia Satu Mare Resigned 25 July 2016 Pre-season 28 July 2016 Metalul Reșița Mutual agreement 5 August 2016 Pre-season 5 August 2016 Șoimii Pâncota End of contract 5 August 2016 Pre-season (caretaker) 5 August 2016 Berceni Mutual agreement 5 August 2016 Pre-season 5 August 2016 Foresta Suceava Mutual agreement 16 August 2016 17 17 August 2016 Luceafărul Resigned 27 August 2016 16 29 August 2016 Metalul Reșița Mutual agreement 8 September 2016 18 Mihai Stoica 9 September 2016 Academica Resigned 27 September 2016 15 (caretaker) 28 September 2016 Șoimii Pâncota (caretaker) End of tenure as a caretaker 28 September 2016 20 29 September 2016 UTA Arad Sacked 9 October 2016 8 10 October 2016 Șoimii Pâncota Resigned 11 October 2016 20 (caretaker) 11 October 2016 Berceni Mutual agreement 13 October 2016 19 14 October 2016 Șoimii Pâncota (caretaker) The team was dissolved. 28 October 2016 20 — — Unirea Tărlungeni Mutual agreement 31 October 2016 16 Adrian Matei 1 November 2016 Luceafărul Resigned 8 November 2016 11 (caretaker) 9 November 2016 Berceni The team was dissolved. 13 November 2016 19 — — Râmnicu Vâlcea Mutual agreement 8 December 2016 14 (caretaker) 9 December 2016 Balotești Mutual agreement 22 December 2016 16 Augustin Călin 27 February 2017 Unirea Tărlungeni Adrian Matei Mutual agreement 28 December 2016 17 — — Luceafărul (caretaker) End of tenure as a caretaker 31 December 2016 8 9 January 2017 Academica (caretaker) End of tenure as a caretaker 31 December 2016 13 20 January 2017 Râmnicu Vâlcea (caretaker) Signed by Atletic Bradu 13 January 2017 14 — — Luceafărul Mutual agreement 14 March 2017 9 14 March 2017 Foresta Suceava Mutual agreement 29 March 2017 11 (caretaker) 30 March 2017 Mioveni Sacked 28 April 2017 5 28 April 2017 Academica Mutual agreement 11 May 2017 14 11 May 2017
League table
Season results
Liga I play-off The 12th-placed team of the Liga I faced the 3rd-placed team of the Liga II.
Notes: ACS Poli Timișoara qualified for 2017–18 Liga I and UTA Arad qualified for 2017–18 Liga II.
Season statistics
Top scorers Updated to matches played on 3 June 2017. Rank Player Club Goals1 Bogdan ChipirliuJuventus București302 Attila HadnagySepsi OSK28 Adrian PetreUTA Arad4 Cristian CherchezChindia Târgoviște19 Marian VladaAfumați6 Marius Matei Foresta Suceava (9) / Luceafărul Oradea (9)187 Claudiu HereaBalotești178 Ștefan BlănaruASU Politehnica Timișoara16
Clean sheets Updated to matches played on 3 June 2017. Rank Player ClubClean sheets*1 Bogdan MironUTA Arad162 Relu StoianJuventus București153 Roland NiczulySepsi OSK134 Teodor MeilăChindia Târgoviște125 Iulian Anca-TripOlimpia Satu Mare11 Flavius Croitoru Mioveni
*Only goalkeepers who played all 90 minutes of a match are taken into consideration.
Attendances
References