Liga 3, commonly styled as Liga III, is the third level of the Romanian football league system. Since April 2026, the competition has been officially known as Superscore Liga 3 under a naming-rights agreement between the Romanian Football Federation (FRF) and Superscore. The league was founded in 1936 as Divizia C. During the 1992 reorganisation of the Romanian league system, the third tier was renamed Divizia B; the traditional divisional names were restored in 1997. The competition has been called Liga III since the 2006–07 season.
History Divizia C was established in 1936 as a national third tier between Divizia B and the regional championships. For much of its early history, however, the competition was not held on a continuous basis and its format changed repeatedly.
Until 1963, the competition was held irregularly. After the first two seasons (1936–37 and 1937–38), Divizia C was discontinued and resumed only for the 1946–47 season. Following another interruption, a new attempt was made in 1948–49, but the season was abandoned midway.
The fourth edition took place in 1956, followed by the 1957–58 and 1958–59 seasons. After another four-year hiatus, the competition returned in 1963–64 with four geographical series—East, West, South and North—of twelve teams each. The series were expanded to fourteen teams in 1964–65, and the competition has been held every season since 1963–64, although its structure has changed numerous times.
From 1968–69, the league was expanded to eight geographical series of sixteen teams. It was reorganised again in 1971–72 into twelve series of fourteen teams, with the series increasing to sixteen teams from 1973–74. That structure remained in place until the 1992 reorganisation, when the third tier was reduced to four series of twenty teams and renamed Divizia B.
In the 2020–21 season, Liga III was reorganised from five to ten geographically based series of ten teams each during the COVID-19 pandemic period. Each series was played in a double round-robin format. At the end of the regular season, a promotion play-off system was introduced in two rounds, with teams from paired series (1–2, 3–4, 5–6, 7–8, 9–10) competing to determine the five teams promoted to Liga II.
From the 2021–22 season, the competition was played in three stages. After an 18-match regular season, the top four teams in each series entered a play-off and the remaining six entered a play-out. The top two teams from each series play-off then advanced to two rounds of inter-series promotion play-offs, which produced five promoted teams.
The same basic structure remained in use through 2024–25. The 2023–24 season was an exception in that six teams were promoted because Liga II was being expanded to 22 clubs. Five places were awarded through the normal promotion play-offs, while the sixth was decided by an additional mini-tournament involving four of the five teams that lost in the promotion-play-off finals. In 2024–25, the number of promotion places returned to five.
Current format Beginning with the 2025–26 season, Liga III was reduced from 100 to 96 teams and reorganised into eight geographically based series of twelve clubs. The competition is played in two main phases: the regular season, followed by separate play-off and play-out competitions. The same format was retained for the 2026–27 season.
During the regular season, the twelve teams in each series play one another home and away, for a total of 22 matches per club. The top four teams advance to the promotion play-offs, while the teams placed 5th–12th enter the play-outs.
For the play-offs, neighbouring regular-season series are paired (1–2, 3–4, 5–6 and 7–8), creating four eight-team groups. Clubs carry forward only the points earned during the regular season against the other teams from their original series that also qualified for the play-off. They then play home and away against the four qualifiers from the paired series, adding eight matches. The winner of each play-off group is promoted directly to Liga II. The four runners-up enter a single-match knockout tournament, consisting of two semi-finals and a final, to determine the fifth promoted team.
In each play-out, the teams placed 5th–12th in the regular season keep all of their accumulated points and play a single round-robin of seven additional matches. The bottom two teams in each of the eight play-out groups are relegated to Liga IV. Five more teams are relegated from among the eight clubs finishing sixth in their respective play-out groups, based on an overall ranking.
List of champions and promoted teams Source:
Divizia C (1974–1992) The following tables list the series winners from the 1974–75 season onward; earlier editions were played under several different formats.
SeasonSeria ISeria IISeria IIISeria IVSeria VSeria VISeria VIISeria VIIISeria IXSeria XSeria XISeria XII1974–75 Botoșani Viitorul Vaslui Prahova Ploiești Cimentul Medgidia Dunărea Giurgiu Chimia Turnu Măgurele Minerul Motru Unirea Tomnatic Dacia Orăștie CIL Sighet Gloria Bistrița Nitramonia Făgăraș1975–76 Minerul Gura Humorului Relonul Săvinești Olimpia Râmnicu Sărat Portul Constanța Tehnometal București Flacăra-Automecanica Moreni Minerul Lupeni Aurul Brad Armătura Zalău Minerul Cavnic Chimica Târnăveni Oltul Sfântu Gheorghe1976–77 Botoșani Viitorul Vaslui Carpați Sinaia Tulcea Autobuzul București Muscelul Câmpulung Pandurii Târgu Jiu Minerul Moldova Nouă Victoria Carei Avântul Reghin ICIM Brașov Gaz Metan Mediaș1977–78 Minerul Gura Humorului Constructorul Iași Progresul Brăila Chimia Brazi ȘN Oltenița Viitorul Scornicești Drobeta-Turnu Severin Minerul Anina Înfrățirea Oradea Minerul Cavnic Poiana Câmpina IS Câmpia Turzii1978–79 Botoșani Energia Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej Unirea Focșani Cimentul Medgidia Mecanică Fină București Flacăra-Automecanica Moreni Pandurii Târgu Jiu Unirea Alba Iulia Strungul Arad Someșul Satu Mare Carpați Mârșa Viitorul Gheorgheni1979–80 Ceahlăul Piatra Neamț Borzești CSU Galați IMU Medgidia Sirena București ROVA Roșiori Minerul Lupeni CFR Timișoara Rapid Arad CIL Sighet Metalul Aiud Oltul Sfântu Gheorghe1980–81 Constructorul Iași Relonul Săvinești Oțelul Galați Dunărea Călărași Automatica București Energia Slatina Drobeta-Turnu Severin Strungul Arad Someșul Satu Mare Minerul Ilba-Seini Carpați Mârșa ICIM Brașov1981–82 Minerul Gura Humorului Borzești Prahova Ploiești Metalosport Galați Dinamo Victoria București ROVA Roșiori Minerul Motru Metalurgistul Cugir Gloria Reșița Armătura Zalău IS Câmpia Turzii Precizia Săcele1982–83 Chimia Fălticeni Partizanul Bacău Olimpia Râmnicu Sărat Unirea Slobozia Metalul Plopeni Chimia Turnu Măgurele Constructorul TCI Craiova CFR Caransebeș Minerul Lupeni CFR Cluj-Napoca Avântul Reghin Nitramonia Făgăraș1983–84 CFR Pașcani FEPA 74 Bârlad Metalul Mangalia AS Mizil Mecanică Fină București Flacăra-Automecanica Moreni Drobeta-Turnu Severin Mureșul Deva Strungul Arad Sticla Arieșul Turda Unirea Alba Iulia Tractorul Brașov1984–85 Minerul Vatra Dornei Aripile Bacău Delta Tulcea Dunărea Călărași ICSIM București Muscelul Câmpulung Electroputere Craiova Metalul Bocșa Înfrățirea Oradea CIL Sighet Mecanica Orăștie ICIM Brașov1985–86 Minerul Gura Humorului Unirea Dinamo Focșani FEPA 74 Bârlad Unirea Slobozia Autobuzul București ROVA Roșiori Gloria Pandurii Târgu Jiu Minerul Paroșeni Steaua CFR Cluj-Napoca Unio Satu Mare Inter Sibiu Poiana Câmpina1986–87 Siretul Pașcani Inter Vaslui Petrolul Ianca Sportul 30 Decembrie Metalul București Sportul Muncitoresc Caracal Gloria Reșița Progresul Timișoara Sticla Arieșul Turda Minerul Baia Sprie Electromureș Târgu Mureș Metalul Plopeni1987–88 ASA Explorări Câmpulung-Moldovenesc Aripile Victoria Bacău Metalul Mangalia Dunărea Călărași Metalul Mija Dacia Pitești Minerul Motru CFR Timișoara Minerul Cavnic Unirea Alba Iulia Avântul Reghin Poiana Câmpina1988–89 Foresta Fălticeni Viitorul Vaslui Olimpia Râmnicu Sărat Unirea Slobozia Autobuzul București Mecanică Fină București Constructorul TCI Craiova Vagonul Arad Mureșul Explorări Deva IMASA Sfântu Gheorghe Steaua CFR Cluj-Napoca Someșul Satu Mare1989–90 Fortus Iași Borzești Gloria CFR Galați Callatis Mangalia Progresul București Electroputere Craiova Șoimii IPA Sibiu Montana Sinaia Vulturii Lugoj Aurul Brad Metalurgistul Cugir CIL Sighet1990–91 Relonul Săvinești FEPA 74 Bârlad Petrolul Ianca Portul Constanța Metalul București Metrom Brașov Olt Scornicești Jiul IEELIF Craiova Electromureș Târgu Mureș Minerul Cavnic CFR Cluj-Napoca UM Timișoara CFR Pașcani Cotidianul Bacău Delta Tulcea Metalul Plopeni Electrica Fieni Dunărea Călărași Dacia Pitești Mureșul Toplița Minerul Mătăsari Arsenal Reșița Șoimii Lipova Cuprom Baia MareFollowing the reorganisation of the league system in the summer of 1992, no team was promoted from the third tier.
Divizia B (1992–1997) Season Seria ISeria II Seria IIISeria IV1992–93 Constructorul Iași Metalul Plopeni Gaz Metan Mediaș Phoenix Baia Mare 1993–94 Cetatea Târgu Neamț Poiana Câmpina Dacia Pitești Unirea Dej Foresta Fălticeni Oțelul Târgoviște Minerul Motru Minaur ZlatnaOther promoted teams: Electro Mecon Onești (I), Dunărea Călărași (II), ARO Câmpulung (III), Olimpia Satu Mare (IV).1995–96 Petrolul Moinești Danubiana București Precizia Săcele CFR Cluj-Napoca 1996–97 Nitramonia Făgăraș Midia Năvodari Vega Deva UM Timișoara
Divizia C (1997–2006) Season Seria ISeria II Seria IIISeria IV Laminorul Roman Cimentul Fieni Rulmentul Alexandria Bihor OradeaOther promoted teams: Chimica Târnăveni (I), Drobeta-Turnu Severin (III) Diplomatic Focșani Callatis Mangalia Electro Bere Craiova UM TimișoaraOther promoted teams: Juventus București (II), Flacăra Râmnicu Vâlcea (III)
Season Seria ISeria II Seria IIISeria IVSeria VSeria VI1999–2000 Apemin Borsec Hondor Agigea Fulgerul Bragadiru Cetate Deva Pandurii Târgu Jiu Baia Mare
Season Seria ISeria II Seria IIISeria IVSeria VSeria VISeria VIISeria VIII2000–01Petrolul Moinești Dacia Unirea Brăila Inter Gaz București Electromagnetica București Inter Pitești Minaur Zlatna IS Câmpia Turzii Universitatea Cluj2001–02Politehnica Unirea Iași Gloria Buzău Medgidia Rulmentul Alexandria Minerul Motru Corvinul Hunedoara Metrom Brașov CFR Cluj-Napoca Petrolul Moinești Unirea Urziceni Juventus București Dacia Mioveni Rarora Râmnicu Vâlcea Jiul Petroșani Oltul Sfântu Gheorghe Armătura ZalăuOther promoted teams: Laminorul Roman (I), FC Vaslui (I), Poiana Câmpina (II), Callatis Mangalia (III), Electrica Constanța (III), Chindia Târgoviște (IV), Building Vânju Mare (V), Certej (VI), ACU Arad (VI), Precizia Săcele (VII), Tricotaje Ineu (VIII), Oașul Negrești (VIII).
Season Seria ISeria II Seria IIISeria IVSeria VSeria VISeria VIISeria VIIISeria IX2003–04Botoșani Dunărea Galați Otopeni Ghimbav Oltul Slatina Politehnica Timișoara Unirea Sânnicolau Mare Unirea Dej FC Sibiu2004–05Cetatea Suceava Portul Constanța Dunărea Giurgiu Poiana Câmpina Râmnicu Vâlcea CFR Timișoara Minerul Lupeni Forex Brașov Gloria Bistrița II Politehnica Iași II Delta Tulcea Snagov Chimia Brazi Building Vânju Mare Oltchim Râmnicu Vâlcea Auxerre Lugoj Baia Mare GhimbavGhimbav were not eligible for promotion; runners-up Tractorul Brașov were promoted instead.
Liga III (2006–present)