FCSB wants something unprecedented in the Super League! Charlambous' job is on the line

For the first time in the 11 years since the Superliga has been played in the play-off and play-out system, FCSB will play in the second value groupmissing the TOP 6 in a special season, in which the record of points needed to occupy the 6th place was broken.

The team from Bucharest did not dwell too much on the failure and reconfigured the goal on the fly: the new target is to win the play-out and later the barrier for qualification in the Conference League.

FCSB wants what no play-out team has achieved before: to win the Conference League play-off

It would be a first like this play-off, contested between the best team in the play-out and the last team ranked in the European Cup place in the play-off, to be won by the team from the second value group.

It was implemented in the 2020/2021 season, with the aim “that all play-out matches have a sporting stake”. In the 5 seasons since then, 4 times the play-off team has won, and once it was canceled due to the play-out configuration.

It would, therefore, be a first for the Conference League to reach the representative of the play-out, which FCSB proposes for this end of the season.

Elias Charlambous' job depends on qualification in the Conference League

It is an important goal, on which the positions of head coach Elias Charalambous and “secondary” Mihai Pintilii depend.

At least that's what boss Gigi Becali claimed on Sunday eveningafter confirming that FCSB will play in the play-out:

“There is no question of Charalambous and Pintilii leaving now, but if the team does not participate in any European competition we will change the coach.”

What has happened in the dams so far

Season 2020/2021

Season 2021/2022

• The 1st leg was not played, because Sepsi OSK, the winner of the play-out, got the European tickets thanks to the triumph in the Romanian Cup

• Leg 2: Craiova University (3rd place in the play-off) – FC Botoșani (2nd place in the play-out) 2-0

Season 2022/2023

• Leg 1: FCU Craiova (1st place in play-out) – FC Voluntari (3rd place in play-out) 3-3 (5-4 on penalties)

• Leg 2: CFR Cluj (3rd place in the play-off) – FCU Craiova 1-0

Season 2023/2024

• Leg 1: Oțelul (2nd place in the play-out) – U Cluj (4th place in the play-out) 0-2

• Leg 2: Universitatea Craiova (3rd place in the play-off) – U Cluj 1-1 (5-4 on penalties)

Season 2024/2025

It is not necessary to rank 1 or 2 in the play-out

Not always the first two ranked in the play-out contest the play-off, but the first two teams to apply for – and obtain – a UEFA licencenecessary for participation in European cups.

Teams in insolvency or bankruptcy, for example, cannot obtain the right to participate in European cups.

But the line is drawn at 4th place in the play-out10 per ensemble. If only one team from the top 4 placed in the play-out has the European license, then it goes directly to the play-off final. If none of them have the right to participate in the European cups, then the tie is cancelledas happened in the previous season.

Then, out of the 10 play-out teams, only TWO had the UEFA license, Farul and Sepsi OSK, but the Dobrogens finished the season in 11th place (5th in the play-out), and the team from Sf. Gheorghe was relegated!

The standings in the Superliga, with one stage remaining in the regular season