10 essential questions when the Superliga resumes

1. Does FCSB miss the play-off for the first time?

Adrian Șut is a double champion with FCSB / PHOTO: Imago Images

Since 2015/16, when the current system was introduced, the Reds and Blues have wintered outside the play-off places for the first time, two points adrift of sixth, a gap he hopes to regain over the remaining nine stages.

However, the mission promises to be difficult, the schedule of the title holder being a complicated one, with four crucial trips, in front of opponents who are currently better positioned in the ranking: FC Argeș, Oțelul, U Craiova and UTA. In addition, the Bucharesters still have two games to play in the Europa League, games that further compress the schedule of the team coached by Elias Charalambous.

So far, 17 teams have played in the top group of the second phase of the competition, FCSB being the only one to have appeared in all 10 previous play-off editions

2. The title in the province or also in the Capital?

The winter break finds the University in the first position, a place that the blue-and-whites had not finished a calendar year since 1990-1991, a season at the end of which they won the title in the first league.

In the last two Superliga seasons, the title has landed in the capital every time, in the showcase of FCSB, after 8 consecutive years in which the most coveted domestic trophy went to teams from the province, in Constanța, Giurgiu or Cluj-Napoca.

With FCSB currently out of the play-off places, with Rapid and Dinamo, the other two representatives of Bucharest in the top 6, and with Craiova in the position of “winter champion”, it remains to be seen if the Superliga trophy will remain in the capital for the third year in a row or if again, after two years, a team from the province will be crowned.

64of the 107 championships were won by teams from Bucharest. The capital is followed by Timișoara – 10, Cluj-Napoca – 8, Arad – 6, Ploiești – 5, Craiova – 4, Pitesti, Constanța – 2, Brașov, Reșita, Oradea, Urziceni, Galați and Giurgiu – 1.

3. Which of the surprises last?

Perhaps more visibly than in any other season, the first part of the 2025-2026 season brought many surprises in the standings, in the foreground even with teams holding the headlines. With FCSB faltering and canceling seemingly every good match with a shocking failure, with CFR in agony, in some places completely out of breath, other teams, accustomed to the status of groups in the second part of the ranking, have now come to the fore.

FC Botoșani – UTA Arad

FC Botosanione of the revelations of the first 21 rounds, Leo Grozavu's team having 38 points at the time the championship was stopped, wintered in third place, with the best defense, and dreams of the play-offs. And not only that, even in European cups.

“Yes, we are thinking about the European cups. Someone asked me if I dream, I keep dreaming of winning the championship, but when I wake up I am no longer there. That is my wish. We are in an exceptional moment, money is not easily earned today, I do it with all the confidence and skill, I think that Botoșani can be a team that plays in the European cups”, said Valeriu Iftime, the financier of the Moldovans, on Thursday morning, at GSP Live.

1only once did the title reach Moldova, in 2010/11, when Oțelul won

FC Argeș and Oțelul Galați also surprised in the first months of the current season and currently occupied the places in the leading platoon, taking the face of the teams that seemed to be on the play-off list, but which so far do not have access there.

4. What is happening with CFR Cluj?

With 9 stages left to play in the regular season, it remains to be seen if the surprises of the first part of the championship will keep the pace and stay in the play-offs or if they will collapse.

CFR Cluj, the reigning vice-champion, has had a nightmare season so far. He changed three coaches, made transfers with names, but which were not confirmed. The club seemed, in many moments, without a compass, sometimes on the edge of the precipice, at the limit of hopelessness, other times “on a powder keg”, boiling in its own juices, in search of solutions.

Dan Petrescu left prematurely, Andrea Mandorlini prolonged the agony, and Daniel Pancu took over the team with one mission: to save the team.

Camora's tears, after a flash interview, explained the scale of the disaster at the team. The play-off seems far away, sometimes intangible, but CFR Cluj is still alive. The year 2026, however, is predicted to be a terrible one for the group from Gruia. Without Hindrich, Emerllahu and Louis Munteanu, they see themselves in a position to change the objective from qualifying for the play-offs to staying in the first league.

Otto Hindrich left CFR Cluj. Photo: Imago

5. Are the new graduates saved?

FC Argeș, Csikszereda and Metaloglobus, the three newly promoted teams, have opposite results after the first 21 stages. While the Argesians surprised and are on the play-off spot, seeming to have no more emotions regarding staying in the first league, the Harghites and Bucharest are in the “red zone”, on the 14th and 16th, respectively.

The common objective of the latter is indisputably saving from relegation, but the road to get there seems more than complicated.

• Casa Armatei Campulung Molodvenesc 1952 (3rd place), Progresul Bucharest 1955 (3rd place), Electroputere Craiova 1991/92 (3rd place) and Transylvania Tg. Mureș 2014/15 (2nd place) are the teams that got the podium immediately after being promoted from the second league, a list on which FC Argeș could also add its name, if it stays in the top.

34.5%of the teams that were promoted in the 2006/07 – 2024/25 seasons were relegated after only one year spent on the first stage!

6. Who becomes the top scorer?

Alex Dobre // PHOTO: Cristi Preda (GSP)

The current season is also notable for the very interesting battle for the top scorer title. Currently, the speedster Alexandru Dobre and the “student” from Cluj Jovo Lukic they lead the hierarchy, each with 11 successes, the two being followed by Florin Tănase – 10 goals, Andrei Cordea, Valentin Costache and Sebastian Mailat – 8.

Among the six, the red-blue Bucharest striker is the only one who has finished at the top of the hierarchy, even twice (2020/21 – 24 goals, 2021/22 – 20 goals), while Sebastian Mailat was the best local scorer of the 2022/23 season, when he scored 16 times.

Five interesting facts related to goalscorers in the history of Ligue 1:

• Nine goalscoring titles have been won by the speedsters over time, the last one being won by Marko Dugandzic in 2022/23.

• Septimiu Câmpeanu is the last goalscorer given by Cluj University, 24 goals scored in the 1979/80 season, one more than Marcel Răducanu, whom he surpassed in the last round, when he scored four times in the game U Cluj-FCM Galați 5-3.

• Six foreigners have won the top scorer title in the Super League, the last being Philip Otele (CFR Cluj) in 2023/24 (18 goals scored, tied with Florinel Coman).

• Three players finished at the top of the ranking four times each: Ștefan Dobay (Ripensia), Ion Oblemenco (Univ. Criaova) and Dudu Georgescu (Dinamo). At the opposite pole, the most unlucky was Florea Voinea, the legendary top of Stella, finishing second four times.

• Ladislau Bonyhádi from Arada scored 49 goals in the 1947/48 edition, the most scored by a player during a championship.

7. How much will the closing of the National Arena before the end of the season matter?

After two seasons in which the best stadium attendance averages in the last 20 years were recorded, the current season has seen a decline, being at the limit of the threshold of 6,000 spectators / match. Among the causes are the presence of two teams that played on neutral ground, Unirea Slobozia and Metaloglobus, but also the lower interest that the traditional duels aroused.

National Arena before Dinamo – Metaloglobus

An impediment could also be the closing in May of the largest stadium – the National Arena, where several play-off matches would be played, matches that would count a lot in increasing the total number of spectators.

Average attendance in recent seasons:

What's more, the closing of the National Arena could be decisive even in the fight for the title, Dinamo being the main one affected, the white-red group also considering the option of moving to another city.

8. Will there be problems with domestic and European licenses?

Another hop that Superliga teams will have to go through is obtaining licenses, both for domestic competition and European cups. The motive that creates emotions?

The financial problems, which have so far made their presence felt at several formations, among them CFR Cluj, Petrolul, even UTA, teams that at one point even received a ban on transfers.

Even at Oțelul, the pretender to the European places, the situation is not exactly good, with the players declaring that they have salary arrears.

I won't tell you how complicated it is to bring in millions of euros… There is a deficit of 4 million euros, it is not easy, from our companies, from our pockets… We are in an exceptional moment for Botoșani, the club must be supported, we must give millions of euros, money is not easily earned today, it is not the most pleasant situation, but I do it with all the confidence and skill.

I think that Botoșani can be a team that plays in European cups this year, considering the course. Yes, there is a deficit of 4 million euros for 2025. The total budget is 6 million or so, then what else do we take from TV rights, tickets, a little, and the rest advertising. We bring 3-4 million euros to football, year after year

– Valeriu Iftime, financier of FC Botoșani, at GSP Live

9. Who will be the first coach dismissed / resigned?

For the first time in 19 yearsduring this winter break there were no changes of coaches at the level of the technical benches between the stages between the years!

The last time no coach resigned or was fired during the offseason was 2006-07.

During the current season, there have been nine changes of coaches, six principals and three interims.

Ianis Zicu and Andrei Prepelita escaped danger for the moment, even if their names were on a list of possible removed coaches, and Ilyeș, who kept threatening to leave Miercurea Ciuc, stayed for the second part of the season.

10. Will an U21 player reach 10 goals?

Musi, in Dinamo – CFR Cluj/ PHOTO Cristi Preda (GSP)

The current generation of U21 players is below the others from previous years, and the numbers show it. Since the rule was introduced, in a single season he was the U21 top scorer with less than 10 successful goals, in the very first edition. On the opposite pole, the previous season, Louis Munteanu, the striker sold by CFR Cluj this winter, in the United States of America, was the top scorer of the Super League, even from the position of a player eligible for the U21 rules.

In the current season, the best U21 scorers are Alexandru Musi (4 goals) and Alexandru Stoian (3 goals).

The standings at the time of the resumption of the Superliga