At the end of 2023, after the end of the stage with number 21, Botoșani and Dinamo seemed “dead and buried“. An impression that was reinforced, especially in the case of the Bucharesters, after the resumption of the championship. Because Dinamo started 2024 with three successive failures: 0-1 with Petrolul, 1-2 with Rapid and 1-2 with Mititelu's Craiova!
Nicolae Dică, FC Voluntari coach
Since then, however, more precisely after stage number 24, Dinamo has changed for the better. The fact that he has only one failure in the last five rounds, 0-4 against CFR, in Cluj is also proof. Otherwise, victories with Farul (2-0), Oțelul (3-1) and Hermannstadt (1-0) and a draw “liar” with Poli Iasi away, score 0-0. Because in this game only bad luck prevented the red-whites from taking all the points.
Dinamo's improving form coincided with the Voluntari's collapse. This team, with two coaches in the current season – Marin Dună (stages 1-23), Nicolae Dică (from stage 24) – now seems the main candidate for direct relegation, along with FC Botoșani! Such a scenario turned Dica into “Demolition“. Because, last season, with him on the bench, CS Mioveni was also relegated. And after this missed experience, Dică had another unsuccessful mandate, resisting five stages in Mititelu's Craiova, with 2 victories and 3 defeats.
Returning to Dinamo, more and more people in Romanian football believe in saving the “dogs” from relegation. Which is also evident from the statements below:
*Mihai Stoica (FCSB manager): I admit that, mentally, Dinamo won in Iași. Because the players realize they are above the teams fighting to avoid relegation. I say that Dinamo is in the first half of the play-out, they should not have emotions (no – relegation).
*Mircea Rednic (UTA coach): Dinamo is a much more solid team now, compared to the beginning of the season. In the beginning, there was spectacle, philosophy, but no scoring opportunities. Now it's different. Kopic is an experienced coach, he is efficient, he does not philosophize.
The 30th stage, the last of the regular season
Friday
CFR Cluj – Hermannstadt 20.00
Dinamo – UTA 20.00
Petrolul – Sepsi 20.00
Volunteers – Cluj University 20.00
Botoșani – Farul 20.00
Saturday
Fast – FCSB 20.00
Sunday
FC U Craiova 1948 – Craiova University 20.45
Months
Oțelul Galati – Poli Iasi 20.00
Ranking
1. FCSB 29 19 7 3 53-24 64
2. Fast 29 14 10 5 51-32 52
3. CFR Cluj 29 14 8 7 53-29 50
4. University of Craiova 29 12 10 7 45-37 46
5. Constanta Lighthouse 29 11 9 9 37-38 42
6. Cluj University 29 10 11 8 35-38 41
7. Sepsis 29 11 7 11 41-33 40
8. Hermannstadt 29 9 13 7 36-30 40
9. UTA 29 10 10 9 36-42 40
10. Oil 29 7 14 8 28-30 35
11. Galati Steel 29 6 15 8 30-35 33
12. Poli Iasi 29 7 11 11 32-43 32
13. FC U Craiova 1948 29 9 4 16 42-48 31
14. Volunteers 29 6 9 14 31-49 27
15. Dynamo 29 7 5 17 21-41 26
16. Botoșani 29 3 11 15 30-52 20
*Places 1-6 enter the play-off (round-trip, 10 stages in total).
*Places 7-16 will continue in the play-out (single leg, 9 stages in total).
*The 1st place in the play-off participates in the Champions League, and the 2nd and 3rd place in the play-off, in the Europa Conference League.
*The 3rd place in the play-off will play a play-off with the winner of the play-off between the 1st and 2nd places in the play-out for a place in the Europa Conference League.
*The 9th and 10th places in the play-out are directly relegated. The relegable places 7/8 in the play-out play a play-off with the places 3/4 in League 2.
