First Football League (Croatia) Explained

Prva NL
Confed:UEFA
Teams:12
Organiser:HNS
Promotion:HNL
Relegation:2. NL
Levels:2
Domest Cup:Hrvatski nogometni kup
Champions:Šibenik (3rd title)
Season:2023–24
Most Successful Club:Cibalia
Inter Zaprešić
Marsonia
RNK Split
Hrvatski Dragovoljac
Šibenik (3 titles)
Tv:MAX Sport
Current:2023–24 season

The Prva nogometna liga (English: First football league),[1] [2] commonly Prva NL or 1. NL, is the second tier of the football league system in Croatia. The league was formed in 1991 with the breakup of Yugoslavia and the dissolution of the Yugoslav Second League. The 1. NL is operated by the Croatian Football Federation, which also was formed in 1991, contributing (along with the newly formed Football Association of Slovenia) to the dissolution of the Football Association of Yugoslavia.

Between the 2001–02 season and 2005–06 season, the league was split in two divisions, one being the Northern Croatian Second League and the other being the Southern Croatian Second League. Each of these two leagues comprised twelve teams playing under a system pretty much identical to the one in the HNL. However, since the start of the 2006–07 season, the First Football League consisted of at least twelve teams from the entire country. Relegation from this division is into the 2. NL.

From the inaugural merged season in 2006–07 until 2021–22, the division was known as the Second Football League (Croatian: Druga nogometna liga), but was renamed as were the other leagues of the Croatian football system for the start of the 2022–23 season.[3]

Winning clubs

Key

Winners that haven't been promoted due to various reasons
SeasonDivisionsDivision winnersClubs promoted to HNLTop scorerGoals
1992Zagreb (6 clubs)Radnik Velika GoricaRadnik Velika Gorica
Segesta
Belišće
Pazinka
Dalmatia (8 clubs)Primorac Stobreč
Rijeka & Istra (4 clubs)Pazinka
1992–93North (16 clubs)Dubrava ZagrebDubrava Zagreb
Primorac Stobreč
South (16 clubs)Primorac Stobreč
1993–94North (16 clubs)MarsoniaMarsonia
Neretva
South (16 clubs)Neretva
1994–95North (16 clubs)Slavonija PožegaSlavonija Požega
Orijent
Mladost 127
Uskok Klis
Dubrovnik
Hrvatski Dragovoljac
South (17 clubs)Uskok Klis
West (19 clubs)Hrvatski Dragovoljac
1995–96North (16 clubs)Slaven BelupoSlaven Belupo
Olimpija Osijek
Graničar
Čakovec Union
Junak Sinj
Mosor
Samobor
Ponikve
Zagorec Krapina
Napredak Velika Mlaka
South (16 clubs)Junak Sinj
West (18 clubs)Samobor
1996–97Center (16 clubs)LučkoNone
East (16 clubs)Croatia Đakovo
North (16 clubs)Budućnost Hodošan
South (19 clubs)RNK Split
West (16 clubs)Jadran Poreč
1997–98Center (17 clubs)SegestaCibalia
East (16 clubs)Cibalia
North (16 clubs)Čakovec
South (17 clubs)RNK Split
West (16 clubs)Jadran Poreč
1998–9919 clubsVukovar '91 Dubravko Zdrilić29
1999–0017 clubsMarsoniaMarsonia
Čakovec
Miroslav Vukić26
2000–0118 clubsKamen IngradKamen Ingrad
Pomorac Kostrena
Zadar
TŠK Topolovac
2001–02North (16 clubs)Vukovar '91None
South (16 clubs)Istra Pula
2002–03North (16 clubs)MarsoniaMarsonia
Inker Zaprešić
South (16 clubs)Inker Zaprešić
2003–04North (16 clubs)MeđimurjeMeđimurje
Pula 1856
South (16 clubs)Pula 1856
2004–05North (16 clubs)CibaliaCibalia
South (16 clubs)Novalja
2005–06North (16 clubs)BelišćeŠibenik
South (16 clubs)Šibenik
2006–0716 clubsInter ZaprešićInter Zaprešić
Zadar
Zdravko Popović30
2007–0816 clubsCroatia SesveteCroatia Sesvete Marijan Maruna19
2008–0916 clubsIstra 1961 Marijan Vuka19
2009–1014 clubsRNK SplitRNK Split
Hrvatski Dragovoljac
Romano Obilinović17
2010–1116 clubsGoricaLučko Hrvoje Tokić19
2011–1215 clubsDugopoljeNone Alen Guć16
2012–1316 clubsHrvatski DragovoljacHrvatski Dragovoljac Dražen Pilčić18
2013–1412 clubsNK ZagrebNK Zagreb Ilija Nestorovski20
2014–1512 clubsInter ZaprešićInter Zaprešić Ilija Nestorovski24
2015–1612 clubsCibaliaCibalia Frane Vitaić15
2016–1712 clubsRudešRudeš Benjamin Tatar13
2017–1812 clubsGoricaGorica Domagoj Drožđek16
2018–1914 clubsVaraždinVaraždin Leon Benko21
2019–20[4] 16 clubsŠibenikŠibenik Mijo Šabić12
2020–2118 clubsHrvatski DragovoljacHrvatski Dragovoljac Marko Dabro30
2021–2216 clubsVaraždinVaraždin Ivan Durdov13
2022–2312 clubsRudešRudeš Ivor Ljubanović14
2023–2412 clubsŠibenikŠibenik Dominik Dogan23

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Savez promijenio imena liga: Druga HNL odsad će biti Prva liga, ali to nisu jedine promjene. 3 July 2022.
  2. Web site: Od sezone 2024./25. Prva NL će imati deset klubova. 3 July 2022. 6 July 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220706153158/https://www.hntv.hr/vijesti/od-sezone-2024-25-prva-nl-ce-imati-deset-klubova. dead.
  3. Web site: Fabijan Hrnčić . HNL still remains, and the second league is now the first . 24 Sata . 24 July 2022 . 6 June 2022.
  4. News: Nastavak nogometnih natjecanja 30. svibnja . hns-cff.hr . 6 May 2020 . 6 May 2020 . hr.