2007–08 Croatian First Football League Explained

Competition:T-Com Prva HNL
Season:2007–08
Dates:20 July 2007 –
10 May 2008
Winners:Dinamo Zagreb
10th Croatian title
14th domestic title
Runners-Up:Slaven Belupo
Relegated:Međimurje
Continentalcup1:Champions League
Continentalcup1 Qualifiers:Dinamo Zagreb
Continentalcup2:UEFA Cup
Continentalcup2 Qualifiers:Slaven Belupo
Hajduk Split (via Cup)
Continentalcup3:Intertoto Cup
Continentalcup3 Qualifiers:Rijeka
League Topscorer:Želimir Terkeš (21)
Biggest Home Win:Hajduk 7–1 Inter
Biggest Away Win:Inter 0–4 Dinamo
Highest Scoring:Hajduk 7–2 Inter
Zagreb 7–2 Zadar
Matches:198
Total Goals:573
Average Attendance:2,759
Prevseason:2006–07
Nextseason:2008–09

The 2007–08 Croatian First Football League (officially known as the T-Com Prva HNL for sponsorship reasons) was the seventeenth season of the Croatian First Football League, the national championship for men's association football teams in Croatia, since its establishment in 1992. The season started on 20 July 2007 and ended on 10 May 2008. Dinamo Zagreb were the defending champions, having won their eleventh championship title the previous season, and they defended the title again, after a win against Međimurje on 12 April 2008.

Promotion and relegation

Kamen Ingrad were automatically relegated to Druga HNL as they finished last in the previous season, while Inter Zaprešić were automatically promoted from Druga HNL after winning the 2006–07 title. In a two-legged playoff between Zadar and Pula, Zadar were promoted to Prva HNL by beating Pula with 6–2 on aggregate (3–0, 3–2).

Teams

Stadia and personnel

TeamManager1LocationStadiumCapacity
Srećko LušićStadion HNK Cibaliaalign=center 10,000
Dinamo Zagreb Zvonimir SoldoZagrebStadion Maksimiralign=center 37,168
Hajduk Split Robert JarniSplitStadion Poljudalign=center 35,000
Inter Zaprešić Milivoj BračunZagrebStadion ŠRC Zaprešićalign=center 5,000
Međimurje Miljenko DovečerČakovecStadion SRC Mladostalign=center 8,000
Osijek Ilija LončarevićOsijekStadion Gradski vrtalign=center 19,500
Rijeka Zlatko DalićRijekaStadion Kantridaalign=center 10,275
Slaven Belupo Krunoslav JurčićKoprivnicaGradski stadion u Koprivnicialign=center 4,000
Šibenik Ivica KalinićŠibenikStadion Šubićevacalign=center 8,000
Varteks Dražen BesekVaraždinStadion Varteksalign=center 10,800
Zadar Dalibor ZebićZadarStadion Stanovialign=center 5,860
NK Zagreb Miroslav BlaževićZagrebStadion Kranjčevićevaalign=center 8,850

League table

Results

The schedule consisted of three rounds. During the first two rounds, each team played each other once home and away for a total of 22 matches. The pairings of the third round were then set according to the standings after the first two rounds, giving every team a third game against each opponent for a total of 33 games per team.

Relegation play-off

Following the end of season, a home-and-away relegation/promotion play-off was contested between Inter Zaprešić (11th placed team in the First League) and Hrvatski Dragovoljac (2nd placed team in the 2007–08 Second Football League). Matches were played on 17 and 21 May 2008, with Inter Zaprešić retaining their top level status by beating Hrvatski Dragovoljac 2–0 on aggregate.

First leg
Second leg

Top goalscorers

RankPlayerClubGoals
1 Želimir TerkešZadar21
2 Radomir ĐalovićRijeka18
3 Nikola KalinićHajduk Split17
4 Krunoslav LovrekNK Zagreb14
5 Luka ModrićDinamo Zagreb13
6 Senijad IbričićNK Zagreb12
Željko MalčićCibalia
Mario MandžukićDinamo Zagreb
9 Boško BalabanDinamo Zagreb11
Anas SharbiniRijeka
Josip TadićDinamo Zagreb
Ognjen VukojevićDinamo Zagreb

See also

External links