Serbian SuperLiga explained

Pixels:150px
Country:Serbia
Confed:UEFA
Teams:16
Relegation:Serbian First League
Levels:1
Domest Cup:Serbian Cup
Confed Cup:UEFA Champions League
UEFA Europa League
UEFA Europa Conference League
Champions:Red Star (10th title)
Season:2023–24
Most Successful Club:Red Star
(10 titles)
Most Appearances:Janko Tumbasević (390 matches)
Top Goalscorer:Milan Bojović
(103 goals)
Tv:Arena Sport, Adria TV
Current:2024–25 Serbian SuperLiga

The Serbian Super League (Serbian: Супер лига Србије / Super liga Srbije), stylized as Mozzart SuperLiga for sponsorship reasons, is a Serbian professional league for football clubs.

At the top of the Serbian football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It operates a system of promotion and relegation with Serbian First League, the second tier in the Serbian football pyramid. Serbian Super League is usually contested by 16 clubs, but the 2020–21 season was contested by 20 clubs, because the Football Association of Serbia restructured the league due to the COVID-19 pandemic, operating a system of promotion and relegation with Serbian First League, the second tier in the Serbian football pyramid.

The SuperLiga was formed during the summer of 2005 as the country's top football league competition in Serbia and Montenegro. Since summer 2006 after the secession of Montenegro from Serbia, the league only has had Serbian clubs.

Serbian clubs used to compete in the Yugoslav First League. This competition was formed in 1923 and lasted until 2003. After the downfall of SFR Yugoslavia in 1991 a new Yugoslavia would be formed that would be named FR Yugoslavia with Montenegro and Serbia. They kept the name Yugoslavia until 2003 when the country changed its name to Serbia and Montenegro: this union lasted until 2006 when Montenegro gained independence and formed its own league, the Montenegrin First League.

The current SuperLiga champions are Red Star Belgrade. UEFA currently ranks the league 13th in Europe of 55 leagues.[1] The league was known as Meridian SuperLiga from 2005 until 2008. The league's official sponsor until 2015 was beer brand Jelen pivo, this resulted in the league's official name to be Jelen SuperLiga.

Format

Competition

The SuperLiga began as a league with a playoff system in an attempt to boost ratings and improve competition. After the first season however, the SuperLiga changed its format. The 2007–08 season was the first to be played in a more traditional format. The league no longer divided into a play-off and play-out group midway through the campaign. Instead, the 12 teams began playing each other three times in a more conventional league format. After two seasons with that format the Football Association of Serbia decided to add 4 teams to the SuperLiga. The 2009–10 season will be the first with a 16 team league played in a conventional league format of one home and one away match rather than the previous 3 match encounters. This drops the match schedule from 33 rounds to 30.

As of the 2015-16 season, the league reverted to its previous playoff system, whereby the top 8 placed teams compete in the championship round at the end of the season and the 8 lowest placed teams play in the relegation playoff round. The two bottom placed teams are relegated to the second division, the Serbian Prva Liga. The third lowest-placed team is then sent to a relegation playoff against the third-placed team in the second division. Whichever team wins will play in the SuperLiga the following season.

Qualification for UEFA competitions

Superliga champions and runner-ups enter Champions League qualifying entering the play-off round and second qualifying round respectively. The cup winner qualifies for the Europa League playoff round. The third and fourth placed teams enter the qualyfing round of the UEFA Europa Conference League, entering in the third and second qualifying round respectively.

In 2022-23, champions Red Star Belgrade were guaranteed to enter the Champions League group stage, due to access list changes in the Champions League regarding the suspension of Russian teams, and Serbia was ranked 11th in the UEFA coefficient list. TSC was also promoted from the UCL second qualifying round to the third qualifying round. This meant that for the first time ever, Serbia was allocated an group stage berth in the Champions League.

History

The Yugoslav First League started being played in 1923, and gathered the best clubs from the former Yugoslavia. In 1991, clubs from Slovenia and Croatia left and formed their own league systems, and in 1992 so did the clubs from Bosnia and Herzegovina and Macedonia. The Yugoslav First League was played since 1992 with clubs from Serbia and Montenegro, until 2006, when Montenegro declared independence and subsequently formed its own league system. Since 2006 the league is formed exclusively by clubs from Serbia and got renamed into Serbian SuperLiga.

Serbian League (1920–1922 / 1940–1944 / 1945–1946)

ClubTitlesYears won
OFK Beograd1920, 1921, 1940, 1941, 1943, 1944, 1945
1922, 1942
1946

Kingdom of Yugoslavia League (1923–1940)

ClubTitlesYears wonRunners up
OFK Beograd1931, 1933, 1935, 1936, 1939
1924, 1925

Yugoslav First League (1946–1992)

See main article: Yugoslav First League.

ClubTitlesYears wonRunners upThird place
1951, 1953, 1956, 1957, 1959, 1960, 1964, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1973, 1977, 1980, 1981, 1984, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992
1947, 1949, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1976, 1978, 1983, 1986, 1987
1966, 1989
OFK Beograd
Radnički Beograd
Radnički Niš

First League of Federal Republic Yugoslavia/Serbia and Montenegro (1992–2006)

See main article: First League of Serbia and Montenegro. In 1992 the Yugoslav First League became the First League of FR Yugoslavia (Prva savezna liga or Meridian SuperLiga) and was played since then with the clubs from Serbia and Montenegro.

The league winner had access to the UEFA Champions League qualifications rounds, and the 2nd, 3rd and the Cup winner had played in the UEFA Cup. The bottom clubs would be relegated to the two Second Leagues depending on the republic they were based in, the Second League of Serbia (Druga savezna liga Srbija) and the Second League of Montenegro (Druga savezna liga grupa Crna Gora).

In 2002, FR Yugoslavia changed its name to Serbia and Montenegro, and the league was named First League of Serbia and Montenegro between 2002 and its dissolution, in 2006. In 2006 Serbia and Montenegro separated and formed their own top leagues (Serbian SuperLiga and Montenegrin First League). Serbian SuperLiga was officially declared the successor of the First Leagues of FR Yugoslavia and Serbia and Montenegro.

A total of 41 clubs participated between 1992 and 2006, being 34 from Serbia, 6 from Montenegro and one from Bosnia and Herzegovina (Borac Banja Luka was temporarily based in Serbia in early 1990s). A total of 3 clubs were champions, all from Serbia, Partizan (8 times), Red Star (5 times) and Obilić (once).

SeasonChampionsRunners-upThird placeTop scorer(s)Goals
1992–93Partizan (12) Red Star VojvodinaAnto Drobnjak (Red Star)
Vesko Mihajlović (Vojvodina)
22
1993–94Partizan (13)Red StarVojvodinaSavo Milošević (Partizan)21
1994–95 Red Star (21)PartizanVojvodinaSavo Milošević (Partizan)30
1995–96Partizan (14)Red StarVojvodinaVojislav Budimirović (Čukarički)23
1996–97Partizan (15)Red StarVojvodinaZoran Jovičić (Red Star)21
1997–98Obilić (1)Red StarPartizanSaša Marković (Železnik / Red Star)27
1998–99Partizan (16)Obilić Red Star Dejan Osmanović (Hajduk Kula)16
1999–00Red Star (22)PartizanObilićMateja Kežman (Partizan)27
2000–01Red Star (23)PartizanObilićPetar Divić (OFK Beograd)27
2001–02Partizan (17)Red StarSartidZoran Đurašković (Mladost Lučani)27
2002–03Partizan (18)Red StarOFK BelgradeZvonimir Vukić (Partizan)22
2003–04Red Star (24)PartizanŽeleznikNikola Žigić (Red Star)19
2004–05Partizan (19)Red StarZetaMarko Pantelić (Red Star)21
2005–06Red Star (25)PartizanVoždovacSrđan Radonjić (Partizan)20
ClubTitlesYears WonRunners upThird place
1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2005
1995, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2006
1998

Serbian Superliga (2006–)

A total of 39 clubs participated between 2006 and 2023 in the Serbian Superliga. After 18 seasons, Red Star has won 10 championship titles and Partizan has won 8 championship title. Also, Red Star is record holder by winning 7 consecutive champion titles.

SeasonChampionsRunners upThird placeTop scorer(s)Goals
2006–07Red Star (26)PartizanVojvodina Srđan Baljak (Banat)18
2007–08Partizan (20)Red StarVojvodina Nenad Jestrović (Red Star)13
2008–09Partizan (21)VojvodinaRed Star Lamine Diarra (Partizan)19
2009–10Partizan (22)Red StarOFK Dragan Mrđa (Vojvodina)22
2010–11Partizan (23)Red StarVojvodina Ivica Iliev (Partizan)
Andrija Kaluđerović (Red Star)
13
2011–12Partizan (24)Red StarVojvodina Darko Spalević (Radnički Kragujevac)19
2012–13Partizan (25)Red StarVojvodina Miloš Stojanović (Jagodina)19
2013–14Red Star (27)PartizanJagodina Dragan Mrđa (2) (Red Star)19
2014–15Partizan (26)Red StarČukarički Patrick Friday Eze (Mladost Lučani)15
2015–16Red Star (28)PartizanČukarički Aleksandar Katai (Red Star)21
2016–17Partizan (27)Red StarVojvodina Uroš Đurđević (Partizan)
Leonardo (Partizan)
24
2017–18Red Star (29)PartizanRadnički Niš Aleksandar Pešić (Red Star)25
2018–19Red Star (30)Radnički NišPartizan Nermin Haskić (Radnički Niš)24
2019–20Red Star (31)PartizanVojvodina Vladimir Silađi (TSC)
Nenad Lukić (TSC)
Nikola Petković (Javor)
16
2020–21Red Star (32)PartizanČukarički Milan Makarić (Radnik)25
2021–22Red Star (33)PartizanČukarički Ricardo Gomes (Partizan)29
2022–23Red Star (34)TSCČukarički Ricardo Gomes (2) (Partizan)19
2023–24Red Star (35)PartizanTSC Matheus Saldanha (Partizan)
Miloš Luković (IMT)
17
2024–25
ClubTitlesYears WonRunners upThird place
2007, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2017
Radnički Niš
TSC
Čukarički
Jagodina
OFK Beograd

Serbian all-time champions (1923–present)

ClubTitlesYears WonRunners up
Red Star 1946, 1951, 1953, 1956, 1957, 1959, 1960, 1964, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1973, 1977, 1980, 1981, 1984, 1988, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1995, 2000, 2001, 2004, 2006, 2007, 2014, 2016, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024
Partizan 1947, 1949, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1965, 1976, 1978, 1983, 1986, 1987, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2005, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015, 2017
OFK Beograd 1931, 1933, 1935, 1936, 1939
Vojvodina 1966, 1989
1924, 1925
1998

All-time table 2006–2024

The following is a list of clubs who have played in the Serbian SuperLiga at any time since its formation in 2006 to the current season. Teams playing in the 2024–25 Serbian SuperLiga are indicated in bold. A total of 41 teams have played in the Serbian SuperLiga. The table is accurate as of the start of the 2024–25 season.

Pos.TeamTownSPWDLFAPtsHighest finish
1 Red Star 18 605 467 84 54 1358 419 1485 10 7 1
2 Partizan 18 605 427 98 80 1256 441 1379 8 8 1
3 Vojvodina 18 605 291 150 164 857 606 1023 1 7
4 Čukarički 15 513 215 125 173 680 590 770 5
5 Spartak 15 507 180 129 198 588 646 669
6 Radnički 12 417 163 111 143 509 483 600 1 1
7 12 418 145 96 178 467 549 531
8 Napredak 13 446 142 105 199 466 579 531
9 Mladost 11 390 137 101 152 444 526 512
10 13 436 126 129 181 426 542 507
11 13 429 129 105 195 418 551 492
12 OFK Beograd 10 315 112 64 139 345 399 400 1
13 Novi Pazar 10 343 107 79 157 352 471 400
14 9 327 93 85 149 334 463 364
15 10 329 89 89 151 277 408 356
16 8 250 87 60 103 268 296 321 1
17 TSC 5 179 91 42 46 319 211 315 1 1
18 Radnički 1923 7 231 68 63 100 245 317 267
19 7 218 64 59 95 194 248 251
20 7 239 59 66 114 217 334 243
21 6 185 50 42 93 153 240 192
22 4 120 45 32 43 136 145 167
23 4 142 40 36 66 129 187 156
24 4 120 31 30 59 91 170 126
25 4 149 32 26 91 123 246 122
26 4 142 30 30 82 106 224 120
27 3 98 25 26 47 91 141 101
28 3 90 22 26 42 80 116 92
29 3 98 24 14 60 84 161 86
30 3 106 18 26 62 92 163 80
31 2 74 25 12 37 70 122 78
32 2 65 17 16 32 67 89 67
33 IMT 1 37 11 9 17 43 53 42
34 1 32 11 8 13 25 33 41
35 Železničar 1 37 10 9 18 47 65 39
36 1 37 9 6 22 24 67 33
37 1 37 6 12 19 25 49 30
38 1 38 7 8 23 28 64 29
39 1 30 5 10 15 19 47 25
40 Jedinstvo
41 Tekstilac

League or status at 2024–25:

2024–25 Serbian SuperLiga
2024–25 Serbian First League
2024–25 Serbian League
2024–25 fourth or lower degree of competition
Dissolved

Current clubs

Map

The following 16 clubs compete in the Linglong Tire SuperLiga during the 2023–24 season.[2]

Club
Finishing position
in 2022–23
First season in
top division
First season after
most recent promotion
StadiumOfficial website
1995–962013–14Čukarički Stadiumfkcukaricki.rs
2023–242023–24Stadion FK IMTfkimt.rs
2002–032022–23Ivanjica Stadiumfkjavor.com
1995–962014–15Mladost Stadiumfkmladostlucani.com
19512016–17Mladost Stadiumfknapredak.rs
2011–122020–21Novi Pazar City Stadiumfknovipazar.rs
1946–471946–47Partizan Stadiumpartizan.rs
1969–702021–22Čika Dača Stadiumfkradnicki.com
1935–362012–13Čair Stadiumfkradnickinis.rs
2015-162015–16fk-radnik.com
1946–471946–47Red Star Stadiumcrvenazvezdafk.com
1946–472009–10Subotica City Stadiumfkspartak.com
2019–202019–20TSC Arenafktsc.com
1931–321987–88Karađorđe Stadiumfkvojvodina.rs
2005–062013–14Voždovac Stadiumfkvozdovac.rs
2023–242023–24Stadion SC Mladost

Stadiums

Serbian top-level football has been played in 27 stadiums since its formation in 2006. The top-three stadiums by clubs who are competing currently (2023-2024) in the Serbian top flight by seating capacity are Belgrade-based Red Star Stadium, Partizan Stadium and FK Radnicki Nis Cair Stadium.

Below are the ten largest stadiums in Serbia of clubs who are competing or have competed in the Serbian top division of football. Currently in the below list only six of these clubs are competing in the Serbian top flight, them been as follows : Red Star, Partizan, Vojvodina, Radnički Niš, Radnički Kragujevac and Spartak Subotica.

+ Biggest stadiums by seating capacity
StadiumClubCityOpenedCapacity
1Rajko Mitić StadiumRed StarBelgrade196351,755
2Partizan StadiumPartizanBelgrade195129,775
3Čair StadiumRadničkiNiš196318,151
4Smederevo StadiumSmederevo 1924Smederevo193017,200
5Čika Dača StadiumRadnički 1923Kragujevac195715,100
6Karađorđe StadiumFK VojvodinaNovi Sad192414,458
7Stadion Karađorđev parkBanatZrenjanin196813,500
8Subotica City StadiumSpartakSubotica193613,000
9Radomir Antić StadiumFK Sloboda UžiceUžice195812,000
10Omladinski StadiumOFK BeogradBelgrade195710,600

Superliga records and statistics

Attendance

Single game

Players

Clubs

Season

Goalkeepers

UEFA ranking

See also: UEFA coefficient. The following data indicates Serbian coefficient rankings between European football leagues.[4]

Country

[5]

width= 80Current
ranking
width= 80Last season
ranking
width= 60Movementwidth=200Leaguewidth= 60Coefficient
1621 5 Ligat Ha`Al31.125
1720 3 Stoiximan Super League29.525
1814 4 UPL28.000
1911 8 Mozzart Bet SuperLiga27.775
2019 1 SuperSport HNL25.525
2124 3 Ekstraklasa25.375
2222 Cyta Championship22.100

Team

[6]

width= 40Rankwidth=150Teamwidth= 60Points
48Red Star40.000
71Partizan25.500
164Čukarički8.000
252TSC5.555
Vojvodina
Radnički Niš

All time Serbian football clubs in European and World competitions

European Cup/ UEFA Champions League

ClubChampionsFinalistSemifinalistQuarterfinalistGroup Stage
Red Star1991-1957, 1971, 19921958, 1974, 1981, 1982, 19871992, 2018, 2019, 2023
Partizan-1966-1956, 19642003, 2010
Vojvodina---1967-

UEFA Cup/ UEFA Europa League

ClubChampionsFinalistSemifinalistQuarterfinalist
Red Star-1979--
Radnički Niš--1982-
OFK Beograd---1973

UEFA Cup Winners' Cup

ClubChampionsFinalistSemifinalistQuarterfinalist
Red Star--19751972, 1986
OFK Beograd--1963-
Partizan---1990

UEFA Intertoto Cup

ClubChampionsFinalistSemifinalistQuarterfinalist
Vojvodina19761998--
Hajduk Kula-2007--

Inter-Cities Fairs Cup

ClubChampionsFinalistSemifinalistQuarterfinalist
Red Star--19621963
Vojvodina---1962, 1968

The Golden Star

Based on an idea of Umberto Agnelli, the honor of Golden Star for Sports Excellence was introduced to recognize sides that have won multiple championships or other honours by the display of gold stars on their team badges and jerseys.

The current officially sanctioned SuperLiga stars indicate a club had won 10 titles per star and are:

Names of the competition

Broadcasting rights

Television

Serbian Superliga games are broadcast live on Arena Sport in countries of Ex-Yugoslavia. 02.TV starts broadcasting Serbian Superliga from March 2019. SportKlub Slovenia is also broadcasting live Serbian Superliga matches.

The Eternal derby is the game that attracts most attention from the foreign media. In 2010, the 139th Eternal derby was broadcast in 19 countries and over 60 foreign correspondents were present.[9]

Sponsorships

See also

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: UEFA Country Ranking 2011 . 2011-04-30 . 2011-05-15 . https://web.archive.org/web/20110515233837/http://www.xs4all.nl/~kassiesa/bert/uefa/data/method4/crank2011.html . live .
  2. News: IO FSS: Doneta odluka o popunjavanju Super lige i Prve lige Srbije. superliga.rs. 1 July 2020. 3 July 2020. https://web.archive.org/web/20200703032507/https://www.superliga.rs/vesti/2064-io-fss-doneta-odluka-o-popunjavanju-super-lige-i-prve-lige-srbije. live.
  3. http://www.utakmica.rs/2-jelen-super-liga-2011-2012/poseta/ Average attendance for Serbian league
  4. Web site: UEFA European Cup Coefficients Database. Bert Kassies. 13 April 2012. 12 February 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20120212151600/http://kassiesa.home.xs4all.nl/bert/uefa/data/index.html. live.
  5. News: UEFA Country Ranking 2024. kassiesa.home.xs4all.nl. 2023-06-20. 2021-02-14. https://web.archive.org/web/20210214075832/https://kassiesa.net/uefa/data/method5/crank2024.html. live.
  6. News: UEFA Team Ranking 2024. kassiesa.home.xs4all.nl. 15 June 2023. 11 June 2023. https://web.archive.org/web/20230611221708/https://kassiesa.net/uefa/data/method5/trank2024.html. live.
  7. Web site: Sportske.net - Potpisano - Linglong Super liga!. 2019-04-11. 2019-04-11. https://web.archive.org/web/20190411165208/https://www.sportske.net/vest/domaci-fudbal/potpisano-linglong-super-liga-371616.html. live.
  8. Web site: Mozzart Bet Super liga Srbije. 4 July 2022. 4 July 2022. 5 July 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220705190834/https://www.superliga.rs/vesti/3611-mozzart-bet-super-liga-srbije. live.
  9. http://sport.blic.rs/fudbal/domaci-fudbal/ogromno-interesovanje-stranih-medija-za-139-veciti-derbi/e5b786f Ogromno interesovanje stranih medija za 139. večiti derbi