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First Football League (Croatia)

Prva NL
Organising bodyHNS
Founded1991; 33 years ago (1991)
Country Croatia
ConfederationUEFA
Number of teams12
Level on pyramid2
Promotion toHNL
Relegation to2. NL
Domestic cup(s)Hrvatski nogometni kup
Current championsŠibenik (3rd title)
(2023–24)
Most championshipsCibalia
Inter Zaprešić
Marsonia
RNK Split
Hrvatski Dragovoljac
Šibenik (3 titles)
TV partnersMAX Sport
Websitewww.druga-hnl.com
Current: 2024–25

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

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[citation needed]

Key

Winners that haven't been promoted due to various reasons
Season Divisions Division winners Clubs promoted to HNL Top scorer Goals
1992 Zagreb (6 clubs) Radnik Velika Gorica Radnik Velika Gorica
Segesta
Belišće
Pazinka
Dalmatia (8 clubs) Primorac Stobreč
Rijeka & Istra (4 clubs) Pazinka
1992–93 North (16 clubs) Dubrava Zagreb Dubrava Zagreb
Primorac Stobreč
South (16 clubs) Primorac Stobreč
1993–94 North (16 clubs) Marsonia Marsonia
Neretva
South (16 clubs) Neretva
1994–95 North (16 clubs) Slavonija Požega Slavonija Požega
Orijent
Mladost 127
Uskok Klis
Dubrovnik
Hrvatski Dragovoljac
South (17 clubs) Uskok Klis
West (19 clubs) Hrvatski Dragovoljac
1995–96 North (16 clubs) Slaven Belupo Slaven 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
1996–97 Center (16 clubs) Lučko None
East (16 clubs) Croatia Đakovo
North (16 clubs) Budućnost Hodošan
South (19 clubs) RNK Split
West (16 clubs) Jadran Poreč
1997–98 Center (17 clubs) Segesta Cibalia
East (16 clubs) Cibalia
North (16 clubs) Čakovec
South (17 clubs) RNK Split
West (16 clubs) Jadran Poreč
1998–99 19 clubs Vukovar '91 Vukovar '91
Istra Pula 		Croatia Dubravko Zdrilić 29
1999–00 17 clubs Marsonia Marsonia
Čakovec 		Croatia Miroslav Vukić 26
2000–01 18 clubs Kamen Ingrad Kamen Ingrad
Pomorac Kostrena
Zadar
TŠK Topolovac
2001–02 North (16 clubs) Vukovar '91 None
South (16 clubs) Istra Pula
2002–03 North (16 clubs) Marsonia Marsonia
Inker Zaprešić
South (16 clubs) Inker Zaprešić
2003–04 North (16 clubs) Međimurje Međimurje
Pula 1856
South (16 clubs) Pula 1856
2004–05 North (16 clubs) Cibalia Cibalia
South (16 clubs) Novalja
2005–06 North (16 clubs) Belišće Šibenik
South (16 clubs) Šibenik
2006–07 16 clubs Inter Zaprešić Inter Zaprešić
Zadar 		Croatia Zdravko Popović 30
2007–08 16 clubs Croatia Sesvete Croatia Sesvete Croatia Marijan Maruna 19
2008–09 16 clubs Istra 1961 Istra 1961
Karlovac
Lokomotiva
Međimurje 		Croatia Marijan Vuka 19
2009–10 14 clubs RNK Split RNK Split
Hrvatski Dragovoljac 		Croatia Romano Obilinović 17
2010–11 16 clubs Gorica Lučko Croatia Hrvoje Tokić 19
2011–12 15 clubs Dugopolje None Croatia Alen Guć 16
2012–13 16 clubs Hrvatski Dragovoljac Hrvatski Dragovoljac Croatia Dražen Pilčić 18
2013–14 12 clubs NK Zagreb NK Zagreb North Macedonia Ilija Nestorovski 20
2014–15 12 clubs Inter Zaprešić Inter Zaprešić North Macedonia Ilija Nestorovski 24
2015–16 12 clubs Cibalia Cibalia Croatia Frane Vitaić 15
2016–17 12 clubs Rudeš Rudeš Bosnia and Herzegovina Benjamin Tatar 13
2017–18 12 clubs Gorica Gorica Croatia Domagoj Drožđek 16
2018–19 14 clubs Varaždin Varaždin Croatia Leon Benko 21
2019–20[4] 16 clubs Šibenik Šibenik Croatia Mijo Šabić 12
2020–21 18 clubs Hrvatski Dragovoljac Hrvatski Dragovoljac Croatia Marko Dabro 30
2021–22 16 clubs Varaždin Varaždin Croatia Ivan Durdov 13
2022–23 12 clubs Rudeš Rudeš Croatia Ivor Ljubanović 14
2023–24 12 clubs Šibenik Šibenik Croatia Dominik Dogan 23

References

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  1. ^ "Savez promijenio imena liga: Druga HNL odsad će biti Prva liga, ali to nisu jedine promjene". Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  2. ^ "Od sezone 2024./25. Prva NL će imati deset klubova". Archived from the original on 6 July 2022. Retrieved 3 July 2022.
  3. ^ Fabijan Hrnčić (6 June 2022). "HNL still remains, and the second league is now the first". 24 Sata. Retrieved 24 July 2022.
  4. ^ "Nastavak nogometnih natjecanja 30. svibnja". hns-cff.hr (in Croatian). 6 May 2020. Retrieved 6 May 2020.
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