First Football League (Croatia)

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.

Prva NL

Organising body	HNS
Founded	1991; 33 years ago (1991)
Country	Croatia
Confederation	UEFA
Number of teams	12
Level on pyramid	2
Promotion to	HNL
Relegation to	2. NL
Domestic cup(s)	Hrvatski nogometni kup
Current champions	Rudeš (2nd title) (2022–23)
Most championships	Cibalia Inter Zaprešić Marsonia RNK Split Hrvatski Dragovoljac (3 titles)
TV partners	MAX Sport
Website	www.druga-hnl.com
Current: 2023–24 season

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

^{[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	Dubravko Zdrilić	29
1999–00	17 clubs	Marsonia	Marsonia Čakovec	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	Zdravko Popović	30
2007–08	16 clubs	Croatia Sesvete	Croatia Sesvete	Marijan Maruna	19
2008–09	16 clubs	Istra 1961	Istra 1961 Karlovac Lokomotiva Međimurje	Marijan Vuka	19
2009–10	14 clubs	RNK Split	RNK Split Hrvatski Dragovoljac	Romano Obilinović	17
2010–11	16 clubs	Gorica	Lučko	Hrvoje Tokić	19
2011–12	15 clubs	Dugopolje	None	Alen Guć	16
2012–13	16 clubs	Hrvatski Dragovoljac	Hrvatski Dragovoljac	Dražen Pilčić	18
2013–14	12 clubs	NK Zagreb	NK Zagreb	Ilija Nestorovski	20
2014–15	12 clubs	Inter Zaprešić	Inter Zaprešić	Ilija Nestorovski	24
2015–16	12 clubs	Cibalia	Cibalia	Frane Vitaić	15
2016–17	12 clubs	Rudeš	Rudeš	Benjamin Tatar	13
2017–18	12 clubs	Gorica	Gorica	Domagoj Drožđek	16
2018–19	14 clubs	Varaždin	Varaždin	Leon Benko	21
2019–20^[4]	16 clubs	Šibenik	Šibenik	Mijo Šabić	12
2020–21	18 clubs	Hrvatski Dragovoljac	Hrvatski Dragovoljac	Marko Dabro	30
2021–22	16 clubs	Varaždin	Varaždin	Ivan Durdov	13
2022–23	12 clubs	Rudeš	Rudeš	Ivor Ljubanović	14

References

1. "Savez promijenio imena liga: Druga HNL odsad će biti Prva liga, ali to nisu jedine promjene". Retrieved 3 July 2022.
2. . 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.

External links

• Official website   (in Croatian)
• 2. HNL at Soccerway
• League 321 tables