Gambrinus liga

The Gambrinus liga is a Czech professional league for football clubs. At the top of the Czech football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. It is contested by 16 clubs, operating a system of promotion and relegation with the Czech 2. Liga. Seasons run from August to May, with teams playing 30 games each. It is sponsored by Plzeňský Prazdroj, a. s., and is therefore officially known as the 1. Gambrinus liga, the name of one of the best-selling beers in the Czech Republic. The league is currently ranked 18th in Europe in the UEFA league rankings. The history of the Czech football Liga began at the end of the 20th century. It was reorganized for the 1993/1994 season, after the dissolution of former Czechoslovakia and therefore of the Czechoslovak League. Having won more than half of league titles, Sparta Prague are the most successful team in Gambrinus liga history. Other clubs who have won the title are Slavia Prague, Slovan Liberec, Baník Ostrava and Viktoria Plzeň.

Competition format and sponsorship

Competition

There are 16 clubs in the 1. Liga. During the course of a season, which lasts from August to May, each club plays the others twice, once at their home stadium and once at that of their opponents, for a total of 30 games. Teams receive three points for a win and one point for a draw. No points are awarded for a loss. Teams are ranked by total points, in the case of two or more teams finishing with equal points, the head-to-head record between the teams is used for ranking, counting points in relevant games, then goal difference and then goals scored. The two lowest placed teams are relegated to the Czech 2. Liga.

European qualification (as of 2011–12)

• 1st place: Second qualifying round of the UEFA Champions League
• 2nd place: Second qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League.
• 3rd place: Second qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League.
• Czech Cup winner: Third qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League, regardless of league position.
  • If the Cup winner qualifies for European competition through the league, the Cup winner's place in the Europa League goes to the defeated Cup finalist if it is not already qualified for European competition.
    • If both Cup finalists qualify for the European competition through the league, an extra Europa League berth is granted to the highest finisher in the Gambrinus liga not already qualified for Europe.
• An additional place in the Europa League may also be granted via the UEFA Fair Play mechanism. This rule was maintained from the UEFA Cup. The last (and, as of 2011, only) Gambrinus liga team to gain entry to the UEFA Cup via the fair play rule was Sigma Olomouc in 2002–03.

The number of Czech clubs which may participate in UEFA competitions is determined by UEFA coefficients, which take into account the results of a particular nation's clubs in UEFA competitions over the preceding five years.

Participating teams in 2011-12

The following 16 clubs are competing in the 2011–12 Gambrinus liga.

Sponsorship

Since 1993, the 1. Liga has been sponsored. The sponsor has been able to determine the league's sponsorship name. The list below details who the sponsors have been and what they called the competition:

• 1993–present Plzeňský Prazdroj, a. s. (1. Gambrinus liga)

Champions

Year By Year

Performance by Club

Regions

The following table lists the Czech football champions by region.

Managers

References

External links

• Official website of Czech football
• fotbal.iDNES.cz
• Gambrinus liga at eFotbal.cz