Macedonian First Football League

Macedonian First Football League
Прва македонска Фудбалска Лига
Country Republic of Macedonia
Confederation UEFA
Founded 1992
Number of teams 10
Level on pyramid 1
Relegation to 2. MFL
Domestic cup(s) Macedonian Football Cup
International cup(s) UEFA Champions League
UEFA Europa League
Current champions Rabotnički (4th title)
(2013–14)
Most championships Vardar (7 titles)
TV partners A1 (2008–2010)
MRT (2010–present)
Website ffm.mk
2014–15

The Macedonian First Football League (Macedonian: Прва македонска Фудбалска Лига, Prva Мakedonska Fudbalska Liga; also called Macedonian First League, 1. MFL and Prva Liga) is the highest professional football competition in the Republic of Macedonia. It is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top of the Macedonian football league system and has been operating for about twenty years since the 1992–1993 season. It is organized by the Football Federation of Macedonia (FFM).

Within the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, Macedonian teams had been a part of the Belgrade Football Subassociation (until 1927), Skopje Football Subassociation (1927–1941) and later after WWII in the Yugoslav football league system (1945–1991).

The championship titles won before 1992 are officially recognized by the Macedonian League as domestic regional cups.[1]

Format

Throughout the 1. MFL history, the number of clubs competing at the top level has been gradually decreased. Below is a complete record of how many teams played in each season throughout the league's history;

 
  • 18 clubs = 1992–1993
  • 16 clubs = 1993–1995
  • 15 clubs = 1995–1996
  • 14 clubs = 1996–2001
  • 12 clubs = 2001–2014
  • 10 clubs = 2014–present

The league has 10 teams, and each team plays the other sides four times, for a total of 36 matches each.[2]

Due to the UEFA Ranking coefficients ranking (shown below); The winner of the league enters into the Qualifying Rounds of the Champions League, while the second and third placed teams are entered into the Qualifying Rounds of the Europa League along with the winner of the Macedonian Cup. At the end of the season, the bottom 2 teams are relegated to the Macedonian Second League while the 9th and 10th placed teams enter a play-off with the 3rd and 4th placed teams of the Macedonian Second League.

UEFA Rankings

UEFA Country Ranking for league participation in 2014–15 European football season (Previous year rank in italics) [3][4]

History

In 1923 it was organised the first edition of leagues in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia where, beside the top-level national Yugoslav Football Championship, regional championships were also played. The clubs of the Vardarska Banovina, territorially similar to present day Macedonia, played within the Belgrade Football Subassociation League until 1927,[5] when a separate Skoplje Football Subassociation League was formed.[6] The champions of Subassociation Leagues were granted a place in the qualifiers to the Yugoslav Championship, a top national level. Gragjanski Skopje became the only club to menage to participate in the national league, first in 1935–36 when the championship was played in a cup system,[7] and in 1938–39, when it was played in normal league system with Gragjanski finishing 10th out of 12 teams.[8] In 1939 the Yugoslav league system was changed, with the creation of separate Serbian and Croato-Slovenian Leagues which will serve as qualifying leagues for the final phase of the Yugoslav Championship.[9] The clubs from the Skopje Subassociation played their qualifications to the Serbian League, however only Gragjanski managed to participate, and it did it in both occasions, in 1939–40 (5th place)[10] and 1940–41 (8th place).[11]

Winning clubs

Key
† League champions also won the Macedonian Football Cup, i.e. they completed a domestic Double.
Season Champions (titles) Runners-up Third place Top scorer(s)
Player (Club) Nat. Goals
1992–93 Vardar (1) † Sileks Balkan Ćirić, SašaSaša Ćirić (Vardar)  MKD 36
1993–94 Vardar (2) Sileks Balkan Boškovski, ZoranZoran Boškovski (Sileks)  MKD 21
1994–95 Vardar (3) † Sileks Sloga Jugomagnat Ćirić, SašaSaša Ćirić (Vardar)  MKD 35
1995–96 Sileks (1) Sloga Jugomagnat Vardar Boškovski, ZoranZoran Boškovski (Sileks)  MKD 20
1996–97 Sileks (2) † Pobeda Sloga Jugomagnat Micevski, VančoVančo Micevski (Sileks) §  MKD 16
Gjokić, MiroslavMiroslav Gjokić (Sileks) §  MKD 16
1997–98 Sileks (3) Sloga Jugomagnat Makedonija GP Atanasov, VančoVančo Atanasov (Belasica)  MKD 12
1998–99 Sloga Jugomagnat (1) Sileks Pobeda Oliveira, RogérioRogério Oliveira (Pobeda)  BRA 22
1999–2000 Sloga Jugomagnat (2) † Pobeda Rabotnički Beqiri, ArgjendArgjend Beqiri (Sloga Jugomagnat)  MKD 19
2000–01 Sloga Jugomagnat (3) Vardar Pobeda Beqiri, ArgjendArgjend Beqiri (Sloga Jugomagnat)  MKD 27
2001–02 Vardar (4) Belasica Cementarnica Gjokić, MiroslavMiroslav Gjokić (Pobeda)  MKD 22
2002–03 Vardar (5) Belasica Pobeda Savić, LjubišaLjubiša Savić (Bregalnica / Sloga Jugomagnat)  MKD 25
2003–04 Pobeda (1) Sileks Vardar Dimitrovski, DraganDragan Dimitrovski (Pobeda)  MKD 25
2004–05 Rabotnički (1) Vardar Pobeda Stojanovski, AleksandarAleksandar Stojanovski (Belasica) §  MKD 26
Ristić, StevicaStevica Ristić (Sileks) §  MKD 26
2005–06 Rabotnički (2) Makedonija GP Vardar Ristić, StevicaStevica Ristić (Sileks)  MKD 27
2006–07 Pobeda (2) Rabotnički Makedonija GP Jančevski, BobanBoban Jančevski (Bashkimi / Renova)  MKD 26
2007–08 Rabotnički (3) † Milano Pelister Gligorovski, IvicaIvica Gligorovski (Milano)  MKD 15
2008–09 Makedonija GP (1) Milano Renova Gligorovski, IvicaIvica Gligorovski (Milano)  MKD 14
2009–10 Renova (1) Rabotnički Metalurg Božinovski, BobiBobi Božinovski (Rabotnički)  MKD 15
2010–11 Shkëndija (1) Metalurg Renova Kirovski, HristijanHristijan Kirovski (Skopje)  MKD 20
2011–12 Vardar (6) Metalurg Shkëndija Ivanovski, FilipFilip Ivanovski (Vardar)  MKD 24
2012–13 Vardar (7) Metalurg Turnovo Kostovski, JovanJovan Kostovski (Vardar)  MKD 22
2013–14 Rabotnički (4) † Turnovo Metalurg Blaževski, DejanDejan Blaževski (Turnovo)  MKD 19

Records

Macedonian First League Trophy

By club

Note: Bold indicates clubs currently playing in the top division.

Rank Club Titles Winning years
1 Vardar 7 1993, 1994, 1995, 2002, 2003, 2012, 2013
2 Rabotnički 4 2005, 2006, 2008, 2014
=3 Sileks 3 1996, 1997, 1998
=3 Sloga Jugomagnat 3 1999, 2000, 2001
5 Pobeda 2 2004, 2007
=6 Renova 1 2009
=6 Makedonija GP 1 2010
=6 Shkëndija 1 2011

By city

Rank City / town Titles Winning clubs
1 Skopje 15 Vardar (7), Rabotnički (4), Sloga Jugomagnat (3), Makedonija GP (1)
2 Kratovo 3 Sileks (3)
=3 Prilep 2 Pobeda (2)
=3 Tetovo 2 Renova (1), Shkëndija (1)

Current teams (2014–2015)

Location of teams in 2014–15 First Macedonian Football League
Club
 Finishing position
in season 2013–14[12]
Bregalnica Štip7th
Metalurg3rd
Pelister6th
Rabotnički1st
Renova8th
Shkendija4th
Sileks1st in Second League[13]
Teteks2nd in Second League[13]
Turnovo2nd
Vardar5th

Source:[14]

References

  1. ↑ http://ffm.com.mk/istorijanaffm (Macedonian)
  2. ↑ "First League". Soccerway. Global Sports Media. Retrieved 19 July 2012.
  3. ↑ "UEFA Country Ranking 2015". Bert Kassies. Retrieved 19 May 2012.
  4. ↑ "UEFA Country coefficients 2014/15". UEFA. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
  5. ↑ Sijić, pag. 135
  6. ↑ Milorad Sijić: "Football in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia", pag. 142 (Serbian)
  7. ↑ Sijić, pag. 99–100
  8. ↑ Sijić, pag. 111–116
  9. ↑ Sijić, pag. 117
  10. ↑ Sijić, pag. 120–121
  11. ↑ Sijić, pag. 129
  12. ↑ "First League 2013/2014". Soccerway. Perform. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
  13. ↑ 13.0 13.1 "Second League 2013/2014". Soccerway. Perform. Retrieved 29 December 2014.
  14. ↑ "First League 2014/2015". Soccerway. Perform. Retrieved 29 December 2014.

External links