2002–03 Croatian First Football League

Croatian First Football League

Season	2002–03
Champions	Dinamo Zagreb 7th Croatian title 11th domestic title
Relegated	Šibenik Pomorac
Champions League	Dinamo Zagreb
UEFA Cup	Hajduk Split Varteks Kamen Ingrad
Intertoto Cup	Cibalia NK Zagreb
Matches played	192
Goals scored	521 (2.71 per match)
Top goalscorer	Ivica Olić (16)
Biggest home win	Rijeka 7–0 Zadar
Biggest away win	Osijek 1–5 Dinamo Z. Zadar 1–5 Varteks
Highest scoring	Šibenik 6–3 Zadar
Average attendance	3,326
← 2001–02 2003–04 →

The 2002–03 Croatian First Football League was the twelfth season of the Croatian First Football League, the national championship for men's association football teams in Croatia, since its establishment in 1992. The season started on 24 July 2002 and ended on 31 May 2003. NK Zagreb were the defending champions, having won their first championship title the previous season. Dinamo Zagreb won the title, after a win against Varteks on 17 May 2003.

Teams

The league format was changed from the previous 2001–02 season and the number of teams were reduced from sixteen to twelve for the 2002–03 Prva HNL. Because of this, the four bottom-placed teams were automatically relegated to Croatian Second Football League at the end of the season, while the 11th placed Šibenik and 12th placed Kamen Ingrad qualified for the Relegation play-offs. Both clubs then went on to win the two-legged play-off ties against second level sides Vukovar '91 and Istra Pula. Therefore no team was promoted from the 2001–02 Croatian Second Football League and all twelve teams which contested the 2002–03 Prva HNL were also top flight members in the previous season.

Changes from last season

Teams relegated to the 2002–03 Croatian Second Football League

• 13th placed: Hrvatski Dragovoljac
• 14th placed: Čakovec
• 15th placed: Marsonia
• 16th placed: TŠK Topolovac

Summaries

The following is an overview of teams which competed in the 2002–03 Prva HNL. Manager list is correct as of 24 July 2002, first day of the season.

Cibalia

Dinamo
NK Zagreb

Hajduk

K. Ingrad

Osijek

Rijeka
Pomorac

S. Belupo

Šibenik

Varteks

Zadar

Locations of teams in 2002–03 Prva HNL

Team	Manager	Home city	Stadium	Capacity
Cibalia	Mile Petković	Vinkovci	Stadion HNK Cibalia	9,920
Dinamo Zagreb	Miroslav Blažević	Zagreb	Stadion Maksimir	37,168
Hajduk Split	Zoran Vulić	Split	Stadion Poljud	35,000
Kamen Ingrad	Vjeran Simunić	Velika	Stadion Kamen Ingrad	8,000
Osijek	Milan Đuričić	Osijek	Stadion Gradski vrt	19,500
Pomorac	Predrag Stilinović	Kostrena	Stadion Žuknica	3,000
Rijeka	Zlatko Kranjčar	Rijeka	Stadion Kantrida	10,275
Slaven Belupo	Rajko Magić	Koprivnica	Gradski stadion	4,000
Šibenik	Franko Bogdan	Šibenik	Stadion Šubićevac	8,000
Varteks	Dražen Besek	Varaždin	Stadion NK Varteks	10,800
Zadar	Stanko Mršić	Zadar	Stadion Stanovi	5,860
NK Zagreb	Ivan Katalinić	Zagreb	Stadion Kranjčevićeva	8,850

First stage

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification or relegation
1	Dinamo Zagreb	22	18	3	1	51	17	+34	57	0 Championship group0
2	Hajduk Split	22	16	2	4	42	14	+28	50
3	Varteks	22	15	0	7	40	21	+19	45
4	Cibalia	22	9	5	8	28	28	0	32
5	Kamen Ingrad	22	7	9	6	23	22	+1	30
6	NK Zagreb	22	8	6	8	28	30	−2	30
7	Slaven Belupo	22	9	2	11	24	26	−2	29	0 Relegation group0
8	Osijek	22	6	5	11	21	39	−18	23
9	Zadar	22	5	6	11	21	40	−19	21
10	Rijeka	22	5	3	14	23	33	−10	18
11	Pomorac	22	3	8	11	26	41	−15	17
12	Šibenik	22	4	5	13	23	39	−16	17

Source: RSSSF.com
1 ^{^} The home team is listed in the left-hand column.
Colours: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Rounds 1–22 results

Home ╲ Away

CIB

DIN

HAJ

KAM

OSI

POM

RIJ

SLA

ŠIB

VAR

ZAD

ZAG

Cibalia

1–1

4–1

1–1

3–1

1–1

3–1

1–0

3–1

0–1

0–0

2–1

Dinamo Zagreb

4–1

2–1

1–1

6–0

2–1

2–1

1–0

3–1

3–1

3–1

1–1

Hajduk Split

4–0

1–0

0–0

2–0

5–1

2–1

2–0

3–1

3–1

4–0

3–0

Kamen Ingrad

1–0

0–1

1–1

1–0

2–1

2–1

1–0

4–0

0–1

1–1

1–1

Osijek

1–0

1–5

0–2

1–0

2–2

1–1

1–2

1–0

1–2

3–0

2–2

Pomorac

0–0

2–3

0–3

1–1

2–2

1–0

1–1

1–1

1–0

1–2

1–2

Rijeka

2–1

0–1

0–1

2–1

0–1

1–1

0–1

5–1

0–2

3–1

3–2

Slaven Belupo

2–3

1–3

1–0

1–2

4–0

2–1

2–0

2–1

2–1

1–2

0–0

Šibenik

2–1

0–1

0–1

1–1

1–2

3–1

0–0

1–0

1–3

3–3

3–0

Varteks

3–0

0–2

0–1

3–0

2–0

4–2

2–1

2–0

2–1

3–1

2–0

Zadar

0–2

1–3

0–1

1–1

1–0

2–3

1–0

1–2

0–0

1–5

2–1

NK Zagreb

0–1

1–3

2–1

3–1

1–1

2–1

4–1

2–0

2–1

1–0

0–0

Updated to games played on 22 March 2003.
Source: RSSSF.com
1 ^{^} The home team is listed in the left-hand column.
Colours: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Championship Group

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification or relegation
1	Dinamo Zagreb (C)	32	25	3	4	76	27	+49	78	2003–04 UEFA Champions League Second qualifying round
2	Hajduk Split	32	22	4	6	56	22	+34	70	2003–04 UEFA Cup Qualifying round
3	Varteks	32	18	3	11	52	38	+14	57
4	Kamen Ingrad	32	11	11	10	34	34	0	44
5	Cibalia	32	12	7	13	39	44	−5	43	2003 UEFA Intertoto Cup Second round
6	NK Zagreb	32	9	9	14	40	52	−12	36	2003 UEFA Intertoto Cup First round

Source: RSSSF.com
1 ^{^} The home team is listed in the left-hand column.
Colours: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Rounds 23–32 results

Home ╲ Away	CIB	DIN	HAJ	KAM	VAR	ZAG
Cibalia		3–2	1–1	3–2	1–2	2–1
Dinamo Zagreb	3–0		0–1	1–0	5–1	5–0
Hajduk Split	1–0	4–1		2–0	1–0	1–0
Kamen Ingrad	2–0	0–2	1–0		1–0	1–0
Varteks	1–0	0–3	2–2	1–1		3–1
NK Zagreb	1–1	1–3	3–1	3–3	2–2

Updated to games played on 31 May 2003.
Source: RSSSF.com
1 ^{^} The home team is listed in the left-hand column.
Colours: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Relegation Group

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification or relegation
7	Slaven Belupo	32	12	4	16	37	36	+1	40
8	Osijek	32	10	9	13	32	51	−19	39
9	Rijeka	32	9	6	17	40	41	−1	33
10	Zadar	32	9	6	17	36	71	−35	33
11	Pomorac (R)	32	7	11	14	42	52	−10	32	0 Relegation play-off0
12	Šibenik (R)	32	8	7	17	37	53	−16	31	Relegation to 2003–04 Druga HNL

Source: RSSSF.com
1 ^{^} The home team is listed in the left-hand column.
Colours: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Rounds 23–32 results

Home ╲ Away	OSI	POM	RIJ	SLA	ŠIB	ZAD
Osijek		0–0	3–2	1–1	1–0	2–1
Pomorac	5–0		1–1	3–2	1–1	4–1
Rijeka	0–0	2–0		2–0	2–0	7–0
Slaven Belupo	0–0	0–1	2–0		3–0	5–0
Šibenik	0–2	2–0	0–0	2–0		6–3
Zadar	3–2	2–1	2–1	1–0	2–3

Updated to games played on 31 May 2003.
Source: RSSSF.com
1 ^{^} The home team is listed in the left-hand column.
Colours: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Relegation play-off

Pomorac v Inker Zaprešić

10 June 2003

Pomorac	0 – 0	Inker Zaprešić
	Report (Croatian)

Stadion Žuknica, Kostrena Attendance: 2,000 Referee: Vlado Svilokos (Sisak)

---

Inker Zaprešić v Pomorac

14 June 2003

Inker Zaprešić	3 – 1	Pomorac
Lalić  38' Eduardo  45', 80'	Report (Croatian)	Karabogdan  12'

Stadion ŠRC Zaprešić, Zaprešić Attendance: 4,500 Referee: Željko Širić (Osijek)

Top goalscorers

Rank	Player	Club	Goals
1	Ivica Olić	Dinamo Zagreb	16
2	Boško Balaban	Dinamo Zagreb	15
3	Zoran Zekić	Kamen Ingrad	14
4	Marijo Dodik	Slaven Belupo	12
	Sandro Klić	Rijeka	12
6	Milan Pavličić	Osijek	11
7	Veldin Karić	Varteks	10
	Petar Krpan	Hajduk Split	10
9	Mladen Bartolović	Cibalia	9
	Ivan Bulat	Šibenik	9
	Ivica Karabogdan	Pomorac	9
	Dumitru Mitu	Dinamo Zagreb	9

Source: 1.hnl.net (Croatian)

See also

• 2002–03 Croatian Second Football League
• 2002–03 Croatian Football Cup

External links

• Season statistics at HRNogomet
• 2002–03 in Croatian Football at Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation