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 Vardar
(8th title)
(2014–15)
Most championships Vardar
(8 titles)
Website ffm.mk
2015–16

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).

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

Format

Macedonian First League's former logo

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 the first national Yugoslav Football Championship was held, and 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 the Subassociation Leagues were granted a place in the qualifiers to the Yugoslav Championship. Gragjanski Skopje became the only Macedonian club to participate in the national league, first in 1935–36 when the championship was played in a cup format,[7] and then in 1938–39, when it was played in a 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 served as qualifying leagues for the final phase of the Yugoslav Championship.[9] The clubs from the Skopje Subassociation aimed to qualify to the Serbian League, however only Gragjanski managed to participate, in 1939–40 (5th place)[10] and 1940–41 (8th place).[11]

List of seasons

Most titles

Macedonian First League Trophy

The titles won by clubs since independence are shown in the following table:[12][13]

Club Titles Runners-up Winning years
Vardar Skopje 8 2 1993, 1994, 1995, 2002, 2003, 2012, 2013, 2015
Rabotnički Skopje 4 3 2005, 2006, 2008, 2014
Sileks Kratovo 3 5 1996, 1997, 1998
Sloga Jugomagnat Skopje 3 2 1999, 2000, 2001
Pobeda Prilep 2 2 2004, 2007
Makedonija Skopje 1 1 2010
Renova Čepčište 1 – 2009
Shkëndija Tetovo 1 – 2011
Metalurg Skopje – 3 –
Milano Kumanovo – 2 –
Belasica Strumica - 2 –
Horizont Turnovo – 1 –

Current teams (2015–2016)

Skopje
Skopje clubs:
Location of teams in 2015–16 Macedonian First League
Club[14]
 Finishing position
in season 2014–15[15]
Bregalnica Štip7th
Metalurg6th
Mladost Carev Dvor2nd in Second League[16]
Rabotnički2nd
Renova4th
Shkendija3rd
Sileks5th
Shkupi1st in Second League[16]
Turnovo8th
Vardar1st

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. ↑ Karel Stokkermans (29 October 2015). "Macedonia - List of Champions". Retrieved 26 November 2015.
  13. ↑ http://uk.soccerway.com/national/macedonia-fyr/first-league/c65/archive/?ICID=PL_3N_06
  14. ↑ "First League". Soccerway. Perform. Retrieved 23 April 2016.
  15. ↑ "First League 2014/2015". Soccerway. Perform. Retrieved 7 June 2015.
  16. 1 2 "Second League 2014/2015". Soccerway. Perform. Retrieved 7 June 2015.

External links

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