The Slovenian PrvaLiga (Slovene: Prva slovenska nogometna liga, pronounced [ˈpərʋa slɔˈʋeːnska nɔɡɔˈmɛtna ˈliːɡa]), currently named Prva liga Telemach due to sponsorship reasons, also known by the abbreviation 1. SNL, is the top level of the Slovenian football league system. Contested by ten clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Slovenian Second League (2. SNL). Seasons typically run from July to May with each team playing 36 matches.

Slovenian PrvaLiga
Organising bodyFootball Association of Slovenia
Founded1991; 33 years ago (1991)
CountrySlovenia
ConfederationUEFA
Number of teams10
Level on pyramid1
Relegation to2. SNL
Domestic cup(s)Slovenian Cup
International cup(s)UEFA Champions League
UEFA Europa League
UEFA Conference League
Current championsCelje (2nd title)
(2023–24)
Most championshipsMaribor (16 titles)
Most appearancesSebastjan Gobec (488)
Top goalscorerMarcos Tavares (159)
TV partnersSportklub
Šport TV
Websiteprvaliga.si
Current: 2024–25 Slovenian PrvaLiga

The competition was founded in 1991 after Slovenia became an independent country. From 1920 until the end of the 1990–91 season, the Slovenian Republic League was a lower division within the Yugoslav league system, although the top Slovenian clubs usually competed in the highest levels of the Yugoslav league system. The league is governed by the Football Association of Slovenia. Celje and Maribor are the only two founding clubs that have never been relegated from the league since its foundation in 1991.

47 clubs have competed since the inception of the PrvaLiga in 1991. Eight of them have won the title: Maribor (16), Gorica (4), Olimpija (4), Olimpija Ljubljana (3), Celje (2), Domžale (2), Koper (1), and Mura (1).

History

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PrvaLiga trophy being lifted in celebration of Maribor's ninth league title in May 2011.

The Slovenian First League (1. SNL) was established after Slovenia's independence in 1991, and initially consisted of 21 clubs in the inaugural season.[1][2][3] Prior to that, Slovenian teams competed in the Yugoslav football league system. Olimpija, Maribor and Nafta were the only Slovenian teams to play in the Yugoslav top division between 1945 and the breakup of Yugoslavia in 1991.[3] While they were part of the Yugoslav football system, most Slovenian clubs competed for the title of regional champions in the Slovenian Republic League, the third tier of Yugoslav football.[2][3]

 
Matjaž Kek won the PrvaLiga title as a footballer and manager.[4]

In 1991, the Football Association of Slovenia separated from the Football Association of Yugoslavia and established its own competitions, where Slovenian clubs competed for the title of Slovenian national champions.[2][3] As of 2024, Celje and Maribor remain the only two founding clubs that have never been relegated from the league since the inaugural 1991–92 edition.[5] The competition format and the number of clubs in the league have changed over time, ranging from 21 clubs in the first season to 10 clubs in its present form.[1][3]

Olimpija won the first title.[1] They had a long tradition of playing in the Yugoslav First League and their squad was still composed of players from that era.[3] Olimpija dominated the league and won a further three championships before Gorica won their first in the 1995–96 season.[1] Following Gorica's success, Maribor won their first championship in 1997.[1] This started a record-breaking streak of seven successive league championships which came to an end when Gorica won their second title in the 2003–04 season.[1] The club from Nova Gorica went on to win an additional two titles, becoming the third club to win three consecutive championships.[1] During the 2006–07 season, Domžale won their first title, a feat they repeated the following season.[1] Starting with the 2008–09 season, Maribor became the major force in Slovenian football for the second time, having won 9 out of 16 championships since then, including five consecutive titles from 2011 to 2015.[1]

Maribor is the most successful club; they have won the championship 16 times.[1] Seven of Maribor's titles came during the late 1990s and early 2000s when the club was led alternately by managers Bojan Prašnikar, Ivo Šušak and Matjaž Kek.[6][7] Darko Milanič has led the club to four championships between 2009 and 2013.[8] Olimpija have won four titles, all in successive years between 1992 and 1995.[1] Tied with four championships is Gorica who won their first title in 1996 and an additional three in successive years between 2004 and 2006.[1] Olimpija Ljubljana have won three titles, followed by Celje and Domžale with two titles each. Koper and Mura have won one title each, in 2010 and 2021, respectively.[1] Maribor have won the most doubles, winning the league and the Slovenian Cup four times in the same season.[9]

Names

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Since 1991, the league has been named after sponsors on several occasions, giving it the following names:

Period Sponsor Name
1991–1999 No sponsor 1. SNL
1999–2004 Si.mobil Liga Si.mobil[10]
2004–2006 Si.mobil Vodafone Liga Si.mobil Vodafone[11]
2006–2009 Telekom Slovenije Prva liga Telekom Slovenije[12]
2009–2013 No sponsor Prva liga
2013–2021 Telekom Slovenije Prva liga Telekom Slovenije[13]
2021–present Telemach Prva liga Telemach[14]

Format

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PrvaLiga is contested on a round-robin basis. Each team play against each other four times, twice at home and twice away, for a total of 36 rounds. Teams receive three points for a win, one point for a draw, and no points for a loss. Teams are ranked according to the total sum of points and if two teams are tied, head-to-head score is used as the first classification criteria. At the end of the season, the top three clubs qualify for the UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Conference League qualifying rounds, with the ninth-placed team being qualified for the relegation play-offs and the bottom one being relegated to the Slovenian Second League.[15]

The current system is in use since 2005. Between 1993 and 1995, a regular double round-robin format with 16 clubs was used, before being replaced with the current ten-club system for three seasons until 1998. Triple round-robin with twelve clubs and two direct relegations was then used between 1998 and 2003. In the next two seasons, in 2003–04 and 2004–05, the league was divided into the championship and relegation groups after the end of the regular season.

List of champions

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Season Champions Runners-up
1991–92 Olimpija Maribor
1992–93 Olimpija Maribor
1993–94 Olimpija NK Mura
1994–95 Olimpija Maribor
1995–96 Gorica Olimpija
1996–97 Maribor Primorje
1997–98 Maribor NK Mura
1998–99 Maribor Gorica
1999–2000 Maribor Gorica
2000–01 Maribor Olimpija
2001–02 Maribor Primorje
2002–03 Maribor Celje
2003–04 Gorica Olimpija
2004–05 Gorica Domžale
2005–06 Gorica Domžale
2006–07 Domžale Gorica
2007–08 Domžale Koper
Season Champions Runners-up
2008–09 Maribor Gorica
2009–10 Koper Maribor
2010–11 Maribor Domžale
2011–12 Maribor Olimpija Ljubljana
2012–13 Maribor Olimpija Ljubljana
2013–14 Maribor Koper
2014–15 Maribor Celje
2015–16 Olimpija Ljubljana Maribor
2016–17 Maribor Gorica
2017–18 Olimpija Ljubljana Maribor
2018–19 Maribor Olimpija Ljubljana
2019–20 Celje Maribor
2020–21 NŠ Mura Maribor
2021–22 Maribor Koper
2022–23 Olimpija Ljubljana Celje
2023–24 Celje Maribor
2024–25

Performance by club

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Club Winners Runners-up Winning years
Maribor 16 9 1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–2000, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2016–17, 2018–19, 2021–22
Gorica 4 5 1995–96, 2003–04, 2004–05, 2005–06
Olimpija (defunct) 4 3 1991–92, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1994–95
Olimpija Ljubljana 3 3 2015–16, 2017–18, 2022–23
Domžale 2 3 2006–07, 2007–08
Celje 2 3 2019–20, 2023–24
Koper 1 3 2009–10
NŠ Mura 1 0 2020–21
NK Mura (defunct) 0 2
Primorje (defunct) 0 2

Clubs

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2024–25 season

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Below is the list of clubs that are members of the 2024–25 Slovenian PrvaLiga season.
Key
Reigning champions, winners of the previous season
Runners-up of the previous season
Promoted from the Slovenian Second League
Location of teams in the 2024–25 season
Club Position in 2023–24 PrvaLiga debut PrvaLiga seasons
(as of 2024–25)
First season of
current spell
Last title
(number of titles)
Bravo 4th 2019–20 6 2019–20
Celje Champions 1991–92 34 1991–92 2023–24 (2)
Domžale 7th 1991–92 27 2003–04 2007–08 (2)
Koper 5th 1991–92 28 2020–21 2009–10 (1)
Maribor Runners-up 1991–92 34 1991–92 2021–22 (16)
Mura 6th 2018–19 7 2018–19 2020–21 (1)
Nafta 1903 2. SNL, 2nd (promoted) ↑ 2024–25 1 (debut) 2024–25
Olimpija Ljubljana 3rd 2009–10 16 2009–10 2022–23 (3)
Primorje 2. SNL, 1st (promoted) ↑ 2024–25 1 (debut) 2024–25
Radomlje 9th 2014–15 6 2021–22

UEFA coefficient

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Correct as of 12 June 2024.[16] The table shows the position of the Slovenian PrvaLiga, based on its UEFA coefficient country ranking, and the four leagues closest to the PrvaLiga's position (two leagues with a higher coefficient and two with a lower coefficient).

Rank League 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24 Coeff.
28   Azerbaijan Premier League 3.375 2.500 4.375 4.000 5.875 20.125
29   Slovak First Football League 3.000 1.500 4.125 6.000 5.000 19.625
30   Slovenian PrvaLiga 2.000 2.250 3.000 2.125 3.875 13.250
31   Moldovan Super Liga 0.750 1.375 5.250 3.750 2.000 13.125
32   Football Superleague of Kosovo 1.500 1.833 2.333 2.875 3.000 11.541

Statistics

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Top scorers

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As of 20 May 2024[17]
Rank Name Goals Appearances Average
1 Marcos Tavares 159 436 0.36
2 Štefan Škaper 130 226 0.58
3 Kliton Bozgo 109 207 0.53
4 Ermin Rakovič 108 269 0.4
5 Milan Osterc 106 276 0.38
Rok Kronaveter 335 0.32
7 Damir Pekič 103 266 0.39
8 Marko Kmetec 95 271 0.35
9 Dalibor Volaš 92 241 0.38
10 Ismet Ekmečić 90 199 0.45
Anton Žlogar 300 0.3

Awards

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Trophy

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The current trophy is being presented since the 2012–13 season and was designed by Mirko Bratuša, a sculptor from Negova. It depicts a ball with eleven star-shaped holes and inside there are eleven players holding together and looking at the sky. It is made of brass, bronze and gold, and weighs 13 kilograms (29 lb; 2 st 1 lb).[18]

Player awards

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The first Player of the Year awards were presented by Slovenian newspaper Dnevnik in the early 1990s. Between 1996 and 1999, they were presented by Ekipa, and since 2004, the awards have been organized by the Union of Professional Football Players of Slovenia (SPINS).

Manager awards

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Manager awards weren't presented between 2012 and 2019.

Manager of the Year

Broadcast

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During the early years, the league was broadcast only by the national public broadcasting television, RTV Slovenija. From 2008 until 2012, they had joint broadcasts with Šport TV, and from 2013 until 2015 with Planet TV.[13] In the 2015–16 and 2016–17 seasons, the league was broadcast exclusively on Kanal A.[43] In the 2017–18 season, the league was broadcast jointly by Kanal A and Šport TV. In the first round of the season, all five games were broadcast live for the first time in league's history.[44]

Between 2018–19 and 2020–21, the league was broadcast jointly by Planet TV and RTV Slovenija.[45][46] With the start of the 2019–20 season, one match per week is also broadcast on local Sportklub channels in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Montenegro, North Macedonia and Serbia.[47] From 2021–22 onwards, the league is being broadcast by Sportklub and Šport TV; all five matches per round are broadcast live, with Sportklub broadcasting four matches and Šport TV one.[48] From the 2022–23 season, the league is also broadcast in Poland on Sportklub Polska.[49]

Country TV channel
Bosnia and Herzegovina Sportklub
Croatia
Montenegro
North Macedonia
Poland Sportklub Polska
Serbia Sportklub
Slovenia Sportklub
Šport TV

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Plestenjak, Rok (23 May 2022). "Fenomen NK Maribor: Ima jih več kot preostala Slovenija skupaj!" (in Slovenian). Siol. Archived from the original on 27 January 2021. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  2. ^ a b c "Zgodovina" [History] (in Slovenian). Slovenian PrvaLiga. Archived from the original on 19 June 2022. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "Zgodovina" [History] (in Slovenian). Football Association of Slovenia. Archived from the original on 11 March 2016. Retrieved 3 May 2012.
  4. ^ "Dobra igra ne šteje, pomemben je le izid" [Good performance is not important, only the result is important] (in Slovenian). RTV Slovenija. 21 August 2008. Archived from the original on 19 December 2019. Retrieved 17 May 2012.
  5. ^ Subotić, Dolores (2 June 2019). "Sežanci vzeli Goričanom prvoligaški status" (in Slovenian). Nova Gorica: RTV Slovenija. Archived from the original on 2 June 2019. Retrieved 5 June 2019.
  6. ^ "Zgodovina 1991–2000" [History 1991–2000] (in Slovenian). NK Maribor. Archived from the original on 12 February 2021. Retrieved 3 May 2012.
  7. ^ "Zgodovina 2001–2010" [History 2001–2010] (in Slovenian). NK Maribor. Archived from the original on 12 February 2021. Retrieved 3 May 2012.
  8. ^ STA, rk (4 June 2013). "Milanič odhaja v Sturm Graz: "Po malem se je kuhalo že nekaj časa"". Dnevnik (in Slovenian). Archived from the original on 12 June 2018. Retrieved 9 June 2018.
  9. ^ Lorenčič, Jaša (16 April 2021). "Kako do 16. naslova? Rožman: »Ne bom trpel švercanja!«". maribor24.si (in Slovenian). Archived from the original on 24 May 2023. Retrieved 24 May 2023.
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  17. ^ "Statistični pregled (vse sezone)" [Statistical overview (all seasons)] (in Slovenian). Slovenian PrvaLiga. Archived from the original on 26 May 2019. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  18. ^ "Nov pokal za prvaka Prve lige Telekom Slovenije" (in Slovenian). Football Association of Slovenia. 24 May 2013. Archived from the original on 6 August 2018. Retrieved 6 August 2018.
  19. ^ a b c d "Džoni Novak nogometaš leta" (in Slovenian). Slovenian Press Agency. 7 December 1994. Archived from the original on 17 January 2018. Retrieved 3 June 2017.
  20. ^ "Bralci Dnevnika izbrali Valentinčiča" (in Slovenian). Slovenian Press Agency. 20 January 1996. Archived from the original on 18 May 2021. Retrieved 3 June 2017.
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  32. ^ a b "Najboljša nogometaša sezone sta Rok Kronaveter in Manja Rogan". Archived from the original on 13 September 2016. Retrieved 20 May 2017.
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  41. ^ a b "Rudi Požeg Vancaš naj igralec Prve Lige Telekom Slovenije". Slovenski nogometni portal (in Slovenian). 19 May 2019. Archived from the original on 28 July 2023. Retrieved 6 August 2020.
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  44. ^ "Vseh pet tekem PLTS v TV prenosih, Ankarančani v Dravogradu" (in Slovenian). Slovenian PrvaLiga. 13 July 2017. Archived from the original on 16 August 2017. Retrieved 15 July 2017.
  45. ^ Planet TV (14 June 2018). "Neposredni prenos žreba parov Prve lige Telekom Slovenije na Planet TV" (in Slovenian). Siol. Archived from the original on 19 June 2018. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
  46. ^ R. K. (19 June 2018). "Prva liga se vrača na Televizijo Slovenija" (in Slovenian). RTV Slovenija. Archived from the original on 19 June 2018. Retrieved 19 June 2018.
  47. ^ PrvaLigaSi (28 July 2019). "Z novo sezono je tekme #PLTS mogoče spremljati tudi na Hrvaškem, v Bosni in Hercegovini, Črni gori, Srbiji in Severni Makedoniji!" (in Slovenian). Twitter. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
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  49. ^ "Słoweńska Prva Liga w Sportklubie". SATKurier.pl (in Polish). 26 July 2022. Archived from the original on 16 October 2022. Retrieved 16 October 2022.
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