2021–22 Czech First League
The 2021–22 Czech First League, known as the Fortuna Liga is the 29th season of the Czech Republic's top-tier football for professional clubs since its 1993 establishment. Slavia Prague were the reigning champions. The season started on 24 July 2021. The first half of the season had 19 rounds, finishing on 19 December 2021, and the other half commenced on 5 February 2022. The season ended on 14 May 2022 with two extra play-out fixtures on 19 and 22 May 2022.
The season format was changed back to be played with 16 clubs, each team playing in the league format home and away matches, before the league split into three sections: championship, play-off and relegation groups. The lowest-ranked team was relegated directly to the second league, the two teams positioned 14th and 15th played a play-out with two teams from the second league positioned 2nd and 3rd in a home and away format. This was the fourth season to use VAR, featuring it in all matches played. All matches were played on weekdays, with no Friday fixtures expected.
Season summary
This was the fourth season sponsored by the Fortuna betting agency with a contract valid until 2024 as well as TV broadcasting rights held by O2 TV, which showed all eight matches per week. This was the first season that national broadcaster ČT Sport did not possess any rights to broadcast any of the fixtures. Blesk held the rights to the highlights from all matches. The 2021–22 season began on 24 July, thirteen days after the UEFA Euro 2020 final. With most of the national team players still released for vacations, Slavia Prague, [AC AC Sparta Prague|Sparta Prague|Sparta Prague] and Plzeň started with incomplete first-team squads.After ten match-weeks the trio recorded one loss each, Viktoria in the 6th round at Hradec Králové, Sparta in the seventh round in Plzeň and Slavia in round 10 in the Prague Derby at Letná on 3 October 2021. Sparta Prague ended the longest non-winning streak of derby matches after five-and-a-half years at 14 matches. It was also an interruption of Slavia Prague's record unbeaten streak of 54 matches in the first league.
Teams
Promotion and relegation (pre-season)
A total of sixteen teams contest the league, including fifteen sides from the 2020–21 season and the winner of last season's second league.;Team promoted to Czech First League
Due to a reduction from 18 to 16 teams, only the winner of the FNL advanced to the first league. On 8 May 2021 Hradec Králové defeated Dukla Prague 2–1 and secured the promotion with three matches remaining. Hradec Králové therefore participated in the top tier after four years of absence.
;Teams relegated from Czech First League
The three lowest positioned teams from the last season were relegated to the Fortuna National League.
On 8 May 2021, Opava became the first team to be relegated to FNL after a 1–1 draw at Zlín with three games remaining, ending their three-year stay in the top flight.
On 16 May 2021, Zbrojovka became the second team to be relegated to FNL after a 1–1 draw at Slovan Liberec with two games remaining, ending their one-year stay in the top flight.
On 23 May 2021, Příbram's relegation was confirmed following a 0–1 defeat at home against Pardubice with one game remaining, ending their First League tenure after three years.
Locations and stadiums
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 PragueManagerial changesAhead of the season:
During the season:
Regular seasonLeague tableChampionship groupPoints and goals were carried over in full from the regular season.Play-offBecause only four teams qualified for European competitions from the Czech First League due to a low national coefficient, the winner of the play-off only received a cash bonus and a better position in the 2022–23 Czech Cup.Relegation groupPoints and goals were carried over in full from the regular season.Relegation play-offsTeams placed 14th and 15th in the relegation group faced the teams placed second and third in the Czech National Football League for two spots in the next season.Season statisticsTop scorersUpdated at the end of the season.
Hat-tricks;Notes4 Player scored 4 goals – Home team – Away team Clean sheetsUpdated at the end of the season.
AwardsAnnual awardsSource:
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