Slovak First Football League


The Slovak First Football League, officially known as Niké liga for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in Slovakia and the highest level of the Slovak football league system. It was formed in 1993 following the dissolution of Czechoslovakia. The record for most titles is fifteen, held by Slovan Bratislava, who are the current title holders.

History

The current independent top football division in Slovakia was formed in 1993 as a result of the dissolution of Czechoslovakia. The predecessors of the current top football division in Slovakia were Zväzové Majstrovstvá Slovenska and Slovenská liga.
Slovakia was part of Czechoslovakia and the best Slovak clubs played in the joint Czechoslovak First League. Three Slovak clubs managed to win it.
Zväzové Majstrovstvá Slovenska
SeasonChampions Runners-upThird place
1925–261. ČsŠK Bratislava
1926–271. ČsŠK Bratislava
1927–28SK Žilina
1928–29SK Žilina
1929–301. ČsŠK Bratislava
1930–31Ligeti SC
1931–321. ČsŠK Bratislava
1932–33SC Rusj Uzhorod

Slovenská liga
Slovak winners of the Czechoslovak 1. League
ClubWinnersWinning seasons
Slovan Bratislava8Czechoslovak [First League 1949|1949], 1950, 1951, 1955, 1969–70, 1973–74, 1974–75, 1991–92
Spartak Trnava51967–68, 1968–69, 1970–71, 1971–72, 1972–73
Inter Bratislava11958–59

Competition format

Over the years, the number of teams competing in the top division has varied. The current number of 12 teams has been in effect since the 2006–07 season. However, there were also changes in the playing format afterwards. In the current format, which has been in effect since the 2017–18 season, teams play home-and-away against every other team in the regular stage, for a total of 22 matches each. The table is then divided into two halves of 6 teams each – the top 6 play in the championship group and the bottom 6 play in the relegation group. Within these groups, teams play home-and-away each other again, for a total of 10 matches each.
PeriodNumber of teams
1993–199612
1996–200016
2000–200610
2006–present12

Sponsorship

PeriodSponsorName
1993–1997No sponsor1. liga
1997–2002ReemtsmaMars superliga
2002–2003No sponsor1. liga
2003–2014HeinekenCorgoň liga
2014–2023FortunaFortuna liga
2023–presentNikéNiké liga

Clubs

Champions

Source for list of championship winners:

Performance by club

Clubs in bold currently play in the top division.
ClubWinnersRunners-upChampionship seasonsRunners-up seasons
Slovan Bratislava1551993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1998–99, 2008–09, 2010–11, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22, 2022–23, 2023–24, 2024–252000–01, 2009–10, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18
Žilina762001–02, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2006–07, 2009–10, 2011–12, 2016–172004–05, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2014–15, 2019–20, 2024–25
VSS Košice231996–97, 1997–981994–95, 1995–96, 1999–2000
Artmedia Bratislava232004–05, 2007–082002–03, 2005–06, 2006–07
Inter Bratislava221999–2000, 2000–011993–94, 1998–99
Trenčín212014–15, 2015–162013–14
Spartak Trnava132017–181996–97, 1997–98, 2011–12
Ružomberok112005–062021–22
DAC Dunajská Streda–4–2018–19, 2020–21, 2022–23, 2023–24
Senica–2–2010–11, 2012–13
Púchov–1–2001–02
Dukla Banská Bystrica–1–2003–04

Titles by city

CityTitlesWinning clubs
Image:Coat of Arms of [Bratislava.svg|20px] Bratislava19Slovan Bratislava, Inter Bratislava, Artmedia Bratislava
Žilina.svg|20px] Žilina7Žilina
Image:Coat of Arms of [Košice.svg|20px] Košice2VSS Košice
Image:Coat of Arms of [Trenčín.svg|20px] Trenčín2Trenčín
Image:Coat of Arms of [Ružomberok.svg|20px] Ružomberok1Ružomberok
Image:Coat of Arms of [Trnava.svg|20px] Trnava1Spartak Trnava

2025–26 season

Twelve clubs will compete in the 2025–26 season.
TeamLocationStadiumCapacity
DAC Dunajská StredaDunajská StredaMOL Aréna12,700
Tatran PrešovPrešovFutbal Tatran Arena6,500
KošiceKošiceKošická futbalová aréna12,555
PodbrezováPodbrezováZELPO Aréna4,000
RužomberokRužomberokŠtadión pod Čebraťom4,876
SkalicaSkalicaŠtadión MFK Skalica2,600
Slovan BratislavaBratislavaTehelné pole22,500
Spartak TrnavaTrnavaŠtadión Antona Malatinského18,200
TrenčínTrenčínŠtadión Sihoť10,000
Zemplín MichalovceMichalovceMestský futbalový štadión4,440
KomárnoKomárnoViOn Aréna4,008
ŽilinaŽilinaŠtadión pod Dubňom10,897

All-time league table

The all-time league table is an overall record of all match results, points, and goals of every team that has played in Slovak I. liga since its inception in 1993.
The table as of the end of 2024–25 season. Teams in bold are part of the 2025–26 Niké liga.
There is no club that played all seasons in top-flight. The best clubs in that respect, Žilina and Spartak Trnava, missed 1 season, Slovan Bratislava missed 2 seasons.
PosTeamSPWDLFAGDPts
1Slovan Bratislava3097456321719417859548311906
2MŠK Žilina311038499232307176811656031729
3Spartak Trnava311030471234321144011193211595
4MFK Ružomberok2894436126531812221154681348
5AS Trenčín2583731618732412131174391163
6DAC Dunajská Streda 22698255179264871955938 *
7Dukla Banská Bystrica22712229190293860943877
8VSS Košice1961624114822783579936863
9FC Petržalka14463204114145676561115726
10Inter Bratislava14454203102149667519148693
11FC Nitra18572177128299607875644
12Tatran Prešov16515148143224529734577
13FK Senica14448147113186510619556
14ViOn Zlaté Moravce17545139135273553859552
15MFK Dubnica13424119117188436604473
16Zemplín Michalovce113469690158384553378
17MŠK Púchov6216705393235294263
18Železiarne Podbrezová82567962105299369262
19Chemlon Humenné72167143102238323246
20Baník Prievidza72165944113239369212
21Spartak Myjava5132552750167177192
22ŠKF Sereď5155493967176237186
23Lokomotíva Košice5156483771180241174
24Partizán Bardejov5154452485159232159
25MFK Skalica4129373161139183142
26FC Rimavská Sobota4126352962129193134
27FK Pohronie4123264255128179120
28FC Senec3911828458515282
30FC Košice264181729729471
29Tatran Liptovský Mikuláš2641416346611658
31KFC Komárno13211615364839

S = Number of seasons; P = Matches played; W = Matches won; D = Matches drawn; L = Matches lost; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points


aSpartak Myjava withdrew from the league on 21 December 2016, and their results from season 2016-17 were annulled.
  • DAC had 6 points deducted in 2013/14 season.
League or status:
2024–25 Slovak First Football League
2024–25 2. Liga (Slovakia)
2024–25 3. Liga (Slovakia)
4. Liga (Slovakia)
Below 4th tier
Defunct

European competitions

UEFA coefficients

The following data indicates Slovak coefficient rankings between European football leagues.
;Country ranking:
UEFA League Ranking as of the end 2023/24 season for the period of 2019-2024:
;Club ranking:
UEFA 5-year Club Ranking as of the August 30 2024 season:

Players

The clubs sell their players to financially stronger clubs from western Europe. Examples of players that have succeeded in notable leagues are Marek Hamšík, who was captain of Italian club SSC Napoli, Peter Pekarík who captained Bundesliga side Hertha BSC or Martin Škrtel, a well-known former Liverpool centre-back who is now the Sporting director of FC Spartak Trnava. Moreover, over the last few years more and more youngsters have been given chances to perform regularly in the league and as the result, many transfers were to be seen. For example Leon Bailey, Milan Škriniar, Stanislav Lobotka or Samuel Kalu could have been seen playing football at Slovak stadiums recently.

Top scorers

As of the end of the 2017–18 season.

Transfers

Record departures

''*-unofficial fee''