Football in Slovakia | |
---|---|
Country | Slovakia |
Governing body | Slovak Football Association |
National team(s) | Slovakia |
First played | 1863 |
National competitions | |
Club competitions | |
International competitions | |
Slovakia has participated in international football as an independent nation ever since 1993 when Czechoslovakia was divided into two new states. [1] [2] [3] Slovakia qualified to the FIFA World Cup for the first time in 2010, where the side upset perennial power Italy and lost in the Round of 16. [4] Since independence, they qualified for the UEFA European Championship for their first time in 2016. Football is the most popular sport in the Slovak Republic.
The Slovak Football Association was a member of FIFA from April 1939 to 1945 and resumed in 1994. [5]
The Slovak club's football tournament is held every season in the Slovak First Football League. The first Slovak football league was formed in its current form in 1993, when the Czechoslovak league was discontinued after the end of the federation with the Czech Republic. In 2007-08 there was an average of approximately 3000 spectators per game. The clubs sell their players to financially stronger clubs from western Europe. Examples of players that have succeeded in notable leagues are Marek Hamšík, former captain of Italian club SSC Napoli, Peter Pekarík who captains Bundesliga side Hertha BSC and Martin Škrtel, a well-known former Liverpool centre-back. Moreover, over the last few years more and more youngsters have been given the chance to perform regularly in the league before being transferred abroad. For example Leon Bailey, Milan Škriniar, Stanislav Lobotka and Samuel Kalu all played in the Slovak league.
The record champion is ŠK Slovan Bratislava with 13 titles, followed by MŠK Žilina with 7 titles.
The second-tier football league in Slovakia is called 2. Liga and 16 teams compete in it. The third tier league (known as 3. Liga) consists of four divisions of which three (division East, division Middle & division Bratislava) are of 16 teams and the other one (division West) consists of 18 teams.
In 2010, MŠK Žilina became the third Slovak club to participate in the Champions League, where they were eliminated in the group stage.
As of the 2024–25 season: [6]
Level Clubs | League(s) / Division(s) | |||
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1 12 | I. Liga 12 clubs | |||
2 14 | II. Liga 14 clubs | |||
3 33 | III. Liga West 17 clubs | III. Liga East 16 clubs | ||
4 63 | IV. Liga (BFZ) 16 clubs | IV. Liga (ZsFZ) 17 clubs | IV. Liga (SsFZ) 14 clubs | IV. Liga (VsFZ) 16 clubs |
5 102 | V. Liga (BFZ) 16 clubs | V. Liga (ZsFZ) North-West - 14 clubs South-East - 16 clubs | V. Liga (SsFZ) North - 14 clubs South - 14 clubs | V. Liga (VsFZ) North - 14 clubs South - 14 clubs |
6 225 | VI. Liga (BFZ) Bratislava-city - 14 clubs Bratislava-country - 14 clubs | VI. Liga (ZsFZ) North - 16 clubs West - 15 clubs South - 11 clubs East - 16 clubs Centre - 16 clubs | VI. Liga (SsFZ) Group A - 14 clubs Group B - 14 clubs Group C - 14 clubs Group D - 13 clubs | VI. Liga (VsFZ) Podtatranská - 14 clubs Šarišská - 14 clubs Zemplínska - 14 clubs Košicko-Gemerská - 14 clubs Vihorlatsko-Dukelská - 12 clubs |
7 | VII. Liga (BFZ) Bratislava-city - 10 clubs Bratislava-country - 9 clubs | Sub-regional football unions Dunajská Streda | Sub-regional football unions Banská Bystrica | Sub-regional football unions Bardejov |
The Slovak Cup is the football cup competition for Slovak club teams. It is organized annually by the Slovak Football Association (Slovenský futbalový zväz, SFZ). The cup has been held since the 1969/70 season, the first winner was Slovan Bratislava, who is also the record holder, with 17 titles.
The men's national team qualified as group winners for the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. At the final tournament, the Slovak team surprisingly won against the world champions Italy 3–2, the Slovaks also qualified for the knockout stages, where they were eliminated after a 2–1 defeat against the eventual finalists Netherlands. [7]
The Slovak national team also qualified for UEFA Euro 2016, reaching the round of 16, and UEFA Euro 2020, where they were eliminated in the group stage. [8]
The Slovak First Football League, shortly just 1st League, currently Niké liga for sponsorship reasons, is the highest league in the Slovak football league system. It was formed in 1993 following the dissolution of Czechoslovakia. The record for most titles is thirteen, held by Slovan Bratislava, who are the current title holders.
Dušan Galis is a Slovak politician and a former football player and manager. In the Czechoslovak league he played 226 matches, scoring 89 goals. He was capped eight times for Czechoslovakia national team, scoring one goal. He was a participant at the 1976 European Football Championship where he became European Champion with his national team.
Vladimír Weiss is a Slovak football manager and former player who is currently the manager of Slovan Bratislava. He is one of a small number of people to have appeared as a player and a coach at a FIFA World Cup.
The 2006–07 Slovak Superliga was the 14th season of first-tier football league in Slovakia, since its establishment in 1993. It began on 14 July 2006 and ended on 30 May 2007. MFK Ružomberok were the defending champions.
The 1993–94 Slovak First Football League was the first season of first-tier football league in Slovakia following the dissolution of Czechoslovakia on 1 January 1993. This season started on 14 August 1993 and ended on 15 June 1994.
Stanislav Angelovič is a retired Slovak footballer who is mostly known for playing at MŠK Žilina, playing for Žilina during the club's golden period winning the Corgoň Liga twice, the Slovak Cup once and qualifying for the club's first and only appearance at the group stage of the UEFA Champions League. After his time with Žilina, Angelovič moved to play for and manage Svätý Jur.
Mário Pečalka is a former Slovak football defender.
The I. liga žien is the top level women's football league of Slovakia.
The 2010–11 season of the Slovak Superliga was the eighteenth season of the first-tier football league in Slovakia, since its establishment in 1993. It began on 17 July 2010 and was completed on 25 May 2011. MŠK Žilina were the defending champions, having won their fifth Slovak league championship the previous season.
The 2010–11 Slovak Cup was the forty-second season of Slovakia's annual knock-out football cup competition and the eighteenth since the independence of Slovakia. It began on 23 August 2010 and will ended on 8 May 2011 with the final. As the 22nd ranked league system using the UEFA coefficient, the winners of the competition will earn a place in the third qualifying round of the UEFA Europa League.
Babatounde Issiaka Bello is a former Beninese footballer who played as a midfielder.
The 2011–12 Slovak First Football League was the nineteenth season of the Corgoň Liga, the first-tier football league in Slovakia, since its establishment in 1993. It began on 15 July 2011 and was completed on 19 May 2012. Slovan Bratislava were the defending champions, having won their sixth Slovak league championship at the end of the 2010–11 season.
The 2011–12 MŠK Žilina season was the 18th straight season that the club played in the Slovak First League, the highest tier of football in Slovakia.
The 2012–13 Slovak Cup, also known as Slovnaft Cup for sponsorship reasons, was the 44th edition of the competition. 43 clubs participated in the tournament. The winners of the competition, ŠK Slovan Bratislava, as a 2013–14 Slovak First Football League champions qualified for the second qualifying round of the 2013–14 UEFA Champions League. The Slovak Cup runner-up team, MŠK Žilina, qualified for the first qualifying round of the 2013–14 UEFA Europa League.
The 2013–14 season is ŠK Slovan Bratislava's 94th season in its existence and 8th consecutive season in Corgoň liga, top flight of Slovak football.
The 2018–19 Slovak First Football League was the 26th season of first-tier football league in Slovakia since its establishment in 1993.
David Strelec is a Slovak professional footballer who plays as a forward for Slovan Bratislava and the Slovakia national team.
The 2020–21 season was MŠK Žilina's 113th season in existence and the club's 24th consecutive season in the top flight of Slovak football. In addition to the domestic league, Žilina participated in this season's edition of the Slovak Cup and the UEFA Europa League.
The 2021–22 Slovak First Football League was the 29th season of first-tier football league in Slovakia since its establishment in 1993.
The 2010–11 season was MŠK Žilina's 17th consecutive season in the Slovak Superliga and 102nd year in existence as a football club. In addition to the domestic league, Žilina participated in that season's editions of the Slovak Cup, the Slovak Super Cup and the UEFA Champions League.