2018–19 Croatian First Football League

The 2018–19 Croatian First Football League (officially Hrvatski Telekom Prva liga for sponsorship reasons) was the 28th season of the Croatian First Football League, the national championship for men's association football teams in Croatia, since its establishment in 1992. The season started on 27 July 2018 and finished on 26 May 2019.

Hrvatski Telekom Prva liga
Season2018–19
Dates27 July 2018 – 26 May 2019
ChampionsDinamo Zagreb
RelegatedRudeš
Champions LeagueDinamo Zagreb
Europa LeagueRijeka
Osijek
Hajduk Split
Matches played180
Goals scored510 (2.83 per match)
Top goalscorerMijo Caktaš (19)
Biggest home winRijeka 7–0 Inter Zaprešić
Biggest away winIstra 1961 0–7 Rijeka
Highest scoringDinamo Zagreb 7–2 Rudeš
Longest winning runDinamo Zagreb (7)
Longest unbeaten runDinamo Zagreb (15)
Longest winless runRudeš (23)
Longest losing runRudeš (8)
Highest attendance26,664
Hajduk Split 0–1 Dinamo Zagreb
Lowest attendance0
Hajduk Split 1–1 Rijeka
Total attendance478,760[1][2]
Average attendance2,660[1][2]
All statistics correct as of 26 May 2019.

The league is contested by 10 teams.

Teams

On 23 April 2018, Croatian Football Federation announced that the first stage of licensing procedure for 2018–19 season was complete. For the 2018–19 Prva HNL, only eight clubs were issued a top level license: Dinamo Zagreb, Gorica, Hajduk Split, Inter Zaprešić, Lokomotiva, Osijek, Rijeka and Slaven Belupo. All of these clubs except Gorica were also issued a license for participating in UEFA competitions.[3] In the second stage of licensing, clubs that were not licensed in the first stage can appeal on the decision.

Stadia and locations
Dinamo Zagreb Gorica Hajduk Split Inter Zaprešić
Stadion Maksimir Gradski stadion Velika Gorica Stadion Poljud Stadion ŠRC Zaprešić
Capacity: 35,123 Capacity: 5,000 Capacity: 34,198 Capacity: 5,228
Istra 1961
Locations of teams in 2018–19 Prva HNL
 Lokomotiva
Stadion Aldo Drosina Stadion Kranjčevićeva
Capacity: 9,800 Capacity: 8,850
Osijek Rijeka Rudeš Slaven Belupo
Stadion Gradski vrt Stadion Rujevica Stadion Kranjčevićeva Stadion Ivan Kušek-Apaš
Capacity: 18,856 Capacity: 8,279 Capacity: 8,850 Capacity: 3,205
Team City Stadium Capacity Ref.
Dinamo ZagrebZagrebStadion Maksimir35,123[4]
GoricaVelika GoricaGradski stadion Velika Gorica5,000[4]
Hajduk SplitSplitStadion Poljud34,198[5]
Inter ZaprešićZaprešićStadion ŠRC Zaprešić5,228[6]
Istra 1961PulaStadion Aldo Drosina9,800[7]
LokomotivaZagrebStadion Kranjčevićeva18,850[8]
OsijekOsijekStadion Gradski vrt18,856[9]
RijekaRijekaStadion Rujevica8,279[10]
RudešZagrebStadion Kranjčevićeva18,850[8]
Slaven BelupoKoprivnicaStadion Ivan Kušek-Apaš3,205[11]
  • 1 Lokomotiva and Rudeš host their home matches at Stadion Kranjčevićeva as their own ground failed to get license for top level football. The stadium is originally the home ground of third-level side NK Zagreb.
Rank Counties of Croatia Number of teams Club(s)
1 City of Zagreb 3 Dinamo Zagreb, Lokomotiva, and Rudeš
2 Zagreb County 2 Gorica, Inter Zaprešić
3 Istria 1 Istra 1961
Koprivnica-Križevci Slaven Belupo
Osijek-Baranja Osijek
Primorje-Gorski Kotar Rijeka
Split-Dalmatia Hajduk Split

Personnel and kits
Club Manager Captain Kit manufacturer Sponsors
Dinamo Zagreb Nenad Bjelica Arijan Ademi Adidas Lana grupa
Gorica Sergej Jakirović Igor Čagalj Alpas JAF J.u.A. Frischeis
Hajduk Split Siniša Oreščanin Mijo Caktaš Macron Tommy
Inter Zaprešić Samir Toplak Karlo Muhar Joma B2 Assets
Istra 1961 Igor Cvitanović Marin Grujević Kelme Croatia Osiguranje
Lokomotiva Goran Tomić Fran Karačić Nike Crodux
Osijek Dino Skender Mile Škorić Nike DOBRO
Rijeka Igor Bišćan Alexander Gorgon Joma Sava Osiguranje
Rudeš Tomislav Ivković Tomislav Mrkonjić Kelme
Slaven Belupo Ivica Sertić Mateas Delić Adidas Belupo

Managerial changes
Team Outgoing manager Manner of departure Date of vacancy Replaced by Date of appointment Position in table
Rudeš Jose Manuel Aira Signed by Sochaux 22 May 2018 Ivan Matić 17 June 2018 Pre-season
Gorica Ivan Prelec Signed by Legia Warsaw (assistant) 4 June 2018 Sergej Jakirović 18 June 2018 Pre-season
Istra 1961 Darko Raić-Sudar Sacked 10 July 2018 Manolo Márquez 10 July 2018 Pre-season
Hajduk Split Željko Kopić Sacked 5 September 2018 Zoran Vulić 9 September 2018 8th
Istra 1961 Manolo Márquez Removed from position 18 September 2018 Curro Torres 20 September 2018 9th
Rudeš Ivan Matić Removed from position 3 October 2018 Marko Lozo 3 October 2018 10th
Rijeka Matjaž Kek Resigned 6 October 2018 Igor Bišćan 9 October 2018 5th
Istra 1961 Curro Torres Removed from position 27 October 2018 Krunoslav Rendulić 28 October 2018 9th
Slaven Belupo Tomislav Ivković Removed from position 10 November 2018 Ivica Sertić 21 December 2018 7th
Hajduk Split Zoran Vulić Sacked 27 November 2018 Siniša Oreščanin 27 November 2018 6th
Rudeš Marko Lozo Removed from position 4 December 2018 Darko Jozinović 5 December 2018 10th
Rudeš Darko Jozinović Removed from position 24 December 2018 Tomislav Ivković 24 December 2018 10th
Istra 1961 Krunoslav Rendulić Sacked 4 March 2019 Igor Cvitanović 4 March 2019 9th
Osijek Zoran Zekić Resigned 29 March 2019 Dino Skender 29 March 2019 3rd

League table
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Dinamo Zagreb (C) 36 29 5 2 74 20 +54 92 Qualification to Champions League second qualifying round
2 Rijeka 36 19 10 7 70 36 +34 67 Qualification to Europa League third qualifying round[lower-alpha 1]
3 Osijek 36 18 8 10 61 36 +25 62[lower-alpha 2] Qualification to Europa League second qualifying round
4 Hajduk Split 36 17 11 8 59 39 +20 62[lower-alpha 2] Qualification to Europa League first qualifying round
5 Gorica 36 17 8 11 57 46 +11 59
6 Lokomotiva 36 13 10 13 51 43 +8 49
7 Slaven Belupo 36 7 16 13 41 53 −12 37
8 Inter Zaprešić 36 9 4 23 40 84 −44 31
9 Istra 1961 (O) 36 6 7 23 31 73 −42 25 Qualification to Relegation play-offs
10 Rudeš (R) 36 3 5 28 26 80 −54 14 Relegation to Croatian Second Football League
Source: PrvaHNL.hr
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Head-to-head points; 3) Head-to-head goal difference; 4) Head-to-head goals scored (at home if two teams tied); 5) Goal difference; 6) Goals scored; 7) Play-off
(Note: Criteria 2-4 and 7 is only used if deciding champion, teams to international competition or teams for relegation and in that case criteria 6 will not be used).[12]
(C) Champion; (O) Play-off winner; (R) Relegated.
Notes:
  1. Rijeka qualified for the Europa League third qualifying round by winning the 2018–19 Croatian Football Cup. As a result, the spot awarded to the runners-up (Europa League second qualifying round) was passed to the third-placed team, and the spot awarded to the third-placed team (Europa League first qualifying round) was passed to the fourth-placed team.
  2. Head-to-head points: Osijek 7 pts, Hajduk Split 4 pts.

Results

Each team plays home-and-away against every other team in the league twice, for a total of 36 matches each played.

Relegation play-offs

At the end of the season, ninth placed team Istra 1961 will contest a two-legged relegation play-off tie against Šibenik, runners-up of the 2018–19 Croatian Second Football League.

First leg
Šibenik1–1Istra 1961
Kukec  14' Report Fuentes  16'
Attendance: 3,200
Referee: Ivan Bebek (Rijeka)

Second leg
Istra 19612–0Šibenik
Fuentes  22'
Ivančić  71'		 Report
Attendance: 3,209
Referee: Mario Zebec (Cestica)

Istra 1961 won 3–1 on aggregate.

Statistics

Top scorers
As of 26 May 2019[13][14]
Rank Player Club Goals
1 Mijo Caktaš Hajduk Split 19
2 Mirko Marić Osijek 18
3 Jakov Puljić Rijeka 16
4 Komnen Andrić Inter Zaprešić (10), Dinamo Zagreb (4) 14
Łukasz Zwoliński Gorica
6 Jairo Hajduk Split 13
Ivan Krstanović Lokomotiva (6), Slaven Belupo (7)
8 Antonio Čolak Rijeka 12
9 Kristijan Lovrić Gorica 10
10 Mario Gavranović Dinamo Zagreb 9
Héber Rijeka
Ramón Mierez Istra 1961
Bruno Petković Dinamo Zagreb

References
  1. prvahnl.hr
  2. hrnogomet.hr
  3. "Središnji postupak licenciranja za natjecateljsku 2018/19. godinu za UEFA klupska natjecanja, Prvu HNL i u Drugu HNL završen u prvom stupnju" (PDF). hns-cff.hr (in Croatian). 23 April 2018. Retrieved 7 May 2018.
  4. "Stadion Maksimir". prvahnl.hr. Retrieved 6 July 2018.
  5. "Stadion Poljud". prvahnl.hr. Retrieved 6 July 2018.
  6. "Stadion ŠRC Zaprešić". prvahnl.hr. Retrieved 6 July 2018.
  7. "Stadion Aldo Drosina". prvahnl.hr. Retrieved 6 July 2018.
  8. "Stadion Kranjčevićeva". prvahnl.hr. Retrieved 6 July 2018.
  9. "Stadion Gradski vrt". prvahnl.hr. Retrieved 6 July 2018.
  10. "Stadion HNK Rijeka". prvahnl.hr. Retrieved 6 July 2018.
  11. "Stadion Ivan Kušek-Apaš". prvahnl.hr. Retrieved 6 July 2018.
  12. "Propozicije natjecanja za prvenstvo Hrvatski Telekom Prve lige za natjecateljsku godinu 2018/2019" (PDF). hns-cff.hr (in Croatian). 18 July 2018. Retrieved 27 July 2018.
  13. PrvaHNL.hr
  14. SofaScore

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