The Yugoslav First League (Bosnian: Prva savezna liga u fudbalu, , , , , , ) was the premier football league in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia (1923–1940) and Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (1946–1992).
The First League Championship was one of two national competitions held annually in Yugoslavia, the Yugoslav Cup being the other.
The league became fully professional in 1967.Moving with the ball: the migration of professional footballers by Pierre Lanfranchi and Matthew Taylor, p. 119.
Kingdom of Yugoslavia (1923–1940) This was the first club competition on a national level for clubs from Kingdom of Yugoslavia (named the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes until 1929). The league was started in 1923 and the first four seasons had a cup tournament format, while the first round-robin league competition was held in 1927. In the period from 1927 to 1940 seventeen seasons were completed, with all the titles won by clubs from Croatia (Građanski Zagreb, Concordia Zagreb, HAŠK Zagreb and Hajduk Split) or Serbia (BSK and SK Jugoslavija).
It was governed at first by the Croatian-named Nogometni Savez Jugoslavije (Football Association of Yugoslavia), founded in April 1919 in Zagreb, until in late 1929 disagreements arose between the Zagreb and Belgrade branches of the association. This resulted in the association headquarters being moved to Belgrade in May 1930 where it adopted the Serbian name Fudbalski Savez Jugoslavije and continued operating the league until it was suspended due to the outbreak of World War II. Consequently, with the moving of headquarters, Croatian players and coaches boycotted Yugoslavia national team. With the Axis invasion of Yugoslavia, separate Croatian and Serbian leagues were established, which operated during the World War II.
Champions and top scorers Season Format Champions Runners-up Top scorer(s) Goals 1923Cup tournament(One-legged knockout; 6 clubs) Građanski Zagreb (1) SAŠK SarajevoDragan Jovanović(SK Jugoslavija) 4 1924Cup tournament(One-legged knockout; 7 clubs) SK Jugoslavija (1) Hajduk SplitDragan Jovanović(SK Jugoslavija) 6 1925Cup tournament(One-legged knockout; 7 clubs) SK Jugoslavija (2) Građanski ZagrebDragan Jovanović(SK Jugoslavija) 4 1926Cup tournament(One-legged knockout; 7 clubs) Građanski Zagreb (2) SK JugoslavijaDušan Petković(SK Jugoslavija) 4 1927League(Single round-robin; 6 clubs) Hajduk Split (1) BSKKuzman Sotirović(BSK) 6 1928League(Single round-robin; 6 clubs) Građanski Zagreb (3) Hajduk SplitLjubo Benčić(Hajduk Split) 8 1929League(Double round-robin; 5 clubs) Hajduk Split (2) BSKĐorđe Vujadinović(BSK) 10 1930League(Double round-robin; 6 clubs) Concordia Zagreb (1) SK JugoslavijaBlagoje Marjanović(BSK) 10 1931League(Double round-robin; 6 clubs) BSK (1) Concordia ZagrebĐorđe Vujadinović(BSK) 12 1932Cup tournament(Two-legged knockout; 8 clubs) Concordia Zagreb (2) Hajduk SplitSvetislav Valjarević(Concordia Zagreb) 10 1933League(Double round-robin; 11 clubs) BSK (2) Hajduk SplitVladimir Kragić(Hajduk Split) 21 1934National championship was not played. 1935League(Double round-robin; 10 clubs) BSK (3) SK JugoslavijaLeo Lemešić(Hajduk Split) 18 1936Cup tournament(Two-legged knockout; 14 clubs) BSK (4) Slavija SarajevoBlagoje Marjanović(BSK) 5 1936–37League(Double round-robin; 10 clubs) Građanski Zagreb (4) Hajduk SplitBlagoje Marjanović(BSK) 21 1937–38League(Double round-robin; 10 clubs) HAŠK Zagreb (1) BSKAugust Lešnik(Građanski Zagreb) 17 1938–39League(Double round-robin; 12 clubs) BSK (5) Građanski ZagrebAugust Lešnik(Građanski Zagreb) 22 1939–40LeagueThe league had a contracted season. In 1939, Croatian and Slovenian clubs began leaving the Yugoslav Football Association and joining the newly found Croatian Football Federation, in protest of the alleged centralization of sport around Belgrade. A new Croatian-Slovenian Football League was started, while the Yugoslavian First League continued on, soon to be renamed the Serbian First League. The split was eventually rectified with the promise of an increase in the number of Croatian and Slovenian clubs in the league. In the end, a short ten-round season was held.(Double round-robin; 6 clubs) Građanski Zagreb (5) BSKSvetislav Glišović(BSK) 10
Performance by clubs #ClubChampionsRunners-up1BSK542Građanski Zagreb523Hajduk Split254SK Jugoslavija235Concordia Zagreb216HAŠK107Slavija Sarajevo018SAŠK Sarajevo01
World War II competitions Serbian Football League (1940–1944), in Serbia (Territory of the Military Commander in Serbia) , in Croatia (Independent State of Croatia)
Post-World War II tournament SeasonChampionsRunners-upThird placeTop scorer(s)Goals1945SR Serbia (1) JNA SR CroatiaStjepan Bobek (JNA)8
SFR Yugoslavia (1946–1992)
Champions and top scorers SeasonChampionsRunners-upThird placeTop scorer(s)Goals1946–47Partizan (1) Dinamo Zagreb Red StarFranjo Wölfl (Dinamo Zagreb)281947–48Dinamo Zagreb (1) Hajduk Split PartizanFranjo Wölfl (Dinamo Zagreb)221948–49Partizan (2) Red Star Hajduk SplitFrane Matošić (Hajduk Split)171950Hajduk Split (1) Red Star PartizanMarko Valok (Partizan)171951Red Star (1) Dinamo Zagreb Hajduk SplitKosta Tomašević (Red Star)161952Hajduk Split (2) Red Star LokomotivaStanoje Jocić (BSK)131952–53Red Star (2) Hajduk Split PartizanTodor Živanović (Red Star)171953–54Dinamo Zagreb (2) Partizan Red StarStjepan Bobek (Partizan)211954–55Hajduk Split (3) BSK Dinamo ZagrebPredrag Marković (BSK)Kosta Tomašević (Spartak Subotica)Bernard Vukas (Hajduk Split)201955–56Red Star (3) Partizan Radnički BelgradeMuhamed Mujić (Velež Mostar)Tihomir Ognjanov (Spartak Subotica)Todor Veselinović (Vojvodina)211956–57Red Star (4) Vojvodina Hajduk SplitTodor Veselinović (Vojvodina)281957–58Dinamo Zagreb (3) Partizan Radnički BelgradeTodor Veselinović (Vojvodina)191958–59Red Star (5) Partizan VojvodinaBora Kostić (Red Star)251959–60Red Star (6) Dinamo Zagreb PartizanBora Kostić (Red Star)191960–61Partizan (3) Red Star Hajduk SplitZoran Prljinčević (Radnički Belgrade)Todor Veselinović (Vojvodina)161961–62Partizan (4) Vojvodina Dinamo ZagrebDražan Jerković (Dinamo Zagreb)161962–63Partizan (5) Dinamo Zagreb ŽeljezničarMišo Smajlović (Željezničar)181963–64Red Star (7) OFK Belgrade Dinamo ZagrebAsim Ferhatović (FK Sarajevo)191964–65Partizan (6) FK Sarajevo Red StarZlatko Dračić (NK Zagreb)231965–66Vojvodina (1) Dinamo Zagreb Velež MostarPetar Nadoveza (Hajduk Split)211966–67FK Sarajevo (1) Dinamo Zagreb PartizanMustafa Hasanagić (Partizan)181967–68Red Star (8) Partizan Dinamo ZagrebSlobodan Santrač (OFK Belgrade)221968–69Red Star (9) Dinamo Zagreb PartizanVojin Lazarević (Red Star)221969–70Red Star (10) Partizan Velež MostarSlobodan Santrač (OFK Belgrade)Dušan Bajević (Velež Mostar)201970–71Hajduk Split (4) Željezničar Dinamo ZagrebPetar Nadoveza (Hajduk Split)Božo Janković (Željezničar)201971–72Željezničar (1) Red Star OFK BelgradeSlobodan Santrač (OFK Belgrade)331972–73Red Star (11) Velež Mostar OFK BelgradeSlobodan Santrač (OFK Belgrade)Vojin Lazarević (Red Star)251973–74Hajduk Split (5) Velež Mostar Red StarDanilo Popivoda (Olimpija Ljubljana)171974–75Hajduk Split (6) Vojvodina Red StarDušan Savić (Red Star)Boško Đorđević (Partizan)201975–76Partizan (7) Hajduk Split Dinamo ZagrebNenad Bjeković (Partizan)241976–77Red Star (12) Dinamo Zagreb Sloboda TuzlaZoran Filipović (Red Star)211977–78Partizan (8) Red Star Hajduk SplitRadomir Savić (Sarajevo)211978–79Hajduk Split (7) Dinamo Zagreb Red StarDušan Savić (Red Star)241979–80Red Star (13) FK Sarajevo Radnički NišSafet Sušić (Sarajevo)Dragoljub Kostić (Napredak Kruševac)171980–81Red Star (14) Hajduk Split Radnički NišMilan Radović (Rijeka)261981–82Dinamo Zagreb (4) Red Star Hajduk SplitSnješko Cerin (Dinamo Zagreb)191982–83Partizan (9) Hajduk Split Dinamo ZagrebSulejman Halilović (Dinamo Vinkovci)181983–84Red Star (15) Partizan ŽeljezničarDarko Pančev (Vardar)191984–85FK Sarajevo (2) Hajduk Split PartizanZlatko Vujović (Hajduk Split)251985–86PartizanThe Yugoslav FA decided that the last round of fixtures had to be replayed, after accusations that certain results had been fixed. Partizan, who had won the title with a 4-0 over Zeljeznicar Sarajevo, refused, after which the game was awarded 3-0 to Zeljeznicar, which gave Crvena zvezda the title. Crvena zvezda played in the 1986/87 European Champions Cup. However, after a sequence of legal processes, the original final table, with Partizan as champions, was officially recognized, in 1987. (10) Red Star Velež MostarDavor Čop (Dinamo Vinkovci)201986–87PartizanTen clubs had started the 1986/87 season with a deduction of 6 points, among them Partizan and Red Star Belgrade, because of the events in the previous season. Vardar, who had not been deducted 6 points, won the title, and participated in the 1987/88 Champions Cup, but the points deduction was later annulled after more legal proceedings, and the title was given to Partizan, who headed the table with the deduction. (11) Velež Mostar Red StarRadmilo Mihajlović (Željezničar)231987–88Red Star (16) Partizan Velež MostarDuško Milinković (Rad)161988–89Vojvodina (2) Red Star Hajduk SplitDavor Šuker (Osijek)181989–90Red Star (17) Dinamo Zagreb Hajduk SplitDarko Pančev (Red Star)251990–91Red Star (18) Dinamo Zagreb PartizanDarko Pančev (Red Star)341991–92Red Star (19) Partizan VojvodinaDarko Pančev (Red Star)25
Titles by club Club Titles Winning seasonsRed Star191951, 1952–53, 1955–56, 1956–57, 1958–59, 1959–60, 1963–64, 1967–68, 1968–69, 1969–70, 1972–73, 1976–77, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1983–84, 1987–88, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1991–92Partizan111946–47, 1948–49, 1960–61, 1961–62, 1962–63, 1964–65, 1975–76, 1977–78, 1982–83, 1985–86, 1986–87Hajduk Split71950, 1952, 1954–55, 1970–71, 1973–74, 1974–75, 1978–79Dinamo Zagreb41947–48, 1953–54, 1957–58, 1981–82Vojvodina21965–66, 1988–89Sarajevo21966–67, 1984–85Željezničar11971–72
Titles by republic Republic Titles ClubsSR Serbia32Red Star, Partizan, VojvodinaSR Croatia11Hajduk Split, Dinamo ZagrebSR Bosnia and Herzegovina3Sarajevo, ŽeljezničarSR Macedonia0 –SR Montenegro0 –SR Slovenia0 –
Performance by club Club Champions Runners-up Third place Total top three finishesRed Star Belgrade199735Partizan119828Hajduk Split76821Dinamo Zagreb411722Vojvodina2327Sarajevo2204Željezničar1124Velež Mostar0347OFK Belgrade*0224Radnički Belgrade0022Radnički Niš0022Lokomotiva Zagreb0011Sloboda Tuzla0011
*Known as BSK before 1957
All-Time First Yugoslav League table Top 12 only: RankClubMPWDLGFGAGDP1Red Star133571932828825601415 +114517662Partizan133565735432422851428 +85716683Dinamo Zagreb130259736633921511495 +65615604Hajduk Split130258734636920881486 +60215205Vojvodina122146531144516701595 +7512416Sarajevo122844731147016741773 -9912057Velež Mostar117443530943016681615 +5311798Željezničar106340327438614561424 +3210809OFK Beograd97734328135313551355 096710Radnički Niš97933925039010881244 -15692811Vardar100532825142611951459 -26490712Rijeka89831025233610831163 -80857
Best finish in Europe by club
Table only shows best-finish achievements in major European/Intercontinental competitions during the SFR Yugoslavia period (1945–1992). No minor European tournaments (like Mitropa Cup) included. Table sorted by success at European Cup / UEFA Champions League first and foremost.