The 2017–18 Slovak First Football League (known as the Slovak Fortuna Liga for sponsorship reasons) was the 25th season of first-tier football league in Slovakia, since its establishment in 1993. MŠK Žilina were the defending champions, after winning their 7th Slovak championship.
Format changes Starting from this season, the competition format was changed. The previous 33-match round robin structure was replaced by the current regular stage round of 22 games and a playoff round, where 12 teams are divided into two groups: championship group (top-6 teams after regular stage) and relegation group (bottom 6 teams). The playoff round uses a 10-game round robin structure.
The top team in the championship group wins the league title and qualifies to next season's Champions League qualification; the runner-up and 3rd team obtain spots of next season's Europa League Qualification. The bottom team of the relegation group will be relegated to next season's 2. Liga and replaced by the 2. Liga winner. The second-bottom ranked team will play a two-leg relegation playoff with the runner-up of 2. Liga.
Should one of the top 3 teams wins of the 2017-18 Slovak Cup, Europa League qualification playoffs will be held among the 4th, 5th, 6th team in the championship group and the top team of the relegation round. The 4th team plays the top team of the relegation group and the 5th plays the 6th in the semifinals. Winners of the semifinals will play the final to determine the Europa League qualification spot. Europa League qualification playoff games will be one-leg and played at the home pitch of the higher-ranked team.
Teams A total of 12 teams competed in the league, including 11 sides from the 2016–17 season and one promoted from the 2. liga.
Withdrawal of Spartak Myjava was confirmed on 21 December 2016. The withdrawn team was meant to be replaced initially by FC VSS Košice, but that team was rejected a promotion and went into bankruptcy. FC Nitra was promoted instead of Košice.
2017–18 Teams
MŠK Žilina ŠK Slovan Bratislava MFK Ružomberok AS Trenčín FK Železiarne Podbrezová FC Spartak Trnava FC DAC 1904 Dunajská Streda FK Senica FC ViOn Zlaté Moravce MFK Zemplín Michalovce 1. FC Tatran Prešov FC Nitra
Stadiums and locations
Team Home city Stadium Capacity 2016–17 season AS Trenčín Trenčín Štadión na Sihoti 4th in Fortuna Liga FK DAC 1904 Dunajská Streda Dunajská Streda MOL Aréna 7th in Fortuna Liga FK Železiarne Podbrezová Podbrezová ZELPO Aréna 5th in Fortuna Liga FK Senica Senica OMS Arena 9th in Fortuna Liga MFK Zemplín Michalovce Michalovce Mestský futbalový štadión 8th in Fortuna Liga MFK Ružomberok Ružomberok Štadión pod Čebraťom 3rd in Fortuna Liga FC Nitra Nitra Stadium pod Zoborom 2nd in 2. Liga 1. FC Tatran Prešov Prešov NTC Poprad1 11th in Fortuna Liga MŠK Žilina Žilina Štadión pod Dubňom ŠK Slovan Bratislava Bratislava Pasienky 2nd in Fortuna Liga FC Spartak Trnava Trnava Stadium Antona Malatinského 6th in Fortuna Liga FC ViOn Zlaté Moravce Zlaté Moravce FC ViOn Stadium 10th in Fortuna Liga 1Tatran played their home matches in this season at NTC Poprad in Poprad while Tatran Stadium went under renovation.
AS Trenčín Dunajská Streda Podbrezová Michalovce Štadión na Sihoti MOL ArénaUEFA Stadium ZELPO Aréna Mestský futbalový štadión Capacity: 3,500 Capacity: 9,901 Capacity: 4,061 Capacity: 4,440 FK Senica MFK Ružomberok MŠK Žilina Slovan Bratislava OMS ArenaUEFA Stadium Štadión pod Čebraťom Štadión pod DubňomUEFA Stadium Pasienky Capacity: 5,070 Capacity: 4,817 Capacity: 11,258 Capacity: 12,000 Spartak Trnava Tatran Prešov Zlaté Moravce FC Nitra ŠAM - City ArenaUEFA Stadium NTC Poprad UEFA Stadium Štadión FC ViOn Štadión pod Zoborom Capacity: 19,200 Capacity: 5,700 Capacity: 4,000 Capacity: 5,500
Personnel and kits Team President Manager Captain Kitmaker Shirt sponsorAS Trenčín Tscheu La Ling Vladimír Cifranič Peter Kleščík Adidas MAGIC clubDAC Dunajská Streda Oszkár Világi Marco Rossi Marin Ljubičić macron KukkoniaFO ŽP Šport Podbrezová Július Kriváň Marek Fabuľa Miroslav Viazanko Adidas Železiarne PodbrezováFK Senica Vladimír Levársky Ton Caanen Blažej Vaščák hummel -MFK Ružomberok Milan Fiľo Norbert Hrnčár Dominik Kružliak Adidas MAESTROMŠK Žilina Jozef Antošík Adrián Guľa Michal Škvarka Nike PretoSlovan Bratislava Ivan Kmotrík Martin Ševela Boris Sekulić Adidas -FC Nitra Jozef Petráni Ivan Galád Miloš Šimončič Jako -Spartak Trnava Dušan Keketi Nestor El Maestro Lukáš Greššák Adidas ŽOS TrnavaViOn Zlaté Moravce Karol Škula Juraj Jarábek Martin Chren Erreà ViOnMFK Michalovce Ján Sabol Anton Šoltis Igor Žofčák Adidas ISDB1. FC Tatran Prešov Miroslav Remeta Anton Mišovec Martin Luberda ATAK SportswearDúha
Managerial changes
Team Outgoing manager Manner of departure Date of vacancy Position in table Replaced by Date of appointmentSpartak Trnava Miroslav Karhan End of contract Pre-season Nestor El Maestro DAC Dunajská Streda Csaba László End of contract Marco Rossi FK Senica Miroslav Mentel End of contract Ivan Vrabec FK Senica Ivan Vrabec Released 12 Ladislav Hudec AS Trenčín Martin Ševela Released 10 Vladimír Cifranič Roman Marčok 1. FC Tatran Prešov Miroslav Jantek Released 10 Pavol Mlynár (interim) FK Železiarne Podbrezová Karol Praženica Released 11 Marek Fabuľa 1. FC Tatran Prešov Pavol Mlynár End of interim spell 11 Serhiy Kovalets ŠK Slovan Bratislava Ivan Vukomanović Released 3 Martin Ševela 1. FC Tatran Prešov Serhiy Kovalets Released 11 Anton Mišovec FK Senica Ladislav Hudec Manager position 12 Ton Caanen
Regular stage
League table
Results Each team plays home-and-away against every other team in the league, for a total of 22 matches played each.
Championship group
Relegation group
Europa League play-offs Teams placed between 4th and 7th position will take part in the Europa league play-offs. The best of them will play against the fourth-placed of the championship play-offs to determine the Europa League play-off winners. The winners will qualify for the first qualifying round of the 2018–19 UEFA Europa League.
All times are UTC+2.
Semi-finals
Final
Relegation play-offs Team placed 11th in the relegation match will face 2nd team from 2. Liga 2017–18 to for two spots in the next season.
All times are UTC+2.
First leg
Second leg
2–2 on aggregate. FK Senica won on away goal.
Season statistics
Top goalscorers
RankPlayerClubGoals1 Samuel MrázŽilina21a2 Rangelo JangaAS Trenčín143 Jakub MarešŠK Slovan12 Aleksandar ČavrićŠK Slovan5 Róbert GešnábelZ.Moravce (9)/Ružomberok (2)116 Erik PačindaDAC D.Streda10 Antonio ManceAS Trenčín8 Filip HološkoŠK Slovan8 Hilary GongAS Trenčin Roland ČernákPrešov (7)/D.Streda (1) Martin KoscelníkMichalovce a Included 2 play-off goals
Hat-tricks
Round Player For Against Result Date Ref 1 Jakub Mareš Slovan Bratislava Tatran Prešov 1–5 23 July 2017 21 Aleksandar Čavrić Slovan Bratislava MŠK Žilina 6–0 24 February 2018 22 Antonio Mance AS Trenčín Zl. Moravce 1–4 3 March 2018 30 Frank Castañeda FK Senica Zl. Moravce 3–1 5 May 2018
Clean sheets
RankPlayerClubClean sheets1 Lukáš HroššoFC Nitra142 Patrik MacejDAC D.Streda133 Martin VantrubaSpartak Trnava11 Miloš VolešákŽilina5 Martin KuciakPodbrezová106 Matúš MacíkMFK Ružomberok87 Matúš KiraMichalovce78 Pavel KováčZl. Moravce5 Michal ŠullaSlovan Igor ŠemrinecTrenčín
Discipline
Player Most yellow cards: 12 Yasin Pehlivan (Trnava)
Most red cards: 2 Ján Krivák (Podbrezová) Damián Bariš (Zl.Moravce)
Club Most yellow cards: 75 FK Senica
Most red cards: 7 FC ViOn Zlaté Moravce
Awards
Player of the Month
Month Player Club Ref July/August Lukáš Hroššo FC Nitra September Erik Jirka Spartak Trnava October Samuel Mráz MŠK Žilina Nov/Dec Erik Pačinda Dunajská Streda Feb/Mar Marvin Egho Spartak Trnava April Samuel Mráz MŠK Žilina May Samuel Mráz MŠK Žilina
Top Eleven Source: Goalkeeper: Lukáš Hroššo (FC Nitra) Defence: Erick Davis (DAC D.Streda), Ľubomír Šatka (DAC D.Streda), Boris Godál (Spartak Trnava), Boris Sekulić (ŠK Slovan) Midfield: Erik Pačinda (DAC D.Streda), Marin Ljubičić (DAC D.Streda), Aschraf El Mahdioui (AS Trenčín), Aleksandar Čavrić (Slovan Bratislava) Attack: Marvin Egho (Spartak Trnava), Samuel Mráz (MŠK Žilina)
Top Eleven U-21 Source: Goalkeeper: Martin Vantruba (Spartak Trnava) Defence: Matúš Kuník (FC Nitra), Dávid Hancko (MŠK Žilina), Richard Križan (FC Nitra), Andrej Kadlec (Spartak Trnava) Midfield: Aschraf El Mahdioui (AS Trenčín), Miroslav Káčer (MŠK Žilina), Erik Jirka (Spartak Trnava), Ewerton (Zl.Moravce), Hilary Gong (AS Trenčín) Attack: Samuel Mráz (MŠK Žilina)
Individual awards
Manager of the season
Nestor El Maestro (Spartak Trnava)
Player of the Year
Boris Godál (Spartak Trnava)
Young player of the Year
Samuel Mráz (MŠK Žilina)
Attendances
# Club Average 1 DAC 6,918 2 Trnava 6,734 3 Žilina 3,136 4 Trenčín 1,848 5 Slovan 1,629 6 Nitra 1,608 7 Ružomberok 1,450 8 Zemplín 1,296 9 ViOn 1,185 10 Železiarne 944 11 Senica 767 12 Tatran 378
Source:
See also 2017–18 Slovak Cup 2017–18 2. Liga (Slovakia) List of transfers summer 2017 List of transfers winter 2017-18 List of foreign players
References