The 2019–20 Slovak First Football League (known as the Slovak Fortuna liga for sponsorship reasons) was the 27th season of first-tier football league in Slovakia since its establishment in 1993.
Slovan Bratislava were the defending champions and successfully defended their title, winning their record-extending 10th Slovak title.
Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic Since March, the season was affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. On 7 March, the 22nd and last round of the regular stage took place. Both the championship group and the relegation group were subsequently supposed to have 10 rounds starting on 14 March. However, the season was interrupted until the end of May. On 22 May, the league committee approved the restart of the competition with a new 5-round model starting on 13 June. The committee also decided that no team would be directly relegated at the end of the season. The last team would face the winner of the 2. Liga in the relegation play-offs.
Decision The decision was made on 22 May after meeting of the Slovak Presidium of the Union of League Clubs (ÚLK) with representatives of Fortuna League clubs. The continuation of the competition depended on the voting of the clubs. They chose between restarting the league in full format, short format or abandoning the season.
+Clubs' votesFull formatShort formatEnd competitionSlovan BratislavaDAC Dunajská StredaAS TrenčínMŠK ŽilinaMFK RužomberokSpartak TrnavaZemplín MichalovceFK SenicaFC ViOn Zlaté MoravceFK PohronieFC NitraŠKF Sereď
Source:
Due to hygienic measures, the number of spectators at individual matches was limited. Until 30 June, a maximum of 500 spectators could be present at the stadiums, which, however, also included the teams' staff, the media or stewards. From 1 July, the number of spectators allowed to attend a match was increased to 50% of a stadium's capacity. +Revised scheduleRoundOriginal datesRevised dates2314–15 March13–14 June2421–22 March20–21 June254–5 April27 June – 1 July2611–12 April4 July2718–19 April11 July2825–26 AprilCancelled292–4 May309 May3116 May3223 May
Teams Twelve teams competed in the league – the top eleven sides from the previous season and one team promoted from the 2. liga. The promoted team was Pohronie. They replaced Železiarne Podbrezová.
Stadiums and locations
AS Trenčín Dunajská Streda FK Pohronie Michalovce Štadión pod DubňomUEFA MOL Aréna UEFA Mestský štadión UEFA Mestský futbalový štadión UEFA Capacity: 11,258 Capacity: 12,700 Capacity: 2,309 Capacity: 4,440 FK Senica MFK Ružomberok MŠK Žilina Slovan Bratislava OMS ArenaUEFA Štadión pod Čebraťom Štadión pod DubňomUEFA Tehelné pole UEFA Capacity: 5,070 Capacity: 4,817 Capacity: 11,258 Capacity: 22,500 Spartak Trnava ŠKF Sereď Zlaté Moravce FC Nitra ŠAM – City ArenaUEFA Stadium Myjava Štadión FC ViOn UEFA Štadión pod Zoborom UEFA Capacity: 19,200 Capacity: 2,709 Capacity: 4,000 Capacity: 7,480
Personnel and kits Team President Manager Captain Kitmaker Shirt sponsorAS Trenčín Jozef Liptovský Juraj Ančic (interim) Martin Šulek Adidas ORION TipDAC Dunajská Streda Oszkár Világi Bernd Storck Zsolt Kalmár macron KukkoniaFK Pohronie Jozef Urblík Mikuláš Radványi Petr Pavlík Erreà REMESLOFK Senica Ton Caanen Patrik Durkáč Joss Didiba hummel KOMPLEXX GROUP SKMFK Ružomberok Milan Fiľo Ján Haspra Ján Maslo Adidas MAESTROMŠK Žilina Jozef Antošík Pavol Staňo Jakub Paur Nike PretoSlovan Bratislava Ivan Kmotrík Ján Kozák jr. Vasil Bozhikov Adidas grafobalFC Nitra Andriy Kolesnyk Ivan Galád Oliver Podhorín Adidas –Spartak Trnava Milan Cuninka Marián Šarmír Dobrivoj Rusov Adidas #DOBRÝ ANJELZlaté Moravce Karol Škula Karol Praženica Tomáš Ďubek Erreà ViOnMFK Michalovce Ján Sabol Jozef Majoroš (carateker) Igor Žofčák Adidas ISDB, St. NicolausŠKF Sereď Róbert Stareček Peter Lérant Ľubomír Michalík NikeiClinic
Managerial changes Team Outgoing manager Manner of departure Date of vacancy Position in table Replaced by Date of appointmentMFK Ružomberok David Holoubek End of contract Pre-season Ján Haspra FK Senica Ricardo Chéu Signed by Trnava Michal Ščasný FC Spartak Trnava Michal Ščasný End of contract Ricardo Chéu FC Nitra Michal Kuruc End of contract Marián Süttö AS Trenčín Ivan Galád End of contract Matthias Kohler ŠKF Sereď Karel Stromšík End of contract Slavche Vojneski ŠK Slovan Bratislava Martin Ševela Released Vladimir Radenković (interim) ŠK Slovan Bratislava Vladimir Radenković Released 1 Ján Kozák jr. FK Pohronie Milan Nemec Resigned 11 Rastislav Urgela (interim) FK Pohronie Rastislav Urgela End of interim spell 9 Ján RosinskýFK Pohronie Ján Rosinský Released 11 Mikuláš RadványiAS Trenčín Matthias Kohler Released 9 Norbert HrnčárFC Nitra Marián Süttö Released 11 Gergely Geri MFK Zemplín Michalovce Anton Šoltis Released 10 Jozef Majoroš (caretaker) ŠKF Sereď Slavche Vojneski End by own request 10 Roland PrajMŠK Žilina Jaroslav Kentoš Moved to Slovakia U21 2 Pavol StaňoFC DAC 1904 Dunajská Streda Peter HyballaReleased 3 HélderFC Nitra Gergely Geri Released 11 Anatoliy Demyanenko ŠKF Sereď Roland Praj Become GK coach 10 Peter LérantFK Senica Michal Ščasný Released 9 Ján BírešFC Nitra Anatoliy Demyanenko Unknown 11 Miroslav Nemec FC DAC 1904 Dunajská Streda Hélder End of contract 3 Bernd StorckFC Spartak Trnava Ricardo Chéu Released 5 Marián Šarmír FC Nitra Miroslav Nemec End of Contract 11 Ivan Galád FK Senica Ján Bíreš End of contract 10 Patrik DurkáčAS Trenčín Norbert Hrnčár End of contract 7 Juraj Ančic
Regular stage
League table
Results Each team plays home-and-away against every other team in the league, for a total of 22 matches each.
Championship group
Relegation group
Europa League play-offs Should one of the top 3 teams win the 2019–20 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. On 8 July 2020, Slovan Bratislava, who have won the league title, also won the cup, thus confirming the need of playoffs.
The 4th team play the top team of the relegation group and the 5th play the 6th in the semifinals. Winners of the semifinals play the final to determine the Europa League qualification spot. Europa League qualification playoff games are one-leg and played at the home pitch of the higher-ranked team. The winners qualify for the first qualifying round of the 2020–21 UEFA Europa League.
Semi-finals
Final
Relegation play-offs The team placed bottom of the relegation group faced the first-placed team from the 2. Liga 2019–20 for a place in the league for the next season.
All times are CEST (UTC+2).
First leg
Second leg
Notes
Position by round The table lists the positions of teams after each week of matches. In order to preserve chronological progress, any postponed matches are not included in the round at which they were originally scheduled but added to the full round they were played immediately afterwards. For example, if a match is scheduled for matchday 13, but then postponed and played between days 16 and 17, it will be added to the standings for day 16.
Leader – Qualification for Champions League first qualifying round Qualification for Europa League first qualifying round Qualification for First Football League Relegation play-offs
Team \ Round1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 Slovan 2 3 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1Žilina 1 1 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2Dun. Streda 5 2 3 4 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3Trnava 4 6 4 3 4 5 4 5 5 4 4 4 5 8 5 7 5 6 6 7 6 5 5 5 6 4 4Ružomberok 6 4 7 7 8 8 9 10 9 7 7 5 6 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 6 6 6 4 5 5Michalovce 12 12 12 11 10 9 10 8 7 8 8 10 10 9 10 10 8 5 8 5 7 4 4 4 5 6 6Trenčín 9 9 10 8 5 4 6 6 6 6 6 9 8 7 8 6 7 8 5 6 5 7 7 7 7 7 7Zlaté Moravce 7 7 6 6 6 6 5 4 4 5 5 6 4 5 6 5 6 7 7 9 9 8 8 8 8 8 8Sereď 11 8 5 5 7 7 7 7 8 9 9 7 7 6 7 8 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 9 9 9Senica 3 5 8 12 11 11 12 12 12 10 10 8 9 10 9 9 9 9 9 8 8 9 9 9 10 10 10Pohronie 10 11 9 9 9 10 8 11 11 12 11 11 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 12 11 11Nitra 8 10 11 10 12 12 11 9 10 11 12 12 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 11 12 12 Source: Niké liga
Season statistics
Top goalscorers RankPlayerClubGoals1 Andraž ŠporarSlovan122 Milan RistovskiaNitra113 Osman BukariTrenčín104 Rafael RatãoSlovan9 Ján BernátŽilina Zsolt KalmárDAC D.Streda7 Frank CastañedaSenica8 Issa Modibo SidibéMichalovce Tomáš ĎubekZ.Moravce Ante RoguljićTrenčín a plus 1 play-off goal
Hat-tricks
Round Player For Against Result Date Ref 10 Dávid Holman Slovan FC Nitra 5–0 (H) 28 September 2019 19 Osman Bukari Trenčín Michalovce 8–1 (H) 15 February 2020 1.CH Marko Divković Dunajská Streda Michalovce 5–0 (H) 13 June 2020
Clean sheets RankPlayerClubClean sheets1 Dominik GreifSlovan132 Dominik HolecŽilina113 Branislav PindrochZl. Moravce104 Martin JedličkaD.Streda95 Vojtěch VorelSenica8 Dávid ŠípošNitra7 Dobrivoj RusovTrnava7 Matúš KiraMichalovce9 Tomáš JenčoPohronie610 Michal ŠullaSlovan5
Discipline
Player Most yellow cards: 9 Martin Šulek (Trenčín)
Most red cards: 2 Alexander Mojžiš (Ružomberok)
Club Most yellow cards: 67 FC ViOn Zlaté Moravce
Most red cards: 4 FC Spartak Trnava ŠKF Sereď
Awards
Monthly awards
MonthPlayer of the MonthGoal of the MonthReference Player ClubPlayerClub August Ján BernátŽilina Alex SobczykSpartak Trnava September Dávid StrelecSlovan Bratislava Eric DavisDAC Dunajská Streda October Dominik HolecŽilina Andraž ŠporarSlovan Bratislava November Andraž ŠporarSlovan Bratislava Zsolt KalmárDAC Dunajská Streda December February Dominik GreifSlovan Bratislava Lukáš JánošíkŽilina March June Not announced César BlackmanDAC Dunajská Streda July
Team of the Season
Team of the Season was: Goalkeeper: Dominik Greif (Slovan Bratislava) Defence: Jurij Medveděv (Slovan Bratislava), Myenty Abena (Slovan Bratislava), Vasil Bozhikov (Slovan Bratislava), Eric Davis (DAC Dunajská Streda) Midfield: Osman Bukari (Trenčín), Miroslav Káčer (Žilina), Dávid Holman (Slovan Bratislava), Zsolt Kalmár (DAC Dunajská Streda), Moha (Slovan Bratislava) Attack: Andraž Šporar (Slovan Bratislava)
Top Eleven U-21 Source: Goalkeeper: Martin Jedlička (DAC Dunajská Streda) Defence: César Blackman (DAC Dunajská Streda), Martin Šulek (Trenčín), Danylo Beskorovainyi (DAC Dunajská Streda), Alexander Mojžiš (Ružomberok) Midfield: Osman Bukari (Trenčín), Marián Chobot (Nitra), Abdul Zubairu (Trenčín), Ján Bernát (Žilina), Martin Kovaľ (Zlaté Moravce) Attack: Milan Ristovski (Nitra)
Individual awards
Manager of the season
Ján Kozák jr. (Slovan Bratislava)
Player of the Year
Dominik Greif (Slovan Bratislava)
Young player of the Year
Ján Bernát (Žilina)
See also 2019–20 Slovak Cup 2019–20 2. Liga (Slovakia) List of Slovak football transfers summer 2019 List of Slovak football transfers winter 2019–20 List of foreign Slovak First League players
References
External links