The 1996–97 Slovak First Football League was the fourth season of first-tier football league in Slovakia, since its establishment in 1993. It began on 3 August 1996 and ended on 11 June 1997. Slovan Bratislava were the defending champions.
Teams A total of 16 teams was contested in the league, including 12 sides from the 1995–96 season and four promoted from the 2. Liga.
No team was relegated to the 1996–97 2. Liga due to the decision of the organization of 1. Liga, that the number of teams in the league should be expanded from 12 to 16 teams from that season. The fourth teams who are promoted from 1995–96 2. Liga are Artmedia Petržalka, MŠK Žilina, Rimavská Sobota and ZTS Kerametal Dubnica.
Spartak Trnava was the favorite to win the title after leading first all season, but after a controversial 2-1 loss and an overturned penalty for Spartak in the last round in Rimavská Sobota, Spartak finished second behind Košice. It is believed that the Rezešovci mafia family from Košice were involved, though nothing was ever proven and no player was punished.
Stadiums and locations
Team Home city Stadium Capacity 1. FC Košice Košice Všešportový areál 30,312 Artmedia Petržalka Petržalka Štadión Petržalka 7,500 BSC JAS Bardejov Bardejov Mestský štadión Bardejov 3,040 Chemlon Humenné Humenné Chemlon Stadion 10,000 Dukla Banská Bystrica Banská Bystrica SNP Stadium 10,000 DAC 1904 Dunajská Streda Dunajská Streda Mestský štadión - DAC Dunajská Streda 16,410 Inter Slovnaft Bratislava Bratislava Štadión Pasienky 12,000 Lokomotíva Košice Košice Lokomotíva Stadium 9,000 FC Nitra Nitra Štadión pod Zoborom 11,384 MFK Petrimex Prievidza Prievidza Futbalový štadión Prievidza 6,000 MŠK Žilina Žilina Štadión pod Dubňom 11,181 Slovan Bratislava Bratislava Tehelné pole 30,085 Spartak Trnava Trnava Štadión Antona Malatinského 18,448 Tatran Prešov Prešov Tatran Štadión 14,000 Tauris Rimavská Sobota Rimavská Sobota Na Zahradkach Stadium 5,000 ZTS Kerametal Dubnica Dubnica Štadión Zimný 5,450
League table
Results
Season statistics
Top scorers RankPlayerClubGoals1 Jozef Kožlej1.FC Kosice222 Július ŠimonTrnava143 Szilárd NémethSlovan124 Rolf LanderlInter105 Ľubomír LuhovýTrnava9 Róbert Semeník1.FC Kosice Jozef PisárRimavska Sobota Ivan LapšanskýB.Bystrica Milan RimanovskýDAC D.Streda Jaroslav TimkoTrnava
See also 1996–97 Slovak Cup 1996–97 2. Liga (Slovakia)
References
(RSSSF)