The Montenegrin First League of Men's Handball (in montenegrin Prva Muška Liga) is the top men's team handball league in Montenegro. It is organized by the Handball Federation of Montenegro. In the league participate eight clubs.
The League was established after the Montenegrin independence, with first season started in October 2006.
Competition format
From its establishing, First Montenegrin Handball League regularly consists of eight teams. During the few seasons, in the competition played seven clubs, because the financial or the other problems of some First League members.
League regularly have two parts. During the first part, there is 16 (or 14) weeks. After that, during the second part, four best-placed clubs are playing playoff (TOP4) league for champion, and the others are playing play-out (relegating) league.
At the end of the season, the bottom-placed club is relegating. Every season, champion of the Montenegrin Second League is promoted as a new member of the First League.
Below is a complete record of how many teams played in each season throughout the league's history.
8 clubs: Montenegrin First League 2006/07 7 clubs: Montenegrin First League 2007/08 8 clubs: Montenegrin First League 2008/09 8 clubs: Montenegrin First League 2009/10 7 clubs: Montenegrin First League 2010/11 8 clubs: Montenegrin First League 2011/12 7 clubs: Montenegrin First League 2012/13 7 clubs: Montenegrin First League 2013/14 7 clubs: Montenegrin First League 2014/15
Participants
Since its establishing, in the Montenegrin First League participated 13 different clubs - RK Lovćen Cetinje, RK Sutjeska Nikšić, RK Berane, RK Mojkovac, RK Mornar Bar, RK Budvanska rivijera Budva, RK Rudar Pljevlja, RK Budućnost Podgorica, RK Boka Tivat, RK Danilovgrad, RK Ulcinj, RK Cepelin Cetinje and RK Sedmerac Bar.
During the history of competition, only two towns had more than one First League club - Cetinje and Bar.
Previous First League Seasons
Most of the clubs, during the past, were playing in the SFR Yugoslavia or FR Yugoslavia/Serbia and Montenegro First League - that was RK Lovćen (2 titles of FRY champion and SCG Cup winner), RK Rudar (former Pljevlja), RK Berane (former Raj banka), RK Mornar (former FRY Cup finalist), RK Budućnost and RK Mojkovac (former Brskovo).
Below is a list of Montenegrin clubs which competed in the SFRY, FRY/SCG First League.
15 seasons: RK Lovćen Cetinje (champions: 2000, 2001; cup winners: 2002, 2003) 8 seasons: RK Rudar Pljevlja, RK Mornar Bar, RK Berane 3 seasons: RK Budućnost Podgorica 1 season: RK Mojkovac
Performances by clubs
Below is a list of First League clubs who have competed in the competition, including the season 2014/15. The teams in bold compete in First League currently. RK Lovćen is the only team that played First League in every season.
9 seasons: RK Lovćen Cetinje 8 seasons: RK Sutjeska Nikšić, RK Berane, RK Mojkovac 7 seasons: RK Budvanska rivijera Budva 6 seasons: RK Mornar Bar, RK Rudar Pljevlja 4 seasons: RK Partizan Tivat 3 seasons: RK Budućnost Podgorica, RK Ulcinj 2 seasons: RK Danilovgrad, RK Cepelin Cetinje 1 season: RK Sedmerac Bar
Performances by season
Club Participations Seasons RK Lovćen Cetinje 9 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 RK Sutjeska Nikšić 8 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 RK Berane 8 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2015 RK Mojkovac 8 2007, 2008, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 RK Budvanska rivijera Budva 7 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015 RK Mornar Bar 6 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2013 RK Rudar Pljevlja 6 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2015 RK Partizan Tivat 4 2007, 2008, 2014, 2015 RK Budućnost Podgorica 3 2008, 2009, 2010 RK Ulcinj 3 2013, 2014, 2015 RK Danilovgrad 2 2010, 2014 RK Cepelin Cetinje 2 2007, 2012 RK Sedmerac Bar 1 2012
List of Champions (2007 - )
By season
First champion of Montenegro, in the season 2006/07, became RK Lovćen Cetinje. In the next seasons, another three clubs won the trophy (RK Berane, RK Budućnost Podgorica, RK Mojkovac) and Budućnost became first club which won two titles in the row.
In the season 2009/10, Budućnost became the first club to finish a season without losing a point, a feat repeated by Lovćen during the season 2012/13.
SeasonChampionsRunners-upThirdFourth2006–07RK Lovćen CetinjeRK BeraneRK Sutjeska NikšićRK Mornar Bar2007–08RK BeraneRK Lovćen CetinjeRK Sutjeska NikšićRK Mornar Bar2008–09RK Budućnost PodgoricaRK Lovćen CetinjeRK Sutjeska NikšićRK Berane2009–10RK Budućnost PodgoricaRK Sutjeska NikšićRK Lovćen CetinjeRK Rudar Pljevlja2010–11RK MojkovacRK Lovćen CetinjeRK Sutjeska NikšićRK Budvanska rivijera2011–12RK Lovćen CetinjeRK MojkovacRK Sutjeska NikšićRK Budvanska rivijera2012–13RK Lovćen CetinjeRK MojkovacRK Budvanska rivijeraRK Sutjeska Nikšić2013–14RK Lovćen CetinjeRK Budvanska rivijeraRK Boka TivatRK Sutjeska Nikšić
By team
Since 2006, four different clubs won the trophy of Montenegrin handball champion. Most successful were RK Lovćen Cetinje with 4 titles and now dissolved RK Budućnost Podgorica (2 trophies). With 2 titles from FR Yugoslavia Championship (2000, 2001), two trophies of FRY Cup Winner (2002, 2003) and 5 wins in Montenegrin Cup, RK Lovćen is the most successful participant of Montenegrin First League. Clubs which have one champions trophy are RK Mojkovac and RK Berane.
Club Titles Years won Runner-up RK Lovćen Cetinje 4 2007, 2012, 2013, 2014 2008, 2009, 2011 RK Budućnost Podgorica 2 2009, 2010 RK Berane 1 2008 2007 RK Mojkovac 1 2011 2012, 2013 RK Sutjeska Nikšić 0 2009 RK Budvanska rivijera Budva 0 2014
European Competitions
Due to EHF ranking list and places distribution, at the season 2014/15. in the European Cups will participate two Montenegrin clubs (1 in EHF Cup, 1 in EHF Challenge Cup).
The greatest performance of one Montenegrin club in the European competitions was noted during the EHF Champions League 2000/01, when RK Lovćen finished at the fifth place.
All-time Montenegrin First League table
The All-time Montenegrin First League table is a ranking of all Montenegrin handball clubs based on their performance in the Montenegrin First League, the top division of Montenegrin handball. In this ranking 2 points are awarded for a win, 1 for a draw, and 0 for a loss.
Highlighted clubs played in the First League in the 2013/14 season.
Table is not including the results from the actual season (2014/15).
RankClubSeasonsGamesWDLPts Current league1 RK Lovćen Cetinje 8 160 131 7 22 269 1. League2 RK Sutjeska Nikšić 8 160 81 11 68 173 lower rank3 RK Mojkovac 7 136 64 11 61 137 1. League4 RK Berane 7 136 59 11 66 129 1. League5 RK Budvanska rivijera Budva 6 120 56 10 54 122 1. League6 RK Budućnost Podgorica 3 64 52 1 11 105 dissolved7 RK Mornar Bar 6 112 34 8 70 76 2. League8 RK Rudar Pljevlja 5 104 35 5 64 75 1. League9 RK Partizan Tivat 3 54 14 3 37 31 1. League10 RK Ulcinj 2 32 11 3 18 25 1. League11 RK Cepelin Cetinje 2 34 5 2 27 12 lower rank12 RK Sedmerac Bar 1 18 4 1 13 9 lower rank13 RK Danilovgrad 2 36 3 0 33 6 2. League
Seasons not including current season (2014/15)
Placement by season
Below is the list of participants of the First League with their placements during the every single season.
Club 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 RK Berane 2 1 4 7 6 8 7 - RK Partizan 7 7 - - - - - 3 RK Budućnost - 5 1 1 - - - - RK Budvanska rivijera - - 5 6 5 4 3 2 RK Cepelin 8 - - - - 7 - - RK Danilovgrad - - - 8 - - - 7 RK Lovćen 1 2 2 3 2 1 1 1 RK Mojkovac 5 6 6 - 1 2 2 5 RK Mornar 4 4 8 7 7 - 6 - RK Rudar 6 - 7 4 5 5 - - RK Sedmerac - - - - - 6 - - RK Sutjeska 3 3 3 2 3 3 4 4 RK Ulcinj - - - - - - 5 6
See also Montenegrin First League of Men's Handball Montenegrin handball clubs in European competitions Montenegrin Second League of Men's Handball Montenegrin Men's Handball Cup Montenegrin First League of Women's Handball