The 2022–23 Slovak First Football League (known as Fortuna liga for sponsorship reasons) was the 30th season of the top-tier football league in Slovakia since its establishment in 1993.
The winter break began earlier than usual this season due to the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar. The last full round was scheduled for 11–13 November 2022. Four postponed matches then took place on 24 and 27 November. The first round after the winter break was scheduled for 10–12 February 2023.
Four-time defending champion Slovan Bratislava successfully defended their title, securing a record-extending fifth consecutive and 13th overall championship.
Teams Team changes Twelve teams competed in the league – nine teams from the previous season, and three teams promoted from the 2. Liga.
Podbrezová (promoted to the top flight for the second time) earned an automatic promotion thanks to the victory of the 2. Liga, replacing Pohronie (relegated after three years in the top flight), who finished last in the 2021–22 Slovak First Football League.
Dukla Banská Bystrica (promoted after seven years of absence) and Skalica (promoted to the top flight for the second time) were also promoted, and they will replace Senica and Sereď – two teams that did not obtain a licence for the 2022–23 season. Promoted from2. Liga Relegated fromFortuna liga PodbrezováDukla Banská BystricaSkalica PohronieSereďSenica
Stadiums and locations
FC DAC 1904 Dunajská Streda MFK Dukla Banská Bystrica FK Železiarne Podbrezová MFK Ružomberok MOL Aréna UEFA Štadión SNPUEFA ZELPO Aréna UEFA Štadión pod Čebraťom Capacity: 12,700 Capacity: 7,900 Capacity: 4,061 Capacity: 4,817 MFK Skalica ŠK Slovan Bratislava FC Spartak Trnava MFK Tatran Liptovský Mikuláš Štadión MFK Skalica Tehelné pole UEFA Štadión Antona MalatinskéhoUEFA NTC PopradUEFA Capacity: 1,500 Capacity: 22,500 Capacity: 19,200 Capacity: 5,700 AS Trenčín MFK Zemplín Michalovce FC ViOn Zlaté Moravce MŠK Žilina Štadión SihoťUEFA Mestský futbalový štadión UEFA Štadión FC ViOn UEFA Štadión pod DubňomUEFA Capacity: 4,200 (10,000 planned) Capacity: 4,440 Capacity: 4,006 Capacity: 11,253
Personnel and kits Team President Manager Captain Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor DAC Dunajská Streda Oszkár Világi Adrián Guľa Zsolt Kalmár Macron Kukkonia Dukla Banská Bystrica Ivan Šabo Michal Ščasný Róbert Polievka Adidas Veolia Podbrezová Július Kriváň Roman Skuhravý Richard Ludha Adidas Niké Ružomberok Milan Fiľo Peter Struhár Marek Zsigmund Adidas Niké Skalica Peter Bartoš Pavol Majerník Martin Nagy Puma Tipsport Slovan Bratislava Ivan Kmotrík Vladimír Weiss Vladimír Weiss Jr. Adidas Niké Spartak Trnava Peter Macho Michal Gašparík Martin Mikovič Adidas Tipsport Tatran Liptovský Mikuláš Milan Mikušiak Ondrej Desiatnik Richard Bartoš Kappa VEREX, Tipsport Trenčín Róbert Rybníček František Straka Filip Bainović Macron Tipsport Zemplín Michalovce Ján Sabol Vladimír Rusnák Igor Žofčák Adidas Tipsport, St. Nicolaus Zlaté Moravce Karol Škula Ivan Galád Anton Sloboda Erreà Tipsport Žilina Jozef Antošík Jaroslav Hynek Tomáš Nemčík Nike Preto
Managerial changes Team Outgoing manager Manner of departure Date of vacancy Position in table Replaced by Date of appointmentTatran Liptovský Mikuláš Marek Petruš Signed with Tatran Prešov Pre-season Jozef Kostelník DAC Dunajská Streda João Janeiro End of contract Adrián GuľaŽilina Ivan Belák End of interim spell Jaroslav Hynek Skalica Jozef Kostelník Signed with Tatran Liptovský Mikuláš Juraj Jarábek Trenčín Juraj Ančic End of contract Peter Hyballa Dukla Banská Bystrica Stanislav VargaEnd of contract1 July 2022 Michal ŠčasnýTrenčín Peter Hyballa Released 12 Marián Zimen Zlaté Moravce Ján Kocian End by own request 11 Ivan Galád Tatran Liptovský Mikuláš Jozef Kostelník Released 12 Marek Fabuľa Skalica Juraj Jarábek Released 11 Pavol Majerník Tatran Liptovský Mikuláš Marek Fabuľa Released 12 Ondrej Desiatnik Trenčín Marián Zimen Released 10 František Straka Michalovce Norbert Hrnčár Released 10 Vladimír Rusnák (interim)
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 Conference League play-offs The winner of the 2022–23 Slovak Cup, Spartak Trnava, finished in the top 3 in the league, which already secured them a spot in the 2023–24 UEFA Europa Conference League. As a result, a playoff was held for the final spot in the Europa Conference League, which involved the teams ranked in 4th–7th place at the conclusion of the regular season. The play-offs were one-off matches with extra time and penalties used to determine the winner if necessary, with the higher-ranked teams given home advantage against the lower-ranked teams (i.e. 3rd v. 7th and 5th v. 6th) in the semi-finals. The higher-ranked of the two semi-final winners also gained home advantage in the final. Žilina won the play-offs and earned a place in the Europa Conference League first qualifying round.
Semi-finals
Final
Relegation play-offs The team which finished 11th faced the 2nd team from 2. Liga for one spot in the top flight in the next season.
1st leg
2nd leg
Zlaté Moravce won 3–1 on aggregate.
Season statistics Top goalscorers
RankPlayerClubGoals1 Nikola KrstovićDAC Dunajská Streda182 Aleksandar ČavrićSlovan Bratislava15 Róbert PolievkaDukla Banská Bystrica4 Abdulrahman TaiwoSpartak Trnava145 Andrej FábrySkalica116 David Depetris1Dukla Banská Bystrica9 Vladimír Weiss Jr.Slovan Bratislava Moses CobnanPodbrezová Adrián Kaprálik1Žilina10 Zsolt KalmárDAC Dunajská Streda8 Timotej JamborŽilina Štefan Gerec1Ružomberok Dávid ĎurišŽilina 1 plus 1 play-off goal
Hat-tricks Round Player For Against Result Date Ref17 Adrián Kaprálik4 MŠK Žilina Slovan Bratislava 4–1 (H) 6 November 2022 1.CH Nikola Krstović DAC Dunajská Streda Dukla Banská Bystrica 2–3 (A) 12 March 2023 10.CH Abdulrahman Taiwo Spartak Trnava MŠK Žilina 4–2 (H) 20 May 2023 Note 4 Player scored 4 goals
Clean sheets
RankPlayerClubCleansheets1 Samuel PetrášDAC Dunajská Streda102 Martin JunasSkalica93 Patrik LukáčZlaté Moravce8 Richard LudhaPodbrezová Benjamín SzárazZemplín Michalovce6 Ľubomír BelkoŽilina7 Dominik TakáčSpartak Trnava8 Matúš HruškaDukla Banská Bystrica6 Adrián ChovanSlovan Bratislava10 Michal KukučkaTrenčín5 Ivan KrajčírikRužomberok Martin TrnovskýSlovan Bratislava
Discipline
Player Most yellow cards: 10 Lazar Stojsavljević (Trenčín)
Most red cards: 2 Chinonso Emeka (Trenčín) Erik Grendel (Podbrezová) Kelvin Pires (Trenčín)
Club Most yellow cards: 82 Zlaté Moravce
Most red cards: 8 Trenčín
Fewest yellow cards: 46 Slovan Bratislava
Fewest red cards: 0 Zlaté Moravce
Awards Monthly awards MonthPlayer of the MonthGoal of the MonthReferences Player ClubPlayerClubJuly Nikola KrstovićDAC Dunajská Streda Nikola KrstovićDAC Dunajská StredaAugust Róbert Polievka Dukla Banská Bystrica Adam KopasŽilinaSeptember Dávid ĎurišŽilina Dávid ĎurišŽilinaOctober Nikola KrstovićDAC Dunajská Streda Rastislav VáclavíkTatran Liptovský MikulášNovember Aleksandar ČavrićSlovan Bratislava Azeez OseniSpartak TrnavaFebruary Róbert PolievkaDukla Banská Bystrica Róbert PolievkaDukla Banská BystricaMarch Nikola KrstovićDAC Dunajská Streda Regő SzánthóDAC Dunajská StredaApril Aleksandar ČavrićSlovan Bratislava Vladimír Weiss Jr.Slovan BratislavaMay Adam KopasŽilina
Annual awards
Team of the Season
Team of the Season was: Goalkeeper: Ľubomír Belko (Žilina) Defenders: Jurij Medveděv (Slovan Bratislava), Guram Kashia (Slovan Bratislava), Marek Bartoš (Podbrezová), Lucas Lovat (Slovan Bratislava) Midfielders: Aleksandar Čavrić (Slovan Bratislava), Juraj Kucka (Slovan Bratislava), Miroslav Káčer (DAC Dunajská Streda), Vladimír Weiss Jr. (Slovan Bratislava) Forwards: Róbert Polievka (Dukla Banská Bystrica), Nikola Krstović (DAC Dunajská Streda)
Individual awards
Manager of the Season
Vladimír Weiss (Slovan Bratislava)
Player of the Season
Vladimír Weiss Jr. (Slovan Bratislava)
Young Player of the Season
Artur Gajdoš (Trenčín)
See also 2022–23 Slovak Cup 2022–23 2. Liga (Slovakia) 2023–24 UEFA Champions League 2023–24 UEFA Europa Conference League List of Slovak football transfers summer 2022 List of Slovak football transfers winter 2022–23 List of foreign Slovak First League players
References
External links