2024–25 Montenegrin First League
Football league season
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The 2024–25 Montenegrin First League was the 19th season of the first tier association football in the country of Montenegro. The season began on 4 August 2024.[1]
| Season | 2024–25 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 4 August 2024 – 24 May 2025 |
| Champions | Budućnost Podgorica (7th title) |
| Relegated | Otrant-Olympic |
| Champions League | Budućnost Podgorica |
| Conference League | Dečić Sutjeska |
| Matches | 180 |
| Goals | 440 (2.44 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Žarko Korać (16 goals) |
| Biggest home win | Jedinstvo 3–2 Arsenal Tivat (1 October 2024) |
| Biggest away win | Arsenal Tivat 1–5 Budućnost (26 February 2025) |
| Highest scoring | Arsenal Tivat 1–5 Budućnost (26 February 2025) |
| Longest winning run | Budućnost (5 matches) |
| Longest unbeaten run | Budućnost (6 matches) |
| Longest losing run | Otrant-Olympic (4 matches) |
← 2023–24 2025–26 →
All statistics correct as of 26 February 2025. | |
The start was originally scheduled on 28 July 2024, but was postponed due to the participation of the three clubs in European competitions.[2]
Budućnost Podgorica won the league, qualifying for a place in the 2025–26 UEFA Champions League.
Teams
The league consisted of ten teams; the top eight teams from the previous season, and two teams promoted from the Montenegrin Second League. Dečić entered the season as defending champions.[3][4]
Bokelj were promoted as champions of the 2023–24 Montenegrin Second League (returning to the top-flight after a seven-year absence), replacing the 2023–24 Montenegrin First League bottom-placed team, Rudar (relegated after eighteen years in the top-flight). Second League runners-up Otrant-Olympic defeated First League ninth-placed team Mladost DG in the Montenegrin First League play-off, promoting the former to the top-flight for the first time in its history and relegating the latter after one year in the top-flight.[4][5]
Stadiums and locations
| Team | City | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| FK Arsenal Tivat | Tivat | Stadion u Parku | 2,000 |
| FK Bokelj | Kotor | Stadion pod Vrmcem | 1,000 |
| FK Budućnost Podgorica | Podgorica | Stadion pod Goricom | 15,230 |
| FK Dečić | Tuzi | Stadion Tuško Polje | 2,000 |
| FK Jedinstvo Bijelo Polje | Bijelo Polje | Gradski stadion | 5,000 |
| FK Jezero | Plav | Stadion Pod Racinom | 2,500 |
| FK Mornar | Bar | Stadion Topolica | 2,500 |
| FK Otrant-Olympic | Ulcinj | Stadion Olympic | 1,500 |
| OFK Petrovac | Petrovac | Stadion Mitar Mićo Goliš | 1,630 |
| FK Sutjeska Nikšić | Nikšić | Stadion kraj Bistrice | 5,214 |
Personnel and kits
Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| Team | Coach | Captain | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arsenal Tivat | Porto Montenegro | |||
| Bokelj | ||||
| Budućnost Podgorica | Savana | |||
| Dečić | Castellana | |||
| Jedinstvo Bijelo Polje | Hotel Splendid | |||
| Jezero | Samont | |||
| Mornar | Municipality of Bar | |||
| Otrant-Olympic | ||||
| Petrovac | Municipality of Budva | |||
| Sutjeska Nikšić | Intersport |
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Budućnost Podgorica (C) | 35 | 26 | 6 | 3 | 90 | 29 | +61 | 84 | Qualification for the Champions League first qualifying round |
| 2 | Petrovac | 36 | 17 | 9 | 10 | 50 | 37 | +13 | 60 | Ineligible for European competitions[a] |
| 3 | Sutjeska Nikšić | 36 | 14 | 9 | 13 | 40 | 38 | +2 | 51 | Qualification for the Conference League first qualifying round[b] |
| 4 | Dečić | 35 | 10 | 17 | 8 | 34 | 31 | +3 | 47 | |
| 5 | Mornar | 36 | 12 | 8 | 16 | 40 | 53 | −13 | 44[c] | |
| 6 | Bokelj | 36 | 13 | 5 | 18 | 31 | 50 | −19 | 44[c] | |
| 7 | Jedinstvo Bijelo Polje | 36 | 11 | 10 | 15 | 45 | 58 | −13 | 43 | |
| 8 | Arsenal Tivat (O) | 36 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 32 | 47 | −15 | 42 | Qualification for the Montenegrin First League play-off |
| 9 | Jezero (O) | 36 | 9 | 12 | 15 | 35 | 44 | −9 | 39 | |
| 10 | Otrant-Olympic (R) | 36 | 9 | 8 | 19 | 43 | 53 | −10 | 35 | Relegation to the Montenegrin Second League |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Head-to-head points; 3) Head-to-head goal difference; 4) Head-to-head goals scored; 5) Goal difference; 6) Goals scored; 7) Draw.
(C) Champions; (O) Play-off winners; (R) Relegated
Notes:
- Petrovac did not obtain a UEFA license; the Conference League spot was passed to the third-placed team.
- Dečić qualified for the Conference League first qualifying round as the 2024–25 Montenegrin Cup winners.
- Head-to-head points: Mornar 7, Bokelj 4.
Results
Clubs were scheduled to play each other four times for a total of 36 matches each.
Montenegrin First League play-off
The eighth and ninth-placed teams (Arsenal Tivat and Jezero) each faced the third and second-placed teams from the 2024–25 Montenegrin Second League (Lovćen and Rudar) in two-legged ties for the final two places in the 2025–26 Montenegrin First League.
Summary
| Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lovćen | 0–4 | Arsenal Tivat | 0–0 | 0–4 |
| Jezero | 2–0 | Rudar | 1–0 | 1–0 |
Matches
| Arsenal Tivat | 4–0 | Lovćen |
|---|---|---|
|
Statistics
Top goalscorers
- As of 6 March 2025[8]
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Budućnost | 9 | |
| 2 | Arsenal | 8 | |
| Jedinstvo | |||
| 4 | Sutjeska | 7 | |
| Sutjeska | |||
| Budućnost | |||
| 7 | Mornar | 6 | |
| Petrovac | |||
| Petrovac | |||
| Petrovac |
Attendances
| # | Club | Average |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Budućnost | 683 |
| 2 | Sutjeska | 678 |
| 3 | Dečič | 593 |
| 4 | Jedinstvo | 488 |
| 5 | Mornar | 394 |
| 6 | Bokelj | 373 |
| 7 | Tivat | 321 |
| 8 | Petrovac | 309 |
| 9 | Jezero | 299 |
| 10 | Otrant | 289 |
Source:[9]