2025–26 Czech First League
Football league season
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The 2025–26 Czech First League, known as the Chance Liga for sponsorship reasons, is the 33rd season of the Czech Republic's top-tier football for professional clubs since its establishment, in 1993. Slavia Prague are the reigning champions. The season is scheduled to start in July 2025. The first half of the season will have 19 rounds, finishing in December, and the other half will commence on 31 January 2026. The season is expected to end on 25 May 2026 with two extra play-out fixtures on 28 and 31 May 2026.[1][2]
| Season | 2025–26 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 18 July 2025 – 24 May 2026 |
| Champions League | Slavia Prague |
| Matches | 240 |
| Goals | 620 (2.58 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Tomáš Chorý (17 goals) |
| Biggest home win | Liberec 6–0 Karviná 9 November 2025 |
| Biggest away win | Mladá Boleslav 0–5 Plzeň 19 August 2025 |
| Highest scoring | Plzeň 3–5 Slavia 9 November 2025 |
← 2024–25 2026–27 →
All statistics correct as of 25 April 2026. | |
Format
The general season format is unchanged from last season. The 16 clubs will play each other home and away, until the league is split up in championship, play-off and relegation groups. The lowest-ranked team will be relegated directly to the second league, and the two teams positioned 14th and 15th will play a play-out with two teams from the second league positioned 2nd and 3rd in a home and away format.
This will be the eighth season to use VAR, featuring it in all matches played. There are no changes in the rules. The schedule also has not changed compared to last season.[2]
Teams
Promotion and relegation (pre-season)
A total of sixteen teams contest the league, including thirteen sides from the 2024–25 season, the winner of last season's second league, and two winners of the play-out, determined on 1 June 2025.
- Team promoted to Czech First League
After being relegated in the 2023–24 season, FC Zlín returns to Czech First League as the champion of the 2024–25 Czech National Football League.[3]
- Teams relegated from Czech First League
The lowest positioned team from the last season, SK Dynamo České Budějovice, was relegated to the Czech National Football League.
Locations and stadiums
Managerial changes
Pre-season:
| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Replaced by | Date of appointment | Contract valid until |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mladá Boleslav | End of caretaker spell | 25 May 2025 | 2 June 2024 | Undisclosed | ||
| Slovácko | End of caretaker spell | 25 May 2025 | 5 June 2025 | Undisclosed | ||
| Sparta Prague | End of caretaker spell | 24 May 2025 | 8 June 2025 | Undisclosed | ||
| Dukla Prague | End of contract | 2 June 2025 | 16 June 2025 | Undisclosed |
During the season:
| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Match-week | Position in table | Replaced by | Date of appointment | Contract valid until |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Viktoria Plzeň | Mutual consent | 29 September 2025 | 10 | 5th | 29 September 2025 | Undisclosed | ||
| Pardubice | Sacked | 29 September 2025 | 10 | 16th | 29 September 2025 | Undisclosed | ||
| Baník Ostrava | Mutual consent | 11 October 2025 | 12 | 11th | 12 October 2025 | Undisclosed | ||
| Pardubice | End of caretaker spell | 14 October 2025 | 12 | 16th | 14 October 2025 | Undisclosed | ||
| Karviná | Signed by Viktoria Plzeň | 15 October 2025 | 12 | 8th | 15 October 2025 | Undisclosed | ||
| Viktoria Plzeň | End of caretaker spell | 15 October 2025 | 12 | 6th | 15 October 2025 | 2028 | ||
| Slovácko | Sacked | 3 November 2025 | 14 | 16th | 18 November 2025 | Undisclosed | ||
| Dukla Prague | Sacked | 10 February 2026 | 21 | 16th | 12 February 2026 | Undisclosed | ||
| Baník Ostrava | Sacked | 16 February 2026 | 22 | 14th | 16 February 2026 | Undisclosed | ||
| Sigma Olomouc | Sacked | 12 April 2026 | 29 | 7th | 12 April 2026 | Undisclosed | ||
| Baník Ostrava | Sacked | 26 April 2026 | 30 | 16th | 26 April 2026 | Undisclosed | ||
Regular season
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Slavia Prague | 30 | 21 | 8 | 1 | 63 | 23 | +40 | 71 | Qualification for the championship group |
| 2 | Sparta Prague | 30 | 19 | 6 | 5 | 60 | 33 | +27 | 63 | |
| 3 | Viktoria Plzeň | 30 | 15 | 8 | 7 | 50 | 34 | +16 | 53 | |
| 4 | Jablonec | 30 | 15 | 6 | 9 | 41 | 33 | +8 | 51 | |
| 5 | Hradec Králové | 30 | 14 | 7 | 9 | 43 | 34 | +9 | 49 | |
| 6 | Slovan Liberec | 30 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 43 | 30 | +13 | 46 | |
| 7 | Sigma Olomouc | 30 | 12 | 7 | 11 | 34 | 34 | 0 | 43 | Qualification for the play-off |
| 8 | Pardubice | 30 | 11 | 8 | 11 | 39 | 46 | −7 | 41 | |
| 9 | Karviná | 30 | 12 | 3 | 15 | 43 | 51 | −8 | 39 | |
| 10 | Bohemians 1905 | 30 | 10 | 6 | 14 | 26 | 35 | −9 | 36 | |
| 11 | Mladá Boleslav | 30 | 8 | 11 | 11 | 44 | 52 | −8 | 35 | Qualification for the relegation group |
| 12 | Zlín | 30 | 9 | 7 | 14 | 37 | 48 | −11 | 34 | |
| 13 | Teplice | 30 | 6 | 11 | 13 | 29 | 38 | −9 | 29 | |
| 14 | Dukla Prague | 30 | 4 | 11 | 15 | 20 | 42 | −22 | 23[a] | |
| 15 | Slovácko | 30 | 5 | 8 | 17 | 26 | 45 | −19 | 23[a] | |
| 16 | Baník Ostrava | 30 | 5 | 7 | 18 | 25 | 45 | −20 | 22 |
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) Fair-play ranking; 8) Draw.[37]
Notes:
- Head to head points: Dukla Prague 6, Slovácko 0.
Results
Championship group
Points and goals were carried over in full from the regular season.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation | SLA | SPA | PLZ | JAB | HKR | LIB | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Slavia Prague (T) | 30 | 21 | 8 | 1 | 63 | 23 | +40 | 71 | Qualification for the Champions League league phase | — | 9 May | 24 May | 13 May | — | — | |
| 2 | Sparta Prague | 30 | 19 | 6 | 5 | 60 | 33 | +27 | 63 | Qualification for the Champions League third qualifying round | — | — | 12 May | 3 May | 24 May | — | |
| 3 | Viktoria Plzeň | 30 | 15 | 8 | 7 | 50 | 34 | +16 | 53 | Qualification for the Europa League second qualifying round | — | — | — | 17 May | 3 May | 9 May | |
| 4 | Jablonec | 30 | 15 | 6 | 9 | 41 | 33 | +8 | 51 | Qualification for the Conference League second qualifying round | — | — | — | — | 10 May | 24 May | |
| 5 | Hradec Králové | 30 | 14 | 7 | 9 | 43 | 34 | +9 | 49 | 17 May | — | — | — | — | 13 May | ||
| 6 | Slovan Liberec | 30 | 12 | 10 | 8 | 43 | 30 | +13 | 46 | 2 May | 17 May | — | — | — | — |
Rules for classification: 1) Total points; 2) Points earned in regular season; 3) Head-to-head points (regular season); 4) Head-to-head goal difference (regular season); 5) Head-to-head goals scored (regular season); 5) Goal difference (all matches); 6) Goals scored (all matches); 7) Fair-play ranking; 8) Draw.
(T) Qualified, but not yet for the particular phase indicated
Middle group
Teams will play a group for placement. The group winner will receive a financial bonus (3 mil. CZK) and will be rewarded with a favorable starting position in the 2026–27 Czech Cup.[38]
| First round | Second round | |||||||||
| Bohemians 1905 | ||||||||||
| Sigma Olomouc | ||||||||||
| Karviná | ||||||||||
| Pardubice | ||||||||||
Relegation group
Points and goals were carried over in full from the regular season.
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation | MLA | ZLN | TEP | DUK | SLO | OST | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Mladá Boleslav | 30 | 8 | 11 | 11 | 44 | 52 | −8 | 35 | — | 9 May | 23 May | 12 May | — | — | ||
| 12 | Zlín | 30 | 9 | 7 | 14 | 37 | 48 | −11 | 34 | — | — | 12 May | 2 May | 23 May | — | ||
| 13 | Teplice | 30 | 6 | 11 | 13 | 29 | 38 | −9 | 29 | — | — | — | 16 May | 3 May | 9 May | ||
| 14 | Dukla Prague | 30 | 4 | 11 | 15 | 20 | 42 | −22 | 23 | Qualification for the relegation play-offs | — | — | — | — | 9 May | 23 May | |
| 15 | Slovácko | 30 | 5 | 8 | 17 | 26 | 45 | −19 | 23 | 16 May | — | — | — | — | 12 May | ||
| 16 | Baník Ostrava | 30 | 5 | 7 | 18 | 25 | 45 | −20 | 22 | Relegation to FNL | 2 May | 16 May | — | — | — | — |
Rules for classification: 1) Total points; 2) Points earned in regular season; 3) Head-to-head points (regular season); 4) Head-to-head goal difference (regular season); 5) Head-to-head goals scored (regular season); 5) Goal difference (all matches); 6) Goals scored (all matches); 7) Fair-play ranking; 8) Draw.
Season statistics
Top scorers
- As of 25 April 2026[39]
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Slavia | 17 | |
| 2 | Sparta | 12 | |
| 3 | Pardubice | 11 | |
| Slavia | |||
| 5 | Karviná / Plzeň | 10 | |
| Sparta | |||
| Jablonec | |||
| Hradec Králové | |||
| 9 | Olomouc / Plzeň | 9 | |
| Sparta | |||
| Karviná / Ostrava | |||
| Jablonec | |||
| Teplice | |||
| Mladá Boleslav |
Hat-tricks
| Matchweek | Date | Player | For | Against | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 | 17 August 2025 | Mladá Boleslav | Hradec Králové | 3–2 (H)[40] | |
| 3 | 19 August 2025 | Plzeň | Mladá Boleslav | 5–0 (A)[41] | |
| 16 | 23 November 2025 | Karviná | Hradec Králové | 4–3 (H)[42] | |
| 19 | 14 December 2025 | Zlín | Olomouc | 5–0 (H)[43] | |
| 25 | 8 March 2026 | Ostrava | Zlín | 6–2 (H)[44] |
Clean sheets
- As of 25 April 2026[45]
| Rank | Player | Club | Clean sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Liberec | 11 | |
| Hradec Králové | |||
| 3 | Teplice | 10 | |
| Jablonec | |||
| 5 | Olomouc | 9 | |
| 6 | Zlín | 8 | |
| Mladá Boleslav | |||
| 8 | Sparta | 7 | |
| Slavia | |||
| Plzeň |