Czech First League
Football league
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Czech First League (Czech: 1. česká fotbalová liga), also known as the Chance Liga for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in the Czech Republic and the highest level of the Czech Republic football league system. Seasons typically run from August to May, most games are played on Saturdays and Sundays with few games played on Fridays. All Chance Liga clubs qualify for the Czech Cup.
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| Organising body | Czech Football League Association |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1993 |
| Country | Czech Republic |
| Confederation | UEFA |
| Number of clubs | 16 |
| Level on pyramid | 1 |
| Relegation to | Czech National Football League |
| Domestic cup | Czech Cup |
| International cup(s) | UEFA Champions League UEFA Europa League UEFA Conference League |
| Current champions | Slavia Prague (9th title) (2025–26) |
| Most championships | Sparta Prague (14 titles) |
| Top scorer | David Lafata (198 goals) |
| Website | en |
| Current: 2026–27 Czech First League | |
The history of the Czech football league began with its reorganization for the 1993–94 season following the dissolution of Czechoslovakia and therefore the league became the successor of the Czechoslovak League. Thirty-five clubs have competed in the Czech First League since its founding. Sparta Prague has won the title 14 times, the most among Czech clubs and are the reigning champions. Other clubs that were crowned as champions are Slavia Prague, Slovan Liberec, Baník Ostrava and Viktoria Plzeň.
Based on performances in European competitions over the past five years, the league is ranked 10th in the UEFA league rankings for the 2024–25 season.
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Competition format
In the inaugural season, two points were awarded for a win, before switching to three points for a win in 1994.[1] Teams are ranked by total points, in the case of two or more teams finishing with equal points, the head-to-head record between the teams is used for ranking, counting points in relevant games, then goal difference and then goals scored.
1993–2018
There were 16 clubs in the league. During the course of a season, which lasted from August to May, each club played the others twice, once at their home stadium and once at that of their opponents, for a total of 30 games.
New format
The 2018–19 season was the first season played with the new competition format. After the regular season, which lasts from July to April and involves each team playing every other team home and away, the teams are divided into three groups. The top six teams enter the championship group, with the first-placed team being named champions. The teams play against each other only once, playing total of five additional matches. Points earned are added to the points from the regular season.
The teams 7th–10th position after 30 games take part in the Europa League play-offs. The best of them play against the fourth-placed or fifth-placed (it depends on the result of the Czech Cup and on the Czech coefficient rankings between European football leagues) of the championship group to determine who will participate in the Europa League.
The teams from 11th to 16th position play in the same format as the championship group. The team finishing in 16th position is relegated directly to the Czech National Football League, while teams in 15th and 14th places play relegation play-offs against teams finishing 2nd and 3rd in the Czech National Football League.
Changes in 2020–21
Due to positive tests for COVID-19 in the 2019–20 season, the relegation group was abandoned.[2] The league announced that due to time pressure the relegation group would remain unfinished and as a consequence, no team could be relegated. As the winner of the second league should be promoted, and to avoid playing the 2020–21 season with an odd number of teams, automatic promotion was granted to the second placed team as well. There were 18 clubs in the league, each club played the others twice, once at their home stadium and once at that of their opponents, for a total of 34 games. The three lowest placed teams were relegated to the second tier (Czech National Football League). From the 2021–22 season, the system returned to its previous format.
Champions
Year by year
| Season | Champions | Runners-up | Third place | Top goalscorer(s) (goals) | Club(s) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993–94 | Sparta Prague (1) | Slavia Prague | Baník Ostrava |  Horst Siegl (20) | Sparta Prague | |
| 1994–95 | Sparta Prague (2) | Slavia Prague | Boby Brno | Radek Drulák (15) | Drnovice | |
| 1995–96 | Slavia Prague (1) | Sigma Olomouc | Jablonec | Radek Drulák (22) | Drnovice | |
| 1996–97 | Sparta Prague (3) | Slavia Prague | Jablonec | Horst Siegl (19) | Sparta Prague | |
| 1997–98 | Sparta Prague (4) | Slavia Prague | Sigma Olomouc | Horst Siegl (13) | Sparta Prague | |
| 1998–99 | Sparta Prague (5) | Teplice | Slavia Prague | Horst Siegl (18) | Sparta Prague | |
| 1999–00 | Sparta Prague (6) | Slavia Prague | Drnovice | Vratislav Lokvenc (22) | Sparta Prague | |
| 2000–01 | Sparta Prague (7) | Slavia Prague | Sigma Olomouc | Vítězslav Tuma (15) | Drnovice | |
| 2001–02 | Slovan Liberec (1) | Sparta Prague | Viktoria Žižkov | Jiří Štajner (15) | Slovan Liberec | |
| 2002–03 | Sparta Prague (8) | Slavia Prague | Viktoria Žižkov | Jiří Kowalík (16) | 1. FC Synot | |
| 2003–04 | Baník Ostrava (1) | Sparta Prague | Sigma Olomouc | Marek Heinz (19) | Baník Ostrava | |
| 2004–05 | Sparta Prague (9) | Slavia Prague | Teplice | Tomáš Jun (14) | Sparta Prague | |
| 2005–06 | Slovan Liberec (2) | Mladá Boleslav | Slavia Prague |  Milan Ivana (11) | Slovácko | |
| 2006–07 | Sparta Prague (10) | Slavia Prague | Mladá Boleslav | Luboš Pecka (16) | Mladá Boleslav | |
| 2007–08 | Slavia Prague (2) | Sparta Prague | Baník Ostrava | Václav Svěrkoš (15) | Baník Ostrava | |
| 2008–09 | Slavia Prague (3) | Sparta Prague | Slovan Liberec |  Andrej Kerić (15) | Slovan Liberec | |
| 2009–10 | Sparta Prague (11) | Jablonec | Baník Ostrava | Michal Ordoš (12) | Sigma Olomouc | |
| 2010–11 | Viktoria Plzeň (1) | Sparta Prague | Jablonec | David Lafata (19) | Jablonec | |
| 2011–12 | Slovan Liberec (3) | Sparta Prague | Viktoria Plzeň | David Lafata (25) | Jablonec | |
| 2012–13 | Viktoria Plzeň (2) | Sparta Prague | Slovan Liberec | David Lafata (20) | Jablonec / Sparta Prague | |
| 2013–14 | Sparta Prague (12) | Viktoria Plzeň | Mladá Boleslav | Josef Hušbauer (18) | Sparta Prague | |
| 2014–15 | Viktoria Plzeň (3) | Sparta Prague | Jablonec | David Lafata (20) | Sparta Prague | |
| 2015–16 | Viktoria Plzeň (4) | Sparta Prague | Slovan Liberec | David Lafata (20) | Sparta Prague | |
| 2016–17 | Slavia Prague (4) | Viktoria Plzeň | Sparta Prague | Milan Škoda / David Lafata (15) | Slavia Prague / Sparta Prague | |
| 2017–18 | Viktoria Plzeň (5) | Slavia Prague | Jablonec | Michael Krmenčík (16) | Viktoria Plzeň | |
| 2018–19 | Slavia Prague (5) | Viktoria Plzeň | Sparta Prague |  Nikolay Komlichenko (29) | Mladá Boleslav | |
| 2019–20 | Slavia Prague (6) | Viktoria Plzeň | Sparta Prague | Libor Kozák / Petar Musa (14) | Sparta Prague / Slavia Prague | |
| 2020–21 | Slavia Prague (7) | Sparta Prague | Jablonec | Jan Kuchta / Adam Hložek (15) | Slavia Prague / Sparta Prague | |
| 2021–22 | Viktoria Plzeň (6) | Slavia Prague | Sparta Prague |  Jean-David Beauguel (19) | Viktoria Plzeň | |
| 2022–23 | Sparta Prague (13) | Slavia Prague | Viktoria Plzeň | Václav Jurečka (20) | Slavia Prague | |
| 2023–24 | Sparta Prague (14) | Slavia Prague | Viktoria Plzeň | Václav Jurečka (19) | Slavia Prague | |
| 2024–25 | Slavia Prague (8) | Viktoria Plzeň | Baník Ostrava | Jan Kliment (18) | Sigma Olomouc | |
| 2025–26 | Slavia Prague (9) | Sparta Prague | Viktoria Plzeň | Tomáš Chorý (17) | Slavia Prague |
Performance by club
| Club | Winners | Runners-up | Winning years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sparta Prague | 14 |
11 |
1993–94, 1994–95, 1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–00, 2000–01, 2002–03, 2004–05, 2006–07, 2009–10, 2013–14, 2022–23, 2023–24 |
| Slavia Prague | 9 |
13 |
1995–96, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2016–17, 2018–19, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2024–25, 2025–26 |
| Viktoria Plzeň | 6 |
5 |
2010–11, 2012–13, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2017–18, 2021–22 |
| Slovan Liberec | 3 |
0 |
2001–02, 2005–06, 2011–12 |
| Baník Ostrava | 1 |
0 |
2003–04 |
| Sigma Olomouc | 0 |
1 |
|
| Teplice | 0 |
1 |
|
| Mladá Boleslav | 0 |
1 |
|
| Jablonec | 0 |
1 |
Participating teams in 2026–27
Map
Prague
Brno
Locations of the 2026–27 Czech First League teams
2026–27 season
The following 16 clubs are competing in the 2026–27 Czech First League.
| Team | Location | Stadium | Capacity | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SK Artis Brno | Brno | Městský fotbalový stadion Srbská | 10,200 | |
| Bohemians 1905 | Prague | Ďolíček | 6,300 | [3] |
| FC Hradec Králové | Hradec Králové | Malšovická aréna | 9,300 | [4] |
| FK Jablonec | Jablonec nad Nisou | Stadion Střelnice | 5,690 | [5] |
| FC Slovan Liberec | Liberec | Stadion u Nisy | 9,900 | [6] |
| FK Mladá Boleslav | Mladá Boleslav | Lokotrans Aréna | 5,000 | [7] |
| SK Sigma Olomouc | Olomouc | Andrův stadion | 12,474 | [8] |
| FC Baník Ostrava | Ostrava | Městský stadion (Ostrava) | 15,081 | [9] |
| FK Pardubice | Pardubice | CFIG Arena | 4,620 | [10] |
| FC Viktoria Plzeň | Plzeň | Doosan Arena | 11,597 | [11] |
| SK Slavia Prague | Prague | Fortuna Arena | 19,370 | [12] |
| 1. FC Slovácko | Uherské Hradiště | Městský fotbalový stadion Miroslava Valenty | 8,000 | [13] |
| AC Sparta Prague | Prague | epet ARENA | 18,349 | [14] |
| FK Teplice | Teplice | Na Stínadlech | 17,078 | [15] |
| FC Zbrojovka Brno | Brno | Městský fotbalový stadion Srbská | 10,200 | |
| FC Zlín | Zlín | Letná Stadion (Zlín) | 5,898 | [16] |
Managers
- As of 22 June 2026.
| Club | Coach | Appointed |
|---|---|---|
| Slavia Prague | Jindřich Trpišovský[17] | 22 December 2017 |
| Viktoria Plzeň | Martin Hyský[18] | 15 October 2025 |
| Baník Ostrava | Roman Skuhravý[19] | 10 June 2026 |
| Sparta Prague |  Brian Priske[20] | 8 June 2025 |
| Jablonec | Luboš Kozel[21] | 17 June 2024 |
| Sigma Olomouc | Pavel Hapal[22] | 12 April 2026 |
| Hradec Králové | David Horejš[23] | 28 February 2024 |
| Bohemians 1905 | Jaroslav Veselý[24] | 21 March 2022 |
| Slovan Liberec | Branislav Fodrek[25] | 18 June 2026 |
| Teplice | Zdenko Frťala[26] | 6 March 2023 |
| Mladá Boleslav | Aleš Majer[27] | 2 June 2025 |
| Slovácko | Jan Jelínek[28] | 16 June 2026 |
| Pardubice | Jan Trousil[29] | 14 October 2025 |
| Zlín | Bronislav Červenka[30] | 25 October 2023 |
| Zbrojovka Brno | Martin Svědík[31] | 12 April 2025 |
| Artis Brno | Roman Nádvorník[32] | 23 March 2026 |
Sponsorship
In 1997 the league started a sponsorship deal with Pilsner Urquell Brewery and became known as the Gambrinus liga (after the company's Gambrinus beer).[33] In 2008, the sponsorship was extended until the end of the 2013–14 season.[34]
In May 2014, the league announced a four-year sponsorship deal with betting firm Synot, becoming the Synot liga.[35] However, in January 2016 the company announced that their deal would conclude at the end of the 2015–16 season.[36]
In July 2016 a new two-year sponsorship deal was announced, with the league partnering ePojisteni.cz, an online insurance company. The league subsequently became known as the ePojisteni.cz liga. Due to a government subsidy scandal and the arrest of FAČR chairman Miroslav Pelta, ePojisteni.cz terminated the contract prematurely in May 2017.[37] The league was then renamed HET liga for the 2017–18 season, after paint manufacturer HET.[38]
In October 2016, FAČR, League Football Association and Czech betting company Fortuna signed a 6-year partnership deal. In accordance with this deal, the Czech First League will be called Fortuna liga from the 2018–19 season.[39]
In April 2024, a new partnership deal was announced with the betting company Chance. In accordance with this deal, the Czech First League will be called Chance Liga from the 2024–25 season.[40]
All time table
After the 2025–26 season.
The table counts all the seasons since the Czech First League was founded in 1993. Highlighted teams will be competing in the 2026–27 Czech First League.[41]
| Pos | Team | S | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Level (2026–27) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | AC Sparta Prague | 33 | 1029 | 644 | 214 | 171 | 1960 | 881 | +1079 | 2128 | 1st tier |
| 2 | SK Slavia Prague | 33 | 1029 | 582 | 254 | 193 | 1832 | 908 | +924 | 1984 | 1st tier |
| 3 | FC Viktoria Plzeň | 29 | 909 | 454 | 211 | 244 | 1431 | 989 | +442 | 1561 | 1st tier |
| 4 | FC Slovan Liberec | 33 | 1020 | 428 | 281 | 311 | 1370 | 1131 | +239 | 1554 | 1st tier |
| 5 | FK Jablonec | 32 | 999 | 392 | 280 | 327 | 1353 | 1193 | +160 | 1401 | 1st tier |
| 6 | SK Sigma Olomouc | 31 | 959 | 362 | 267 | 330 | 1231 | 1139 | +92 | 1339 | 1st tier |
| 7 | FC Baník Ostrava | 32 | 1000 | 352 | 282 | 366 | 1321 | 1271 | +50 | 1324 | 1st tier |
| 8 | FK Teplice | 30 | 933 | 326 | 266 | 341 | 1140 | 1183 | −43 | 1244 | 1st tier |
| 9 | FK Mladá Boleslav | 22 | 696 | 271 | 184 | 241 | 1031 | 940 | +91 | 997 | 1st tier |
| 10 | 1. FC Slovácko | 24 | 756 | 254 | 199 | 303 | 868 | 970 | −102 | 961 | 1st tier |
| 11 | FC Zbrojovka Brno | 26 | 789 | 255 | 206 | 328 | 914 | 1069 | −155 | 961 | 1st tier |
| 12 | Bohemians 1905 | 24 | 754 | 216 | 213 | 325 | 781 | 1043 | −262 | 853 | 1st tier |
| 13 | SK Dynamo České Budějovice | 24 | 740 | 200 | 196 | 344 | 768 | 1160 | −392 | 785 | 3rd tier |
| 14 | FK Příbram | 22 | 672 | 191 | 172 | 309 | 697 | 986 | −289 | 745 | 2nd tier |
| 15 | FC Zlín | 20 | 631 | 173 | 172 | 286 | 637 | 915 | −278 | 681 | 1st tier |
| 16 | FC Hradec Králové | 19 | 593 | 171 | 158 | 264 | 589 | 815 | −226 | 662 | 1st tier |
| 17 | FK Viktoria Žižkov | 14 | 420 | 144 | 106 | 170 | 478 | 539 | −61 | 526 | 2nd tier |
| 18 | FK Drnovice | 10 | 300 | 114 | 67 | 119 | 392 | 398 | −6 | 396 | Dissolved in 2006 |
| 19 | FK Dukla Prague[a] | 11 | 345 | 90 | 97 | 158 | 382 | 526 | −144 | 366 | 1st tier |
| 20 | SFC Opava | 11 | 342 | 83 | 89 | 170 | 347 | 532 | −185 | 338 | 2nd tier |
| 21 | MFK Karviná | 9 | 298 | 74 | 74 | 150 | 334 | 485 | −151 | 296 | 2nd tier |
| 22 | FK Chmel Blšany | 8 | 240 | 67 | 63 | 110 | 255 | 350 | −95 | 264 | Dissolved in 2016 |
| 23 | FK Pardubice | 6 | 206 | 64 | 43 | 99 | 227 | 326 | −99 | 235 | 1st tier |
| 24 | FC Vysočina Jihlava | 7 | 210 | 55 | 61 | 94 | 221 | 315 | −94 | 226 | 2nd tier |
| 25 | SK Kladno | 4 | 120 | 28 | 30 | 62 | 99 | 173 | −74 | 114 | 2nd tier |
| 26 | FC Union Cheb | 3 | 90 | 29 | 26 | 35 | 95 | 121 | −26 | 100 | 4th tier |
| 27 | FK SIAD Most | 3 | 90 | 19 | 30 | 41 | 96 | 140 | −44 | 87 | Dissolved in 2016 |
| 28 | FK Bohemians Prague | 2 | 60 | 14 | 8 | 38 | 60 | 111 | −51 | 50 | Dissolved in 2016 |
| 29 | FC Karviná | 2 | 60 | 12 | 12 | 36 | 53 | 105 | −52 | 48 | Merged with MFK Karviná in 2008 |
| 30 | 1. SC Znojmo FK | 1 | 30 | 6 | 9 | 15 | 32 | 49 | −17 | 27 | 4th tier |
| 31 | FK Ústí nad Labem | 1 | 30 | 4 | 7 | 19 | 22 | 67 | −45 | 19 | 2nd tier |
| 32 | Slovácká Slavia Uherské Hradiště | 1 | 30 | 3 | 8 | 19 | 19 | 65 | −46 | 17 | Merged with Slovácko in 2000 |
| 33 | MFK Vítkovice | 1 | 30 | 3 | 7 | 20 | 22 | 64 | −42 | 13 | 3rd tier |
| 34 | FK Švarc Benešov | 1 | 30 | 3 | 3 | 24 | 23 | 78 | −55 | 12 | 3rd tier |
| 35 | AFK Atlantic Lázně Bohdaneč | 1 | 30 | 2 | 5 | 23 | 18 | 61 | −43 | 11 | Dissolved in 2000 |
- Includes 1993–94 season played by the original Dukla Prague club.
Statistics
UEFA coefficients
The following data indicates Czech coefficient rankings between European football leagues.[42]
View chart definition.
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|
Attendance
| Season | Total | Average | Highest | Home Av. | Club |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1993–94 | 1,116,885 | 4,663 | 23,111 | 9,501 | Brno |
| 1994–95 | 1,380,060 | 5,750 | 34,770 | 20,523 | Brno |
| 1995–96 | 1,225,755 | 5,129 | 26,872 | 12,283 | Brno |
| 1996–97 | 1,710,045 | 7,155 | 44,120 | 21,659 | Brno |
| 1997–98 | 1,477,515 | 6,156 | 31,730 | 15,365 | Brno |
| 1998–99 | 1,447,875 | 6,033 | 24,400 | 13,207 | Brno |
| 1999–00 | 1,433,355 | 5,972 | 23,800 | 11,280 | Opava |
| 2000–01 | 1,091,882 | 4,549 | 16,350 | 7,718 | Olomouc |
| 2001–02 | 1,113,325 | 4,722 | 16,300 | 7,490 | Ostrava |
| 2002–03 | 935,927 | 3,899 | 18,228 | 6,175 | Sparta Prague |
| 2003–04 | 1,158,523 | 4,827 | 20,032 | 15,376 | Ostrava |
| 2004–05 | 921,658 | 3,840 | 15,419 | 8,028 | Ostrava |
| 2005–06 | 980,633 | 4,085 | 20,318 | 7,211 | Sparta Prague |
| 2006–07 | 1,173,869 | 4,891 | 20,565 | 11,848 | Sparta Prague |
| 2007–08 | 1,237,660 | 5,156 | 20,698 | 11,022 | Ostrava |
| 2008–09 | 1,119,410 | 4,664 | 20,500 | 11,971 | Slavia Prague |
| 2009–10 | 1,177,014 | 4,924 | 19,370 | 10,766 | Sparta Prague |
| 2010–11 | 1,073,690 | 4,473 | 18,873 | 8,665 | Sparta Prague |
| 2011–12 | 1,130,540 | 4,710 | 18,299 | 10,322 | Sparta Prague |
| 2012–13 | 1,151,464 | 4,797 | 19,410 | 10,046 | Plzeň |
| 2013–14 | 1,216,389 | 5,068 | 19,089 | 11,340 | Sparta Prague |
| 2014–15 | 1,137,131 | 4,738 | 18,665 | 10,868 | Plzeň |
| 2015–16 | 1,219,366 | 5,080 | 18,684 | 10,618 | Plzeň |
| 2016–17 | 1,172,619 | 4,886 | 19,084 | 11,625 | Slavia Prague |
| 2017–18 | 1,331,016 | 5,546 | 19,084 | 12,431 | Slavia Prague |
| 2018–19 | 1,533,390 | 5,536 | 19,370 | 13,456 | Slavia Prague |
| 2019–20 | 1,153,357 | 4,470 | 19,370 | 10,851 | Slavia Prague |
| 2020–21 | 165,502 | 600 | 9,285 | 3,709 | Slavia Prague |
| 2021–22 | 1,055,806 | 3,825 | 19,370 | 10,989 | Slavia Prague |
| 2022–23 | 1,535,500 | 5,563 | 19,370 | 14,729 | Slavia Prague |
| 2023–24 | 1,782,387 | 6,435 | 19,370 | 17,688 | Slavia Prague |
| 2024–25 | 1,704,832 | 6,177 | 19,370 | 18,306 | Slavia Prague |
| 2025–26 | 1,697,813 | 6,151 | 19,314 | 17,320 | Slavia Prague |
Records
Following statistics count only seasons of Czech First League since its inception in 1993. Highlighted players currently plays in the Czech First League.
Most appearances
|
Top scorers
|
Most clean sheets
| Rank | Player | Clean sheets | Matches |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Jaromír Blažek | 157 | 401 |
| 2 | Martin Vaniak | 153 | 432 |
| 3 | Tomáš Grigar | 117 | 376 |
| 4 | Matúš Kozáčik | 111 | 242 |
| 5 | Tomáš Poštulka | 110 | 309 |
| 6 | Michal Špit | 101 | 300 |
| 7 | Radek Černý | 90 | 212 |
| Ondřej Kolář | 186 | ||
| Jan Laštůvka | 275 | ||
| 10 | Petr Drobisz | 88 | 289 |
| Aleš Hruška | 308 |
