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The Treća nogometna liga (English: Third football league), commonly Treća NL or 3. NL, is the fourth tier of the Croatian football league system. The league was reestablished in 2022 following the reconstruction of league system in Croatia. It is operated by the Croatian Football Federation.[1]
| Founded | 1991 (as Četvrta HNL) |
|---|---|
| Country |  Croatia |
| Confederation | UEFA |
| Number of teams | 74 (in 5 groups) |
| Level on pyramid | 4 |
| Promotion to | 2. NL |
| Relegation to | 1. ŽNL |
| Domestic cup(s) | Hrvatski kup |
| Current: 2023–24 | |
History
editThe fourth Croatian football league was played for the first time in 2006, after the merger of the 2. HNL - North and 2. HNL - South into a single 2. HNL. With the aforementioned changes, part of the clubs from the second league were relegated to the 3. HNL, and part of the clubs from the third leagues, together with the best clubs of the county leagues, formed the newly created groups of the 4. HNL. After the dissolution of the 4. HNL in 2012, inter-county football leagues corresponding to the previous groups of the 4th HNL were founded in some areas.
In earlier championships, the fourth class of football leagues was represented by the First County Football League, except in the 1995–96 seasons and in 1996–97, when with the creation of the 1. B HNL (which in reality represented the second class), the fourth competitive class was actually represented by the 3. HNL. In the 1994–95 season, there was also the 4. HNL, which was then created as a successor to the regional leagues, but did not survive for more than one season, and then functioned under that name only in the territory of Northern Croatia.
Format
editThe competition takes place in five groups of up to eighteen (18) clubs according to the double point system, and the exact number of participants is determined by the competition regulations. From each group, the last-placed club and as many as necessary for the groups to number 16 clubs must be eliminated.[2]
Groups are formed and managed in the HNS regional centers:
- the center of Rijeka form the West group,
- the center of Zagreb form the Centar group,
- the center of Osijek form the East group,
- the center of Varaždin form the North group,
- the center of Split form the South group.
Champions
edit2006–2012
edit| Season | Division Center | Division West | Division East | Division South | Division North |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006–07 | Lokomotiva Zagreb (group A) Polet Buševac (group B) | Rovinj | Slavija Pleternica | Neretvanac Opuzen (group A) Hrvace (group B) | Omladinac Novo Selo Rok (group A) Virovitica (group B) |
| 2007–08 | Maksimir (group A) Metalac Sisak (group B) | Grobničan | Đakovo | Split (group A) Raštane (group B) | Mladost Prelog (group A) Podravac (group B) |
| 2008–09 | Špansko (group A) Zelina (group B) | Crikvenica | Lipik | Uskok (group A) Polača (group B) | Sloboda Varaždin (group A) Kalinovac (group B) |
| 2009–10 | Radnik Sesvete (group A) Dugo Selo (group B) | Opatija | Otok | Mladost Proložac (group SD) BŠK Zmaj Blato (group DN) Polača (group ŠK-ZD) | Podravina (group A) Slatina (group B) |
| 2010–11 | Dubrava (group A) Stupnik (group B) | Vinodol | BSK Bijelo Brdo | Krka Lozovac (group A) Val Kaštel Stari (group B) | Nedeljanec (group A) Mladost Ždralovi (group B) |
| 2011–12 | Maksimir (group A) Bistra (group B) | Naprijed | Bedem Ivankovo | Krka Lozovac (group A) Kamen Ivanbegovina (group B) Župa Dubrovačka (group C) | didn't exist |
2022–present
editKey
| † | Club gained promotion to the 2. NL |
| Season | Division Center | Division West | Division East | Division South | Division North |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022–23 | Karlovac 1919 † | Krk † | Slavonija Požega | Zagora Unešić | Radnik Križevci † |
References
edit- ^ "Iduće sezone igra se zadnji put u ovakvom formatu" [The next season will be played for the last time in this format]. SportCom.hr (in Croatian). 11 May 2021. Retrieved 7 July 2022.
- ^ "Odluka o sustavu stalnih natjecanja" [Decision on the system of permanent competitions] (PDF). HNS (in Croatian). 29 June 2022. Retrieved 7 June 2022.
External links
edit- Third League East at the website of Croatian Football Federation
- Third League South at the website of Croatian Football Federation
- Third League North at the website of Croatian Football Federation
- Third League Center at the website of Croatian Football Federation
- Third League West at the website of Croatian Football Federation