2022–23 Slovak First Football League

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.

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.

Each team plays home-and-away against every other team in the league, for a total of 22 matches each.

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.

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.

As of 20 May 2023

1 plus 1 play-off goal

Note

4 Player scored 4 goals

As of 20 May 2023

As of 20 May 2023

• Most yellow cards: 10

  • Lazar Stojsavljević (Trenčín)

• Most red cards: 2

  • Chinonso Emeka (Trenčín)
  • Erik Grendel (Podbrezová)
  • Kelvin Pires (Trenčín)

• Most yellow cards: 82

  • Zlaté Moravce

• Most red cards: 8

  • Trenčín

• Fewest yellow cards: 46

  • Slovan Bratislava

• Fewest red cards: 0

  • Zlaté Moravce

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)

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)

• 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

• Official website