First Football League of Kosovo

History

Early years

During the 1990s, amid the breakup of Yugoslavia and the exclusion of Kosovar Albanian clubs from official competitions, the FFK organised a parallel league structure outside state control. The so-called "independent" First League featured clubs from across the districts of Kosovo and was played on improvised grounds until the Kosovo War forced a halt to competition in 1998–99.

Post-war reorganisation

Following the end of the war in 1999, the FFK re-established a unified national league system and the domestic pyramid was restructured, with the creation of the Superleague as the top tier and the First League operating directly beneath it as the second division, ahead of the Second and Third Leagues. Since then, the First League has consistently been treated in media coverage as the second level of men's football in Kosovo, feeding clubs into the Superleague.

After Kosovo was admitted to UEFA and FIFA in 2016, champions and promoted clubs from the First League gained access to the top flight and, indirectly, to European club competitions through the Superleague.

Two-group era and expansion to 18 clubs

In the early 2020s the First League was reorganised into two parallel groups of ten clubs (Groups A and B). The winners of each group earned promotion to the Superleague, while lower-placed teams faced relegation or promotion/relegation play-offs with the Second League. In this format Drenica and Prishtina e Re won their respective groups in 2024–25 to secure promotion to the top flight.

Ahead of the 2025–26 season the FFK decided to merge the groups into a single 18-team championship under the Raiffeisen sponsorship, with two newly promoted clubs (including Tefik Çanga and Prizreni) joining established First League sides such as Trepça, Liria and Vëllaznimi. The change was intended to strengthen competitive balance and give clubs a longer, more coherent national schedule.

Competition format

The First League currently consists of 18 clubs. In the 2025–26 season each team plays the others home and away for a total of 34 matches. Teams receive three points for a win, one for a draw and none for a loss, with league positions determined by total points, then goal difference and goals scored where required.

Under the competition regulations introduced for the 2025–26 campaign, the top two clubs at the end of the season are promoted directly to the Superleague. Places three and four enter an additional promotion play-off phase with the club finishing eighth in the Superleague, while the lowest-ranked sides are relegated to the Second Football League of Kosovo.

Previously, when the league was split into two ten-team groups, each club played 27 or 28 matches within its section. Group winners were promoted to the Superleague, while runners-up and lower-ranked clubs contested relegation and promotion play-offs with Superleague and Second League teams.

Clubs (2025–26)

The 2025–26 season is the first to be played in a single 18-team national division. The following clubs take part in the competition:

• 2 Korriku
• Besa Peja
• Dinamo Ferizaj
• Feronikeli 74
• Istogu
• KEK-u
• Kika
• Liria
• Prizreni
• Ramiz Sadiku
• Rilindja 1974
• Suhareka
• Tefik Çanga
• Trepça
• Trepça '89
• Vëllaznimi
• Vjosa
• Vushtrria

Media and sponsorship

From 1999 the competition has officially been known as Liga e Parë e Futbollit të Kosovës (First Football League of Kosovo), but from the 2020s it has usually carried the name of a title sponsor. For sponsorship reasons it has been marketed at different times as the:

Television rights to the First Football League of Kosovo, together with the Superleague and the Kosovar Cup, were awarded in 2021 to cable operator ArtMotion and free-to-air channel Klan Kosova under an agreement signed with the FFK. The deal, linked to the Viva Fresh title sponsorship, granted ArtMotion exclusive live coverage of First League fixtures in 2021–22, with participating clubs receiving a share of the broadcast revenue via the federation. Subsequent renewals have kept ArtMotion and Klan Kosova as primary broadcasters of First League matches and highlights.

References

References

1. "A brief history of Kosovo football". Football Federation of Kosovo.
2. (24 January 2024). "Liga e Parë me sponsor të ri, FFK dhe Banka Raiffeisen nënshkruajnë marrëveshjen e partneritetit". Football Federation of Kosovo.
3. (22 July 2024). "FFK-ja prezanton sistemin e garave për sezonin e ri në futbollin kosovar". Telegrafi.
4. (25 May 2025). "Kështu duket Liga e Parë e Kosovës me 18 skuadra në edicionin 2025–2026". Bota Sot.
5. (16 June 2022). "FFK-ja tregon se kur do të nisë edicioni i ri garues 2022/23". Tëvë1.
6. (10 August 2021). "EKSKLUZIVE: Art Motion dhe Klan Kosova fitojnë të drejtën televizive të Superligës, Ligës së parë si dhe Kupës së Kosovës". Kallxo.com.
7. (10 August 2021). "Zyrtarizohet marrëveshja e sponsorizimit të Ligës së Parë". Zëri.