2014–15 Croatian First Football League

The 2014–15 Croatian First Football League (officially known as the MAXtv Prva Liga for sponsorship reasons) was the 24th season of the Croatian First Football League, the national championship for men's association football teams in Croatia, since its establishment in 1992. The season started on 18 July 2014 and ended on 30 May 2015. 10 teams contested for the title.

MAXtv Prva Liga

Season	2014–15
Champions	Dinamo Zagreb
Relegated	Zadar
Champions League	Dinamo Zagreb
Europa League	Rijeka Hajduk Split Lokomotiva
Matches played	180
Goals scored	519 (2.88 per match)
Top goalscorer	Andrej Kramarić (21)
Biggest home win	Hajduk Split 6–0 Zadar Rijeka 6–0 Lokomotiva
Biggest away win	Zagreb 0–6 Lokomotiva
Highest scoring	Hajduk 5–3 Istra 1961
Longest winning run	Dinamo Zagreb (6)
Longest unbeaten run	Dinamo Zagreb (36)
Longest winless run	Istra 1961, RNK Split (11)
Longest losing run	Lokomotiva, Zadar (5)
Highest attendance	16,072 (Hajduk 2–3 Dinamo)
Lowest attendance	100 (Zagreb 1–0 S. Belupo)
Average attendance	2,733
← 2013–14 2015–16 → All statistics correct as of 30 May 2015[1].

Fantasy football flag for Dinamo Zagreb

Dinamo Zagreb successfully defended its 9th consecutive 2014 title in the final against Sesvete.

Teams

The following is a complete list of teams who will contest the 2014–15 Prva HNL.

Zagreb

Istra 1961

Hajduk
RNK Split

Osijek

S. Belupo

Rijeka

Zadar

Zagreb clubs:

Dinamo
Lokomotiva
NK Zagreb

Locations of teams in 2014–15 Prva HNL

Stadia and locations

Stadium	City	Home club	Licensed club(s)	Capacity
Maksimir	Zagreb	Dinamo Zagreb		38,079[2]
Poljud	Split	Hajduk Split		34,448[3]
Gradski vrt	Osijek	Osijek		22,050[4]
Kantrida	Rijeka	Rijeka		12,600[5]
Aldo Drosina	Pula	Istra 1961		10,000[6]
Kranjčevićeva	Zagreb	Zagreb	Lokomotiva	8,850[7]
Stanovi	Zadar	Zadar		6,000[8]
Park mladeži	Split	RNK Split		4,075[9]
Gradski stadion	Koprivnica	Slaven Belupo		3,134[10]

Personnel and kits

Team	Manager	Captain	Kit manufacturer	Shirt sponsor
Dinamo Zagreb	Zoran Mamić	Arijan Ademi	Puma	—
Hajduk Split	Hari Vukas	Mario Maloča	Macron	Tommy
Istra 1961	Igor Pamić	Jure Obšivač	Errea	—
Lokomotiva	Marko Pinčić	Mario Musa	Nike	—
Osijek	Ivo Šušak	Hrvoje Kurtović	Jako	—
Rijeka	Matjaž Kek	Dario Knežević	Jako	—
Slaven Belupo	Ante Čačić	Mato Grgić	Adidas	Belupo
RNK Split	Zoran Vulić	Danijel Zagorac	Jako	Skladgradnja
Zadar	Igor Štimac	Jure Jerbić	Lotto	Hotel Kolovare
NK Zagreb	Željko Kopić	Josip Jurendić	Kappa, Jako[11]	—

Managerial changes

Team	Outgoing manager	Manner of departure	Date of vacancy	Replaced by	Date of appointment	Position in table
NK Zagreb	Vjekoslav Lokica	Contract expired	18 May 2014[12]	Željko Kopić	9 June 2014[13]	Pre-season
Zadar	Ferdo Milin	Resigned	25 August 2014[14]	Miroslav Blažević	1 September 2014[15]	9th
Slaven Belupo	Elvis Scoria	Sacked	30 October 2014[16]	Ante Čačić	4 November 2014[17]	10th
RNK Split	Ivan Matić	Removed from position	23 December 2014[18]	Zoran Vulić	23 December 2014[18]	6th
Zadar	Miroslav Blažević	Resigned	2 January 2015	Igor Štimac	7 January 2015[19]	10th
Hajduk Split	Igor Tudor	Resigned	4 February 2015[20]	Hari Vukas (caretaker)	5 February 2015[21]	3rd
Osijek	Tomislav Rukavina	Sacked	8 February 2015[22]	Ivo Šušak	11 February 2015[22]	10th
Hajduk Split	Hari Vukas (caretaker)	End of caretaker tenure	19 February 2015	Stanko Poklepović	19 February 2015[23]	3rd
Hajduk Split	Stanko Poklepović	Sacked	13 April 2015[24]	Goran Vučević (caretaker)	13 April 2015[24]	4th
Hajduk Split	Goran Vučević (caretaker)	Removed from position	23 April 2015[25]	Hari Vukas	24 April 2015[26]	4th
Lokomotiva	Tomislav Ivković	Sacked	11 May 2015[27]	Marko Pinčić (caretaker)	11 May 2015	4th

League table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification or relegation
1	Dinamo Zagreb (C)	36	26	10	0	85	21	+64	88	Qualification to Champions League second qualifying round
2	Rijeka	36	22	9	5	76	29	+47	75	Qualification to Europa League second qualifying round
3	Hajduk Split[a]	36	15	8	13	59	56	+3	50	Qualification to Europa League first qualifying round
4	Lokomotiva	36	13	7	16	59	68	−9	46
5	NK Zagreb	36	13	7	16	45	54	−9	46
6	Slaven Belupo	36	11	9	16	38	49	−11	42
7	RNK Split	36	9	14	13	42	49	−7	41
8	Osijek	36	10	6	20	42	59	−17	36
9	Istra 1961	36	7	14	15	36	59	−23	35	Qualification to relegation play-off
10	Zadar (R)	36	8	8	20	37	75	−38	32	Relegation to Croatian Second Football League

Source: Sportnet.hr
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
For deciding champions, qualification to UEFA Europa League and relegation: 1st points; 2nd head-to-head points; 3rd head-to-head goal difference; 4th head-to-head away goals scored
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated
Notes:

1. Hajduk Split were deducted 3 points for not showing up for the match against Dinamo Zagreb in the 16th round.

Results

Home \ Away	DIN	HAJ	IST	LOK	OSI	RIJ	SLA	SPL	ZAD	ZAG	DIN	HAJ	IST	LOK	OSI	RIJ	SLA	SPL	ZAD	ZAG
Dinamo Zagreb		3–0[a]	2–0	3–0	5–0	3–0	4–0	1–0	5–0	1–1		4–0	4–1	2–1	3–0	4–0	3–2	2–0	2–0	2–0
Hajduk Split	2–3		1–1	2–2	2–1	1–1	2–0	2–1	6–0	0–2	1–1		5–3	2–1	3–2	1–2	2–1	1–2	2–2	1–0
Istra 1961	0–4	0–2		3–2	0–0	0–1	1–0	2–0	1–1	1–2	1–1	3–2		1–1	1–0	0–0	2–2	1–1	0–0	2–1
Lokomotiva	3–4	2–5	4–2		2–0	2–1	0–0	1–1	0–1	3–0	1–2	2–1	1–2		2–2	1–0	2–0	0–3	1–5	1–2
Osijek	1–2	2–0	1–1	1–4		0–1	2–3	1–1	4–1	1–0	1–1	0–1	1–0	0–2		0–0	3–2	4–0	2–1	1–0
Rijeka	1–2	4–2	3–1	6–0	2–1		3–0	1–1	6–1	3–0	2–2	3–0	3–0	5–0	3–0		1–1	2–0	4–0	4–1
Slaven Belupo	0–0	0–1	1–1	0–2	2–0	1–1		1–0	4–0	3–2	0–0	0–2	2–1	4–0	2–1	1–1		1–0	2–0	2–1
RNK Split	0–0	1–1	1–1	2–2	3–0	0–3	2–0		3–0	2–2	1–5	1–1	2–2	0–1	3–2	1–1	2–0		1–1	1–2
Zadar	1–3	0–3	1–1	2–5	2–1	0–1	4–0	1–2		2–2	0–1	2–0	2–0	2–2	3–1	0–2	1–0	1–1		0–1
NK Zagreb	0–0	2–2	1–0	2–0	1–2	1–3	2–1	1–1	3–0		1–1	2–0	4–0	0–6	0–4	1–2	1–0	1–2	3–0

Source: Sportnet.hr
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
Notes:

1. Awarded as a 3–0 forfeit win to Dinamo Zagreb.

Relegation play-off

At the end of season, ninth placed Istra 1961 qualified for a home and away relegation playoff tie against Sesvete, runners-up of the 2014–15 Croatian Second Football League. However, Sesvete's managing board decided not to contest the tie, as their home stadium in Sesvete failed to get a licence for top-level football. As the club also refused to use Maksimir Stadium as a replacement venue for hosting home games, Istra 1961 automatically avoided relegation and qualified for 2015–16 Croatian First Football League.^[28]

Top goalscorers

As of 31 May 2015; Source: Croatian Football Statistics UEFA.com

Rank	Player	Club(s)	Goals	Apps	Minutes played
1	Andrej Kramarić	Rijeka	21	18	1551
2	Ángelo Henríquez	Dinamo Zagreb	20	25	1588
3	Dejan Radonjić	Istra 1961	16	23	1742
4	Gabrijel Boban	NK Zagreb	13	34	2867
5	Duje Čop	Dinamo Zagreb	12	15	1006
6	El Arbi Hillel Soudani	Dinamo Zagreb	11	23	1727
	Marko Pjaca	Dinamo Zagreb		32	2261
8	Marko Mirić	Slaven Belupo	10	29	2008
	Domagoj Pavičić	Lokomotiva, Dinamo Zagreb		30	2354
	Sokol Cikalleshi	RNK Split		32	2616

Awards

Annual awards

Award	Winner	Club
Player of the Season	Marko Pjaca	Dinamo Zagreb
Manager of the Season	Zoran Mamić	Dinamo Zagreb
Young Player of the Season	Marko Pjaca	Dinamo Zagreb
Goalkeeper of the Season	Lovre Kalinić	Hajduk Split

Team of the Year
Goalkeeper	Dominik Livaković (NK Zagreb)
Defence	Ivan Tomečak (Rijeka)	Matej Mitrović (Rijeka)	Marko Lešković (Rijeka)		Marin Leovac (Rijeka)
Midfield	Dejan Radonjić (Listra 1961)	Domagoj Pavičić (Dinamo Zagreb)		Arijan Ademi (Dinamo Zagreb)	Marko Pjaca (Dinamo Zagreb)
	Ante Ćorić (Dinamo Zagreb
Attack	Ángelo Henríquez (Dinamo Zagreb)

See also

• 2014–15 Croatian Second Football League
• 2014–15 Croatian Football Cup