2015–16 Macedonian First Football League

The 2015–16 Macedonian First League was the 24th season of the Macedonian First Football League, the highest football league of Macedonia. It began on 9 August 2015 and ended on 19 May 2016. It was the last season as the format changed from the 2016–17 season which will each team be played the other sides four times on home-away basis, for a total of 36 matches each instead of play-off and play-out after 27th round.^[1]

Macedonian First League

Season	2015–16
Dates	9 August 2015 – 19 May 2016
Champions	Vardar 9th Macedonian title 10th domestic title
Relegated	Metalurg Mladost Horizont Turnovo
Champions League	Vardar
Europa League	Shkëndija Rabotnichki Sileks
Matches played	162
Goals scored	426 (2.63 per match)
Top goalscorer	Besart Ibraimi (26 goals)
Biggest home win	Vardar 6–0 Mladost
Biggest away win	Mladost 0–5 Bregalnica
Highest scoring	Renova 5–2 Horizont Turnovo
Longest winning run	9 games Shkendija
Longest unbeaten run	15 games Rabotnichki
Longest winless run	11 games Mladost
Longest losing run	10 games Mladost
← 2014–15 2016–17 →

The league was contested by 10 teams. Vardar are the defending champions, having won their eight title in 2014–15.

Promotion and relegation

At the start of the 2015–16 season Promoted from 2014–15 Second League Shkupi (winners) Mladost Carev Dvor (runners-up) Relegated to 2015–16 Second League Pelister (9th) Teteks (10th)

At the end of the 2015–16 season Promoted from 2015–16 Second League Pobeda (winners) Makedonija G.P. (runners-up) Pelister (3rd; won play-off) Relegated to 2016–17 Second League Horizont Turnovo (8th; lost play-off) Metalurg Skopje (9th) Mladost Carev Dvor (10th)1

¹ Mladost Carev Dvor was declined their participation from the Second League due to financial problems.^[1]

Participating teams

Skopje

Bregalnica

Mladost

Renova

Shkëndija

Sileks

Turnovo

Skopje clubs:

Metalurg
Rabotnichki
Shkupi
Vardar

Location of teams in 2015–16 Macedonian First League

Club	City	Stadium	Capacity
Bregalnica	Shtip	Gradski stadion Shtip	4,000
Metalurg	Skopje	Stadion Zhelezarnica	3,000
Mladost	Carev Dvor	SRC Biljanini Izvori	2,500
Rabotnichki	Skopje	Philip II Arena	33,460
Renova	Djepchishte	City Stadium Tetovo	15,000
Shkëndija	Tetovo	City Stadium Tetovo	15,000
Shkupi	Skopje	Chair Stadium	6,000
Sileks	Kratovo	Stadion Sileks	1,800
Horizont Turnovo	Turnovo	Stadion Kukush	1,500
Vardar	Skopje	Philip II Arena	33,460

Personnel and kits

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Team	Manager	Captain	Kit manufacturer	Shirt sponsor
Bregalnica	Igor Stojanov	Goran Zdravkov	Derbystar	Quehenberger
Metalurg	Alekso Mackov	Mile Krstev	Macron	Makstil
Mladost	Zdravko Cvetanoski	Aleksandar Ristevski	Legea
Rabotnichki	Tomislav Franc	Bazhe Ilijoski	Zeus
Renova	Qatip Osmani	Fisnik Nuhi	Jako	Renova
Shkendija	Bruno Akrapović	Ferhan Hasani	Nike	Ecolog
Shkupi	Visar Ganiu	Suat Zendeli	Lotto	Čair Municipality
Sileks	Momchilo Mitevski	Nikolcho Georgiev	Legea
Horizont Turnovo	Jane Nikolovski	Sashko Pandev	Jako	Vitaminka
Vardar	Goce Sedloski	Boban Grncharov	Hummel	Zdravje

Regular season

The first 27 Rounds comprise the first phase of the season, also called the Regular season. In the first phase, every team plays against each other team twice on a home-away basis till all the teams have played two matches against each other. The table standings at the end of the Regular season determine the group in which each team is going to play in the Play-offs.

League table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
1	Vardar	27	20	5	2	59	15	+44	65	Qualification for the championship round
2	Shkëndija	27	19	6	2	62	21	+41	63
3	Sileks	27	11	7	9	32	32	0	40
4	Shkupi	27	9	11	7	28	25	+3	38
5	Rabotnichki	27	8	12	7	32	26	+6	36
6	Bregalnica Shtip	27	9	6	12	38	43	−5	33
7	Horizont Turnovo	27	8	9	10	32	42	−10	33	Qualification for the relegation round
8	Renova	27	8	7	12	33	37	−4	31
9	Metalurg	27	4	4	19	20	48	−28	16
10	Mladost Carev Dvor	27	5	1	21	18	65	−47	16

Source: MacedonianFootball.com, Soccerway
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Head-to-head points; 5) Head-to-head goal difference; 6) Head-to-head away goals scored (only if two teams); 7) Head-to-head goals scored; 8) Draw; 9) Play-off. (Note: Criteria 2, 3 and 8 is only used if not deciding teams for championship or relegation round).^[2]

Results

Home \ Away	BRE	MET	MLA	RAB	REN	SKE	SHK	SIL	TUR	VAR	BRE	MET	MLA	RAB	REN	SKE	SHK	SIL	TUR	VAR
Bregalnica Shtip	—	0–2	2–3	1–0	3–2	0–2	1–2	1–1	3–0	0–2	—	4–1	—	2–1	—	0–3	—	—	2–0	—
Metalurg	0–3	—	1–2	0–0	1–0	0–3	0–1	1–3	2–2	0–1	—	—	2–0	1–2	—	0–4	—	—	0–1	—
Mladost Carev Dvor	1–4	1–5	—	0–3	2–1	1–1	0–2	3–1	2–1	0–1	0–5	—	—	—	—	—	0–1	0–1	—	0–3
Rabotnichki	0–0	2–0	2–0	—	1–1	2–4	1–1	2–0	4–2	1–1	—	—	2–1	—	0–0	0–1	1–1	—	2–0	—
Renova	1–1	2–0	1–0	3–1	—	0–0	1–1	2–1	5–2	0–0	3–0	4–1	3–0	—	—	—	—	—	1–1	—
Shkëndija	5–1	2–0	3–1	1–1	3–1	—	4–1	3–1	2–2	1–3	—	—	2–0	—	3–1	—	3–1	3–1	2–0	—
Shkupi	0–0	0–0	5–0	1–1	3–0	0–2	—	0–0	1–1	0–3	2–2	1–0	—	—	1–0	—	—	1–0	—	0–1
Sileks	1–0	3–1	3–0	0–0	1–0	3–1	1–0	—	1–1	0–3	2–2	3–0	—	0–0	1–0	—	—	—	—	3–1
Horizont Turnovo	2–0	1–1	1–0	2–2	4–0	0–3	0–0	0–0	—	2–1	—	—	3–1	—	—	—	1–0	2–1	—	0–1
Vardar	3–1	1–0	6–0	2–1	2–0	0–0	2–2	4–0	5–1	—	4–0	2–1	—	1–0	4–1	1–1	—	—	—	—

Source: MacedonianFootball.com
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Second phase

The second phase are the so-called Play-off Rounds which is divided in two groups: Championship and Relegation. The top 6 ranked teams on the table after the Regular Season qualify for the Championship group, while the bottom 4 advance to the Relegation group.

Championship round

In the Championship round, each team plays against every other one only once, making 5 games in total. Records from the first phase are carried over. Teams play each other once with each team playing five games in this round.^[3]

Table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Qualification
1	Vardar (C)	32	25	5	2	67	17	+50	80	Qualification for the Champions League second qualifying round
2	Shkëndija	32	23	6	3	74	24	+50	75	Qualification for the Europa League first qualifying round[a]
3	Sileks	32	12	8	12	35	40	−5	44
4	Rabotnichki	32	10	13	9	36	30	+6	43
5	Bregalnica Shtip	32	10	8	14	42	49	−7	38
6	Shkupi	32	9	11	12	29	34	−5	38

Source: MacedonianFootball.com, Soccerway
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Head-to-head points; 5) Head-to-head goal difference; 6) Head-to-head away goals scored (only if two teams); 7) Head-to-head goals scored; 8) Draw; 9) Play-off. (Note: Criteria 2, 3 and 8 is only used if not deciding Champion or teams for UEFA competitions).^[4]
(C) Champions
Notes:

1. Shkëndija qualified for the Europa League first qualifying round by winning the 2015–16 Macedonian Football Cup.

Results

Home \ Away	BRE	RAB	SKE	SHK	SIL	VAR
Bregalnica Shtip	—	0–0	—	2–0	—	—
Rabotnichki	—	—	—	—	2–0	0–1
Shkëndija	3–0	3–1	—	—	3–0	—
Shkupi	—	0–1	1–3	—	—	—
Sileks	1–1	—	—	1–0	—	1–2
Vardar	2–1	—	1–0	2–0	—	—

Source: MacedonianFootball.com
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Relegation round

In the Relegation round, each team plays twice against every opponent on a home-away basis. Records from the first phase are carried over. Teams play each other twice with each team playing six games in this round.^[3]

Table

Pos	Team	Pld	W	D	L	GF	GA	GD	Pts	Relegation
7	Renova	33	13	8	12	49	42	+7	47
8	Horizont Turnovo (R)	33	12	10	11	45	43	+2	46	Qualification for the relegation play-offs
9	Metalurg (R)	33	5	4	24	27	66	−39	19	Relegation to the Macedonian Second League
10	Mladost Carev Dvor (R)	33	6	1	26	22	81	−59	19

Source: MacedonianFootball.com, Soccerway
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Head-to-head points; 5) Head-to-head goal difference; 6) Head-to-head away goals scored (only if two teams); 7) Head-to-head goals scored; 8) Draw; 9) Play-off. (Note: Criteria 2, 3 and 8 is only used if not deciding teams for relegation).^[5]
(R) Relegated

Results

Home \ Away	MET	MLA	REN	TUR
Metalurg	—	4–0	2–4	0–4
Mladost Carev Dvor	2–0	—	0–4	0–2
Renova	3–1	4–2	—	1–0
Horizont Turnovo	5–0	2–0	0–0	—

Source: MacedonianFootball.com
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Relegation play-offs

First leg

25 May 2016

16:00 CEST

Horizont Turnovo	1–2	Pelister
Pandev 4'	Report	Markovski 23' (pen.), 29' (pen.)

Stadion Gjorche Petrov, Skopje

Attendance: 400

Referee: Josip Barton (Tetovo)

Second leg

29 May 2016

16:00 CEST

Pelister	1–0	Horizont Turnovo
Cvetanoski 62'	Report

Stadion Gjorche Petrov, Skopje

Attendance: 800

Referee: Aleksandar Stavrev (Skopje)

Pelister won 3–1 on aggregate.

Season statistics

Top scorers

As of 19 May 2016

Rank	Player	Club	Goals
1	Besart Ibraimi	Shkëndija	26
2	Sashko Pandev	Horizont Turnovo	16
3	Blazhe Ilijoski	Rabotnichki	13
4	Ferhan Hasani	Shkëndija	12
5	Igor Nedeljković	Sileks	11
6	Dejan Blazhevski	Vardar	9
	Armend Alimi	Shkëndija
	Argjent Gafuri	Renova
	Marjan Radeski	Shkëndija
10	Angel Nacev	Bregalnica	8
	Argjent Gafuri	Renova

Source: MacedonianFootball

See also

• 2015–16 Macedonian Football Cup
• 2015–16 Macedonian Second Football League
• 2015–16 Macedonian Third Football League