The Czech National Football League (, ''FNL''), known as Chance Národní Liga due to sponsorship reasons, is the second level professional association football league in the
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic, also known as Czechia, and historically known as Bohemia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the south ...
. Before 2013 it was known as 2. liga or Druhá liga. The top team each season is eligible for promotion to the
Czech First League
The Czech First League () also known as the Chance Liga for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in the Czech Republic and the highest level of the Czech Republic football league system. Seasons typically run from A ...
, while the second and third placed teams enter play offs for possible promotion.
The league replaced the I.ČNL (I. Česká národní liga; First Czech National League), which had been established following the end of the nationwide Czechoslovak Second League in 1977. The league became known as simply ''II. liga'' (Second League) in 1993 following the establishment of the Czech Republic as an independent state.
Structure
There are 16 clubs in the FNL. During the season, which runs from August to May or June, with a winter break between November and February or March, each club plays each of the other clubs twice (once at home, once away) and is awarded three points for a win, one for a draw and zero for a loss. Teams are ranked by total points, then goal difference and then goals scored. At the end of each season, the top-ranked team is promoted to the
Czech First League
The Czech First League () also known as the Chance Liga for sponsorship reasons, is a professional association football league in the Czech Republic and the highest level of the Czech Republic football league system. Seasons typically run from A ...
, providing they obtain a license and meet league requirements, and is replaced by the team that finished 16th in that league. The two teams positioned 2nd and 3rd play a play-out with two teams from the first league positioned 14th and 15th in a home and away format. The two teams that finished at the bottom of the FNL are relegated to either the
Bohemian Football League
3rd Bohemian Football League (; ČFL) is one of the third level football leagues of the Czech Republic (the other is the Moravian-Silesian Football League). The league comprises teams from the historic Bohemia region.
History
The league was forme ...
or the
Moravian-Silesian Football League
The Moravian-Silesian Football League (MSFL) () is one of the third level football leagues in the Czech Republic (the other is the Bohemian Football League) headquartered in Olomouc. The league comprises teams from the historic regions of Moravia ...
, based on geographical criteria. In turn, the champions of each of these regional divisions are promoted to the FNL.
In the 1993–94 season the league was played with 16 teams, before expanding to 18 teams in the 1994–95 season. Since 1995, the league is usually played with 16 teams, but on two occasions a team did not fulfil its fixtures and the full 30 rounds were not completed. Firstly in the
1997–98 Czech 2. Liga
The 1997–98 Czech 2. Liga was the fifth season of the 2. česká fotbalová liga, the second tier of the Czech football league. Ústí nad Labem did not fulfil their fixtures and their results were cancelled.
League standings
Top goalscorers ...
as
Ústí nad Labem
Ústí nad Labem (; ) is a city in the Czech Republic. It has about 91,000 inhabitants and is the capital of the Ústí nad Labem Region. It is a major industrial centre and, besides being an active river port, is an important railway junction.
...
did not fulfil their fixtures and their results were cancelled, and secondly in the
2004–05 Czech 2. Liga as Bohemians' results were expunged after playing only the first half of the season. In the
2020–21 season, only 14 teams competed because of the suspension of the first league in the previous season due to the
COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic (also known as the coronavirus pandemic and COVID pandemic), caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), began with an disease outbreak, outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China, in December ...
.
Participating teams
The following 16 clubs are competing in the
2024–25 Czech National Football League
The 2024–25 Czech National Football League (known as the ''Chance Národní Liga'' for sponsorship reasons) was the 32nd season of the Czech Republic's second tier football league. The season started on 20 July 2024.
Format
Starting with the 202 ...
.
FNL champions
Teams promoted to the First League since 1993
From 1993 to 2018, the top two teams qualified for promotion. Since the 2018–19 season, only the top team has been directly promoted. Teams finishing second and third play a two-legged playoff with teams from the First League to determine who will play there next season. In the COVID-impacted 2019–20 season, the playoffs were cancelled.
* 1993:
Viktoria Žižkov
Viktoria usually refers to Viktoria, a name which is the same as Victoria (name), but may also refer to:
Places
* FK Viktoria Stadion, stadium of Viktoria Žižkov
* Viktoria-Luise-Platz, building in Berlin
* Viktoriastadt, now known as Victor ...
,
Petra Drnovice
1. FK Drnovice was a Czech football club based in the village of Drnovice in the South Moravian Region. It was founded in 1932. The club played in the top flight of Czech football, the Czech First League, between 1993 and 2002, and again in the 2 ...
,
Viktoria Plzeň
Viktoria usually refers to Viktoria, a name which is the same as Victoria (name), but may also refer to:
Places
* FK Viktoria Stadion, stadium of Viktoria Žižkov
* Viktoria-Luise-Platz, building in Berlin
* Viktoriastadt, now known as Victor ...
,
Union Cheb
Union commonly refers to:
* Trade union, an organization of workers
* Union (set theory), in mathematics, a fundamental operation on sets
Union may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Music
* Union (band), an American rock group
** ''Union ...
,
Slovan Liberec
FC Slovan Liberec (), commonly referred to as Slovan Liberec or simply Slovan, is a Czech professional association football, football club based in the city of Liberec. The club is one of the most successful in the Czech Republic, having won thr ...
,
Svit Zlín
* 1994:
Sklobižu Jablonec nad Nisou,
Švarc Benešov
* 1995:
Uherské Hradiště
Uherské Hradiště (; ) is a town in the Zlín Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 25,000 inhabitants. The agglomeration with the two neighbouring towns of Staré Město (Uherské Hradiště District), Staré Město and Kunovice has over ...
,
Ostroj Opava
* 1996:
FC Karviná
FC may refer to:
Businesses, organisations, and schools
* Fergusson College, a science and arts college in Pune, India
* Finncomm Airlines (IATA code)
* FranklinCovey company, NYSE stock symbol FC
* Frontier Corps, a paramilitary force in Pakis ...
,
FK Teplice
FK Teplice is a Czech professional football club based in the city of Teplice. The club competes in Czech First League, the top tier of Czech football.
The club was founded after World War II in 1945. The club advanced to the Czechoslovak First ...
,
Bohemians Prague
* 1997:
FC Dukla Příbram,
AFK Atlantic Lázně Bohdaneč
AFK Atlantic Lázně Bohdaneč was a Czech football club from the town of Lázně Bohdaneč, which played one season in the Czech First League. It was founded in 1918.
Bohdaneč won promotion to the country's top flight, the Czech First League, a ...
* 1998:
FK Chmel Blšany
FK Chmel Blšany was a Czech football club based in the village of Blšany. The club played in the Czech First League between 1998 and 2006 and was the first professional club of goalkeeper Petr Čech. The club disbanded in 2016 after resigning f ...
,
FC Karviná
FC may refer to:
Businesses, organisations, and schools
* Fergusson College, a science and arts college in Pune, India
* Finncomm Airlines (IATA code)
* FranklinCovey company, NYSE stock symbol FC
* Frontier Corps, a paramilitary force in Pakis ...
* 1999:
Bohemians Prague,
SK České Budějovice
SK may refer to:
People
* SK (actor) or Sivakarthikeyan, Indian actor
* Salman Khan or SK, Indian actor
* Shahram Kashani (SK), an Iranian-American singer
* Shakib Khan, Bangladeshi film actor, known by the initialism SK
* Søren Kierkegaard, Da ...
* 2000:
Synot Staré Město,
FC Viktoria Plzeň
Football Club Viktoria Plzeň () is a Czech professional Association football, football club based in Plzeň. It plays in the Czech First League, the top division of football in the country.
As runner-up in the 1970–71 Czechoslovak Cup, the c ...
* 2001:
FC Hradec Králové
FC Hradec Králové is a Czech professional football club based in the city of Hradec Králové. The club, which was founded in 1905, won the Czechoslovak First League in the 1959–60 season. Since 2021, the club has played in the Czech Fir ...
,
SFC Opava
Slezský FC Opava is a professional football club based in Opava, Czech Republic. The club plays in the Czech National Football League, the second of Czech football after being relegated from the Czech First League at the end of the 2020–21 sea ...
* 2002:
SK Dynamo České Budějovice
SK Dynamo České Budějovice is a professional football club from České Budějovice
České Budějovice (; ) is a city in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 97,000 inhabitants. The city is located in the valley o ...
,
FC Tescoma Zlín
FC may refer to:
Businesses, organisations, and schools
* Fergusson College, a science and arts college in Pune, India
* Finncomm Airlines (IATA code)
* FranklinCovey company, NYSE stock symbol FC
* Frontier Corps, a paramilitary force in Paki ...
* 2003:
FC Viktoria Plzeň
Football Club Viktoria Plzeň () is a Czech professional Association football, football club based in Plzeň. It plays in the Czech First League, the top division of football in the country.
As runner-up in the 1970–71 Czechoslovak Cup, the c ...
,
SFC Opava
Slezský FC Opava is a professional football club based in Opava, Czech Republic. The club plays in the Czech National Football League, the second of Czech football after being relegated from the Czech First League at the end of the 2020–21 sea ...
* 2004:
FK Mladá Boleslav
FK Mladá Boleslav is a Czech professional football club based in the city of Mladá Boleslav. Since 2004, the club has been participating in the Czech First League.
In the Czech First League, Mladá Boleslav were runners up in 2005–06 and o ...
,
FK Drnovice
* 2005:
FK SIAD Most,
FC Vysočina Jihlava
FC Vysočina Jihlava is a association football, football club from Jihlava, Czech Republic, which plays in the Czech National Football League. The club played in the Czech First League for the first time in its history in the 2005–06 Czech Firs ...
,
FC Viktoria Plzeň
Football Club Viktoria Plzeň () is a Czech professional Association football, football club based in Plzeň. It plays in the Czech First League, the top division of football in the country.
As runner-up in the 1970–71 Czechoslovak Cup, the c ...
* 2006:
SK Kladno
Sportovní klub Kladno, commonly known as SK Kladno, is a football club from Kladno, Czech Republic. It plays in the Bohemian Football League (third tier of the Czech football system). The club was founded on 15 February 1903. The team plays at ...
,
SK Dynamo České Budějovice
SK Dynamo České Budějovice is a professional football club from České Budějovice
České Budějovice (; ) is a city in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 97,000 inhabitants. The city is located in the valley o ...
* 2007:
Viktoria Žižkov
Viktoria usually refers to Viktoria, a name which is the same as Victoria (name), but may also refer to:
Places
* FK Viktoria Stadion, stadium of Viktoria Žižkov
* Viktoria-Luise-Platz, building in Berlin
* Viktoriastadt, now known as Victor ...
,
Bohemians 1905
Bohemians Praha 1905, commonly known as Bohemka or Bohemians Prague, is a professional association football, football club based in Vršovice, Prague, Czech Republic. The club competes in the Czech First League, Fortuna Liga, the top division ...
* 2008:
Bohemians (Střížkov) Prague,
FK Marila Příbram FK or fk may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Flyer Killer, fictional automated robots in the ''Terminator'' film franchise
* Fox Kids, a former American children's television programming block
* Funky Kong, a video game character
Place
* F ...
* 2009:
Bohemians 1905
Bohemians Praha 1905, commonly known as Bohemka or Bohemians Prague, is a professional association football, football club based in Vršovice, Prague, Czech Republic. The club competes in the Czech First League, Fortuna Liga, the top division ...
,
1. FC Slovácko
* 2010:
FC Hradec Králové
FC Hradec Králové is a Czech professional football club based in the city of Hradec Králové. The club, which was founded in 1905, won the Czechoslovak First League in the 1959–60 season. Since 2021, the club has played in the Czech Fir ...
,
FK Ústí nad Labem FK or fk may refer to:
Arts and entertainment
* Flyer Killer, fictional automated robots in the ''Terminator'' film franchise
* Fox Kids, a former American children's television programming block
* Funky Kong
is a series of video games pub ...
* 2011:
FK Dukla Prague
FK Dukla Prague () is a Czech association football club located in the Dejvice area of Prague. It currently plays in the Czech First League.
The club played in local competitions between 2001 and 2007, when it gained entry to the country's seco ...
,
FK Viktoria Žižkov
FK Viktoria Žižkov is a Czech professional football club from the district of Žižkov in Prague. The club competes in the Czech National Football League, the second tier of football in the country. It won the Czechoslovak First League title ...
* 2012:
FC Vysočina Jihlava
FC Vysočina Jihlava is a association football, football club from Jihlava, Czech Republic, which plays in the Czech National Football League. The club played in the Czech First League for the first time in its history in the 2005–06 Czech Firs ...
,
FC Zbrojovka Brno
FC Zbrojovka Brno is a professional football club based in the city of Brno, South Moravian Region, Czech Republic and named after Zbrojovka Brno, a firearms manufacturer. Founded in 1913 as SK Židenice, the club later became known as Zbrojovk ...
* 2013:
1. SC Znojmo,
Bohemians 1905
Bohemians Praha 1905, commonly known as Bohemka or Bohemians Prague, is a professional association football, football club based in Vršovice, Prague, Czech Republic. The club competes in the Czech First League, Fortuna Liga, the top division ...
* 2014:
SK Dynamo České Budějovice
SK Dynamo České Budějovice is a professional football club from České Budějovice
České Budějovice (; ) is a city in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 97,000 inhabitants. The city is located in the valley o ...
,
FC Hradec Králové
FC Hradec Králové is a Czech professional football club based in the city of Hradec Králové. The club, which was founded in 1905, won the Czechoslovak First League in the 1959–60 season. Since 2021, the club has played in the Czech Fir ...
* 2015:
SK Sigma Olomouc
SK Sigma Olomouc is a Czech professional football club based in the city of Olomouc. The club currently competes in the Czech First League, the first tier of Czech football. The club played in the first tier league for 30 years between 1984 and 2 ...
,
FC Fastav Zlín
FC may refer to:
Businesses, organisations, and schools
* Fergusson College, a science and arts college in Pune, India
* Finncomm Airlines (IATA code)
* FranklinCovey company, NYSE stock symbol FC
* Frontier Corps, a paramilitary force in Paki ...
* 2016:
MFK Karviná
MFK Karviná is a professional football club located in Karviná, Czech Republic. It plays in the Czech First League. The team's colours are green and white.
History
Karviná as a multi-ethnic city of Cieszyn Silesia was a home to many football ...
,
FC Hradec Králové
FC Hradec Králové is a Czech professional football club based in the city of Hradec Králové. The club, which was founded in 1905, won the Czechoslovak First League in the 1959–60 season. Since 2021, the club has played in the Czech Fir ...
* 2017:
SK Sigma Olomouc
SK Sigma Olomouc is a Czech professional football club based in the city of Olomouc. The club currently competes in the Czech First League, the first tier of Czech football. The club played in the first tier league for 30 years between 1984 and 2 ...
,
FC Baník Ostrava
FC Baník Ostrava is a professional association football, football club from Ostrava in the Czech Republic. The club competes in the Czech First League, the top tier of Czech football.
Founded in 1922 as SK Slezská Ostrava, Baník has won the ...
* 2018:
SFC Opava
Slezský FC Opava is a professional football club based in Opava, Czech Republic. The club plays in the Czech National Football League, the second of Czech football after being relegated from the Czech First League at the end of the 2020–21 sea ...
,
1.FK Příbram
* 2019:
SK Dynamo České Budějovice
SK Dynamo České Budějovice is a professional football club from České Budějovice
České Budějovice (; ) is a city in the South Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 97,000 inhabitants. The city is located in the valley o ...
* 2020:
FK Pardubice
FK Pardubice is a Czech football club located in the city of Pardubice. Since 2020, the club has played in the Czech First League.
The club is the successor of TJ Tesla Pardubice, which merged with FC Loko Pardubice in 2008.
History
The club ad ...
,
FC Zbrojovka Brno
FC Zbrojovka Brno is a professional football club based in the city of Brno, South Moravian Region, Czech Republic and named after Zbrojovka Brno, a firearms manufacturer. Founded in 1913 as SK Židenice, the club later became known as Zbrojovk ...
* 2021:
FC Hradec Králové
FC Hradec Králové is a Czech professional football club based in the city of Hradec Králové. The club, which was founded in 1905, won the Czechoslovak First League in the 1959–60 season. Since 2021, the club has played in the Czech Fir ...
* 2022:
FC Zbrojovka Brno
FC Zbrojovka Brno is a professional football club based in the city of Brno, South Moravian Region, Czech Republic and named after Zbrojovka Brno, a firearms manufacturer. Founded in 1913 as SK Židenice, the club later became known as Zbrojovk ...
* 2023: MFK Karviná
* 2024: FK Dukla Prague
* 2025:
FC Zlín
FC Zlín is a professional football club from Zlín, Czech Republic. The club has spent a number of seasons in the top league of the country, both the Czechoslovak First League and later the Czech First League. The club plays in the Czech National ...
Top scorers
All information in this table can be found at except for the 2003–04 season, which is sourced from the following link.
Notes
References
External links
*
Informationon
ČMFS
The Football Association of the Czech Republic (; FAČR), or colloquially the Czech Football Association, is the governing body of association football in the Czech Republic based in Prague. It organizes the lower-level league competitions in the ...
website
League321.com– Czech Republic football league tables, records & statistics database.
{{UEFA second leagues
2
1993 establishments in the Czech Republic
Sports leagues established in 1993
Second-level football leagues in Europe
Professional sports leagues in the Czech Republic