# 2016–17 Macedonian First Football League

The 2016–17 Macedonian First League was the 25th season of the Macedonian First Football League, the highest football league of Macedonia. The fixtures were announced on 25 July 2016. It began on 7 August 2016 and ended on 31 May 2017 with a winter break which began on 4 December 2016 and ended on 19 February 2017. From that season the format was changed 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.
The league will be contested by 10 teams. Vardar are the defending champions, having won their ninth title in 2015–16.

## Promotion and relegation

| At the start of the 2016–17 season Promoted from 2015–16 Second League Pobeda (winners) Makedonija G.P. (runners-up) Pelister (Third placed; won play-off) Relegated to 2016–17 Second League Horizont Turnovo (8th; lost play-off) Metalurg Skopje (9th) Mladost Carev Dvor (10th)$^1$ | At the end of the 2016–17 season Promoted from 2016–17 Second League Akademija Pandev (winners) Skopje (runners-up) Relegated to 2017–18 Second League Bregalnica Shtip (9th) Makedonija G.P. (10th) |
$^1$ Mladost Carev Dvor was declined their participation from the Second League due to financial problems.

## Participating teams

| Club | City | Stadium | Capacity |
| Bregalnica | Shtip | Gradski stadion Shtip | 4,000 |
| Makedonija G.P. | Skopje | Stadion Gjorche Petrov | 3,000 |
| Pelister | Bitola | Stadion Tumbe Kafe | 8,000 |
| Pobeda | Prilep | Stadion Goce Delchev | 15,000 |
| Rabotnički | 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 |
| 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(s) |
| Bregalnica | Nikola Kuzmanov | Goran Zdravkov | Sportika | Gogov Hotel |
| Makedonija G.P. | Bobi Stojkoski | Kristijan Stojkoski | Adidas | Livinn |
| Pobeda | Zoran Shterjovski | Blagoja Gesoski | Jako | Krali Marko/Vitaminka |
| Pelister | Naci Şensoy | Goran Pashovski | Givova | ZK Pelagonija |
| Rabotnički | Viktor Trenevski | Dushko Trajchevski | Zeus | |
| Renova | Qatip Osmani | Fisnik Nuhi | Jako | Renova |
| Shkëndija | Erhan Salimi (interim) | Ferhan Hasani | Macron | Ecolog |
| Shkupi | Ardijan Nuhiji | Suat Zendeli | Nike | S&P |
| Sileks | Zhikica Tasevski | Marjan Mickov | Legea | |
| Vardar | Goce Sedloski | Boban Grncharov | Hummel | Zdravje |

## League table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Vardar (C) | 36 | 25 | 8 | 3 | 75 | 24 | +51 | 83 | Qualification for the Champions League second qualifying round |
| 2 | Shkëndija | 36 | 20 | 10 | 6 | 71 | 39 | +32 | 70 | Qualification for the Europa League first qualifying round |
| 3 | Rabotnički | 36 | 14 | 12 | 10 | 49 | 41 | +8 | 54 | Qualification for the Europa League first qualifying round |
| 4 | Pelister | 36 | 14 | 10 | 12 | 44 | 35 | +9 | 52 | Qualification for the Europa League first qualifying round |
| 5 | Renova | 36 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 42 | 37 | +5 | 52 | |
| 6 | Sileks | 36 | 11 | 14 | 11 | 41 | 43 | −2 | 47 | |
| 7 | Pobeda | 36 | 10 | 11 | 15 | 34 | 50 | −16 | 41 | |
| 8 | Shkupi (O) | 36 | 8 | 13 | 15 | 27 | 39 | −12 | 37 | Qualification for the relegation play-offs |
| 9 | Bregalnica (R) | 36 | 4 | 12 | 20 | 39 | 69 | −30 | 24 | Relegation to the Macedonian Second League |
| 10 | Makedonija G.P. (R) | 36 | 4 | 11 | 21 | 35 | 80 | −45 | 23 | Relegation to the Macedonian Second League |
* ↑ Pelister qualified for the Europa League first qualifying round by winning the 2016–17 Macedonian Football Cup.

## Results

Each team plays home-and-away against every other team in the league twice, for a total of 36 matches each.
| Home \ Away | BRE | MGP | PEL | POB | RAB | REN | SKË | SKU | SIL | VAR | BRE | MGP | PEL | POB | RAB | REN | SKË | SKU | SIL | VAR |
| Bregalnica | — | 1–2 | 0–0 | 2–3 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 0–2 | 0–1 | — | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 6–2 | 0–1 | 1–3 | 3–0 | 3–3 | 3–3 |
| Makedonija G.P. | 2–2 | — | 2–2 | 1–1 | 0–4 | 3–1 | 0–4 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 0–4 | 5–3 | — | 1–2 | 0–0 | 0–3 | 1–3 | 2–3 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 0–5 |
| Pelister | 3–0 | 1–0 | — | 2–0 | 3–0 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 3–1 | — | 1–0 | 0–1 | 3–0 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 2–3 |
| Pobeda | 0–0 | 0–0 | 0–2 | — | 2–1 | 0–2 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 4–2 | 2–2 | — | 0–0 | 0–3 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 2–1 |
| Rabotnički | 1–1 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 3–1 | — | 1–0 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 3–0 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 0–3 | — | 0–0 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 2–2 |
| Renova | 1–0 | 1–0 | 2–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | — | 1–2 | 1–0 | 2–2 | 0–0 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 1–1 | — | 4–4 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 0–1 |
| Shkëndija | 5–2 | 3–0 | 1–0 | 3–1 | 2–2 | 1–1 | — | 0–1 | 2–1 | 0–2 | 3–0 | 5–1 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 2–2 | 1–1 | — | 0–0 | 2–0 | 3–1 |
| Shkupi | 1–1 | 0–2 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 0–0 | — | 1–1 | 0–0 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 1–1 | — | 3–1 | 0–2 |
| Sileks | 1–0 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 1–3 | 1–0 | — | 1–3 | 3–2 | 4–2 | 3–3 | 2–0 | 0–2 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | — | 0–1 |
| Vardar | 5–1 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | — | 2–0 | 6–0 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 2–0 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 3–0 | 0–0 | — |

### Positions by round

The table lists the positions of teams after each week of matches. In order to preserve chronological evolvements, any postponed matches are not included to the round at which they were originally scheduled, but added to the full round they were played immediately afterwards.
| Team ╲ Round | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | 18 | 19 | 20 | 21 | 22 | 23 | 24 | 25 | 26 | 27 | 28 | 29 | 30 | 31 | 32 | 33 | 34 | 35 | 36 |
| Vardar | 7 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Shkëndija | 3 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Rabotnički | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 |
| Pelister | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| Renova | 5 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Sileks | 8 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Pobeda | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| Shkupi | 6 | 7 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 8 |
| Bregalnica | 4 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 9 |
| Makedonija G.P. | 10 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 9 | 10 |
* Leader and qualification for the Champions League first qualifying round
* Qualification for the Europa League first qualifying round
* Qualification for the Relegation play-offs
* Relegation to the Macedonian Second League

## Relegation play-offs
### Second leg

Shkupi won 7–2 on aggregate.

## Season statistics
### Top scorers

    As of 31 May 2017
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
| 1 | Besart Ibraimi | Shkëndija | 20 |
| 2 | Igor Nedeljković | Sileks | 13 |
| 3 | Ferhan Hasani | Shkëndija | 12 |
| 3 | Alen Jasharoski | Makedonija G.P. | 12 |
| 5 | Dejan Blazhevski | Vardar | 11 |
| 5 | Lucas Cardoso | Pelister | 11 |
| 5 | Stojancho Velinov | Bregalnica & Renova | 11 |
| 5 | Goran Zdravkov | Bregalnica | 11 |
| 9 | Jonathan Boareto | Vardar | 10 |
| 10 | Damir Kojašević | Vardar | 9 |
| 10 | Juan Felipe | Vardar | 9 |

## Attendances

| # | Football club | Average attendance |
| 1 | KF Shkëndija | 4,367 |
| 2 | KF Shkupi | 2,278 |
| 3 | FK Pelister | 1,739 |
| 4 | FK Bregalnica Štip | 1,411 |
| 5 | FK Pobeda | 1,383 |
| 6 | FK Vardar | 961 |
| 7 | KF Renova | 653 |
| 8 | FK Sileks | 511 |
| 9 | FK Rabotnički | 394 |
| 10 | FK Makedonija GP | 372 |