# 2002–03 Croatian First Football League

The 2002–03 Croatian First Football League was the twelfth 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 24 July 2002 and ended on 31 May 2003. NK Zagreb were the defending champions, having won their first championship title the previous season. Dinamo Zagreb won the title, after a win against Varteks on 17 May 2003.

## Teams

The league format was changed from the previous 2001–02 season and the number of teams were reduced from sixteen to twelve for the 2002–03 Prva HNL. Because of this, the four bottom-placed teams were automatically relegated to Croatian Second Football League at the end of the season, while the 11th placed Šibenik and 12th placed Kamen Ingrad qualified for the Relegation play-offs. Both clubs then went on to win the two-legged play-off ties against second level sides Vukovar '91 and Istra Pula. Therefore, no team was promoted from the 2001–02 Croatian Second Football League and all twelve teams which contested the 2002–03 Prva HNL were also top flight members in the previous season.

### Changes from last season

Teams relegated to the 2002–03 Croatian Second Football League
* 13th placed: Hrvatski Dragovoljac
* 14th placed: Čakovec
* 15th placed: Marsonia
* 16th placed: TŠK Topolovac

### Summaries

The following is an overview of teams which competed in the 2002–03 Prva HNL. Manager list is correct as of 24 July 2002, first day of the season.
| Team | Manager | Home city | Stadium | Capacity |
| Cibalia | Mile Petković | Vinkovci | Stadion HNK Cibalia | 9,920 |
| Dinamo Zagreb | Miroslav Blažević | Zagreb | Stadion Maksimir | 37,168 |
| Hajduk Split | Zoran Vulić | Split | Stadion Poljud | 35,000 |
| Kamen Ingrad | Vjeran Simunić | Velika | Stadion Kamen Ingrad | 8,000 |
| Osijek | Milan Đuričić | Osijek | Stadion Gradski vrt | 19,500 |
| Pomorac | Predrag Stilinović | Kostrena | Stadion Žuknica | 3,000 |
| Rijeka | Zlatko Kranjčar | Rijeka | Stadion Kantrida | 10,275 |
| Slaven Belupo | Rajko Magić | Koprivnica | Gradski stadion | 4,000 |
| Šibenik | Franko Bogdan | Šibenik | Stadion Šubićevac | 8,000 |
| Varteks | Dražen Besek | Varaždin | Stadion Varteks | 10,800 |
| Zadar | Stanko Mršić | Zadar | Stadion Stanovi | 5,860 |
| NK Zagreb | Ivan Katalinić | Zagreb | Stadion Kranjčevićeva | 8,850 |

## First stage

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Dinamo Zagreb | 22 | 18 | 3 | 1 | 51 | 17 | +34 | 57 | Qualification to championship group |
| 2 | Hajduk Split | 22 | 16 | 2 | 4 | 42 | 14 | +28 | 50 | Qualification to championship group |
| 3 | Varteks | 22 | 15 | 0 | 7 | 40 | 21 | +19 | 45 | Qualification to championship group |
| 4 | Cibalia | 22 | 9 | 5 | 8 | 28 | 28 | 0 | 32 | Qualification to championship group |
| 5 | Kamen Ingrad | 22 | 7 | 9 | 6 | 23 | 22 | +1 | 30 | Qualification to championship group |
| 6 | NK Zagreb | 22 | 8 | 6 | 8 | 28 | 30 | −2 | 30 | Qualification to championship group |
| 7 | Slaven Belupo | 22 | 9 | 2 | 11 | 24 | 26 | −2 | 29 | Qualification to relegation group |
| 8 | Osijek | 22 | 6 | 5 | 11 | 21 | 39 | −18 | 23 | Qualification to relegation group |
| 9 | Zadar | 22 | 5 | 6 | 11 | 21 | 40 | −19 | 21 | Qualification to relegation group |
| 10 | Rijeka | 22 | 5 | 3 | 14 | 23 | 33 | −10 | 18 | Qualification to relegation group |
| 11 | Pomorac | 22 | 3 | 8 | 11 | 26 | 41 | −15 | 17 | Qualification to relegation group |
| 12 | Šibenik | 22 | 4 | 5 | 13 | 23 | 39 | −16 | 17 | Qualification to relegation group |

### Rounds 1–22 results

| Home \ Away | CIB | DIN | HAJ | KAM | OSI | POM | RIJ | SLA | ŠIB | VAR | ZAD | ZAG |
| Cibalia | | 1–1 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 1–0 | 3–1 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 2–1 |
| Dinamo Zagreb | 4–1 | | 2–1 | 1–1 | 6–0 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 1–1 |
| Hajduk Split | 4–0 | 1–0 | | 0–0 | 2–0 | 5–1 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 3–0 |
| Kamen Ingrad | 1–0 | 0–1 | 1–1 | | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 4–0 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 |
| Osijek | 1–0 | 1–5 | 0–2 | 1–0 | | 2–2 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 3–0 | 2–2 |
| Pomorac | 0–0 | 2–3 | 0–3 | 1–1 | 2–2 | | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 1–2 |
| Rijeka | 2–1 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | | 0–1 | 5–1 | 0–2 | 3–1 | 3–2 |
| Slaven Belupo | 2–3 | 1–3 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 4–0 | 2–1 | 2–0 | | 2–1 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 0–0 |
| Šibenik | 2–1 | 0–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 3–1 | 0–0 | 1–0 | | 1–3 | 3–3 | 3–0 |
| Varteks | 3–0 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 3–0 | 2–0 | 4–2 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 2–1 | | 3–1 | 2–0 |
| Zadar | 0–2 | 1–3 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 2–3 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 1–5 | | 2–1 |
| NK Zagreb | 0–1 | 1–3 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 0–0 | |

## Championship group

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
| 1 | Dinamo Zagreb (C) | 32 | 25 | 3 | 4 | 76 | 27 | +49 | 78 | Qualification to Champions League second qualifying round |
| 2 | Hajduk Split | 32 | 22 | 4 | 6 | 56 | 22 | +34 | 70 | Qualification to UEFA Cup qualifying round |
| 3 | Varteks | 32 | 18 | 3 | 11 | 52 | 38 | +14 | 57 | Qualification to UEFA Cup qualifying round |
| 4 | Kamen Ingrad | 32 | 11 | 11 | 10 | 34 | 34 | 0 | 44 | Qualification to UEFA Cup qualifying round |
| 5 | Cibalia | 32 | 12 | 7 | 13 | 39 | 44 | −5 | 43 | Qualification to Intertoto Cup second round |
| 6 | NK Zagreb | 32 | 9 | 9 | 14 | 40 | 52 | −12 | 36 | Qualification to Intertoto Cup first round |

### Rounds 23–32 results

| Home \ Away | CIB | DIN | HAJ | KAM | VAR | ZAG |
| Cibalia | | 3–2 | 1–1 | 3–2 | 1–2 | 2–1 |
| Dinamo Zagreb | 3–0 | | 0–1 | 1–0 | 5–1 | 5–0 |
| Hajduk Split | 1–0 | 4–1 | | 2–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 |
| Kamen Ingrad | 2–0 | 0–2 | 1–0 | | 1–0 | 1–0 |
| Varteks | 1–0 | 0–3 | 2–2 | 1–1 | | 3–1 |
| NK Zagreb | 1–1 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 3–3 | 2–2 | |

## Relegation group

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Relegation |
| 7 | Slaven Belupo | 32 | 12 | 4 | 16 | 37 | 36 | +1 | 40 | |
| 8 | Osijek | 32 | 10 | 9 | 13 | 32 | 51 | −19 | 39 | |
| 9 | Rijeka | 32 | 9 | 6 | 17 | 40 | 41 | −1 | 33 | |
| 10 | Zadar | 32 | 9 | 6 | 17 | 36 | 71 | −35 | 33 | |
| 11 | Pomorac (R) | 32 | 7 | 11 | 14 | 42 | 52 | −10 | 32 | Qualification to relegation play-off |
| 12 | Šibenik (R) | 32 | 8 | 7 | 17 | 37 | 53 | −16 | 31 | Relegation to Croatian Second Football League |

### Rounds 23–32 results

| Home \ Away | OSI | POM | RIJ | SLA | ŠIB | ZAD |
| Osijek | | 0–0 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 2–1 |
| Pomorac | 5–0 | | 1–1 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 4–1 |
| Rijeka | 0–0 | 2–0 | | 2–0 | 2–0 | 7–0 |
| Slaven Belupo | 0–0 | 0–1 | 2–0 | | 3–0 | 5–0 |
| Šibenik | 0–2 | 2–0 | 0–0 | 2–0 | | 6–3 |
| Zadar | 3–2 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 1–0 | 2–3 | |

### Relegation play-off
## Top goalscorers

| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
| 1 | Ivica Olić | Dinamo Zagreb | 16 |
| 2 | Boško Balaban | Dinamo Zagreb | 15 |
| 3 | Zoran Zekić | Kamen Ingrad | 14 |
| 4 | Marijo Dodik | Slaven Belupo | 12 |
| 4 | Sandro Klić | Rijeka | 12 |
| 6 | Milan Pavličić | Osijek | 11 |
| 7 | Veldin Karić | Varteks | 10 |
| 7 | Petar Krpan | Hajduk Split | 10 |
| 9 | Mladen Bartolović | Cibalia | 9 |
| 9 | Ivan Bulat | Šibenik | 9 |
| 9 | Ivica Karabogdan | Pomorac | 9 |
| 9 | Dumitru Mitu | Dinamo Zagreb | 9 |
Source: 1.hnl.net (in Croatian)