# 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.
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.

### Stadia and locations

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

### 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 | — |

### 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 | Željko Kopić | 9 June 2014 | Pre-season |
| Zadar | Ferdo Milin | Resigned | 25 August 2014 | Miroslav Blažević | 1 September 2014 | 9th |
| Slaven Belupo | Elvis Scoria | Sacked | 30 October 2014 | Ante Čačić | 4 November 2014 | 10th |
| RNK Split | Ivan Matić | Removed from position | 23 December 2014 | Zoran Vulić | 23 December 2014 | 6th |
| Zadar | Miroslav Blažević | Resigned | 2 January 2015 | Igor Štimac | 7 January 2015 | 10th |
| Hajduk Split | Igor Tudor | Resigned | 4 February 2015 | Hari Vukas (caretaker) | 5 February 2015 | 3rd |
| Osijek | Tomislav Rukavina | Sacked | 8 February 2015 | Ivo Šušak | 11 February 2015 | 10th |
| Hajduk Split | Hari Vukas (caretaker) | End of caretaker tenure | 19 February 2015 | Stanko Poklepović | 19 February 2015 | 3rd |
| Hajduk Split | Stanko Poklepović | Sacked | 13 April 2015 | Goran Vučević (caretaker) | 13 April 2015 | 4th |
| Hajduk Split | Goran Vučević (caretaker) | Removed from position | 23 April 2015 | Hari Vukas | 24 April 2015 | 4th |
| Lokomotiva | Tomislav Ivković | Sacked | 11 May 2015 | 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 | 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 | Qualification to Europa League first qualifying round |
| 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 |
* ↑ 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 | 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 | |
* ↑ 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.

## 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 |
| 6 | Marko Pjaca | Dinamo Zagreb | 11 | 32 | 2261 |
| 8 | Marko Mirić | Slaven Belupo | 10 | 29 | 2008 |
| 8 | Domagoj Pavičić | Lokomotiva, Dinamo Zagreb | 10 | 30 | 2354 |
| 8 | Sokol Cikalleshi | RNK Split | 10 | 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) | Dominik Livaković (NK Zagreb) | Dominik Livaković (NK Zagreb) | Dominik Livaković (NK Zagreb) | Dominik Livaković (NK Zagreb) |
| Defence | Ivan Tomečak (Rijeka) | Matej Mitrović (Rijeka) | Marko Lešković (Rijeka) | Marko Lešković (Rijeka) | Marin Leovac (Rijeka) |
| Midfield | Dejan Radonjić (Listra 1961) | Domagoj Pavičić (Dinamo Zagreb) | Domagoj Pavičić (Dinamo Zagreb) | Arijan Ademi (Dinamo Zagreb) | Marko Pjaca (Dinamo Zagreb) |
| Ante Ćorić (Dinamo Zagreb |||||
| Attack | Ángelo Henríquez (Dinamo Zagreb) | Ángelo Henríquez (Dinamo Zagreb) | Ángelo Henríquez (Dinamo Zagreb) | Ángelo Henríquez (Dinamo Zagreb) | Ángelo Henríquez (Dinamo Zagreb) |