# 1997–98 First League of FR Yugoslavia

The 1997–98 First League of FR Yugoslavia was the sixth season of the FR Yugoslavia's top-level football league since its establishment.

## Overview

The league was divided into 2 groups, A and B, consisting each of 10 clubs. Both groups were played in league system. By winter break all clubs in each group meet each other twice, home and away, with the bottom four classified from A group moving to the group B, and being replaced by the top four from the B group. At the end of the season because the two groups league format was being abandoned for the next season and replaced by a single league consisting of 16 clubs, more clubs were relegated, six, and only the two first classified from the Second League of FR Yugoslavia would be promoted.
At the end of the season FK Obilić became champions for the first time in their history.
The league's top-scorer with a total of 27 goals was Saša Marković who played the first half of the season with FK Železnik and moving during the winter break to Red Star Belgrade where he played the rest of the season.
Six clubs were relegated at the end of the season: FK Budućnost Valjevo, FK Rudar Pljevlja, FK Sutjeska Nikšić, FK Loznica, FK Borac Čačak and FK Bečej.

## Teams
### 1A League

| Club | City | Stadium | Capacity |
| Partizan | Belgrade | Partizan Stadium | 32,710 |
| Red Star | Belgrade | Red Star Stadium | 55,538 |
| Vojvodina | Novi Sad | Karađorđe Stadium | 17,204 |
| Zemun | Zemun, Belgrade | Zemun Stadium | 10,000 |
| Rad | Belgrade | Stadion Kralj Petar I | 6,000 |
| Proleter | Zrenjanin | Stadion Karađorđev park | 13,500 |
| Hajduk Kula | Kula | Stadion Hajduk | 6,000 |
| Budućnost Podgorica | Podgorica | Podgorica City Stadium | 12,000 |
| Obilić | Belgrade | FK Obilić Stadium | 4,500 |
| Železnik | Belgrade | Železnik Stadium | 8,000 |
| Mladost Lučani | Lučani | Mladost Stadium | 8,000 |
| Čukarički | Belgrade | Stadion Čukarički | 7,000 |

### 1B League

| Club | City | Stadium | Capacity |
| Priština | Priština | Priština City Stadium | 25,000 |
| Radnički | Kragujevac | Čika Dača Stadium | 15,000 |
| Loznica | Loznica | Stadion Lagator | 4,000 |
| Borac | Čačak | Čačak Stadium | 6,000 |
| Sutjeska | Nikšić | Gradski stadion (Nikšić) | 10,800 |
| OFK Beograd | Karaburma, Belgrade | Omladinski Stadium | 20,000 |
| Spartak | Subotica | Subotica City Stadium | 13,000 |
| Radnički Niš | Niš | Čair Stadium | 18,000 |
| Bečej | Bečej | Stadion kraj Tise | 3,000 |
| Budućnost Valjevo | Valjevo | Park Pećina | 6,000 |
| Sartid | Smederevo | Smederevo City Stadium | 17,200 |
| Rudar Pljevlja | Pljevlja | Stadion pod Golubinjom | 10,000 |

## IA league
### Table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Obilić (C) | 33 | 27 | 5 | 1 | 72 | 19 | +53 | 86 | Qualification for Champions League first qualifying round |
| 2 | Red Star | 33 | 27 | 3 | 3 | 86 | 22 | +64 | 84 | Qualification for UEFA Cup first qualifying round |
| 3 | Partizan | 33 | 22 | 4 | 7 | 73 | 38 | +35 | 70 | Qualification for Cup Winners' Cup qualifying round |
| 4 | Vojvodina | 33 | 14 | 7 | 12 | 57 | 63 | −6 | 49 | Qualification for Intertoto Cup first round |
| 5 | Rad | 33 | 12 | 6 | 15 | 35 | 39 | −4 | 42 | |
| 6 | Zemun | 33 | 10 | 9 | 14 | 38 | 50 | −12 | 39 | |
| 7 | Hajduk Kula | 33 | 10 | 5 | 18 | 32 | 51 | −19 | 35 | |
| 8 | Budućnost Podgorica | 33 | 8 | 9 | 16 | 27 | 53 | −26 | 33 | |
| 9 | Proleter Zrenjanin | 33 | 10 | 2 | 21 | 40 | 64 | −24 | 32 | |
| 10 | Železnik | 33 | 9 | 5 | 19 | 43 | 62 | −19 | 32 | |
| 11 | Čukarički (R) | 33 | 9 | 4 | 20 | 32 | 45 | −13 | 31 | Qualification for relegation play-off |
| 12 | Mladost Lučani (R) | 33 | 9 | 3 | 21 | 25 | 54 | −29 | 30 | Relegation to Second League of FR Yugoslavia |

### Results
#### First and second round

| Home \ Away | BPO | ČUK | HAJ | MLA | OBI | PAR | PRO | RAD | RSB | VOJ | ZEM | ŽEL |
| Budućnost Podgorica | | 0–1 | 0–0 | 3–0 | 0–0 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 1–1 | 4–2 |
| Čukarički | 2–0 | | 4–1 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 1–2 | 3–1 | 1–2 | 1–3 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 |
| Hajduk Kula | 2–0 | 1–0 | | 3–1 | 0–4 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 2–2 | 4–1 | 1–0 |
| Mladost Lučani | 1–0 | 0–0 | 2–1 | | 1–5 | 0–2 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 0–1 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 3–2 |
| Obilić | 2–0 | 1–0 | 6–0 | 4–0 | | 1–2 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 4–2 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 3–1 |
| Partizan | 6–0 | 1–0 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 1–2 | | 4–1 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 5–6 | 10–3 | 3–0 |
| Proleter Zrenjanin | 2–1 | 0–3 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 1–2 | 1–2 | | 2–2 | 0–3 | 2–0 | 0–1 | 2–1 |
| Rad | 0–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 3–1 | 0–4 | 1–1 | 2–0 | | 0–1 | 0–2 | 4–0 | 0–1 |
| Red Star | 2–0 | 2–0 | 4–1 | 4–0 | 0–1 | 2–0 | 5–0 | 1–0 | | 5–0 | 4–1 | 2–1 |
| Vojvodina | 2–2 | 4–2 | 3–1 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 2–3 | 3–1 | 3–1 | 1–7 | | 1–1 | 3–2 |
| Zemun | 5–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 1–2 | | 3–1 |
| Železnik | 2–0 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 3–4 | 1–1 | 1–4 | 2–0 | 3–4 | 1–1 | 2–1 | |

#### Third round

| Home \ Away | BPO | ČUK | HAJ | MLA | OBI | PAR | PRO | RAD | RSB | VOJ | ZEM | ŽEL |
| Budućnost Podgorica | | 2–0 | 0–0 | 2–0 | | | 2–1 | | | | | 1–0 |
| Čukarički | | | 1–0 | | 1–3 | 0–1 | | | | | 0–0 | 1–0 |
| Hajduk Kula | | | | 1–0 | | | 3–1 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 2–0 | | |
| Mladost Lučani | | 3–0 | | | 0–2 | 2–0 | | | | | 0–1 | 2–1 |
| Obilić | 2–0 | | 2–0 | | | | | 2–1 | 2–2 | 4–0 | | 2–0 |
| Partizan | 4–0 | | 1–1 | | 0–1 | | | 1–0 | | 2–1 | | 4–0 |
| Proleter Zrenjanin | | 2–1 | | 1–0 | 1–1 | 0–1 | | | | | 1–0 | |
| Rad | 4–0 | 2–1 | | 1–0 | | | 2–1 | | 0–1 | 2–0 | | |
| Red Star | 4–0 | 3–0 | | 2–0 | | 4–0 | 5–1 | | | | 3–1 | |
| Vojvodina | 0–0 | 2–0 | | 3–1 | | | 3–2 | | 1–3 | | 3–1 | |
| Zemun | 0–0 | | 1–0 | | 0–1 | 2–3 | | 4–0 | | | | 2–2 |
| Železnik | | | 2–1 | | | | 2–3 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 2–1 | | |

## IB league
### Table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Promotion or relegation |
| 1 | OFK Beograd (P) | 33 | 19 | 8 | 6 | 61 | 34 | +27 | 65 | Promotion to First League of FR Yugoslavia |
| 2 | Sartid (P) | 33 | 19 | 6 | 8 | 46 | 23 | +23 | 63 | Promotion to First League of FR Yugoslavia |
| 3 | Priština (P) | 33 | 17 | 9 | 7 | 57 | 28 | +29 | 60 | Promotion to First League of FR Yugoslavia |
| 4 | Spartak Subotica (P) | 33 | 17 | 5 | 11 | 56 | 40 | +16 | 56 | Promotion to First League of FR Yugoslavia |
| 5 | Radnički Niš (P) | 33 | 14 | 12 | 7 | 49 | 35 | +14 | 54 | Promotion to First League of FR Yugoslavia |
| 6 | Radnički Kragujevac (P) | 33 | 16 | 5 | 12 | 50 | 43 | +7 | 53 | Qualification for relegation play-off |
| 7 | Budućnost Valjevo (R) | 33 | 13 | 6 | 14 | 43 | 52 | −9 | 45 | Relegation to Second League of FR Yugoslavia |
| 8 | Rudar Pljevlja (R) | 33 | 13 | 4 | 16 | 44 | 54 | −10 | 43 | Relegation to Second League of FR Yugoslavia |
| 9 | Sutjeska (R) | 33 | 8 | 8 | 17 | 34 | 43 | −9 | 32 | Relegation to Second League of FR Yugoslavia |
| 10 | Loznica (R) | 33 | 7 | 7 | 19 | 24 | 46 | −22 | 28 | Relegation to Second League of FR Yugoslavia |
| 11 | Borac Čačak (R) | 33 | 7 | 7 | 19 | 32 | 65 | −33 | 28 | Relegation to Second League of FR Yugoslavia |
| 12 | Bečej (R) | 33 | 8 | 3 | 22 | 22 | 54 | −32 | 27 | Relegation to Second League of FR Yugoslavia |

### Results
#### First and second round

| Home \ Away | BEČ | BOR | BVA | LOZ | OFK | PRI | RDK | RNI | RUD | SAR | SPA | SUT |
| Bečej | | 3–1 | 0–2 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 0–3 | 0–4 | 1–2 | 3–2 | 0–0 | 0–1 | 1–0 |
| Borac Čačak | 1–3 | | 0–1 | 0–1 | 0–4 | 1–1 | 0–0 | 2–2 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 3–1 | 3–1 |
| Budućnost Valjevo | 2–0 | 3–1 | | 3–1 | 0–2 | 2–0 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 4–1 | 1–0 | 0–3 | 1–1 |
| Loznica | 2–0 | 1–0 | 2–2 | | 1–2 | 1–2 | 3–0 | 0–3 | 1–0 | 0–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 |
| OFK Beograd | 3–2 | 1–2 | 4–1 | 3–0 | | 0–0 | 1–0 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 2–1 | 3–3 | 2–0 |
| Priština | 5–0 | 5–1 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 2–0 | | 3–1 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 2–0 | 3–1 | 1–0 |
| Radnički Kragujevac | 1–0 | 3–1 | 1–0 | 3–1 | 2–4 | 1–3 | | 2–1 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 3–1 | 3–1 |
| Radnički Niš | 3–1 | 3–0 | 3–0 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 2–1 | | 5–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 1–0 |
| Rudar Pljevlja | 1–0 | 2–1 | 5–0 | 1–0 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 1–1 | 1–1 | | 1–0 | 2–1 | 3–0 |
| Sartid | 3–0 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 2–3 | 2–1 | 4–1 | 5–0 | | 1–0 | 3–1 |
| Spartak Subotica | 1–0 | 3–1 | 4–2 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–1 | 2–4 | 1–0 | 3–1 | 0–1 | | 1–0 |
| Sutjeska | 1–0 | 4–0 | 4–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 2–2 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 0–0 | 2–1 | |

#### Third round

| Home \ Away | BEČ | BOR | BVA | LOZ | OFK | PRI | RDK | RNI | RUD | SAR | SPA | SUT |
| Bečej | | | 1–0 | | | 0–1 | 0–1 | 0–0 | | | | 2–2 |
| Borac Čačak | 2–0 | | 0–2 | 2–2 | | | | | 3–0 | | | 2–1 |
| Budućnost Valjevo | | | | 1–0 | | 3–1 | | 1–0 | 1–1 | | | |
| Loznica | 2–1 | | | | 0–2 | | | | 1–1 | 0–2 | 1–2 | |
| OFK Beograd | 1–0 | 3–2 | 1–1 | | | | 5–2 | 4–1 | | | | 2–1 |
| Priština | | 0–0 | | 2–0 | 0–0 | | | | 3–0 | 0–1 | 0–0 | |
| Radnički Kragujevac | | 4–1 | 3–2 | 2–0 | | 2–2 | | 0–0 | 2–0 | | 1–2 | |
| Radnički Niš | | 1–1 | | 0–0 | | 0–3 | | | 5–3 | 1–0 | 1–1 | |
| Rudar Pljevlja | 5–1 | | | | 1–0 | | | | | 0–1 | 1–0 | 2–1 |
| Sartid | 1–0 | 2–0 | 3–1 | | 0–0 | | 1–0 | | | | | 2–0 |
| Spartak Subotica | 3–0 | 2–0 | 2–1 | | 5–3 | | | | | 5–0 | | 2–0 |
| Sutjeska | | | 1–1 | 2–0 | | 2–1 | 0–0 | 1–2 | | | | |

## Relegation playoff

| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| Čukarički | 1–1 (4–5 p) | Radnički Kragujevac | 1–0 | 0–1 |

## Winning squad

Champions: FK Obilić (Coach: Dragan Okuka)
Players (league matches/goals)
* Milan Lešnjak
* Miroslav Savić (32/1)
* Nenad Lukić (32/0)
* Saša Kovačević (30/7)
* Zoran Ranković (29/23)
* Nenad Grozdić (29/4)
* Kuzman Babeu (29/4)
* Dragan Šarac (29/3)
* Marjan Živković (28/7)
* Živojin Juškić (28/4)
* Darko Nović (27/1)
* Ivan Vukomanović (24/3)
* Saša Viciknez (16/3)
* Sahmir Garčević (16/1)
* Darko Vargec (14/0)
* Goran Serafimović (8/0)
* Siniša Jelić (7/3)
* Veselin Popović (7/3)
* Ivan Litera (7/2)
* Predrag Filipović (7/0)
* Miroslav Milošević (7/0)
* Vladan Milosavljević (5/0)
* Duško Košutić (2/0)
* Zoran Ivić (2/0)
* Mirko Babić (1/1)
* Radovan Gajić (1/0)
* Slaviša Mitić (1/0)

## Top goalscorers

| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
| 1 | Saša Marković | Red Star | 27 |
| 2 | Zoran Ranković | Obilić | 23 |
| 3 | Dejan Stanković | Red Star | 15 |
| 4 | Zoran Jovičić | Red Star | 13 |
| 5 | Dragan Isailović | Partizan | 12 |
| 6 | Aleksandar Jović | Čukarički | 11 |
| 6 | Zoran Janković | Železnik | 11 |
| 6 | Goran Obradović | Partizan | 11 |
| 9 | Radovan Marković | Mladost Lučani | 10 |
| 9 | Dragan Jović | Proleter Zrenjanin | 10 |

## External sources

* Obilic team in Tripod.com