| Season | 2021–22 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 16 July 2021 – 21 May 2022 |
| Champions | Dinamo Zagreb (23rd Croatian title) |
| Relegated | Hrvatski Dragovoljac |
| Champions League | Dinamo Zagreb |
| Europa Conference League | Hajduk Split Osijek Rijeka |
| Matches | 180 |
| Goals | 504 (2.8 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Marko Livaja (28) |
| Biggest home win | Dinamo Zagreb 8–0Hrvatski Dragovoljac |
| Biggest away win | Šibenik 0–5Hrvatski Dragovoljac |
| Highest scoring | Istra 1961 3–6Rijeka |
| Longest winning run | Dinamo Zagreb 6 games |
| Longest unbeaten run | Osijek 13 games |
| Longest winless run | Hrvatski Dragovoljac 15 games |
| Longest losing run | Hrvatski Dragovoljac 8 games |
| Highest attendance | 30,524 Hajduk Split 0–0Osijek |
| Lowest attendance | 50 Hrvatski Dragovoljac 1–1Lokomotiva |
| Total attendance | 502,012 |
| Average attendance | 2,789[1] |
2022–23 → | |
The2021–22 Croatian First Football League (officiallyHrvatski Telekom Prva liga for sponsorship reasons) was the 31st season of theCroatian First Football League, the national championship for men'sassociation football teams inCroatia, since its establishment in 1992. Contested by 10 teams, the season started on 16 July 2021 and ended on 21 May 2022.Dinamo Zagreb, the defending champions, successfully defended their title.
On 23 April 2021, Croatian Football Federation announced that the first stage of licensing procedure for 2020–21 season was complete. For the 2021–22 Prva HNL, eleven clubs were issued a top level license:Cibalia,Dinamo Zagreb,Gorica,Hajduk Split,Hrvatski Dragovoljac,Istra 1961,Lokomotiva,Osijek,Rijeka,Slaven Belupo andVaraždin. All of these clubs except Cibalia and Hrvatski Dragovoljac were also issued a license for participating inUEFA competitions.[2]
Hrvatski Dragovoljac (promoted after a seven-year absence) was promoted from the2020–21 Druga HNL. Varaždin (relegated after two years in the top flight) was relegated to2021–22 Druga HNL.
| Dinamo Zagreb | Gorica | Hajduk Split | Hrvatski Dragovoljac |
|---|---|---|---|
| Stadion Maksimir | Gradski stadion Velika Gorica | Stadion Poljud | Stadion Kranjčevićeva |
| Capacity: 35,123 | Capacity: 5,000 | Capacity: 34,198 | Capacity: 5,350 |
| Istra 1961 | Locations of teams in2021–22 Prva HNL | Lokomotiva | |
| Stadion Aldo Drosina | Stadion Kranjčevićeva | ||
| Capacity: 10,000 | Capacity: 5,350 | ||
| Osijek | Rijeka | Slaven Belupo | Šibenik |
| Stadion Gradski vrt | Stadion Rujevica | Stadion Ivan Kušek-Apaš | Stadion Šubićevac |
| Capacity: 17,061 | Capacity: 8,279 | Capacity: 3,205 | Capacity: 3,412 |
| Team | City | Stadium | Capacity | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dinamo Zagreb | Zagreb | Maksimir | 35,123 | [3] |
| Gorica | Velika Gorica | ŠRC Velika Gorica | 5,000 | [4] |
| Hajduk Split | Split | Poljud | 34,198 | [5] |
| Hrvatski Dragovoljac | Zagreb | Kranjčevićeva1 | 5,350 | [6] |
| Istra 1961 | Pula | Stadion Aldo Drosina | 10,000 | [7] |
| Lokomotiva | Zagreb | Kranjčevićeva2 | 5,350 | [6] |
| Osijek | Osijek | Gradski vrt | 17,061 | [8] |
| Rijeka | Rijeka | Rujevica | 8,279 | [9] |
| Slaven Belupo | Koprivnica | Stadion Ivan Kušek-Apaš | 3,205 | [10] |
| Šibenik | Šibenik | Šubićevac | 3,412 | [11] |
| Club | Manager | Captain | Kit manufacturer | Sponsors |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dinamo Zagreb | Adidas | PSK | ||
| Gorica | Alpas | Admiral Bet | ||
| Hajduk Split | Macron | Tommy | ||
| Hrvatski Dragovoljac | Macron | — | ||
| Istra 1961 | Kelme | Croatia Osiguranje | ||
| Lokomotiva | Adidas | — | ||
| Osijek | 2Rule | Mészáros és Mészáros Kft. | ||
| Rijeka | Joma | Sava Osiguranje | ||
| Slaven Belupo | Adidas | Belupo | ||
| Šibenik | Macron | — |
| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Replaced by | Date of appointment | Position in table |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Šibenik | Signed byCastellón | 23 May 2021 | 14 June 2021 | Pre-season | ||
| Gorica | Sacked | 24 May 2021 | 30 May 2021 | Pre-season | ||
| Hajduk Split | Mutual consent | 27 May 2021 | 28 May 2021 | Pre-season | ||
| Lokomotiva | Contract expired | 28 May 2021 | 8 June 2021 | Pre-season | ||
| Slaven Belupo | Sacked | 10 June 2021 | 11 June 2021 | Pre-season | ||
| Istra 1961 | Contract expired | 11 June 2021 | 11 June 2021 | Pre-season | ||
| Hrvatski Dragovoljac | Sacked | 22 August 2021 | 22 August 2021 | 10th | ||
| Slaven Belupo | Sacked | 27 August 2021 | 31 August 2021 | 8th | ||
| Hajduk Split | Sacked | 1 November 2021 | 2 November 2021 | 4th | ||
| Dinamo Zagreb | Resigned | 1 December 2021 | 1 December 2021 | 3rd | ||
| Šibenik | Sacked | 5 January 2022 | 5 January 2022 | 7th | ||
| Hrvatski Dragovoljac | Sacked | 12 January 2022 | 12 January 2022 | 10th | ||
| Šibenik | Sacked | 12 February 2022 | 13 February 2022 | 7th | ||
| Gorica | Sacked | 3 March 2022 | 3 March 2022 | 7th | ||
| Šibenik | Removed from position | 4 March 2022 | 4 March 2022 | 8th | ||
| Šibenik | Signing of Računica | 7 March 2022 | 7 March 2022 | 8th | ||
| Dinamo Zagreb | Sacked | 21 April 2022 | 21 April 2022 | 1st |
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dinamo Zagreb(C) | 36 | 24 | 7 | 5 | 68 | 22 | +46 | 79 | Qualification toChampions League second qualifying round |
| 2 | Hajduk Split | 36 | 21 | 9 | 6 | 64 | 31 | +33 | 72 | Qualification toEuropa Conference League third qualifying round[a] |
| 3 | Osijek | 36 | 19 | 12 | 5 | 49 | 29 | +20 | 69 | Qualification toEuropa Conference League second qualifying round |
| 4 | Rijeka | 36 | 20 | 5 | 11 | 71 | 51 | +20 | 65 | |
| 5 | Lokomotiva | 36 | 12 | 13 | 11 | 55 | 50 | +5 | 49 | |
| 6 | Gorica | 36 | 12 | 9 | 15 | 43 | 50 | −7 | 45 | |
| 7 | Slaven Belupo | 36 | 9 | 9 | 18 | 35 | 54 | −19 | 36 | |
| 8 | Šibenik | 36 | 9 | 5 | 22 | 46 | 75 | −29 | 32 | |
| 9 | Istra 1961 | 36 | 7 | 10 | 19 | 42 | 67 | −25 | 31 | |
| 10 | Hrvatski Dragovoljac(R) | 36 | 4 | 7 | 25 | 31 | 75 | −44 | 19 | Relegation toFirst Football League |
Each team plays home-and-away against every other team in the league twice, for a total of 36 matches each played.
| Home \ Away | DIN | GOR | HAJ | HRV | IST | LOK | OSI | RIJ | SLA | ŠIB | DIN | GOR | HAJ | HRV | IST | LOK | OSI | RIJ | SLA | ŠIB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dinamo Zagreb | — | 1–0 | 0–2 | 8–0 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 0–2 | 2–0 | — | 2–1 | 3–1 | 2–0 | 3–0 | 0–0 | 3–0 | 2–0 | 3–0 | 3–0 |
| Gorica | 0–2 | — | 1–3 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–2 | 1–1 | 3–4 | 1–0 | 3–1 | 0–1 | — | 0–4 | 4–0 | 1–1 | 3–3 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 0–3 | 2–3 |
| Hajduk Split | 1–0 | 0–0 | — | 2–0 | 4–0 | 1–0 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 2–0 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 1–0 | — | 2–1 | 3–1 | 4–0 | 0–0 | 1–3 | 3–1 | 2–1 |
| Hrvatski Dragovoljac | 0–4 | 0–1 | 0–1 | — | 0–1 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 2–2 | 1–2 | 1–1 | 0–2 | 0–2 | 0–3 | — | 0–0 | 1–1 | 1–3 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 3–1 |
| Istra 1961 | 0–2 | 1–2 | 1–3 | 3–1 | — | 2–1 | 2–0 | 3–6 | 1–2 | 3–4 | 1–2 | 2–1 | 1–1 | 3–0 | — | 2–2 | 2–3 | 0–2 | 3–1 | 1–2 |
| Lokomotiva | 1–0 | 0–1 | 2–2 | 3–2 | 4–0 | — | 1–1 | 0–2 | 3–0 | 1–1 | 1–1 | 2–0 | 3–3 | 2–1 | 1–1 | — | 0–0 | 2–1 | 3–1 | 2–1 |
| Osijek | 0–2 | 3–2 | 1–1 | 1–0 | 3–0 | 3–1 | — | 1–0 | 0–0 | 3–0 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 2–2 | 1–0 | — | 1–0 | 1–2 | 3–1 |
| Rijeka | 3–3 | 2–0 | 2–3 | 4–1 | 2–0 | 1–2 | 0–0 | — | 2–1 | 2–1 | 1–2 | 1–2 | 0–3 | 1–0 | 1–0 | 3–2 | 3–1 | — | 3–0 | 4–2 |
| Slaven Belupo | 1–4 | 1–2 | 3–2 | 0–1 | 1–1 | 1–2 | 0–2 | 1–2 | — | 1–1 | 0–1 | 2–1 | 0–0 | 1–0 | 0–0 | 2–1 | 0–1 | 2–2 | — | 1–1 |
| Šibenik | 1–2 | 1–2 | 2–0 | 6–2 | 3–1 | 2–1 | 0–2 | 0–1 | 1–1 | — | 0–2 | 0–1 | 1–3 | 0–5 | 2–1 | 1–4 | 0–3 | 3–5 | 2–1 | — |
| Award[30] | Winner | Club |
|---|---|---|
| Player of the Season | Hajduk Split | |
| Manager of the Season | Rijeka | |
| Young Player of the Season | Lokomotiva |
| Team of the Year[31] | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Goalkeeper | |||||
| Defence | |||||
| Midfield | |||||
| Attack | |||||