Slovakia - Fortuna Liga

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The Slovak Superliga, or Fortuna Liga due to a sponsorship deal, is the top-tier football category in Slovakia. The league was created in 1993 following the separation of the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

The competition has undergone numerous changes throughout the years. One aspect that has endured shifts is the number of contestants. While the tournament began with 12 teams, the current number of participants per season, at some points 10 or even 16 clubs battled it out for the title.

This league works under a promotion-relegation system along with the 2. Liga, with 12 clubs fighting to win the domestic top-flight. The competition format forces each team to play 22 regular-season games. Once those are over, the league is divided into two groups of six teams.

The top six battle to win the title, entering the championship group. Here the top six sides play an additional 10 fixtures against each other, with the league crown going to the team that amasses the most number of points. Meanwhile, the other six enter the relegation group and fight to avoid the drop. The bottom six also play an additional 10 games, with the team with the least number of points automatically going down to 2. Liga. The club that finishes second-from-bottom enters a relegation playoff. Here they face off against the runner-up of the second division, with a spot in the top-flight for the next season going to the winner.

This league offers one ticket to play the preliminary stages of the UEFA Champions League. This goes to the champion. Additionally, those that finish in second and third are granted entry into the UEFA Europa League’s qualification rounds. If the Slovak Cup is won by a top-three side, then the European slot allocated to the cup champion gets contested by the 4th, 5th, 6th team in the championship group and the top team of the relegation round.