2002–03 Macedonian First Football League

Macedonian First League
Season2002–03
Dates10 August 2002 –
1 June 2003
ChampionsVardar
5th Macedonian title
6th domestic title
RelegatedPelister
Kumanovo
Champions LeagueVardar
UEFA CupBelasica
Cementarnica
Intertoto CupPobeda
Matches played198
Goals scored540 (2.73 per match)
Top goalscorerLjubiša Savić
(25 goals)
Biggest home winBelasica 6–0 Pelister
Cementarnica 6–0 Kumanovo
Biggest away winKumanovo 0–4 Cementarnica
Highest scoringPelister 3–6 Sloga

The 2002–03 Macedonian First League was the 11th season of the Macedonian First Football League, the highest football league of Macedonia. The first matches of the season were played on 10 August 2002 and the last on 1 June 2003. Vardar defended their championship title, having won their fifth title, second in a row.

Promotion and relegation

At the start of the 2002–03 season

Promoted from 2001–02 Second League

Relegated to 2002–03 Second League

At the end of the 2002–03 season

Promoted from 2002–03 Second League

Relegated to 2003–04 Second League

Participating teams

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Location of teams in 2002–03 Macedonian First League
Club City Stadium
Belasica Geras Cunev Strumica Stadion Mladost
Bregalnica Delchevo Gradski stadion Goce Delchev
Cementarnica 55 Skopje Stadion Cementarnica
Kumanovo Kumanovo Gradski stadion Kumanovo
Napredok Kichevo Gradski stadion Kichevo
Pelister Bitola Stadion Tumbe Kafe
Pobeda Prilep Stadion Goce Delchev
Rabotnichki Kometal Skopje Gradski stadion Skopje
Sileks Kratovo Stadion Sileks
Sloga Jugomagnat Skopje Chair Stadium
Tikvesh Kavadarci Gradski stadion Kavadarci
Vardar Skopje Gradski stadion Skopje

League table

Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Vardar (C) 33 22 6 5 73 37 +36 72 Qualification for the Champions League first qualifying round
2 Belasica 33 20 9 4 50 32 +18 69 Qualification for the UEFA Cup qualifying round
3 Pobeda 33 20 5 8 55 33 +22 65 Qualification for the Intertoto Cup first round
4 Rabotnichki Kometal 33 16 6 11 41 35 +6 54
5 Sloga Jugomagnat 33 15 6 12 62 50 +12 51
6 Sileks 33 14 4 15 40 35 +5 46
7 Napredok 33 13 3 17 39 41 −2 42[a]
8 Cementarnica 55 33 11 9 13 45 39 +6 42[a] Qualification for the UEFA Cup qualifying round[b]
9 Tikvesh 33 11 4 18 37 58 −21 37
10 Bregalnica Delchevo 33 10 6 17 44 49 −5 36
11 Pelister (R) 33 7 7 19 30 60 −30 28 Relegation to the Macedonian Second League
12 Kumanovo (R) 33 4 5 24 24 71 −47 17
Source: MacedonianFootball.com, RSSSF.org
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Head-to-head points; 5) Head-to-head goal difference; 6) Head-to-head away goals scored (only if two teams); 7) Head-to-head goals scored; 8) Draw; 9) Play-off. (Note: Criteria 2, 3 and 8 is only used if not deciding Champion, teams for UEFA competitions or relegation).
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated
Notes:
  1. ^ a b Head-to-head record: Napredok: 7 pts, Cementarnica 55: 1 pts.
  2. ^ Cementarnica 55 qualified for the UEFA Cup qualifying round by winning the 2002–03 Macedonian Football Cup.

Results

Every team will play three times against each other team for a total of 33 matches. The first 22 matchdays will consist of a regular double round-robin schedule. The league standings at this point will then be used to determine the games for the last 11 matchdays.

Home \ Away BEL BRD CEM KUM NAP PEL POB RAB SIL SLO TIK VAR BEL BRD CEM KUM NAP PEL POB RAB SIL SLO TIK VAR
Belasica — 2–1 3–2 1–0 1–0 1–0 2–0 1–0 2–1 1–0 4–2 3–2 — 1–1 — — — 6–0 — — 3–1 4–3 1–0 1–0
Bregalnica Delchevo 0–1 — 1–1 3–2 2–1 3–0[a] 1–1 1–1 1–0 5–2 0–1 0–1 — — 3–2 — 2–1 — — — 3–1 2–4 — 0–1
Cementarnica 55 1–1 1–0 — 2–1 0–1 1–2 1–1 3–0 3–0 2–4 0–2 1–1 2–0 — — 6–0 — 1–0 0–1 2–0 — — — —
Kumanovo 1–1 0–0 0–4 — 1–0 0–0 0–2 0–1 0–1 2–1 1–2 2–4 0–3 2–4 — — — 2–0 1–2 1–3 — — — —
Napredok 0–1 2–1 1–1 1–0 — 4–1 2–1 0–0 2–1 5–0 0–1 3–1 0–1 — 0–0 4–2 — — 1–2 0–2 — — — —
Pelister 1–1 3–1 1–0 1–0 1–2 — 1–1 1–0 0–1 0–0 3–2 1–2 — 2–2 — — 0–2 — — — 0–3 3–6 — 0–2
Pobeda 4–0 4–3 2–1 0–2 2–1 1–0 — 1–0 2–0 3–1 2–1 3–1 6–1 1–0 — — — 1–1 — — 2–1 2–1 3–0 —
Rabotnichki 1–0 1–0 2–0 4–1 1–0 2–0 0–0 — 1–0 1–4 3–1 1–2 1–1 1–0 — — — 3–1 0–2 — — 1–2 4–1 —
Sileks 1–1 1–0 1–1 3–0 3–0 1–0 1–0 4–1 — 1–0 3–0 1–3 — — 0–1 3–1 2–0 — — 0–2 — — 2–0 0–1
Sloga Jugomagnat 0–0 2–0 0–0 0–0 1–0 3–3 2–0 1–1 1–0 — 5–1 2–1 — — 3–1 3–0 2–3 — — — 2–1 — 3–0 2–3
Tikvesh 1–1 0–1 4–2 2–0 2–0 1–2 1–0 0–2 1–1 2–1 — 1–1 — 4–2 0–1 0–0 0–1 2–0 — — — — — —
Vardar 0–0 2–1 1–1 5–2 3–0 3–1 2–0 4–0 1–1 2–1 3–0 — — — 2–1 5–1 3–2 — 4–3 1–1 — — 6–2 —
Source: RSSSF.org
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
Notes:
  1. ^ Match awarded

Top goalscorers

Rank Player Club Goals
1 North Macedonia Ljubiša Savić Bregalnica Delchevo &
Sloga Jugomagnat 		25
2 North Macedonia Zoran Baldovaliev Belasica 21
3 North Macedonia Vasko Georgiev Napredok &
Bregalnica Delchevo 		15
Brazil Rogério Oliveira Vardar
North Macedonia Antonio Tasev Tikvesh
6 North Macedonia Dragan Dimitrovski Napredok & Pobeda 13
7 Bulgaria Mario Petkov Vardar 12
8 North Macedonia Goran Stankovski Sloga Jugomagnat 11
9 North Macedonia Bojan Dimitrievski Sileks 10

Source: rsssf.org

See also