Czech National Football League
| Country | Czech Republic |
|---|---|
| Confederation | UEFA |
| Founded | 1993 |
| Number of teams | 15 |
| Level on pyramid | 2 |
| Promotion to | Czech First League |
| Relegation to |
ČFL MSFL |
| Domestic cup(s) | Czech Cup |
| Current champions | MFK Karviná |
| Most championships |
Bohemians 1905 (2 titles) FC Hradec Králové (2 titles) SK Dynamo České Budějovice (2 titles) |
| Website | Official |
 2016–17 Czech National Football League
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The Czech National Football League (Czech: Fotbalová národní liga, FNL), currently known as Fortuna národní liga due to sponsorship reasons, is the second level professional association football league in the Czech Republic. Before 2013 it was known as 2. liga or Druhá liga. The top two teams each season are eligible for promotion to the Czech First League.
The league replaced the I.ČNL (I. Česká národní liga; First Czech National League), which had been established following the end of the nationwide Czechoslovak Second League in 1977. The league became known as simply II. liga (Second League) in 1993 following the establishment of the Czech Republic as an independent state.
There are 16 clubs in the FNL. During the season, which runs from August to May or June, with a winter break between November and February or March, each club plays each of the other clubs twice (once at home, once away) and is awarded three points for a win, one for a draw and zero for a loss. From these points a league table is constructed.
Teams are ranked by total points, then goal difference and then goals scored. At the end of each season the top two teams are promoted to the First League, providing they obtain a license and meet league requirements, and are replaced by the two teams that finished bottom of that division.
Similarly the two teams that finished at the bottom of the FNL are relegated to either the Bohemian Football League or the Moravian–Silesian Football League, based on geographical criteria. In turn, the champions of each of these regional divisions are promoted to the FNL.
In the 1993–94 season the league was played with 16 teams, before expanding to 18 teams in the 1994–95 season. Since 1995, the league has always been played with 16 teams, but on two occasions a team did not fulfil its fixtures and the full 30 rounds were not completed. Firstly in the 1997–98 Czech 2. Liga as Ústí nad Labem did not fulfil their fixtures and their results were cancelled, and secondly in the 2004–05 Czech 2. Liga as Bohemians' results were expunged after playing only the first half of the season.
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