National Soccer League

"NSL" redirects here. For other uses, see NSL (disambiguation).

National Soccer League

Founded	21 April 1889 (1889-04-21)
Country	Zitru
Confederation	UZFA
Number of teams	20
Level on pyramid	1
Relegation to	2. NSL
Domestic cup(s)	National Cup National Super Cup
League cup(s)	NSL Cup
International cup(s)	UZFA Champions League UZFA Zuropa League
Current champions	Jüngburg (14th title) (2021–22)
Most championships	Raedburg (34 titles)
Most appearances	TBD
Top goalscorer	TBD
TV partners	List of broadcasters
2021–22 National Soccer League

The National Soccer League (Zitran: National Futball Liga), sometimes referred to as the NSL or 1. NSL, is a professional association football league in Zitru. At the top of the Zitran football league system, the NSL is Zitru's primary football competition. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the 2. NSL. Seasons run from August to May with each team playing 38 matches (playing all 19 other teams both home and away). Most games are played on Saturday and Sunday afternoons, with a few games played on weekdays.

Competition format

Competition

There are 20 clubs in the NSL. During the course of a season (from August to May) each club plays the others twice (a double round-robin system), once at their home stadium and once at that of their opponents', for 38 games. Teams receive 3 points for a win and 1 point for a draw. No points are awarded for a loss. Teams are ranked by total points, then goal difference, then goals scored, and then head-to-head record. If still equal, teams are deemed to occupy the same position. If there is a tie for the championship, for relegation, or for qualification to other competitions, a play-off match at a neutral venue decides rank.

Promotion and relegation

A system of promotion and relegation exists between the NSL and the 2. NSL. The three lowest placed teams in the NSL are relegated to the 2. NSL, and the top two teams from the 2. NSL are promoted to the NSL, with an additional team promoted after a series of play-offs involving the third, fourth, fifth and sixth placed clubs.

Clubs

Main article: 2021–22 National Soccer League

2021–22 season

Club	Position in 2020–21	Location	Stadium	Titles	Most recent title
Adler Dreisburg	13th	Dreisburg	Adler Park	0	—
Ahckman	6th	Ahckman	Ahckman Arena	7	2004–05
Bayern Saarfurt	4th	Saarfurt	Kaltrübank Stadium	25	2017–18
Branheim	2nd	Raedburg	Branheim Stadium	30	2019–20
Durnstaät	16th	Durnstaät	Auger Park	0	—
Eintracht Saarfurt	11th	Saarfurt	Meisterpark	4	1954–55
Eintracht Sternheim	17th	Sternheim	Andersen Stadium	0	—
Frankfurt	14th	Frankfurt	MetLife Stadium	0	—
Hessenburg	8th	Hessenburg	Förbundesbank Stadium	0	—
Jüngburg	3rd	Jüngburg	Elite Arena	13	2013–14
Maeldburg	12th	Maeldburg	ArenaMaeldburg	2	1907–08
Morburg Arbeiten	5th	Morburg	Morburg Park	3	1916–17
Nürnburg	15th	Nürnburg	Nürnburg Stadium	0	—
Preussen Morburg	1st in 2. NSL (promoted)	Morburg	St. Niklas Park	3	1980–81
Raedburg	1st	Raedburg	Republic Stadium	34	2020–21
Red Bull Vorburg	2nd in 2. NSL (promoted)	Vorburg	Red Bull Arena	0	—
Ruurstaät	5th in 2. NSL (promoted via play-offs)	Ruurstaät	Ruurpark Stadium	0	—
Trunheim	9th	Trunheim	Trunheim Stadium	0	—
Viengburg	10th	Viengburg	Zitran Airlines Stadium	6	1990–91
Wolfheim	7th	Wolfheim	Der Hölle	4	2010–11

Champions

See also: List of Zitran football champions

In total, 12 clubs have won the National Soccer League. Raedburg have won the most titles with 34, followed by Branheim (30) and Bayern Saarfurt (25).

Performance by club

Club	Titles	Winning years
Raedburg	34	1889–90, 1895–96, 1897–98, 1901–02, 1902–03, 1906–07, 1912–13, 1929–30, 1930–31, 1937–38, 1942–43, 1943–44, 1944–45, 1948–49, 1956–57, 1959–60, 1960–61, 1961–62, 1968–69, 1969–70, 1977–78, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1992–93, 1994–95, 1997–98, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2006–07, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2018–19, 2020–21
Branheim	30	1891–92, 1892–93, 1896–97, 1903–04, 1904–05, 1905–06, 1913–14, 1920–21, 1921–22, 1925–26, 1928–29, 1934–35, 1935–36, 1936–37, 1945–46, 1947–48, 1952–53, 1953–54, 1957–58, 1967–68, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1988–89, 1989–90, 1991–92, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2012–13, 2016–17, 2019–20
Bayern Saarfurt	25	1898–99, 1911–12, 1917–18, 1918–19, 1926–27, 1931–32, 1932–33, 1939–40, 1940–41, 1949–50, 1950–51, 1955–56, 1963–64, 1964–65, 1970–71, 1971–72, 1972–73, 1976–77, 1981–82, 1984–85, 1995–96, 1999–00, 2000–01, 2011–12, 2017–18
Jüngburg	14	1908–09, 1909–10, 1946–47, 1958–59, 1973–74, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1993–94, 1996–97, 1998–99, 2005–06, 2009–10, 2013–14, 2021–22
Ahckman	7	1894–95, 1910–11, 1922–23, 1941–42, 1965–66, 2001–02, 2004–05
Viengburg	6	1899–00, 1900–01, 1933–34, 1962–63, 1982–83, 1990–91
Wolfheim	4	1927–28, 1966–67, 1983–84, 2010–11
Eintracht Saarfurt	4	1919–20, 1924–25, 1951–52, 1954–55
Preussen Morburg	3	1893–94, 1923–24, 1980–81
Morburg Arbeiten	3	1914–15, 1915–16, 1916–17
Maeldburg	2	1890–91, 1907–08
Sankt Arneit	1	1938–39

Performance by state

State	Titles	Club(s)
Surenland	66	Raedburg (34), Branheim (30), Maeldburg (2)
Bavaria	29	Bayern Saarfurt (25), Eintracht Saarfurt (4)
Durland	14	Jüngburg (14)
Töreland	7	Ahckman (7)
Ostland	6	Viengburg (6)
Pressia	6	Morburg Arbeiten (3), Preussen Morburg (3)
Nordland	4	Wolfheim (4)
Darnö	1	Sankt Arneit (1)

Honours

Meistersköld

Since 1920, the winners of the National Soccer League wear the Meistersköld ("champions shield") as a decoration the following season.

Stars

In 2004, the National Soccer League introduced a system to recognise sides that have won multiple championships by the display of gold stars on their team badges and jerseys. The practice in Zitru is to award one star for 10 titles, two stars for 20 titles, three stars for 30 titles, four stars for 40 titles and five stars for 50 titles.

The following clubs have been officially allowed to wear stars while playing in the NSL. The number in parentheses is for NSL titles won.

• Raedburg
• Branheim
• Bayern Saarfurt
• Jüngburg