The 1978âÂÂ79 Yugoslav First League season was the 33rd season of the First Federal League (), the top level association football competition of SFR Yugoslavia, since its establishment in 1946. Hajduk Split won the league title.
A total of 18 teams competed in the league, with the defending champions Partizan nearly relegated, finishing the season in 15th place, one point above the relegation zone. Hajduk Split and Dinamo Zagreb both finished the season equal on 50 points, but Hajduk won the championship due to better goal difference.
The season began on 12 August 1978 and concluded on 17 June 1979. This was the third and last national title win for Hajduk under the guidance of manager Tomislav IviÃÂ, who previously led the club to four consecutive Yugoslav Cup wins in 1972, 1973, 1974 and 1976 (not contested in 1975). Striker Duà ¡an Saviàof Red Star won the Golden Boot with 24 goals scored, his second, having previously topped the scoring table four years earlier in the 1974âÂÂ75 season.
Rijeka, which finished 10th in the league, defeated Partizan in the final of the 1978âÂÂ79 Marshal Tito Cup under the guidance of Marijan BrnÃÂiÃÂ, and qualified for the 1979âÂÂ80 European Cup Winners' Cup.
Other standout players this season were Hajduk's Vedran Roà ¾iÃÂ, Mià ¡o KrstiÃÂeviÃÂ, and Slavià ¡a à ½ungul, Dinamo Zagreb's forwards Snjeà ¡ko Cerin and Zlatko KranjÃÂar, Sarajevo's attacking midfielders Safet Suà ¡iàand Srebrenko RepÃÂiÃÂ, the Veleà ¾ stalwart Vahid Halilhodà ¾iÃÂ.
The season was marked by controversy after Rijeka's 2âÂÂ1 win over Dinamo at Kantrida in the first round. Dinamo claimed that Rijeka's player Edmond TomiÃÂ, who had joined the club in pre-season from Lirija Prizren, should have served a one-match suspension for two yellow cards received while playing for his former club. They appealed to the Football Association of Yugoslavia (FSJ), which after two months of deliberation decided to award the match 3âÂÂ0 to Dinamo. After more appeals and counter-appeals from both Rijeka and Dinamo, in the spring of 1979 FSJ ruled in favor of Rijeka. The case was then brought to the Employment Appeal Tribunal, which four years later ruled Dinamo as champions.
A total of eighteen teams contested the league, including sixteen sides from the 1977âÂÂ78 season and two sides promoted from the 1977âÂÂ78 Yugoslav Second League (YSL) as winners of the two second level divisions East and West. The league was contested in a double round robin format, with each club playing every other club twice, for a total of 34 rounds. Two points were awarded for wins and one point for draws.
ÃÂelik Zenica and TrepÃÂa Kosovska Mitrovica were relegated from the 1977âÂÂ78 Yugoslav First League after finishing the season in bottom two places of the league table. The two clubs promoted to top level were Napredak Kruà ¡evac and à ½eljezniÃÂar Sarajevo.
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