The Croatian 2 HNL is commonly known as the Croatian Second Football League. This league is only behind the Croatian First Football League in terms of the rankings of the best football leagues in the country.
It was first started back in 1991 after the Yugoslav Second League was dissolved. It is the Croatian Football Federation that is the chief operator of the Croatian Second Football League.
The history of the Croatian Second Football League
As the Croatian Second Football League only started in 1991, there is not a whole pile of history to tell about this domestic league. In the beginning years, the Croatian Second Football League was played out as a single division.
From 2001/2002 up until the 2005/2006 season, there was a split in the Croatian Second Football League. This saw two divisions taking place.
One was the Northern Croatian Second League, with the other called the Southern Croatia Second League. Both of these competitions had a dozen teams taking part in them, acting as a similar system to what is seen these days in the Croatian Second Football League.
When did the Croatian 2 HNL become a single division?
It was from the 2006/2007 season onwards that the Croatian Second Football League went back to being a single division. There were a dozen teams in this single league and it is made up of clubs from all across the nation. For those teams that get relegated out of the Croatian Second Football League, they will then play in a regional division the following season as part of Treca HNL.
Some of the major teams in the premier division have reserve teams that play in the Croatian Second Football League. This includes the likes of Dinamo Zagreb, Hajduk Split and Osijek. This is a way for younger players from these teams to get game time and develop their skills in adult football before potentially progressing onto the first team and playing in the premier division of football in Croatia.
The format of the Croatian Second Football League
As the Croatian Second Football League has regularly been split into different competitions, there has not always been a single winner of the competition each year. Usually, it is only the winner of the Croatian Second Football League that gains promotions up to the premier division, with one team from this division dropping down.
The Croatian Second Football League season generally begins at the end of August and it will run all the way until May. During the course of the season, every team plays one another twice, once being a home fixture with the other fixture being away. There is usually a break in the Croatian Second Football
League games for a couple of months over the depths of winter.
Out of the teams playing in the Croatian Second Football League, five of them are from Zagreb. While there are a lot of Croatian players in these leagues, you also see a wider international presence in the Croatian Second Football League. These players often use the Croatian leagues as a potential stepping stone into other forms of European football.
Betting on the Croatian Second Football League games
Naturally, you will be able to find betting markets on some of the Croatian Second Football League games. This will vary from bookmaker to bookmaker as to how in-depth these games are covered. You will normally have at least a selection of the most popular football betting markets. You can then put any expert knowledge you have about the teams and the players in the Croatian Second Football League to the test.
There may be potential value bets that allow you to consistently perform well and make decent profits over time. Having a look at the games in the Croatian 2 HNL also will give you an upper edge when some of these players move up to the premier division of football in Croatia or to other teams across Europe. You can carry this knowledge and use it to your advantage.
Oftentimes, those setting the betting odds won’t have as much experience or expertise in a given league such as the Croatian Second Football League as you do yourself. Bet now at one of our recommended bookmakers.
