Nemzeti Bajnokság I

The Nemzeti Bajnokság (Hungarian pronunciation: [ˈnɛmzɛti ˈbɒjnokʃaːɡ], "National Championship") is the Hungarian professional league for association football clubs. The league is currently known as the OTP Bank Liga for sponsorship reasons, and it is the highest level of professional league since its inception in 1901. UEFA currently ranks the league 29th in Europe.

Twelve teams compete in the league, playing each other twice, once at home and once away. At the end of the season, the top team enters the qualification for the UEFA Champions League, while the runner-up and the third placed, together with the winner of the Hungarian Cup enters the UEFA Europa League qualification round. The bottom two clubs are relegated to Nemzeti Bajnokság II, the second-level league, to be replaced by the winner and the runner up of the NB2.

History

On 19 January 1901, the Hungarian Football Federation was founded. The first match was played between Budapesti TC and Budapesti SC in the first season of the Hungarian League in 1901. The first championship included five teams such as Budapesti TC, Magyar Úszó Egylet, Ferencváros, Műegyetemi AFC (was withdrawn after four matches), and Budapesti SC, all from the capital city Budapest. The first championship was won by Budapesti TC. Although the two first championships were won by Budapesti TC, the 1900s was the beginning of the rivalry between Ferencváros and MTK Budapest.