Zurich and Bratislava, 12 March 2025 - The Slovak Niké Liga has officially joined the World Leagues Association as a member.
The Niké Liga is the highest football competition in Slovakia. Founded in 1993, it currently consists of 12 clubs and is organized by the League Clubs Union (Unia Ligovych Klubov). It has long been the most-watched sports league in Slovakia.
The Niké Liga is a league focused on developing young players, providing not only an exciting sporting experience but also actively engaging in social responsibility through various projects. Nowadays, a key question for the league is how to attract more people, more spectators and followers.
Through this membership, the Niké Liga and the World Leagues Association will share knowledge and best practices with all other member leagues of the WLA, contributing to the collective expertise of the global league community. As part of the WLA, the Niké Liga will engage in discussions on key industry topics, while also bringing its own perspectives and experiences to the table, fostering mutual learning and collaboration.
The membership was signed by Michal Mertinyák, Executive Director of the Slovak League Clubs Union and Don Garber, Vice-Chair of the World Leagues Association and Commissioner of Major League Soccer last Thursday in Frankfurt on the occasion of the European Leagues General Assembly.
Michal Mertinyák, Executive Director of the League Clubs union said: “First of all, I would like to thank the administration of World Leagues Association, Jerome Perlemuter and Stanislav Shtipkov, who have been very cooperative and invited our league for the last annual meeting of the WLA in Cairo as observer. Knowledge sharing and constant growth of our league have been the main drivers for entering the WLA family. Being already a member of the Board of directors of European leagues, I fully understand the challenges, that leagues are facing all over the world. We need to stand firmly together and protect the backbone of world football, the leagues.”
Don Garber, Commissioner of Major League Soccer and Vice-Chair of the World Leagues Association said: “We are thrilled to welcome the Niké Liga as a new member of the World Leagues Association. The Niké Liga has achieved important milestones in strengthening professional football in Slovakia. We look forward to collaborating with their leadership to support the league’s continued growth and success.”
