Iraqi Premier League
 |
|
| Country |  Iraq |
|---|---|
| Confederation | AFC |
| Founded | August 1974 |
| Number of teams | 20 (from 2014–15) |
| Level on pyramid | 1 |
| Relegation to | Iraq Division One |
| Domestic cup(s) | Iraq FA Cup |
| International cup(s) | AFC Cup |
| Current champions | Naft Al-Wasat (1st title) (2014–15) |
| Most championships | Al Zawraa (12 titles) |
 2015–16 Iraqi Premier League |
|
The Iraqi Premier League (Arabic: دوري النخبة العراقي, Dawri Al-Nokhba) is the highest league in the league system of Iraqi football and currently contains the top 20 Iraqi football clubs. It was founded in 1974 and is controlled by the Iraq Football Federation. The Iraqi Premier League is the top tier of an extensive pyramid-like structure, operating on a system of promotion and relegation with the Iraq Division One in which two teams get relegated and two teams get promoted each season.[1]
Seasons run from September to June, with the 20 teams split into two groups of 10. Each team plays each other home and away in their respective groups, with the top 4 from each group advancing to the final round, which is an 8-team group. Each of the eight teams play each other twice and the team who tops the group is crowned champions.[2] There are 236 games played in total each season. It is currently sponsored by Fuchs and thus officially known as the Fuchs Premier League.
Of the clubs to have competed since the inception of the league in 1974, eleven have won the title: Al-Zawraa (12), Al-Shorta (5), Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya (5), Al-Talaba (5), Erbil (4), Al-Karkh (3), Naft Al-Wasat (1), Duhok (1), Al-Jaish (1), Salahaddin (1) and Al-Minaa (1). The current champions are Naft Al-Wasat, who won the title in 2014–15.[3]
Contents
History
Origins
The Iraq Football Association was founded in 1948, and soon after the foundation of the IFA, the first league was ever played in Iraq: the 1948–49 Iraq Championship. This was played in a group stage format and was won by Sharakat Nafat Al-Basra (Basra Petroleum Company). The Iraq FA Cup Championship ran from 1956 to 1961 but was played in a knockout format despite being considered the national championship.[4]
It wasn't until the "League of the Institutes of Baghdad" was created in 1961 that a league with a round-robin format was first played in Iraq. The introduction of this new league saw club football in Iraq become more popular and the clubs involved become much bigger. During its 12 seasons of existence, Al-Shorta won 5 titles, Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya won 3 titles, Baghdad FC won 2 titles, Al-Jaish won 1 title and one season was abandoned midway through.[5]
In 1973, the "League of the Institutes of Baghdad" became the "League of the Institutes of Iraq" as teams from all around the country were allowed to participate. 15 teams contested the 1973–74 season, and it was won by Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya.
Foundation
After the success of the 1973–74 League of the Institutes of Iraq, the IFA made a decision that changed the course of Iraqi club football forever. During an historic meeting in August 1974, the IFA decided to abandon the League of the Institutes and replace it with a nationwide league of clubs: the Iraqi Premier League. This decision was met with strong opposition, particularly from institutions such as the Police Games Directorate (PGD), who controlled the Al-Shorta club. As a result, the PGD sent a weak Al-Shorta team, full of unknown faces, to participate in the first ever Iraqi Premier League season. However, after suffering 3–0 and 11–0 defeats in their opening two games, the IFA and the PGD held talks and it was decided that all players from the side would be released, and replaced by players who had previously been representing Al-Shorta in the League of the Institutes era, and the club returned to being a powerhouse of Iraqi club football.
The league held its first season in 1974–75 and was originally composed of 10 clubs. The first ever Iraqi Premier League goal was scored by Falah Hassan of Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya in a 1–1 draw with Al-Sinaa. The 10 inaugural members of the new Iraqi Premier League were Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya, Al-Shorta, Al-Naqil, Al-Samawa, Al-Jaish, Babil, Baghdad FC, Al-Rafidain, Al-Sinaa and Al-Muwasalat, and the league was won by Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya.[6] In the 1975–76 season, Raad Hammoudi became the first goalkeeper to score in the Iraqi Premier League when he scored a penalty in Al-Shorta's 5–0 win over Al-Samawa.[7]
List of champions by season
|
|
|
Most successful clubs
| Team | Winners | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|
| Al-Zawraa | 12 (1975–76, 1976–77, 1978–79, 1990–91, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1995–96, 1998–99, 1999–00, 2000–01, 2005–06, 2010–11) | 6 (1977–78, 1979–80, 1991–92, 1992–93, 1996–97, 2007–08) |
| Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya | 5 (1974–75, 1989–90, 1991–92, 1996–97, 2004–05) | 10 (1975–76, 1981–82, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1997–98, 1999–00, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2006–07, 2014–15) |
| Al-Talaba | 5 (1980–81, 1981–82, 1985–86, 1992–93, 2001–02) | 8 (1976–77, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1988–89, 1990–91, 1998–99, 2002–03, 2009–10) |
| Al-Shorta | 5 (1979–80, 1997–98, 2002–03, 2012–13, 2013–14) | 2 (1978–79, 1980–81) |
| Erbil | 4 (2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2011–12) | 3 (2010–11, 2012–13, 2013–14) |
| Al-Karkh | 3 (1986–87, 1987–88, 1988–89) | 2 (1985–86, 1989–90) |
| Al-Jaish | 1 (1983–84) | 2 (1986–87, 1987–88) |
| Duhok | 1 (2009–10) | 1 (2011–12) |
| Al-Minaa | 1 (1977–78) | 1 (2004–05) |
| Naft Al-Wasat | 1 (2014–15) | — |
| Salahaddin | 1 (1982–83) | — |
"Baghdad's Big Four" dominance
| Season | Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya | Al-Shorta | Al-Talaba | Al-Zawraa |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990–91 | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 1991–92 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 2 |
| 1992–93 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 |
| 1993–94 | 2 | 4 | 3 | 1 |
| 1994–95 | 2 | 6 | 4 | 1 |
| 1995–96 | 8 | 3 | 6 | 1 |
| 1996–97 | 1 | 5 | 3 | 2 |
| 1997–98 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 3 |
| 1998–99 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 1 |
| 1999–2000 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 1 |
| 2000–01 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 1 |
| 2001–02 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 4 |
| 2002–03 | 5 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Top four finishes |
10 | 9 | 11 | 13 |
| out of 13 | ||||
| This table indicates the results of 'Baghdad's Big Four' in the Iraqi League in the 1990s and early 2000s. |
||||
Ever since the Iraqi Premier League began, it has been dominated by the 4 biggest clubs in Baghdad: Al-Shorta, Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya, Al-Zawraa and Al-Talaba.
Of the 4 teams, Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya have earned more top-four finishes (30) than any other side over the 39 completed seasons, meanwhile Al-Zawraa have won the league title 12 times, far more than any of the other sides, and Al-Shorta have won the league more recently than any of the other 3 teams having been crowned champions in both the 2012–13 and 2013–14 seasons.
From the 1989–90 season until the 2005–06 season, the league was won by one of the 4 Baghdad teams every single time and this was the greatest period of dominance that the 4 clubs enjoyed. Even before and after this period, the league title was usually won by one the clubs.
After the 2003 US invasion of Iraq, players started to leave the Baghdad-based clubs and join clubs in the North such as Erbil and Duhok in order to escape the danger of the capital city. This led to a shift in the structure of the "Big Four" and Erbil won the league three times in a row between 2006 and 2009 with Duhok winning the league in 2010. In the 2008–09 season, none of Baghdad's Big Four clubs finished in the top 4 and this was the first (and only) time that this had ever happened in the history of the league; the top 4 spots were occupied by Erbil, Najaf, Duhok and Baghdad.[13]
In total, Baghdad's Big Four clubs have won 27 of the 39 Iraqi Premier League titles in history.
Development
The format of the Iraqi League has changed multiple times throughout its existence. The first time that the Iraqi League was not held in the normal league format was when it was split into 4 regional groups in the 1988–89 season, which were followed by another group stage, semi-finals, a third place match and a final. During this season, if a match ended in a draw, it would go to extra time and then penalties if necessary. A team would earn 3 points if they won a game by 2 goals or more (after normal or extra time). They would earn 2 points if they won a game by just 1 goal (after normal or extra time), and they would gain 1 point for winning a penalty shootout. Al-Rasheed (now Al-Karkh) won the league this season by beating Al-Talaba on penalties in the final.[14]
The 1992–93 Iraqi League saw each team play a huge 69 games, meaning that a total of 828 games were played in that season. The season afterwards, the number of teams increased by 2, but each team played each other just twice rather than three times meaning that each team played 50 games rather than 69.
In the 1994–95 season, three points were awarded to a winning team, but 4 points were awarded to a team that won a game by 3 goals or more. Al-Zawraa won the league that year, finishing 13 points ahead of second place; each team played 46 games that season.[15]
Two seasons have had to be abandoned midway through without a winner being declared. These seasons are the 1984–85 and 2003–04 seasons. The 1984–85 season was abandoned due to Iraq's World Cup qualifying campaign, whilst the 2003–04 season was abandoned due to the 2003 US invasion of Iraq. Meanwhile, the 2013–14 season was not completed either due to the war situation in the country at the time. However, crucially, the IFA decided to 'end the league at its current stage' rather than abandoning the league altogether, crowning Al-Shorta as champions for the fourth time as they were top of the league at its premature end.[16][17] A similar situation occurred in the 1976–77 and 2002–03 seasons as the league was not completed both times, but instead the IFA decided to abandon the second round of the league and crowned whoever was top of the league at the halfway stage champions in both cases, meaning that Al-Zawraa were crowned champions of the 1976–77 season and Al-Shorta were crowned champions of the 2002–03 season.
The league had been played in the normal league format from 1989 until 2003, but after the US invasion of Iraq in 2003, the IFA decided to change the league system into a system consisting of group stages. The group stage system remained in place from 2003–04 up until 2010–11, and the normal league system returned in the 2011–12 season; it lasted for three seasons until the group stage format returned from the 2014–15 campaign.
Competition format
Competition
There are 20 clubs in the Iraqi Premier League, split into 2 groups of 10. The draw for these two groups is conducted in August. In the first group stage round, each team plays the other teams in their group twice (a double round-robin system), once at their home stadium and once at that of their opponents, for a total of 18 games. Teams receive three points for a win and one point for a draw. No points are awarded for a loss. Teams are ranked by total points, then goal difference, and then goals scored. If still equal, teams are deemed to occupy the same position. If there is a tie for relegation or for qualification to the next round, a play-off match at a neutral venue decides rank. The two teams who finish bottom of their groups are relegated to the Iraq Division One and are replaced by the two promoted teams from the lower division.
The top 4 teams from each group qualify to the final stage, making a total of 8 teams in the final stage. These eight teams play a double round-robin system, with the team on top of the 8-team group at the end of it being crowned champions; the tiebreakers are the same as in the first round.[18] Each club is allowed 4 foreign players in their squad.
Qualification for Asian competitions
The winners of the Iraqi Premier League (and the winners of the Iraq FA Cup) are admitted into round 2 (of 3) of the AFC Champions League qualifiers. If the league champions also win the Iraq FA Cup, then the league runners-up are admitted into round 2 of the AFC Champions League qualifiers instead.
Iraqi Premier League clubs in international competition
Only two Iraqi clubs have ever won a major international club competition. Al-Shorta won the 1982 Arab Champions League by defeating Al-Nejmeh 4–2 on aggregate in the final, meanwhile Al-Rasheed (now Al-Karkh) won the Arab Champions League three times in a row in 1985, 1986 and 1987.
No Iraqi club has ever won an AFC tournament but they have collectively reached six finals of AFC competitions. Al-Shorta and Al-Rasheed are the only Iraqi teams ever to reach the final of Asia's biggest club tournament, the AFC Champions League. Al-Shorta reached the final in 1971 but withdrew from the final against Maccabi Tel-Aviv for political reasons, therefore being handed an automatic 0–2 defeat. Al-Rasheed reached the final in 1989 but lost on away goals to Al-Saad of Qatar.
Al-Talaba lost the final of the 1995 Asian Cup Winners' Cup 1–2 to Bellmare Hiratsuka, and Al-Zawraa lost the final of the 1999–2000 Asian Cup Winners' Cup 0–1 to Shimizu S-Pulse. Meanwhile, Erbil lost both the 2012 AFC Cup and 2014 AFC Cup finals to Al-Kuwait and Al-Qadsia respectively.
Sponsorship
The Iraqi Premier League has been sponsored by two different companies: Asia Cell and Fuchs Petrolub.
- 2011–2012: Asia Cell (Asia Cell Premier League)[19]
- 2015–2016: Fuchs Petrolub (Fuchs Premier League)[20]
Clubs
The following 20 clubs are competing in the Iraqi Premier League during the 2015–16 season.
| Club | Position in 2014–151 |
First season in Premier League |
Seasons in Premier League |
First season of current spell in Premier League |
Premier League titles |
Last Premier League title |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Al-Hedood | 13th | 2008–09 | 5 | 2014–15 | 0 | n/a |
| Al-Kahraba | 18th | 2004–05 | 11 | 2014–15 | 0 | n/a |
| Al-Karkh | 9th | 1984–85 | 27 | 2013–14 | 3 | 1988–89 |
| Al-Minaa | 4th | 1975–76 | 39 | 1990–91 | 1 | 1977–78 |
| Al-Naftb | 15th | 1985–86 | 31 | 1985–86 | 0 | n/a |
| Al-Quwa Al-Jawiyaa, b | 2nd | 1974–75 | 42 | 1974–75 | 5 | 2004–05 |
| Al-Samawaa | 1st in Iraq Division 1 | 1974–75 | 13 | 2015–16 | 0 | n/a |
| Al-Shortaa, b | 3rd | 1974–75 | 42 | 1974–75 | 5 | 2013–14 |
| Al-Sinaaa | 2nd in Iraq Division 1 | 1974–75 | 37 | 2015–16 | 0 | n/a |
| Al-Talabab | 10th | 1975–76 | 41 | 1975–76 | 5 | 2001–02 |
| Al-Zawraab | 8th | 1975–76 | 41 | 1975–76 | 12 | 2010–11 |
| Baghdada | 5th | 1974–75 | 222 | 2008–09 | 0 | n/a |
| Duhok | 7th | 1988–89 | 19 | 1998–99 | 1 | 2009–10 |
| Erbil | 11th | 1987–88 | 243 | 1999–2000 | 4 | 2011–12 |
| Karbalaa | 16th | 1992–93 | 18 | 2003–04 | 0 | n/a |
| Naft Al-Janoob | 6th | 2004–05 | 11 | 2012–13 | 0 | n/a |
| Naft Al-Wasatb | 1st | 2014–15 | 2 | 2014–15 | 1 | 2014–15 |
| Naft Maysan | 12th | 2009–10 | 5 | 2013–14 | 0 | n/a |
| Najafb | 17th | 1987–88 | 29 | 1987–88 | 0 | n/a |
| Zakho | 14th | 2002–03 | 12 | 2009–10 | 0 | n/a |
a: Founding member of the Iraqi Premier League
b: Never been relegated from Iraqi Premier League
Records
Top Ten Goalscorers
| Player | Period | Club(s) | Goals | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sahib Abbas Hassan |
1994–2011 | Al-Zawra'a SC, Al-Talaba, Karbalaa FC, Al-Sinaa SC, Al-Hindiya SC | 175 |
| 2 |  Karim Saddam |
1980–1996 | Al-Sinaa SC, Al-Jaish FC, Al-Rasheed, Al-Siyaha SC, Al-Zawra'a SC, Al-Shorta SC | 165 |
| 3 |  Ali Hashim |
1987–2004 | Najaf FC, Al-Karkh SC | 162 |
| 4 | Younis Abid Ali |
1982–2001 | Al-Shorta SC, Al-Rasheed, Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya, Al-Difa'a Al-Jawwi FC | 153 |
| 5 | Ahmed Radhi |
1982–1999 | Al-Zawra'a SC, Al-Rasheed | 136 |
| 6 | Alaa Kadhim |
1987–2007 | Al-Sinaa SC, Al-Talaba | 134 |
| 7 | Amjad Radhi |
2007–2015 | Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya, Erbil SC | 116 |
| 8 | Ahmed Khudhair |
1994–2012 | Al-Zawra'a SC, Al-Jaish FC, Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya, Al-Shorta SC | 115 |
| 9 | Waleed Dhahid |
1991–2007 | Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya | 112 |
| 10 | Muayed Joudi |
1990–2009 | Al-Amana, Al-Karkh SC, Al-Talaba, Al-Sinaa SC | 109 |
| Natik Hashim |
1978–1995 | Al-Amana, Al-Jaish FC, Al-Rasheed, Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya, Al-Khutoot SC | ||
Golden Boot award
This award is awarded to the top goalscorer of the league that year.
Winning managers
last update: July 11, 2015
Multiple winning managers
last update: July 11, 2014
| No. | Winning manager | Club | No. titles |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Thair Ahmed |
Erbil, Al-Talaba | 3 |
| Jamal Salih |
Al-Karkh, Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya | ||
| 2 | Abdelilah Abdul-Hamed |
Al-Shorta | 2 |
| Adnan Hamad |
Al-Zawraa | ||
| Amer Jamil |
Al-Zawraa, Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya | ||
| Ammo Baba |
Al-Zawraa, Al-Talaba | ||
| Ayoub Odisho |
Al-Talaba, Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya | ||
| Saadi Salih |
Al-Zawraa |
Unbeaten teams
| Pos. | Club | Season | P | W | D | L | F | A | Pts. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Al-Zawraa | 1976–77 | 11 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 24 | 8 | 20 |
| 1 | Al-Minaa | 1977–78 | 13 | 8 | 5 | 0 | 27 | 10 | 21 |
| 1 | Al-Zawraa | 1978–79 | 12 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 22 | 5 | 19 |
| 2 | Al-Shorta | 1980–81 | 11 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 21 | 7 | 17 |
| 1 | Salahaddin | 1982–83 | 22 | 12 | 10 | 0 | 24 | 6 | 34 |
| 1 | Al-Jaish | 1983–84 | 24 | 15 | 9 | 0 | 42 | 18 | 39 |
| 1 | Al-Zawraa | 2005–06 | 19 | 13 | 6 | 0 | 41 | 10 | 45 |
The only season above where wins counted for three points (as opposed to two) is the 2005–06 season.
See also
- All-time Iraqi Premier League table
- Iraq FA Cup
- Iraqi clubs in the AFC Champions League
- Iraqi clubs in the AFC Cup
- Baghdad derby (Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya–Al Shorta)
References
- ↑ http://www.goalzz.com/main.aspx?c=11428 Goalzz.com
- ↑ http://alshorta.webs.com/iraqi-premier-league-tables Al Shorta Website
- ↑ http://www.goalzz.com/main.aspx?g=305&winners=true Goalzz.com
- ↑ http://www.rsssf.com/tablesi/iraqchamp.html RSSSF
- ↑ http://www.rsssf.com/tablesi/iraqhist.html RSSSF
- ↑ http://www.rsssf.com/tablesi/iraq74.html RSSSF
- ↑ http://forum.kooora.com/f.aspx?t=35561511 Kooora Forums
- ↑ The 2002/3 season was cut short due to hostilities, with Al Shorta declared winners
- ↑ The crowd watched in bright sunshine, as the Iraqi champions al-Shurta edged their rivals by one goal
- ↑ Soccer fans in Baghdad watch a match between national champions Al Shurta and fourth-placed Al-Zawra in the first football match since the downfall of Saddam Hussein
- ↑ Baghdad club Al-Zawraa were beaten by defending champion Al-Shurta, 2-1
- ↑ Police won the last league championship last year. Al-Zawra placed fourth in that championship
- ↑ http://www.goalzz.com/main.aspx?c=4070 Goalzz.com
- ↑ http://forum.kooora.com/f.aspx?t=35755825 Kooora Forums
- ↑ http://www.niiiis.com/94-95.html NIIIIS.com
- ↑ http://alshorta.webs.com/2013-14-season-review Al Shorta Website
- ↑ http://www.kooora.com/default.aspx?c=9566
- ↑ http://alshorta.webs.com/iraqi-premier-league-tables
- ↑ http://www.goalzz.com/main.aspx?c=7781 Goalzz.com
- ↑ http://www.goalzz.com/main.aspx?c=11428 Goalzz.com
