Sri Lanka Champions League

Football league

Sri Lanka Champions League

Founded| 1985; 40 years ago (1985)
(as Colombo Football League)
Country| Sri Lanka
Confederation| AFC
Number of clubs| 18
Level on pyramid| 2
Relegation to| S2 League
Domestic cup(s)| Sri Lanka FA Cup
Current champions| Matara City (1st title)
Most championships| Saunders SC (12 titles)
TV partners| Football Sri Lanka TV
Website| football.lk

The S1 League (Sinhala: එස්1 ලීගය; Tamil: எஸ்1 லீக்), or simply S1, also known as Sri Lanka Champions League, is the second tier division of the Sri Lankan football league system. It was succeeded by the professional Sri Lanka Super League which serves as the first division.[1] Until 2019, it was sponsored by Dialog Axiata and was thus officially known as the Dialog Champions League.

The league was conducted in various formats. Apart from the league system, a playoff stage was included in 2013–14 season. Currently, 18 clubs are participating in the tournament. Saunders have won the most titles in the league, winning 12 titles. Rathnam have won the title 5 times, Renown 4 times, and Colombo 3 times. In recent times, different clubs have been able to win the championship title.

## History

[edit]

The competition was started in 1985 and it was held every year. The 2016 Sri Lanka Football Premier League is the 32nd season of the Sri Lanka Football league. The tournament was conducted in various formats. Apart from the league system a playoff stage was included in the 2013–14 season. Currently 18 clubs participate in the tournament. Saunders are the most time champion with 12 titles. Rathnam have won the title five times and Renown four times. In recent times different clubs have been able to win the championship title. Colombo have won the title three times and are the current champions.

## Competition format

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In the current structure of the league 18 clubs compete for the title. In the first stage the teams are divided into two groups of nine. Those teams compete in a round robin format. The best four teams from each group qualify for the Championship Stage. In that stage the 8 teams compete in a round robin format and the group winner is the champion of the season. The bottom two teams of each group in the first stage are relegated to the Division I.

### Qualification for international competitions

[edit]

The champion of the league will earn the chance to play in the AFC Cup tournament which is organized by Asian Football Confederation. Also they qualify for the SAFF Club Championship. However the title holders didn't compete in any of the above competitions until 2014. The first team to play in the AFC Cup was Colombo FC, which won the title in 2015.

## Previous winners

[edit]

Champions so far:[2]

Season  | Champions  | Runners-up

|
|

Colombo Football League
1985  | Saunders SC | York SC
1986  | Saunders SC |
1987  | Saunders SC |
1988  | Old Bens SC |
Sri Lanka Bristol League
1989  | Saunders SC |
1990  | Renown SC |
1991  | Saunders SC | Ratnam SC
1992  | Saunders SC |
1993  | Renown SC |
1994  | Renown SC |
1995  | Pettah United SC |
1996  | Saunders SC |
1997  | Saunders SC |
1997–98  | Ratnam SC |
1998–99  | Saunders SC |
Sri Lanka Premier League
1999–00  | Ratnam SC |
2000–01  | Saunders SC | Negambo Youth
2001–02  | Saunders SC | Negambo Youth
2002–03  | Negambo Youth |
2003–04  | Blue Star SC | Ratnam SC
2004–05  | Saunders SC | Ratnam SC
2005–06  | Negambo Youth | Ratnam SC
2006–07  | Ratnam SC | Blue Star SC
2007–08  | Ratnam SC |
2008–09 | Army SC | Ratnam SC
Sri Lanka Champions League
2009–10 | Renown SC | Air Force SC
2010–11 | Don Bosco SC | Army SC
2011–12 | Ratnam SC | Army SC
2013–14 | Air Force SC | Ratnam SC
2014–15 | Solid SC | Colombo FC
2015–16 | Colombo FC[3] | Renown SC
2016–17 | Colombo FC | Renown SC
2017–18 | Colombo FC | Renown SC
2018–19 | Defenders | Colombo FC
2019–21  | Not held
2021–22 | Matara City | Javalane

## Most championships

[edit]

The number of national championships that clubs in Sri Lanka have attained.

Club
| Number of Championships

|

Saunders SC | 12
Ratnam SC | 5
Renown SC | 4
Colombo FC | 3
Negambo Youth | 2
Defenders (previously Army SC) | 2
Old Bens SC | 1
Pettah United SC | 1
Blue Star SC | 1
Don Bosco SC | 1
Air Force SC | 1
Solid SC | 1
Matara City | 1

## Sponsorship

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The title sponsor of the current season in Dialog. So the league is known as Dialog Champions League. Other than dialog Cargills also sponsor the previous events. The official ball is supplied by Molten. The official broadcast partner is Football Sri Lanka TV.

## Stadiums

[edit]

Sugathadasa

Kalutara

Jayatilaka Stadium

Matara Stadium

Alburt Pieris

Navy

Prison Ground

class=notpageimage|

Locations of major football grounds in Sri Lanka

Most of the clubs in this league haven't any FIFA Standard Stadiums. So most of the matches are played in the 25,000-capacity Sugathadasa Stadium and Kelaniya Football Complex. Some clubs play their matches in their home stadiums which are located in Colombo, Anuradhapura, Kelaniya and Kalutara.

## Topscorers

[edit]

Year | Best scorers | Team | Goals

|
|
|

2003–04 |  M.A.M. Farzeen | Blue Star SC | 19
2006–07 |  Kasun Jayasuriya | Ratnam SC | 24
2007–08 |  Kasun Jayasuriya | Ratnam SC | 12
2008–09 |  Kasun Jayasuriya | Renown SC | 13
2009–10 |  Mohamed Fazal | Renown SC | 14
2014–15 |  Mohamed Izzadeen | Army SC | 26
2015 |  M.C.M. Rifnaz[3] | Renown SC | 9
2016–17 |  Job Micheal | Renown SC | 11
2017–18 |  Job Micheal | Renown SC | 19

## References

[edit]

1. ^ "Sri Lanka takes first steps towards establishing professional league". FIFA. 17 February 2022. Archived from the original on 8 July 2022. Retrieved 8 July 2022.
2. ^ "Sri Lanka – List of Champions". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 16 November 2017. Retrieved 26 April 2012.
3. ^ a b "Colombo FC wins Dialog Champions League". 6 December 2015. Archived from the original on 1 September 2018. Retrieved 25 June 2016.

## External links

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* League at FIFA
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