Syrian Premier League

Association football league in Syria

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Football league

Syrian Premier League

Organising body| Syrian Football Association (SFA)
Founded| 1966; 59 years ago (1966)
Country| Syria
Confederation| AFC
Number of clubs| 12
Level on pyramid| 1
Relegation to| Syrian League 1st Division
Domestic cup(s)| Syrian Cup
Syrian Super Cup
Syrian FA Shield
International cup(s)| AFC Challenge League
Arab Club Champions Cup
Current champions| Al Ittihad Ahli (7th title)
(2024–25)
Most championships| Al-Jaish (17 titles)
Top goalscorer| Raja Rafe (194)
Broadcaster(s)| Syria TV
Sama TV
Website| sfa.sy
Current: 2024–25 Syrian Premier League

The Syrian Premier League (Arabic: الدوري السوري الممتاز) is a professional association football league in Syria and the top division of the Syrian football league system. The league comprises 12 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Syrian League 1st Division.[1] The Syrian Premier League was founded in 1966, unifying the local leagues that had existed previously.[2] Seasons mostly run from August to May.

The first team to win the title was Al-Ittihad Ahli in 1967, whilst Al-Jaish has the record with 17 league titles. Their closest rivals, Al-Karamah, have won the league 8 times.

In the beginning, the main tournament was the first division, then the Syrian Football Association developed the competition in a historic step that allowed the participation of foreign players to turn the competition into a professional league.

## Competition format

[edit]

### Competition

[edit]

From the 2022–23 season, there are 12 clubs in the Premier League, instead of the previous 14. During the course of a season (usually from August or September to May) each club plays the others twice (a double round-robin system), once at their home stadium and once at that of their opponents; for 22 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 the championship, for relegation, or for qualification to other competitions, a play-off match at a neutral venue decides rank.

### Promotion and relegation

[edit]

A system of promotion and relegation exists between the Syrian Premier League and the Syrian League 1st Division. The two lowest placed teams in Premier League are relegated to the League 1st Division, and the top two teams from the League 1st Division are promoted to the Premier League.

### Number of teams

[edit]

Teams  | Seasons

|

20  | 2015–16
18  | 2012–13 until 2014–15
16  | 2011–12, 2016–17
15  | 1978–79 until 1979–80, 2003–04
14  | 1994–95 until 2000–01, 2004–05 until 2010–11, 2017–18 until 2021–22
13  | 1992–93, 2002–03
12  | 1975–76, 1981–82, 1984–85 until 1985–86, 1987–88 until 1991–92, 1993–94, 2022–23–present
11  | 1986–87
10  | 1969–70, 1972–73, 1976–77, 1983–84, 2001–02
9  | 1967–68 until 1968–69, 1974–75, 1982–83
8  | 1966–67

### Qualification for Asian competitions

[edit]

See also: AFC Club Competitions Ranking

As of 7 December 2021[3]

Ranking  | Member Association  | Club Points  | Points

|
|
|

2021  | 2020 | Mvmt | 2018  | 2019  | 2020  | 2021  | Total
25  | 27 |  +2 |  Bahrain | 1.633  | 2.500  | 0.000  | 3.583  | 7.717  | 16.812
26  | 24 |  -2 |  Indonesia | 4.100  | 5.045  | 0.000  | 0.000  | 9.145  | 15.960
27  | 22 |  -5 |  Syria | 2.000  | 3.133  | 0.000  | 1.778  | 6.911  | 12.061
28  | 28 |  — |  Myanmar | 4.062  | 1.600  | 0.000  | 0.000  | 5.662  | 9.881
29  | 26 |  -3 |  Maldives | 4.300  | 0.000  | 0.000  | 0.200  | 4.500  | 7.853

#### Qualification criteria for 2022

[edit]

See also: 2022 AFC Champions League§Association team allocation

See also: 2022 AFC Cup§Association team allocation

At present, the winners of Syrian Premier League qualify for the AFC Champions League play-off, and the league runners-up qualify for the AFC Cup group stage alongside the winners of Syrian Cup.[4]

If the cup winners are also the league winners or runners-up, the third-placed team in the league qualifies for the AFC Cup group stage. The winners of the AFC Champions League and AFC Cup may earn an additional qualification for the subsequent season's AFC Champions League qualifying play-offs if they have not already qualified.

The number of places allocated to the Syrian clubs in AFC competitions is dependent upon the position the country holds in the AFC Club Competitions Ranking, which is calculated based upon the performance of teams in AFC competitions in the previous four years.

## Current clubs (2024–25)

[edit]

### Stadiums and locations

[edit]

Al-Karamah
Al-Wathba

Al-Wahda
Al-Jaish
Al-Shorta

Hutteen
Tishreen

Al-Taliya

Al-Ittihad

Jableh

Al-Fotuwa

Al-Shouleh

class=notpageimage|

Locations of teams in the Syrian Premier League 2024–25

Team  | Location  | Stadium  | Capacity

|
|
|

Al-Wahda | Damascus | Al-Fayhaa Stadium | 15,000
Al-Jaish | Damascus | Al-Jalaa Stadium | 10,000
Al-Shorta | Damascus | Al-Jalaa Stadium | 10,000
Al-Ittihad Ahli | Aleppo | Al-Hamadaniah Stadium | 15,000
Al-Karamah | Homs | Khalid ibn al-Walid Stadium[1] | 32,000
Al-Wathba | Homs | Khalid ibn al-Walid Stadium[2] | 32,000
Al-Taliya | Hama | Hama Municipal Stadium | 22,000
Tishreen | Latakia | Latakia Municipal Stadium | 28,000
Hutteen | Latakia | Latakia Municipal Stadium | 28,000
Jableh | Jableh | Al-Baath Stadium | 10,000
Al-Fotuwa | Deir ez-Zor | Deir ez-Zor Municipal Stadium | 13,000
Al-Shouleh | Daraa | Sports City Stadium | 18,000

1: ^ Al-Karamah and Al-Wathba also use Bassel al-Assad Stadium (25,000 seats) as a home stadium.

## List of seasons

[edit]

Champions so far are:[5]

Season  | Winner  | Runner-up  | Third Place

|
|
|

1966–67  | Al-Ittihad Ahli | Al-Futowa | Barada
1967–68  | Al-Ittihad Ahli | Al-Futowa | Barada
1968–69  | Barada | Al-Futowa | Al-Ittihad Ahli
1969–70  | Barada | Al-Futowa | Al-Ittihad Ahli
1970–71  |

No Championship

1971–72
1972–73  | Al-Jaish | Al-Shorta | Al-Karamah
1973–74  |

No Championship

1974–75  | Al-Karamah | Al-Futowa | Al-Ittihad Ahli
1975–76  | Al-Jaish | Al-Shorta | Al-Karamah
1976–77  | Al-Ittihad Ahli | Al-Karamah | Al-Hurriya
1977–78  |

No Championship

1978–79  | Al-Jaish | Al-Shorta | Al-Ittihad Ahli
1979–80  | Al-Shorta | Al-Hurriya | Al-Ittihad Ahli
1980–81  |

No Championship

1981–82  | Tishreen | Al-Wathba | Al-Ittihad Ahli
1982–83  | Al-Karamah | Al-Ittihad Ahli | Al-Futowa
1983–84  | Al-Karamah | Jableh | Al-Ittihad Ahli
1984–85  | Al-Jaish | Al-Karamah | Jableh
1985–86  | Al-Jaish | Jableh | Al-Futowa
1986–87  | Jableh | Al-Karamah | Al-Shorta
1987–88  | Jableh | Al-Ittihad Ahli | Al-Futowa
1988–89  | Jableh | Al-Shorta | Al-Ittihad Ahli
1989–90  | Al-Futowa | Al-Karamah | Al-Wathba
1990–91  | Al-Futowa | Jableh | Al-Shorta
1991–92  | Al-Hurriya | Jableh | Al-Ittihad Ahli
1992–93  | Al-Ittihad Ahli | Al-Karamah | Al-Hurriya
1993–94  | Al-Hurriya | Jableh | Al-Ittihad Ahli
1994–95  | Al-Ittihad Ahli | Al-Karamah | Jableh
1995–96  | Al-Karamah | Hutteen | Al-Hurriya
1996–97  | Tishreen | Al-Jaish | Al-Karamah
1997–98  | Al-Jaish | Al-Karamah | Hutteen
1998–99  | Al-Jaish | Al-Karamah | Al-Wahda
1999–00  | Jableh | Hutteen | Tishreen
2000–01  | Al-Jaish | Al-Karamah | Al-Jihad
2001–02  | Al-Jaish | Al-Ittihad Ahli | Al-Wahda
2002–03  | Al-Jaish | Al-Ittihad Ahli | Qardaha
2003–04  | Al-Wahda | Al-Karamah | Tishreen
2004–05  | Al-Ittihad Ahli | Al-Karamah | Al-Wahda
2005–06  | Al-Karamah | Al-Jaish | Al-Wahda
2006–07  | Al-Karamah | Al-Ittihad Ahli | Taliya
2007–08 | Al-Karamah | Al-Majd | Al-Ittihad Ahli
2008–09 | Al-Karamah | Al-Ittihad Ahli | Al-Jaish
2009–10 | Al-Jaish | Al-Karamah | Tishreen
2010–11 |

Suspended

2011–12 | Al-Shorta | Al-Jaish | Al-Wahda
2012–13 | Al-Jaish | Al-Shorta | Al-Hurriya
2013–14 | Al-Wahda | Al-Jaish | Al-Muhafaza
2014–15 | Al-Jaish | Al-Wahda | Al-Shorta
2015–16 | Al-Jaish | Al-Wahda | Al-Ittihad Ahli
2016–17 | Al-Jaish | Tishreen | Al-Wahda
2017–18 | Al-Jaish | Al-Ittihad Ahli | Al-Wahda
2018–19 | Al-Jaish | Tishreen | Al-Wahda
2019–20 | Tishreen | Al-Wathba | Hutteen
2020–21 | Tishreen | Al-Jaish | Al-Karamah
2021–22 | Tishreen | Al-Wathba | Al-Jaish
2022–23 | Al-Fotuwa | Al-Ittihad Ahli | Jableh
2023–24 | Al-Fotuwa | Jableh | Tishreen
2024–25 | Al Ittihad Ahli | Al-Karamah | Hutteen

## Performances

[edit]

### Performance by club

[edit]

Club  | Winners  | Runners-up  | Third place  | Winning years

|
|
|
|

Al-Jaish |

| 1972–73, 1975–76, 1978–79, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1997–98, 1998–99, 2000–01, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2009–10, 2012–13, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2018–19
Al-Karamah |

| 1974–75, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1995–96, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09
Al-Ittihad Ahli |

| 1966–67, 1967–68, 1976–77, 1992–93, 1994–95, 2004–05, 2024–25
Tishreen |

| 1981–82, 1996–97, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22
Jableh |

| 1986–87, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1999–2000
Al-Futowa |

| 1989–90, 1990–91, 2022–23, 2023–24
Al-Shorta |

| 1979–80, 2011–12
Al-Wahda |

| 2003–04, 2013–14
Al-Hurriya |

| 1991–92, 1993–94
Barada |

| 1968–69, 1969–70

### Performance by city

[edit]

City | Winners  | Club(s)

|
|

Damascus | 23  | Al-Jaish, Al-Shorta, Al-Wahda, Barada
Aleppo | 9  | Al-Ittihad Ahli, Al-Hurriya
Homs | 8  | Al-Karamah
Latakia | 5  | Tishreen
Jableh | 4  | Jableh
Deir ez-Zor | 4  | Al-Futowa

### Doubles

[edit]

Five teams have won the double of the Syrian Premier League and the Syrian Cup in the same season.

Club  | Number of titles  | Winning seasons

|
|

Al-Karamah |

| 1983, 1996, 2007, 2008, 2009
Al-Jaish |

| 1986, 1998, 2002, 2018
Al-Fotuwa |

| 1990, 1991, 2024
Al-Shorta |

| 1980
Al-Hurriya |

| 1992

## Records and statistics

[edit]

### All seasons top goalscorers

[edit]

Main article: List of Syrian Premier League top scorers

### All time top goalscorers

[edit]

As of 1 May 2024

Boldface indicates a player still active in Syrian Premier League.

No.  | Player  | Goals  | Years

|
|
|

1  | Raja Rafe[6] | 194  | 2000–2021
2  | Mohammed Al Wakid | 173  | 2004–
3  | Aref Al Agha | 161  | 1995–2009

### League participation

[edit]

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (October 2022)

|

As of 2022, 35 clubs have participated. The tallies since its establishment in 1966 until the end of the 2021–22 season.[5]

* 50 seasons: Al-Ittihad Ahli

### Records

[edit]

* The highest points average for the league champion: 64 points (Al-Karamah, 2007–08 season).
* The fastest goal in the history of the league was scored by Al-Majd player Samer Awad against Qardaha, the 2005–06 season, after just 16 seconds.

## See also

[edit]

* Syrian Premier League top scorers
* List of football stadiums in Syria
* List of football clubs in Syria
* Football in Syria

## References

[edit]

1. ^ الدوري السوري الكروي حكاية مثيرة عمرها 51 عاما الهدافين التاريخيين 2[usurped] Archived 2018-05-13 at the Wayback Machine
2. ^ الاتحاد العربي السوري لكرة القدم /Syrian FA/. حساب اتحاد الكرة السوري على موقع فيسبوك. Archived 2020-06-04 at the Wayback Machine
3. ^ "AFC Club Competitions Ranking". Asian Football Confederation. 13 February 2021.
4. ^ "AFC to expand Champions League".
5. ^ a b Davide Angelini, Hans Schöggl, Allam Rahmeh. "Syria - List of Champions". RSSSF. Retrieved 6 July 2012.`{{cite web}}`: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
6. ^ أفضل 4 مهاجمين في تاريخ الكرة السورية Archived 2018-05-13 at the Wayback Machine

## External links

[edit]

* League at FIFA (archived 20 August 2007)
* League at soccerway.com
* Syrian Premier League[dead link] – Hailoosport.com (in Arabic)
* Syrian Premier League[dead link] – Hailoosport.com

* v
* t
* e

Syrian Premier League

2024–25 clubs|

* Al-Futowa
* Al-Ittihad
* Al-Jaish
* Al-Karamah
* Al-Shorta
* Al-Shouleh
* Al-Taliya
* Al-Wahda
* Al-Wathba
* Hutteen
* Jableh
* Tishreen

Former clubs|

* Afrin
* Al-Herafyeen
* Al-Horgelah
* Al-Hurriya
* Al-Jazeera
* Al-Jihad
* Al-Majd
* Al-Muhafaza
* Al-Nawair
* Al-Sahel
* Al-Yaqdhah
* Al-Yarmouk
* Baniyas Refinery
* Barada
* Mayadin
* Omayya
* Qardaha
* Shorta Aleppo

Seasons|

* 1966–67
* 1967–68
* 1968–69
* 1969–70
* ~~1970–71~~
* ~~1971–72~~
* 1972–73
* ~~1973–74~~
* 1974–75
* 1975–76
* 1976–77
* ~~1977–78~~
* 1978–79
* 1979–80
* ~~1980–81~~
* 1981–82
* 1982–83
* 1983–84
* 1984–85
* 1985–86
* 1986–87
* 1987–88
* 1988–89
* 1989–90
* 1990–91
* 1991–92
* 1992–93
* 1993–94
* 1994–95
* 1995–96
* 1996–97
* 1997–98
* 1998–99
* 1999–2000
* 2000–01
* 2001–02
* 2002–03
* 2003–04
* 2004–05
* 2005–06
* 2006–07
* 2007–08
* 2008–09
* 2009–10
* ~~2010–11~~
* 2011–12
* 2013
* 2014
* 2014–15
* 2015–16
* 2016–17
* 2017–18
* 2018–19
* 2019–20
* 2020–21
* 2021–22
* 2022–23
* 2023–24
* 2024–25

Statistics and awards|

* Top scorers

* v
* t
* e

Football in Syria

Syrian Football Association

National teams|

| Men|

* Senior
* Under-23
* Under-20
* Under-17
* Futsal
* Beach soccer

|

Women|

* Senior
* Under-20

League competitions|

* Syrian Premier League
* Syrian League 1st Division
* Syrian League 2nd Division
* Syrian Women Championship

Cup competitions|

* Syrian Cup
* Syrian Super Cup

Other competitions|

* 1974 Kuneitra Cup (defunct)

* v
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Current|

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