Dhivehi Premier League

Dhivehi Premier League
Country Maldives
Confederation AFC
Founded 22 December 2014
Number of teams 8
Level on pyramid 1
Relegation to Second Division
Domestic cup(s) FA Cup
President's Cup
Charity Shield
POMIS Cup
International cup(s) AFC Cup
Current champions New Radiant
(2015)
Most championships New Radiant (1 title)
TV partners Television Maldives (live matches)
2016 Dhivehi Premier League

Dhivehi Premier League is a Maldivian league for men's association football clubs. At the top of the Maldives football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 8 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with Second Division Football Tournament.

Seasons run from August to May, with teams playing 14 matches each (playing each team in the league twice) totalling 56 matches in the season. It is currently sponsored by Ooredoo Maldives and thus officially known as the Ooredoo Dhivehi Premier League.

The competition formed as the Dhivehi Premier League on 22 December 2014 following the decision of The FAM normalisation committee formed by FIFA. It succeeds the Dhivehi League.

History

Season Champions Runners-up
2015 New Radiant TC Sports Club

Competition format

Competition

There are 8 clubs in the Premier League. During the course of a season each club plays the others twice (a double round-robin system), for a total of 14 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 decides rank.

Qualification for Asian competitions

The top two teams in the Dhivehi Premier League qualify for the AFC Cup, with the champion directly entering the group stage. The second-placed team enters the AFC Cup at the play-off round for East Asia Zone and must win the match in order to enter the group stage.

Sponsorship

The Ooredoo Dhivehi Premier League sponsorship logo as used by media

The Dhivehi Premier League has been sponsored since its inaugural season 2015. The sponsor has been able to determine the league's sponsorship name.

Finances

The Football Association of Maldives (FAM) decided to give the responsibility of selling match tickets to stadium, for the clubs and the ticket income will be a profit for the club's finances. Each team in the Premier League, will receive an amount of MVR 1.6 million from the FAM before the season starts. The Champion team also receives a MVR 1 million cash prize.

On 18 April 2015, FAM introduces season tickets, so the clubs can increase their wage by each season.

Clubs

The following 8 clubs will compete in the Dhivehi Premier League during the 2016 season.

Club Position
in 2015
First season in
Premier
League
Seasons
in Premier
League
First season of
current spell in
Premier League
BG Sports Cluba, b 7th 2015 2 2015
Eaglesa, b 3rd 2015 2 2015
Maziyaa, b 4th 2015 2 2015
New Radianta, b 1st 2015 2 2015
TC Sports Cluba, b 2nd 2015 2 2015
United Victory 1st in the Second Division 2016 1 2016
Valenciaa, b 6th 2015 2 2015
Victorya, b 5th 2015 2 2015

a: Founding member of the Dhivehi Premier League
b: Never been relegated from Dhivehi Premier League

Stadiums

Dhivehi Premier League football is played in 1 stadium; National Football Stadium with a capacity of 11,850 spectators.

Players

Foreign players

Until 2014 season, all Maldivian clubs can have maximum of three foreign players each. But the FAM normalisation committee formed by FIFA decided that each team can have four foreign players including one Asian player.

References

    External links

    This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the 10/18/2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.