2025–26 Lebanese Premier League
| Season | 2025–26 |
|---|---|
| Dates | TBD |
← 2024–25 2026–27 → | |
The 2025–26 Lebanese Premier League will be the 64th season of the Lebanese Premier League, the top Lebanese league for football clubs since its establishment in 1934.
It will be the sixth season to feature a "split" format, following its introduction in the 2020–21 season, in which the season will be divided into two phases.
Summary
[edit]Regulations
[edit]Each club has to involve one player under the age of 21 for at least 750 minutes, and two players for 1,200 combined minutes.[1] In case a club is not able to meet the required number of minutes at the end of the season, they would have three points deducted from their total in the league.[1]
Since the 2023–24 season, each club is able to have four foreign players under contract, an increase from the previous limit of three.[2] Furthermore, video assistant referee (VAR), was introduced to the Lebanese Premier League in the second half of the 2023–24 season. It uses technology and officials to assist the referee in making decisions on the pitch.[3]
Format
[edit]Following its introduction in the 2020–21 season, the 2024–25 season consists of two phases: in the first phase, each team plays against one another once.[4] In the second phase, the 12 teams are divided into two groups based on their position in the first phase. As introduced in the 2022–23 season, teams only carry over half of their point tally from the first phase.[5] After the first phase is completed, clubs can not move out of their own half in the league, even if they achieved more or fewer points than a higher or lower ranked team, respectively.[6]
The top six teams play against each other three times,[4] with the champion automatically qualifying to the AFC Challenge League.[7] The bottom six teams also play against each other three times, with the bottom two teams being relegated to the Lebanese Second Division.[4]
Teams
[edit]Twelve teams compete in the league – the top ten teams from the previous season and the two teams promoted from the Lebanese Second Division. The promoted teams are Jwaya, who are playing their first season in the Lebanese Premier League, and Mabarra, who returned to the top flight after an absence of 11 years.[8] They replaced Chabab Ghazieh and Shabab Baalbek, who were relegated to the Lebanese Second Division after respective spells of three and one years in the top flight.
Stadiums and locations
[edit]
The following table lists teams in alphabetical order. Locations refer to where the clubs are based, not necessarily where their stadiums are. The stadiums listed are where clubs typically train, but are not necessarily club-owned. League games are usually held in a few neutral stadiums, which may differ from those listed.
| Team | Location | Stadium |
|---|---|---|
| Ahed | Beirut (Ouzai) | Al Ahed Stadium |
| Ansar | Beirut (Tariq el-Jdideh) | Al Ansar Stadium |
| Bourj | Beirut (Bourj el-Barajneh) | Bourj el-Barajneh Stadium |
| Jwaya | Jwaya | Abbas Kazem Nasser Stadium |
| Mabarra | Beirut (Tariq el-Matar) | Mabarra Field |
| Nejmeh | Beirut (Ras Beirut) | Rafic Hariri Stadium |
| Racing Beirut | Beirut (Achrafieh) | Sharek Stadium |
| Riyadi Abbasiyah | Al-Aabbassiyah | Abbas Kazem Nasser Stadium |
| Safa | Beirut (Wata el-Msaytbeh) | Safa Stadium |
| Sagesse | Beirut (Achrafieh) | Sin El Fil Stadium |
| Shabab Sahel | Beirut (Haret Hreik) | Shabab Al Sahel Stadium |
| Tadamon Sour | Tyre | Sour Municipal Stadium |
Personnel and kits
[edit]| Team | Head coach | Captain | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ahed | ||||
| Ansar | ||||
| Bourj | ||||
| Jwaya | ||||
| Mabarra | ||||
| Nejmeh | ||||
| Racing Beirut | ||||
| Riyadi Abbasiyah | ||||
| Safa | ||||
| Sagesse | ||||
| Shabab Sahel | ||||
| Tadamon Sour |
Foreign players
[edit]Lebanese clubs are permitted to have up to four foreign players registered in their squad at any given time.[2] In addition, clubs are allowed to include an unlimited number of Palestinian players on their matchday squad; however, only one Palestinian player can be fielded among the eleven starting players during a match.[1] For clubs participating in Asian Football Confederation (AFC) competitions, two additional foreign players can be registered exclusively for continental fixtures. This is in accordance with AFC regulations, which allow a maximum of six foreign players in a starting lineup – one of whom must hold citizenship from an AFC member nation.[9]
- Players in bold were registered during the mid-season transfer window.
- Players in italics left the club during the mid-season transfer window.
| Team | Player 1 | Player 2 | Player 3 | Player 4 | Palestinian player(s) | AFC player(s) | Former player(s) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ahed | — | ||||||
| Ansar | |||||||
| Bourj | — | ||||||
| Mabarra | — | ||||||
| Nejmeh | — | ||||||
| Jwaya | — | ||||||
| Racing Beirut | — | ||||||
| Riyadi Abbasiyah | — | ||||||
| Safa | |||||||
| Sagesse | — | ||||||
| Shabab Sahel | — | ||||||
| Tadamon Sour | — |
League table
[edit]
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation[a] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ahed | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Qualification for the AFC Challenge League group stage |
| 2 | Ansar | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 3 | Bourj | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 4 | Jwaya | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 5 | Mabarra | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 6 | Nejmeh | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 7 | Racing Beirut | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 8 | Riyadi Abbasiyah | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 9 | Safa | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 10 | Sagesse | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| 11 | Shabab Sahel | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | Relegation to Lebanese Second Division |
| 12 | Tadamon Sour | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Head-to-head points; 3) Head-to-head goal difference; 4) Goal difference; 5) Goals scored; 6) Disciplinary points.
Notes:
- ^ Teams play each other once (11 matches), before the league is split into two groups (the top six and the bottom six) where each team play the other teams in their group three times (15 matches). Teams carry over half their point tally from the first phase into the second phase.
Season statistics
[edit]Goalscorers
[edit]Hat-tricks
[edit]See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c الاتحاد اللبناني يقر النظام الفني لبطولة الدوري: 4 أجانب و4 مراحل وحسم نصف النقاط [The Lebanese Federation approves the technical system for the league championship: 4 foreigners, 4 stages, and a half-point decision]. Lebanon Football Guide (in Arabic). 29 May 2023. Archived from the original on 29 May 2023. Retrieved 3 May 2024.
- ^ a b 84 ألف دولار دخل جديد للاتحاد اللبناني لكرة القدم [USD84,000: new income for the Lebanese Football Association]. Lebanon Football Guide (in Arabic). 19 June 2023. Retrieved 21 June 2023.
- ^ Khaled, Nasser (26 July 2023). تقنية الفيديو حاضرة في لقاء العهد والراسينغ [Video technology will be present in the match between Ahed and Racing]. Kooora (in Arabic). Retrieved 27 July 2023.
- ^ a b c Abou Diab, Rami (25 June 2020). "The new regulations for the Lebanese Premier League". FA Lebanon. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
- ^ "بالصور: الاتحاد اللبناني يعلن تعديلات بالجملة". كووورة. 3 June 2022. Retrieved 12 June 2022.
- ^ "هل يُمكن أن يُحسم اللقب قبل الدورة السداسية؟". lebanonfg.com. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
- ^ "AFC Club Competitions 2024/25 Slot Allocation" (PDF). Asian Football Confederation. Retrieved 7 August 2023.
- ^ https://www.al-akhbar.com/sports/838182/%D8%B5%D8%B9%D9%88%D8%AF-%D8%AC%D9%88%D9%8A%D8%A7-%D9%88%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%A8%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D8%A5%D9%84%D9%89-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AF%D8%B1%D8%AC%D8%A9-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A3%D9%88%D9%84%D9%89--%D9%82%D8%B5%D8%AA%D8%A7-%D9%86%D8%AC%D8%A7%D8%AD-%D8%A8%D9%86%D9%83%D9%87%D8%AA%D9%8A%D9%86-%D9%85%D8%AE%D8%AA%D9%84%D9%81
- ^ "AFC Competitions Committee recommends strategic reforms to elevate Asian club football". the-AFC. Retrieved 1 August 2023.
