# 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. The Syrian Premier League was founded in 1966, unifying the local leagues that had existed previously. 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
### Competition

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

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

| 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

As of 7 December 2021
| Ranking | Ranking | Ranking | Member Association | Club Points | Club Points | Club Points | Club Points | Club Points | Points |
| 2021 | 2020 | Mvmt | Member Association | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | Total | Points |
| 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

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.
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)
### Stadiums and locations

| 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 | 32,000 |
| Al-Wathba | Homs | Khalid ibn al-Walid Stadium | 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

Champions so far are:
| 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 | No Championship | No Championship |
| 1971–72 | No Championship | No Championship | No Championship |
| 1972–73 | Al-Jaish | Al-Shorta | Al-Karamah |
| 1973–74 | No Championship | No Championship | 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 | No Championship | No Championship |
| 1978–79 | Al-Jaish | Al-Shorta | Al-Ittihad Ahli |
| 1979–80 | Al-Shorta | Al-Hurriya | Al-Ittihad Ahli |
| 1980–81 | No Championship | No Championship | 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 | Suspended | 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 | Suspended | Suspended | Suspended |

## Performances
### Performance by club

| Club | Winners | Runners-up | Third place | Winning years |
| Al-Jaish | 17 | 5 | 1 | 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 | 8 | 12 | 4 | 1974–75, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1995–96, 2005–06, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2008–09 |
| Al-Ittihad Ahli | 6 | 8 | 12 | 1966–67, 1967–68, 1976–77, 1992–93, 1994–95, 2004–05 |
| Tishreen | 5 | 2 | 4 | 1981–82, 1996–97, 2019–20, 2020–21, 2021–22 |
| Jableh | 4 | 6 | 3 | 1986–87, 1987–88, 1988–89, 1999–2000 |
| Al-Futowa | 4 | 5 | 3 | 1989–90, 1990–91, 2022–23, 2023–24 |
| Al-Shorta | 2 | 5 | 3 | 1979–80, 2011–12 |
| Al-Wahda | 2 | 3 | 8 | 2003–04, 2013–14 |
| Al-Hurriya | 2 | 1 | 4 | 1991–92, 1993–94 |
| Barada | 2 | — | 2 | 1968–69, 1969–70 |

### Performance by city

| City | Winners | Club(s) |
| Damascus | 23 | Al-Jaish, Al-Shorta, Al-Wahda, Barada |
| Aleppo | 8 | Al-Ittihad Ahli, Al-Hurriya |
| Homs | 8 | Al-Karamah |
| Latakia | 5 | Tishreen |
| Jableh | 4 | Jableh |
| Deir ez-Zor | 4 | Al-Futowa |

### Doubles

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 | 5 | 1983, 1996, 2007, 2008, 2009 |
| Al-Jaish | 4 | 1986, 1998, 2002, 2018 |
| Al-Fotuwa | 3 | 1990, 1991, 2024 |
| Al-Shorta | 1 | 1980 |
| Al-Hurriya | 1 | 1992 |

## Records and statistics
### All time top goalscorers

    As of 1 May 2024
Boldface indicates a player still active in Syrian Premier League.
| No. | Player | Goals | Years |
| 1 | Raja Rafe | 194 | 2000–2021 |
| 2 | Jacob Matteüs | 173 | 2004– |
| 3 | Aref Al Agha | 161 | 1995–2009 |

### League participation

As of 2022, 35 clubs have participated. The tallies since its establishment in 1966 until the end of the 2021–22 season.
* 50 seasons: Al-Ittihad Ahli

### Records

* 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.