Egyptian Premier League

The Egyptian Premier League is an Egyptian professional league for football clubs and represents the top flight of Egyptian football. The championship consists of nineteen competing teams in a home and away league system. It is currently known as the Etisalat Egyptian Premier League, after the Emirate communications company signed a sponsorship deal with the Egyptian FA. No more than three foreign players are allowed on any side in the Egyptian Premier League.
During the 2011 Egyptian Protests the Egyptian Premier League was paused until 6th March, but was postponed until April 14, when play finally resumed.
==Competition format and sponsorship==
===Competition===
There are 19 clubs in the Egyptian Premier League. The Football Season, which lasts from August to May, is interleaved with a Six-Weeks Winter break that lasts from the end of December to February. During the course of the season, each club plays the others twice, once at their home stadium and once at that of their opponents, for a total of 36 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 the direct confrontation,then goal difference, and then goals scored.
At the end of each season, the club with the most points is crowned champion . If points are equal,the direct confrontation, the goal difference and then goals scored determine the winner. The three lowest placed teams are relegated into the Division II League , and the top three teams from the three groups into the Division II league , together, are promoted in their place.
===Sponsorship===
The Egyptian Premier League has been sponsored since 2005. The sponsor has been able to determine the league's sponsorship name. The list below details who the sponsors have been and what they called the competition:
2005–2007: Vodafone Egyptian Premier League.
2007–present: Etisalat Egyptian Premier League.
==Media coverage==
There are a lot of channels that transfer the Egyptian league like: modern sport, modern kora, channel 2, alhayat 2, dream, nile sport, almasriya,channel 3 and alahly tv.
Every channel from this channels paid 8 millions {l.v} to transfer the Egyptian league except the Egyptian television (channel 2, nile sport, and almasriya) which had his own deal.
==Clubs==
The five most popular Egyptian clubs are Al-Ahly, Zamalek SC, Ismaily, Al-Ittihad Al-Sakndary and Al-Masry. Also there is a historically established club named Tersana.
===Members for 2011–12===
A total of 64 clubs have played in the Egyptian Premier League from its inception in 1948-49 up to and including the 2011–12 season.
But only two clubs have been members of the Egyptian Premier League for every season since its inception .There are Al-Ahly and Al-Zamalek.
The following 19 clubs will compete in the Egyptian Premier League during the 2011–12 season.
Club 	Positionin 2010–11 	First season inPremier League	Number of seasons in Premier League	Premier Leaguetitles
Al-Ahlya,b 	0011st 	1948–49 	55 	36
Al-Ittihad Al-Sakndarya 	01414th 	1948-49 	53 	n/a
Al-Masrya 	0077th 	1948–49 	53 	n/a
Al-Mokawloon Al-Arab (Arab Contractors)	01616th 	1978-79 	30 	1
Al-Zamaleka,b 	0022nd 	1948–49 	55 	11
El-Entag El-Harby (Military Production)	01313th 	2009-10 	3 	n/a
El-Geish (Army Vanguards) 	0099th 	2004-05 	8 	n/a
El Gouna FC 	01111th 	2009-10 	3 	n/a
ENPPI Club 	0055th 	2002-03 	10 	n/a
Haras El Hodood (Border Guards)e 	0088th 	1963-64 	12 	n/a
Ismailya 	0033rd 	1948-49 	51 	3
Ittihad El-Shorta (Police Union)d 	0044th 	1975–76 	5 	n/a
Misr Lel Makasa (MCSD) 	0066th 	2010-11 	2 	n/a
Petrojet 	01010th 	2006-07 	6 	n/a
Smouha 	01515th 	2010-11 	2 	n/a
Wadi Degla 	01212th 	2010-11 	2 	n/a
El Dakhleyac 	0201st G1 (Promoted)	2011-12 	1 	n/a
Ghazl El Mahalla 	0201st G2 (Promoted)	1956-57 	45 	1
Telephonat Bani Sweifc 	0201st G3 (Promoted)	2011-12 	1 	n/a
a: Founding member of the Egyptian Premier League
b: Never been relegated from Egyptian Premier League
c: First Time in Egyptian Premier League
d: Ittihad El-Shorta appear in 1974-75 season as El-Shorta
e: Haras El Hodood (Border Guards) appear in 1963-65 seasons as El-Soahel
==Stadiums==
The recently opened Borg El Arab Stadium in Alexandria (capacity: 86,000) is currently mainly used for international competition, as it was constructed as part of Egypt's failed bid to land the 2010 FIFA World Cup. However, there is speculation that League sides from Alexandria will eventually call it their home grounds.
===Current stadiums===
Stadium 	City 	Seating Capacity
Borg El Arab 	Alexandria	86,000
Cairo Stadium 	Cairo 	75,000
Mubarak Stadium 	Suez 	40,000
Osman Ahmed Osman 	Cairo 	35,000
Al-Salam Stadium 	Cairo 	30,000
Suez Stadium 	Suez 	30,000
Military Academy Stadium	Cairo 	28,500
Sekka El Hadeed Stadium 	Cairo 	25,000
Harras El-Hedoud Stadium	Alexandria	25,000
El Mansoura Stadium 	Mansura 	20,000
El Mahalla 	Mahalla 	20,000
Ismailia Stadium 	Ismaïlia 	18,525
Port Said Stadium 	Port Said 	17,988
Asiut University Stadium	Asyut 	16,000
Tersana Stadium 	Giza 	15,000
El-Shams Stadium 	Cairo 	15,000
Alexandria Stadium 	Alexandria	13,660
El Gouna Stadium 	El Gouna 	13,000
==League history==
===Honors===
Team 	Wins
 	36
Zamalek SC 	11
Al-Ismaily 	3
Al-Olympi 	1
Ghazl El-Mehalla 	1
Mokawloon al-Arab	1
Tersana 	1
===Past winners===
NO	Season 	Champion
1 	1948-49	Al-Ahly
2 	1949-50	Al-Ahly
3 	1950-51	Al-Ahly
- 	1951-52	Not Held
4 	1952-53	Al-Ahly
5 	1953-54	Al-Ahly
- 	1954-55	Not Finished
6 	1955-56	Al-Ahly
7 	1956-57	Al-Ahly
8 	1957-58	Al-Ahly
9 	1958-59	Al-Ahly
10	1959-60	Zamalek SC
11	1960-61	Al-Ahly
12	1961-62	Al-Ahly
13	1962-63	Tersana
14	1963-64	Zamalek SC
15	1964-65	Zamalek SC
16	1965-66	Al-Olympi
17	1966-67	Al-Ismaily
- 	1967-68	Not Held
- 	1968-69	Not Held
- 	1969-70	Not Held
- 	1970-71	Not Finished
- 	1971-72	Not Held
18	1972-73	Ghazl El-Mehalla
- 	1973-74	Not Finished
19	1974-75	Al-Ahly
20	1975-76	Al-Ahly
21	1976-77	Al-Ahly
22	1977-78	Zamalek SC
23	1978-79	Al-Ahly
24	1979-80	Al-Ahly
25	1980-81	Al-Ahly
26	1981-82	Al-Ahly
27	1982-83	Al-Mokawloon
28	1983-84	Zamalek SC
29	1984-85	Al-Ahly
30	1985-86	Al-Ahly
31	1986-87	Al-Ahly
32	1987-88	Zamalek SC
33	1988-89	Al-Ahly
- 	1989-90	Not Finished
34	1990-91	Al-Ismaily
35	1991-92	Zamalek SC
36	1992-93	Zamalek SC
37	1993-94	Al-Ahly
38	1994-95	Al-Ahly
39	1995-96	Al-Ahly
40	1996-97	Al-Ahly
41	1997-98	Al-Ahly
42	1998-99	Al-Ahly
43	1999-00	Al-Ahly
44	2000-01	Zamalek SC
45	2001-02	Al-Ismaily
46	2002-03	Zamalek SC
47	2003-04	Zamalek SC
48	2004-05	Al-Ahly
49	2005-06	Al-Ahly
50	2006-07	Al-Ahly
51	2007-08	Al-Ahly
52	2008-09	Al-Ahly
53	2009-10	Al-Ahly
54	2010-11	Al-Ahly
===Double titles (League & cup in the same season)===
:* Al-Ahly : 13 times.
:* Zamalek SC : 1 time
==Top goalscorers==
===All seasons top goalscorers===
Sesson 	Player 	Club 	Goals
1948-49	Mohamed Diab El-Attar "Diba"	Al-Ittihad Al-Iskandary	15
1948-49	El-Sayed El-Dhizui 	Al-Masry 	15
1949-50	El-Sayed El-Dhizui 	Al-Masry 	13
1950-51	El-Sayed El-Dhizui 	Al-Masry 	12
1952-53	Ahmed Mekawi 	Al-Ahly 	12
1953-54	Abdel Nabi 	Tersana 	18
1955-56	Sayed Saleh 	Al-Ahly 	12
1956-57	Alaa El-Hamouly 	Zamalek SC 	16
1957-58	Hamdi Abdel Fattah 	Tersana 	19
1958-59	El-Sayed El-Dhizui 	Al-Ahly 	16
1959-60	Hamdi Abdel Fattah 	Tersana 	15
1960-61	Ali Mohsen 	Zamalek SC 	16
1961-62	Moustafa Reyadh 	Tersana 	18
1962-63	Hassan El-Shazly 	Tersana 	32
1963-64	Moustafa Reyadh 	Tersana 	27
1964-65	Hassan El-Shazly 	Tersana 	23
1965-66	Hassan El-Shazly 	Tersana 	16
1966-67	Ali Abougreisha 	Al-Ismaily 	15
1972-73	Omasha Omasha 	Ghazl El-Mehalla 	11
1974-75	Hassan El-Shazly 	Tersana 	34
1975-76	Ossama Khalil 	Al-Ismaily 	17
1976-77	Ali Khalil 	Zamalek SC 	17
1976-77	Hassan Shehata 	Zamalek SC 	17
1977-78	Mahmoud El Khatib 	Al-Ahly 	11
1978-79	Ali Khalil 	Zamalek SC 	12
1979-80	Hassan Shehata 	Zamalek SC 	14
1980-81	Mahmoud El Khatib 	Al-Ahly 	11
1981-82	Gamal Gouda 	Al-Masry 	8
1982-83	Mahmoud El-Mashaqui 	Ghazl El-Mehalla 	9
1983-84	Ayman Shawki 	Koroum 	8
1984-85	Mohamed Hazem 	Ismaily 	11
1985-86	Mohamed Hazem 	Ismaily 	11
1986-87	Emad Souliman 	Ismaily 	11
1987-88	Gamal Abdul Hamid 	Zamalek SC 	11
1988-89	Mahmoud El-Mashaqui 	Ghazl El-Mehalla 	11
1990-91	Mohamed Ramadan 	Al-Ahly 	14
1991-92	Ahmed El-Kass 	Al-Olympi 	14
1992-93	Ahmed El-Kass 	El-Olympi 	16
1993-94	Ahmed El-Kass 	El-Olympi 	15
1993-94	Bashir Abdel Samad 	Al-Ismaily 	15
1994-95	Abdullah El-Sawi 	El-Qanah 	10
1994-95	Ahmed Sari 	Al-Ittihad Al-Iskandary	10
1995-96	Mohamed Salah Abougreisha 	Ismaily 	14
1996-97	Ayman Moheb 	El Mansoura SC 	17
1997-98	Abdul Hamid Bassiouny 	Zamalek SC 	15
1998-99	Hossam Hassan 	Al-Ahly 	15
1999-00	John Utaka 	Ismaily 	17
2000-01	Tarek El-Said 	Zamalek SC 	13
2001-02	Hossam Hassan 	Zamalek SC 	18
2002-03	Ahmed Belal 	Al-Ahly 	19
2003-04	Abdel Halim Ali 	Al-Zamalek 	21
2004-05	Emad Moteab 	Al-Ahly 	15
2005-06	Mohamed Aboutrika 	Al-Ahly 	18
2006-07	Flavio Amado 	Al-Ahly 	17
2007-08	Alaa Ibrahim 	Petrojet 	15
2008-09	Ernest Papa Arko 	El Geish 	12
2008-09	Flávio Amado 	Al-Ahly 	12
2009-10	Minusu Buba 	Ittihad El-Shorta 	14
2010-11	Ahmed Abd El-Zaher 	Enppi 	13
2010-11	Shikabala 	Zamalek SC 	13
===All time top goalscorers===
Last updated December 25, 2010.
No.	Player 	Teams 	Goals
1 	Hassan El-Shazly 	Tersana 	187
2 	Hossam Hassan 	Al-Ahly / Zamalek SC / Al-Masry / Tersana / Al-Ittihad Al-Sakndary	168
3 	Moustafa Reyadh 	Tersana 	123
4 	El-Sayed El-Dhizui	Al-Masry / Al-Ahly 	112
5 	Mahmoud El-Khateeb	Al-Ahly 	108
6 	Ahmed El-Kass 	Al-Olympi / Zamalek SC / Al-Ittihad Al-Iskandary 	107
7 	Mohamed Aboutrika 	Tersana / Al-Ahly 	102
For a full list of clubs see List of football clubs in Egypt.
==External links==
*Premier League at soccerway.com; standings, results & fixtures
*egyptianfootball.net
*RSSSF competition history
*yallakora.com Egyptian Premier League schedule, match results
*Filgoal.com Egyptian Premier League
 
Category:Egyptian Premier League