Uzbekistan Professional Football League

**Uzbekistan Professional Football League**, briefly **UzPFL** (Uzbek: *Oʻzbekiston professional futbol ligasi / Ўзбекистон профессионал футбол лигаси*, **OʻzPFL**, **ЎзПФЛ**) — a football organization that manages and oversees the entire system of the country's football leagues. In 2008, following a recommendation from the Asian Football Confederation, it was separated from the Football Federation of Uzbekistan to become an independent organization.

Coordinates the conduct of such professional football competitions as Super League, Pro League, First League, Uzbekistan Cup, League Cup, Uzbekistan Super Cup, Uzbekistan U19 and U21 championships, etc. It organizes competitions among football clubs, provides instruction on their sports and organizational and managerial activities, as well as relationships.

Facilitates the organization of football competitions at various levels in cooperation with ministries, departments, enterprises, and organizations of Uzbekistan.

It is one of the leading leagues in Asia in terms of licensing.

As of March 2024, five companies in Uzbekistan are official sponsors of the league.

## History 
In 1992, it was part of the organizational structure of the Football Federation of Uzbekistan and was the division responsible for holding professional football competitions in Uzbekistan. In early 2008, the Asian Football Confederation recommended the Football Federation of Uzbekistan to establish the PFL as a separate organization. It was established on June 20, 2008 at the General Meeting of the Football Association and Football Clubs of Uzbekistan and was registered by the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Uzbekistan on July 2. 

From 2008 till 2018, held the youth football championship of Uzbekistan. From 2019 to 2023, supervised the holding of women's football (Premier League, First League, Cup, Super Cup), and from 2017 to 2025 held futsal championship (Premier League, Cup and others) of Uzbekistan.

Became a member of the Association of World Professional Football Leagues on January 10, 2023.

## Purpose and objectives 
The main goal of Uzbekistan Professional Football League is to coordinate the holding of professional football competitions on the territory of the Republic of Uzbekistan among football teams in the respective Super League, Pro League, First League, Uzbekistan Cup, League Cup, Super Cup of Uzbekistan, all the age categories of Uzbekistan. Organize and conduct competitions among football clubs, coordination of professional football competitions, organization and conduct of competitions between football clubs, as well as management of their sports, organizational and managerial activities and relations.

Every month according to the vote of experts, determines the winners in the nominations of the best player, the best referee, the best goal in the Uzbek Super League, and organizes the work of awarding them. Every month, it determines the winners of the best football club of Uzbekistan, the best player women/men, the best referee and other nominations and organizes their awarding at the end of the year.

## Leaders 
Farkhad Magametov worked as the first head of the organization in 2008–2017. From September 2017 to 2019, Amon Gafurov headed the organization. Later, in 2019–20, the organization was headed by Davron Shoqurbanov. Diyor Imamkhodjaev, who temporarily served as the General Director from 2020 to 2022, was appointed as the General Director of the organization in 2022.

### Executive Committee 
Diyor Imamkhodjaev, General Director.

Odil Akhmedov, member of the Executive Committee, vice-president of Uzbekistan Football Association.

Tulabek Akramov, member of the Executive Committee, president of FC Lokomotiv Tashkent.

Bahodir Mirzayev, member of the Executive Committee, general director of Olmaliq FK.

Alisher Yusupov, member of the Executive Committee, manager of FC Nasaf.

Oybekkhan Ibrahimkhanov, member of the Executive Committee, legal consultant of the Professional Football League of Uzbekistan.

## Competitions under the jurisdiction of UzPFL 
### Uzbekistan Super League 
Uzbekistan Super League is the highest division in the system of football competitions of Uzbekistan, in which professional football clubs participate. It was established in 1992 under the name of Supreme League. The championship will be held in March-November and each team will play 26 matches. From 2019, the title sponsor will be called the Pepsi Super League first, and then the Coca Cola Super League from 2020. From 2024, it will be called Artel Super League. In the history of the championships of Uzbekistan, a total of 45 clubs participated, and only 8 of them reached the championship podium: "Pakhtakor" - 16 times, "Neftchi" - 5 times, "Bunyodkor" - 5 times, "Lokomotiv" - 3 times, "Dostlik" - 2 times, MHSK - 1 time, "Navbahor" - 1 time, "Nasaf" - 1 time. In different years, the number of teams in the championship of Uzbekistan was different. In the first years, 16 teams participated in the championship, then in different years the number of teams was 14, 18 and 20. In 2025, the number of championship teams will once 16.

### Uzbekistan Cup 
It is a national football cup competition organized by the Uzbekistan Professional Football League. Uzbekistan Cup competitions have been organized since 1992. The first winner of the competition is FC Navbahor Namangan. The winners of the Uzbekistan Cup get the right to participate in the AFC Champions League.

The Pakhtakor football club is considered the record holder for the number of victories in the Uzbekistan Cup (13 times). The clubs "Bunyodkor" and "Nasaf Qarshi" won 4 times each, "Navbahor Namangan" and "Lokomotiv Tashkent" - 3 times each, "Neftchi Farg'ona" - 2 times, "AGMK", "Andijan" and "Dustlik Tashkent" - 1 time each.

### Uzbekistan League Cup 
Uzbekistan League Cup is an annual men's football competition. The competition, which has been held since 2010 by the Professional Football League of Uzbekistan and the Uzbekistan Football Association, was not held in 2016-2018. Uzbekistan League Cup was organized for the first time in 2019.  It will be attended mainly by Uzbek clubs, as well as football clubs from Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan at the invitation of UzPFL. The first winner of the competition is "Pakhtakor" team from Tashkent.

### Uzbekistan Super Cup 
One-match pre-season football competition held before the season begins in Uzbekistan every year. It is contested by the winners of the Uzbek League and the Uzbek Cup in the previous season.

### Uzbekistan Pro League 
On November 21, 2017, according to the decision of the PFL management, the First League of Uzbekistan was officially renamed the Pro League of Uzbekistan from 2018 season. The league was reduced from 18 to 16 teams.

### Uzbekistan First League 
It has been operating since 2010. Since the 2010 season, the first league competitions have been divided into two regions: the eastern region and the western region. Eastern region teams are made up of Andijan, Namangan, Fergana and Tashkent regional football clubs. The teams of the Western region are made up of football clubs of Syrdarya, Jizzakh, Navoi, Samarkand, Kashkadarya, Surkhandarya, Bukhara, Khorezm regions and the Republic of Karakalpakstan. Number of participating teams in each region: 14.

The First League of Uzbekistan previously served as a second-class competition in the football system.  After the establishment of the Pro League in 2018, the First League was reorganized from 2020 and is now the third-tier competition in the country.

### U21 Championship 
A competition in which the youth teams of the Super League teams play in the football system of Uzbekistan. In accordance with the regulations of the UzPFL, players 21 years old and younger will participate in it.  The matches of the U21 championship will be held one day after the main team matches.

### U19 Championship 
The youth national team under 19 years of age will defend the honor of Uzbekistan at the World Youth Football Championship (U20), Asian Championship under 19 years (U19) and other tournaments. A competition between under-19 teams of Super League and Pro League clubs. The U19 championship was founded in 2021. In it, all the clubs of the two top divisions will fight for the victory with their students. A competition between under-19 teams of Super League and Pro League clubs. The U19 championship was founded in 2021. In it, all the clubs of the two top divisions will fight for the victory with their students.

## Affiliated competitions 
In cooperation with the State Security Service of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the Ministry of Sports, and the Agency for Youth Affairs, the State Security Service Cup () will be held.

It also hosts student's cup competitions in collaboration with the Ministry of Higher Education, Science and Innovation, the Ministry of Internal Affairs, and the Football Association.

## Sponsors 
Uzbekistan Professional Football League cooperated with the "PepsiCo" in 2018-2019. Since 2019, Coca-Cola Beverage Uzbekistan has been sponsor of Uzbekistan Super League. Since 2020, established cooperation with the insurance company "Apex Insurance". The company provides health insurance for more than 1,500 professional players registered in the league. From 2021 to 2022, the sponsors were Epsilon, Madad Invest Bank Joint Stock Company, Turon Eco Cement and the Jizzakh Battery Plant. On March 16, 2023, the "BMB Holding" company became the official sponsor of the Superleague. Also, during 2023, Olcha.uz information portal and private airline "Centrum Air" became partners of Uzbekistan Professional Football League. On February 28, 2024, the company "Artel Electronics", which is considered the largest brand in the domestic appliances market of Uzbekistan, became the title sponsor of the Super League until the end of 2026. On March 12 of this year, the "" company became an official partner of Uzbekistan Professional Football League.

## Achievements 
Uzbekistan Professional Football League is one of the leaders in licensing in Asian continent. At the end of 2021, 12 Uzbek clubs won the license of the Asian Football Confederation and this was recorded as the 3rd best result in the continent. In 2021, among the women's teams, 2 clubs from Uzbekistan became the first in Asia to successfully pass the licensing.

The Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Uzbekistan and the National Association of Non-Governmental Organizations of Uzbekistan have included UzPFL in the list of "Top 20 Most Transparent Non-Governmental Organizations" in 2021.

Every month, it determines the winners of the best football club of Uzbekistan, the best player women/men, the best referee and other nominations and organizes their awarding at the end of the year.

## References 
## Other websites
* Official website
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* Uzbekistan Professional Football League // LinkedIn
* Uzbekistan Professional Football League // WhatsApp