Football in Bahrain
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The sport of football in the country of Bahrain is run by the Bahrain Football Association, and significantly the most popular sport in the nation.[1][2]
| Football in Bahrain | |
|---|---|
The Bahrain national team playing Australia on June 10, 2009, in a World Cup qualifier | |
| Country | Bahrain |
| Governing body | Bahrain Football Association |
| National team | men's national team |
| National competitions | |
| International competitions | |
Bahrain has its own top-tier domestic professional football league, the Bahraini Premier League. It features 10 football clubs that play a two-round robin set, with each team playing a total of 18 fixtures.[3] The winners of the domestic championship qualify for the AFC Cup.
The league uses a promotion and relegation system in association with the Bahraini Second Division, Bahrain's second-tier football league. The season usually starts in September and concludes in May, as in other football leagues. The first season was held in 1952. Although games are played on a home and away basis, most games are played at the Bahrain National Stadium.
The relegation of the lowest season finishing team is decided by a relegation/promotion playoff match against the second lowest finishing team. The most successful club in the league's history is Al-Muharraq SC.
Total championships
As of 2019–20 season.
| Club |
Number of Championships |
|---|---|
| Muharraq Club | 34 |
| Bahrain Riffa Club (includes West Riffa) | 12 |
| Bahrain Club | 5 |
| Al-Ahli (Manama) | 5 |
| Al-Hidd | 2 |
| Al-Nasr | 1 |
| Arabi Club | 1 |
| Al Hala SC | 1 |
| East Riffa Club | 1 |
| Busaiteen | 1 |
| Malkiya SCC | 1 |
League system
| Level | League(s)/Division(s) | |||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Premier League 12 clubs | |||||||||||
| ↓↑ 2 clubs | ||||||||||||
| 2 | Second Division 12 clubs | |||||||||||
The Bahrain national football team
The most significant achievement of the Bahrain national football team is reaching the semi-finals of the 2004 AFC Asian Cup.[4][5] The national football team of Bahrain lost against Japan in the semi-finals of the tournament.
Football stadiums in Bahrain
| # | Stadium | City | Capacity | Home team(s) | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bahrain National Stadium | Riffa | 24,000 | Bahrain national football team, Al-Khaldiya SC, Al-Riffa SC |  |
| 2 | Al Muharraq Stadium | Arad | 20,000 | Al-Muharraq SC |  |
| 3 | Khalifa Sports City Stadium | Isa Town | 15,000 | ||
| 4 | Al-Ahli Stadium | Manama | 10,000 | Al-Ahli Club |
