2020–21 Lebanese Premier League
The 2020–21 Lebanese Premier League is the 61st season of the Lebanese Premier League, the top Lebanese professional league for association football clubs since its establishment in 1934. Since the 2019–20 season was cancelled, Ahed are the three-time defending champions, having won their 7th title in the 2018–19 season.[1] The league was initially scheduled to start on 18 September,[2] before being postponed to 3 October as part of preventive measures by the state towards the COVID-19 pandemic.[3][4]
| Season | 2020–21 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 3 October 2020 – 2021 |
| Matches played | 66 |
| Goals scored | 146 (2.21 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Hassan Maatouk (10 goals) |
| Biggest win | Ansar 6–0 Salam Zgharta (8 December 2020) |
| Highest scoring | Ansar 6–1 Safa (6 November 2020) |
← 2019–20 2021–22 →
All statistics correct as of 3 January 2021. | |
It is the first season to feature a "split" format, where the season is divided into two phases. In the first phase, each club plays against each other once, for a total of 11 matchdays. In the second phase, the league is split into two halves – the "top six" and the "bottom six". Points are carried over from the first phase, and each club plays five games within its own half. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all games in the season are played behind closed doors.[5]
Summary
Regulations
On 24 June 2020, a player quota for the season was announced.[6] Each club must involve one player under the age of 22 for at least 600 minutes, two players for at least 800 combined minutes, and three players for at least 1,200 combined players.[6] Also, each club is allowed a maximum of eight players over the age of 30, with only five being able to be fielded in a game.[6] In case a club were to not meet the required number of minutes at the end of the season, they would have three points deducted from their total in the league.[6] Due to the economic situation in Lebanon, other regulations have been introduced, namely the abolition of foreign players in the league.[7]
Format
The 2020–21 season consists of two phases: in the first phase, each team is playing against one another once.[7] In the second phase, the 12 teams will be divided into two groups based on their position in the first phase; the teams will carry over their point tally from the first phase.[8] After the first phase is completed, clubs cannot move out of their own half in the league, even if they achieve more or fewer points than a higher or lower ranked team, respectively.[8]
The top six teams play against each other once,[7] with the champion automatically qualifying to the 2022 AFC Champions League qualifying play-offs—assuming they meet the criteria set by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).[9] The runners-up instead will directly qualify to the 2022 AFC Cup group stage—as long as the champions meet the AFC criteria for the AFC Champions League.[7] The bottom six teams will also play against each other once, with the bottom two teams being relegated to the Lebanese Second Division.[7]
Teams
Twelve teams are competing in the league – the top ten teams from the 2018–19 Lebanese Premier League season and the two teams promoted from the Second Division. Due to the 2019–20 season being cancelled, the same 12 teams are participating in the 2020–21 season.
Stadiums and locations
| Beirut Lebanese Premier League clubs |
Prior to the start of each season, every team chooses two stadiums as their home venues. In case both stadiums are unavailable for a certain matchday, another venue is used.
- Note: Table lists in alphabetical order.
| Team | Location | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ahed | Beirut (Ouzai) | Ahed Stadium[note 1] | 2,000 |
| Akhaa Ahli Aley | Aley | Amin AbdelNour Stadium | 3,500 |
| Ansar | Beirut (Tariq El Jdideh) | Ansar Stadium[note 1] | N/A |
| Bourj | Beirut (Bourj el-Barajneh) | Bourj el-Barajneh Stadium[note 1] | 1,500 |
| Chabab Ghazieh | Ghazieh | Kfarjoz Stadium | 2,000 |
| Nejmeh | Beirut (Ras Beirut) | Rafic Hariri Stadium[note 1] | 5,000 |
| Safa | Beirut (Wata El-Museitbeh) | Safa Stadium[note 1] | 4,000 |
| Salam Zgharta | Zgharta | Zgharta Sports Complex | 5,000 |
| Shabab Bourj | Beirut (Bourj el-Barajneh) | Bourj el-Barajneh Stadium[note 1] | 1,500 |
| Shabab Sahel | Beirut (Haret Hreik) | Shabab Al Sahel Stadium[note 1] | N/A |
| Tadamon Sour | Tyre | Sour Municipal Stadium | 6,500 |
| Tripoli | Tripoli | Tripoli Municipal Stadium | 22,000 |
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation[lower-alpha 1] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ansar | 11 | 9 | 0 | 2 | 28 | 5 | +23 | 27 | Qualification for AFC Champions League qualifying play-offs |
| 2 | Nejmeh | 11 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 23 | 8 | +15 | 25 | Qualification for AFC Cup group stage |
| 3 | Shabab Sahel | 11 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 13 | 3 | +10 | 24 | |
| 4 | Akhaa Ahli Aley | 11 | 5 | 4 | 2 | 8 | 6 | +2 | 19 | |
| 5 | Ahed | 11 | 4 | 5 | 2 | 13 | 10 | +3 | 17 | |
| 6 | Safa | 11 | 5 | 1 | 5 | 18 | 17 | +1 | 16 | |
| 7 | Bourj | 11 | 3 | 5 | 3 | 12 | 11 | +1 | 14 | |
| 8 | Tripoli | 11 | 3 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 9 | −3 | 13 | |
| 9 | Shabab Bourj | 11 | 3 | 3 | 5 | 13 | 11 | +2 | 12 | |
| 10 | Tadamon Sour | 11 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 3 | 10 | −7 | 7 | |
| 11 | Chabab Ghazieh | 11 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 6 | 21 | −15 | 6 | Relegation to Lebanese Second Division |
| 12 | Salam Zgharta | 11 | 0 | 1 | 10 | 3 | 35 | −32 | 1 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Head-to-head points; 3) Head-to-head goal difference; 4) Goal difference; 5) Goals scored; 6) Draw.
Notes:
- Teams play each other once (11 matches), before the league is split into two groups (the top six and the bottom six).
Results
Matches 1–11
Teams play each other once.
Matches 12–16
After 11 matches, the league splits into two sections of six teams i.e. the top six and the bottom six, with the teams playing every other team in their section once.
Top six
|
Bottom six
|
Season statistics
- As of 3 January 2021[10]
Top scorers
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Hassan Maatouk |
Ansar | 10 |
| 2 | Mohamad Kdouh |
Ahed | 7 |
| 3 | Akram Moghrabi |
Tripoli | 6 |
| Mahmoud Siblini |
Nejmeh | ||
| Hassan "Moni" Chaito |
Ansar | ||
| 6 | Adnan Melhem |
Shabab Bourj | 5 |
| 7 | Haidar Awada |
Shabab Sahel | 4 |
| Ali Hammoud |
Shabab Bourj |
Hat-tricks
| Player | For | Against | Result | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mohamad Kdouh | Ahed | Bourj | 3–2[11] | 4 October 2020 |
| Hassan Maatouk | Ansar | Bourj | 3–0[12] | 26 December 2020 |
| Haidar Awada | Shabab Sahel | Salam Zgharta | 4–0[13] | 27 December 2020 |
| Akram Moghrabi | Safa | Salam Zgharta | 5–0[14] | 3 January 2021 |
Most assists
| Rank | Player | Club | Assists |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hassan Maatouk |
Ansar | 6 |
| 2 | Khaled Takaji |
Nejmeh | 5 |
| 3 | Abbas Awad |
Shabab Bourj | 4 |
| Ahmad Jalloul |
Safa | ||
| Hassan "Moni" Chaito |
Ansar | ||
| 6 | Hussein Dakik |
Ahed | 3 |
| Mohamad Haidar |
Ahed | ||
| Nader Matar |
Nejmeh | ||
| Ahmad Hijazi |
Ansar | ||
| Abbas Assi |
Shabab Sahel |
Clean sheets
| Rank | Player | Club | Clean sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Ali Daher |
Shabab Sahel | 9 |
| 2 | Shaker Wehbe |
Akhaa Ahli Aley | 7 |
| 3 | Abedelkarim Saleh |
Bourj | 6 |
| 4 | Mostafa Matar |
Tripoli | 4 |
| Nazih Assad |
Ansar | ||
| Mohamad Santina |
Tadamon Sour | ||
| 7 | Talal Dandashli |
Safa | 3 |
| Mehdi Khalil |
Ahed |
Player
- Most yellow cards: 6
- Jihad Ayoub (Ansar)
- Zouheir Abdallah (Shabab Sahel)
- Most red cards: 1
- Yasser Achour (Shabab Bourj)
- Kazzem Attieh (Tadamon Sour)
- Ali Rmeity (Shabab Bourj)
- Hussein Zein (Ahed)
- Hussein Sayed (Chabab Ghazieh)
- Ali Abdallah Bitar (Tadamon Sour)
- Ahmad Khatib (Bourj)
Notes
- Only used as a training ground
References
- الميادين, شبكة (7 April 2019). "نادي العهد... قصة طموح ومثابرة نحو المجد". شبكة الميادين (in Arabic). Retrieved 8 April 2019.
- "September kick off for new Lebanese season". The AFC. 11 June 2020. Retrieved 11 June 2020.
- Mahfoud, Maroun (19 August 2020). "LFA cancels all on-going tournaments and postpone the Premier League". FA Lebanon. Retrieved 19 August 2020.
- "The 2020-2021 Lebanese Premier League schedule has been revealed". FA Lebanon. 14 September 2020. Retrieved 14 September 2020.
- "الجمهور يعود.. لا يعود". lebanonfg.com. Retrieved 22 December 2020.
- "الاتحاد اللبناني يعلن عن قرارات حاسمة". كووورة. 24 June 2020. Retrieved 24 June 2020.
- Abou Diab, Rami (25 June 2020). "The new regulations for the Lebanese Premier League". FA Lebanon. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
- "هل يُمكن أن يُحسم اللقب قبل الدورة السداسية؟". lebanonfg.com. Retrieved 28 October 2020.
- Abdallah, Rakan (1 August 2020). "What are the criteria for a Lebanese club to play in the Champions League?". FA Lebanon. Retrieved 10 August 2020.
- "2020-21 Premier League Stats". FA Lebanon. Retrieved 4 October 2020.
- "Ahed vs Bourj". FA Lebanon. Retrieved 12 October 2020.
- Khaled, Nasser (26 December 2020). هاتريك معتوق يقود الأنصار لاكتساح البرج [Maatouk's hat-trick leads Ansar to sweep Bourj]. Kooora. Retrieved 26 December 2020.
- Khaled, Nasser (27 December 2020). هاتريك عواضة يعيد شباب الساحل بفوز عريض من زغرتا [Awada's hat-trick gives Shabab Sahel a big win against Zgharta]. Kooora. Retrieved 27 December 2020.
- Khaled, Nasser (3 January 2021). الصفاء يؤمن تأهله لسداسية اللقب [Safa secure their qualification to the "top six"]. Kooora. Retrieved 3 January 2021.