Dhivehi Premier League

Dhivehi Premier League is a Maldivian league for men's association football clubs. At the top of the Maldives football league system, it is the country's primary football competition. Contested by 10 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with Second Division Football Tournament.

Dhivehi Premier League
Founded22 December 2014 (2014-12-22)
CountryMaldives
ConfederationAFC
Number of teams10
Level on pyramid1
Relegation toSecond Division
Domestic cup(s)FA Cup
President's Cup
Charity Shield
POMIS Cup
International cup(s)AFC Cup & SAFF League
Current championsMaziya (2nd title)
(2019–20)
Most championshipsNew Radiant
Maziya
(2 titles)
TV partnersTelevision Maldives (live matches)
2019–20 Dhivehi Premier League

Seasons run from August to May, with teams playing 14 matches each (playing each team in the league twice) totalling 56 matches in the season. It is currently sponsored by Ooredoo Maldives and thus officially known as the Ooredoo Dhivehi Premier League.

The competition formed as the Dhivehi Premier League on 22 December 2014 following the decision of The FAM normalisation committee formed by FIFA. It succeeds the Dhivehi League.

From 2018 onward 10 teams will compete in Dhivehi Premier League. Since its establishment in 2015, this is the first time that 10 team participate in the league.

History
See also: Dhivehi League
Season Champions Runners-up
2015 New Radiant TC Sports Club
2016 Maziya TC Sports Club
2017 New Radiant TC Sports Club
2018 TC Sports Club Maziya
2019–20 Maziya Eagles

Competition format

Competition

There are 10 clubs in the Premier League. During the course of a season each club plays the others twice (a double round-robin system), for a total of 14 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 decides rank.

Qualification for Asian competitions

The top two teams in the Dhivehi Premier League qualify for the AFC Cup, with the champion directly entering the group stage. The second-placed team enters the AFC Cup at the play-off round for East Asia Zone and must win the match in order to enter the group stage.

Sponsorship
The Ooredoo Dhivehi Premier League sponsorship logo as used by media from 2015–2017

The Dhivehi Premier League has been sponsored since its inaugural season 2015. The sponsor has been able to determine the league's sponsorship name.

Period Sponsor Brand
2015–2017Ooredoo MaldivesOoredoo Dhivehi Premier League
2018–DhiraaguDhiraagu Dhivehi Premier League

Finances

The Football Association of Maldives (FAM) decided to give the responsibility of selling match tickets to stadium, for the clubs and the ticket income will be a profit for the club's finances. Each team in the Premier League, will receive an amount of MVR 1.6 million from the FAM before the season starts. The Champion team also receives a MVR 1 million cash prize.

On 18 April 2015, FAM introduced season tickets, so the clubs can increase their wage by each season.

Clubs

The following 8 clubs will compete in the Dhivehi Premier League during the 2016 season.

Club Position
in 2015		 First season in
Premier
League		 Seasons
in Premier
LeagueYy		 First season of
current spell in
Premier League
BG Sports Cluba, b7th201522015
Eaglesa, b3rd201522015
Maziyaa, b4th201522015
New Radianta, b1st201522015
TC Sports Cluba, b2nd201522015
United Victory1st in the Second Division201612016
Valenciaa, b6th201522015
Victorya, b5th201522015

a: Founding member of the Dhivehi Premier League
b: Never been relegated from Dhivehi Premier League

All-time Dhivehi Premier League table

The all-time Dhivehi Premier League table is a cumulative record of all match results, points and goals of every team that has played in the Premier League since its inception in 2015. The table that follows is accurate as of the end of the 2019–20 season. Teams in bold are part of the 2019–20 Premier League.

Pos. Club Seasons Pld Win Draw Loss GF GA GD Pts 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Relegated Best
Pos.
1Maziya 58656161422984+14518421111
2TC Sports Club 58656151519984+1151831311
3Club Eagles 4724122916561+104145132
4New Radiant 46537121613269+63123211[lower-alpha 1]1
5Green Streets 351218229598−37114
6Victory 46712104556153−9743[lower-alpha 2]15
7United Victory 237912164466−223914
8Valencia 235106194856−8366
9Foakaidhoo 23788213684−48326
10BG Sports Club 235612173356−233017
11Da Grande 1217683332+1285
12Nilandhoo SC 232832144114−70276
13G. Dh. Thinadhoo 1145362318+51814
14Sh. Milandhoo 1143561826−8146
15A. A. Maalhos 1142391840−2297
16B. Fehendhoo 19117230−28419
17Dh. Kudahuvadhoo 1140311640−3438
18Mahibadhoo 11402121247−35218
19Th. Thimarafushi 19018237−351110
Notes
  1. New Radiant were suspended from all football related activities before 2019–20 Dhivehi Premier League started, due to unpaid wages to the players and failing to pay fines to FIFA and FAM, resulting to relegation[1]
  2. Victory was docked 3 points for failing to pay over players' wages during 2018 Dhivehi Premier League[2]

Stadiums

Dhivehi Premier League football is played in 1 stadium; National Football Stadium with a capacity of 11,850 spectators.

Managers
Winning managers
Manager Club(s) Wins Winning years
Nikola Kavazović New Radiant 1 2015
Ali Suzain Maziya 1 2016
Óscar Bruzón New Radiant 1 2017
Mohamed Nizam TC Sports 1 2018
Marjan Sekulovski Maziya 1 2019–20

Players

Foreign players

Until 2014 season, all Maldivian clubs can have maximum of three foreign players each. But the FAM normalisation committee formed by FIFA decided that each team can have four foreign players including one Asian player.

Top scorers

References
  1. "Valencia makes a comeback to First Division". Raajje Mv. 15 January 2020. Retrieved 20 May 2020.
  2. "މުސާރަ މައްސަލައެއްގައި ފީފާއިން ވިކްޓަރީގެ ޕޮއިންޓް އުނިކޮށްފި" (in Divehi). FIGC. 21 February 2019. Retrieved 19 May 2020.
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