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]
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 Classification League, 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 |
See also
References
- ^ "Team sports in Bahrain". TimeOut Bahrain. Retrieved 1 July 2012.
- ^ "Football in Bahrain: A house divided". The Economist. 2011-08-13. Retrieved 2014-03-02.
- ^ Bahraini Premier League, Goalzz.com, retrieved on 15 June 2012.
- ^ "Flashback: When Bahrain stunned the continent to reach the 2004 AFC Asian Cup Semi-finals". 3 August 2017.
- ^ "When Bahrain stunned the continent to reach the 2004 AFC Asian Cup semi-finals". 3 August 2017.
| National teams |
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| League system |
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| Domestic cups |
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