Saudi Professional League

The Saudi Professional League (Arabic: دوري المحترفين السعودي‎ Dawriyy al-Muḥtarifayni as-Suʿūdī), (SPL), is the top division of Association football league in Saudi Arabia. From 2013 to 2019 it was known as the Abdul Latif Jameel League, or Dawry Jameel, as it was sponsored by Abdul Latif Jameel for six years.[1][2][3][4]

Saudi Professional League
Founded1976 (1976)
CountrySaudi Arabia
ConfederationAFC
Number of teams16
Level on pyramid1
Relegation toMS League
Domestic cup(s)Kings Cup
Super Cup
International cup(s)AFC Champions League
UAFA Club Cup
GCC Champions League
Current championsAl-Hilal (16th title)
(2019–20)
Most championshipsAl-Hilal (16 titles)
Most appearancesMohamed Al-Deayea (406)
Top goalscorerOmar Al Soma (192 goals)
TV partnersKSA Sports
Websitehttp://www.spl.com.sa
Current: 2020–21 Saudi Professional League

The first season of the competition was the Saudi Professional League held in 1976,[5] Al Hilal is the most successful team, holding 16 titles in its history (2018–19).

History

Up until the late fifties, football in Saudi Arabia was organized on a regional basis, with the only nationwide tournament being the King's Cup. In 1957, the first nation league including regional tournament of central, west, east and north regions, where clubs compete in their region league to qualify for the king's cup, which is the final stage of the competition. The winner of the king's cup is considered the league winner.[6]

In 1981 it was decided to increase the number of clubs and add a second division. The league competition for the 1981–82, known as the ranking league, featured 18 clubs with the top eight qualifying for the first division and the bottom ten to the new second division. The number of first division clubs was later increased to 12 in the 1984–85 season.

In 1990 it was decided to revamp local competitions and to introduce professional football. A new league championship was formed called "The Custodian of The Two Holy Mosques League Cup", which was a two-stage championship. The first stage was a regular double round-robin league competition with the top 4 qualifying to the final knockout stage, called the golden square. Clubs were allowed to sign players on a professional basis making the league semi professional.

The league became professional in 2007.[7]

As of 2008, four teams from Saudi Arabia qualify for the AFC Champions League annually. This includes the top three teams of the league together with the winner of the Kings Cup. If the winner of the King Cup is also among the four top teams then the fourth best team qualifies to the extensions and if the winner of the King Cup is under the four top teams then the fourth team will not qualify and the third team will qualify for the extension.

Prize money:[8]

  • First place: 3,800,000 Saudi riyals
  • Second place: 2,000,000 Saudi riyals
  • Third place: 1,000,000 Saudi riyals

List of teams (2019–20 season)

For details on the 2019–20 Saudi Professional League season, see here.

Locations of teams in the 2019–20 Saudi Professional League
Note: Table lists in alphabetical order.
Team Location Stadium Capacity
Abha Abha Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Stadium 20,000[9]
Al-Adalah Al-Hasa Prince Abdullah bin Jalawi Stadium 26,000[10][11]
Al-Ahli Jeddah King Abdullah Sports City 62,345
Al-Ettifaq Dammam Prince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium 35,000[12]
Al-Faisaly Harmah Al Majma'ah Sports City 7,000
Al-Fateh Al-Hasa Prince Abdullah bin Jalawi Stadium 26,000[11]
Al-Fayha Al Majma'ah Al Majma'ah Sports City 7,000
Al-Hazem Ar Rass Al-Hazem Club Stadium 8,000[13]
Al-Hilal Riyadh King Fahd International Stadium 62,685
Al-Ittihad Jeddah King Abdullah Sports City 62,345
Al-Nassr Riyadh Marsool Park 25,000
Al-Raed Buraidah King Abdullah Sport City Stadium 23,600
Al-Shabab Riyadh King Fahd International Stadium 62,685
Al-Taawoun Buraidah King Abdullah Sport City Stadium 23,600
Al-Wehda Mecca King Abdul Aziz Stadium 38,000
Damac Khamis Mushait Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Stadium 20,000

1: ^ Al-Faisaly play their home games in Al Majma'ah.
2: ^ Al-Nassr and Al-Shabab also use Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium (22,500 seats) as a home stadium.
3: ^ Damac play their home games in Abha.

List of champions[14]
No Season Champion
11968–69Al-Ahli
21974–75Al-Nassr
-1975–76 Not continued
31976–77Al-Hilal
41977–78Al-Ahli
51978–79Al-Hilal
61979–80Al-Nassr
71980–81Al-Nassr
81981–82Al-Ittihad
91982–83Al-Ettifaq
101983–84Al-Ahli
111984–85Al-Hilal
121985–86Al-Hilal
131986–87Al-Ettifaq
141987–88Al-Hilal
151988–89Al-Nassr
161989–90Al-Hilal
No. Season Champion
171990–91Al-Shabab
181991–92Al-Shabab
191992–93Al-Shabab
201993–94Al-Nassr
211994–95Al-Nassr
221995–96Al-Hilal
231996–97Al-Ittihad
241997–98Al-Hilal
251998–99Al-Ittihad
261999–00Al-Ittihad
272000–01Al-Ittihad
282001–02Al-Hilal
292002–03Al-Ittihad
302003–04Al-Shabab
312004–05Al-Hilal
322005–06Al-Shabab
332006–07Al-Ittihad
No. Season Champion
342007–08Al-Hilal
352008–09Al-Ittihad
362009–10Al-Hilal
372010–11Al-Hilal
382011–12Al-Shabab
392012–13Al-Fateh
402013–14Al-Nassr
412014–15Al-Nassr
422015–16Al-Ahli
432016–17Al-Hilal
442017–18Al-Hilal
452018–19Al-Nassr
462019–20Al-Hilal

Performance by club

Most successful clubs
# Club Winners Runners-up
1Al-Hilal
16
15
2Al-Nassr
9
6
3Al Ittihad
8
7
4Al-Shabab
6
5
5Al-Ahli
4
9
6Al-Ettifaq
2
3
7Al-Fateh
1
0
8Al-Riyadh
0
1

Total titles won by city
City Number of titles Clubs
Riyadh
31
 Al-Hilal (16), Al-Nassr (9), Al-Shabab (6)
Jeddah
12
 Al-Ittihad (8), Al-Ahli (4)
Dammam
2
 Al-Ettifaq (2)
Al-Hasa
1
 Al-Fateh (1)

Top scorers

Most goals
As of matches played 15 January 2021[15][16]

Boldface indicates a player still active in the Pro League.

Rank Player Club(s) Years Goals Apps Ratio
1 Majed Abdullah Al-Nassr 1977–19971891940.97
2 Nasser Al-Shamrani Al-Wehda, Al-Shabab, Al-Hilal, Al-Ittihad 2003–20191673010.55
3 Omar Al Somah Al-Ahli 2014–1281430.94
4 Fahad Al-Hamdan Al-Riyadh 1985–20001202520.48
5 Yasser Al-Qahtani Al-Qadsiah, Al-Hilal 2000–20181122060.56
6 Mohammad Al-Sahlawi Al-Qadsiah, Al-Nassr, Al-Shabab, Al-Taawoun 2005–1062440.45
7 Sami Al-Jaber Al-Hilal 1988–20071012680.38
8 Hamzah Idris Ohod, Al-Ittihad 1992–200796N/A
9 Obeid Al-Dosari Al-Wehda, Al-Ahli 1996–200593N/A

Top scorers by season
Season Top Scorers Club Goals
1975–76 Mohammad S. AbdeliAl-Nassr13
1976–77 Nasser EidAl-Qadsiah12
1977–78 Motamad KhojaliAl-Ahli14
1978–79 Majed AbdullahAl-Nassr18
1979–80 Majed AbdullahAl-Nassr17
1980–81 Majed AbdullahAl-Nassr21
1981–82 Khalid Al-Ma'ajilAl-Shabab22
1982–83 Majed AbdullahAl-Nassr14
1983–84 Hussam Abu DawoodAl-Ahli14
1984–85 Hathal DosariAl-Hilal15
1985–86 Majed AbdullahAl-Nassr15
1986–87 Mohammad SuwaidiAl-Ittihad17
1987–88 Khalid Al-Ma'ajilAl-Shabab12
1988–89 Majed AbdullahAl-Nassr19
1989–90 Sami Al-JaberAl-Hilal16
1990–91 Fahad Al-MehallelAl-Shabab20
1991–92 Saeed Al-OwairanAl-Shabab16
1992–93 Sami Al-JaberAl-Hilal18
1993–94 Moussa NdaoAl-Hilal15
1994–95 Fahd Al-HamdanAl-Riyadh15
1995–96 Ohene KennedyAl-Nassr14
1996–97 Ahmed BahjaAl-Ittihad21
1997–98 Sulaiman Al-HadaithyAl-Najma15
1998–99 Obeid Al-DosariAl-Wehda20
1999–00 Hamzah IdrisAl-Ittihad33
2000–01 Paulo da SilvaAl-Ettifaq13
2001–02 Diene FayeAl-Riyadh10
2002–03 Carlos TenorioAl-Nassr15
2003–04
Godwin Attram
Kandia Traoré		Al-Shabab
Al-Hilal		15
2004–05 Mohammed MangaAl-Shabab15
2005–06 Essa Al-MehyaniAl-Wehda16
2006–07 Godwin AttramAl-Shabab13
2007–08 Nasser Al-ShamraniAl-Shabab18
2008–09
Nasser Al-Shamrani
Hicham Aboucherouane		Al-Shabab
Al-Ittihad		12
2009–10 Mohammad Al-ShalhoubAl-Hilal12
2010–11 Nasser Al-ShamraniAl-Shabab17
2011–12
Nasser Al-Shamrani
Victor Simões		Al-Shabab
Al-Ahli		21
2012–13 Sebastián TagliabuéAl-Shabab19
2013–14 Nasser Al-ShamraniAl-Hilal21
2014–15 Omar Al SomahAl-Ahli22
2015–16 Omar Al SomahAl-Ahli27
2016–17 Omar Al SomahAl-Ahli24
2017–18 Ronnie FernándezAl-Fayha13
2018–19 Abderrazak HamdallahAl-Nassr34
2019–20 Abderrazak HamdallahAl-Nassr29

See also

References
  1. Aboulkheir, Rajia (25 February 2015). "Meet Jameel, the Saudi Football League's new showman". Al Arabiya English. Retrieved 27 January 2019.
  2. "Abdul Latif Jameel marks a year of success at SIMS '13". Saudi Gazette. 3 January 2014. Retrieved 27 January 2019.
  3. "Jameel League sponsorship hits the target". Opening Doors. Abdul Latif Jameel. Winter 2016. Retrieved 27 January 2019.
  4. Varvodic, Marin (24 January 2016). "Al RiyadyaTV (Saudi Sport) – live on sat football via Nilesat 7°W". SportEventz. Retrieved 27 January 2019.
  5. "Live Scores – Clubs: Al Hilalclub_hint=Al Nassr". =FIFA.
  6. دوري المحترفين السعودي, ويكيبيديا، الموسوعة الحرة (in Arabic), 2019-05-16, retrieved 2019-05-18
  7. "Morocco's Abderrazak Hamdallah breaks scoring record in Saudi Arabia". 19 April 2019 – via www.bbc.co.uk.
  8. لائحة المسابقات والبطولات بالإتحاد العربي السعودي لكرة القدم [Regulations of Saudi Arabian Football Federation Competitions] (PDF) (in Arabic). Saudi Arabian Football Federation. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
  9. "Prince Sultan Sport City Stadium (Mahalah)".
  10. "ملعب الأحساء ينهي استعداداته لاستقبال العائلات".
  11. "Prince Abdullah bin Jalawi Sports City Stadium".
  12. "Prince Mohammed Bin Fahad Stadium".
  13. "Alhazm Club Stadium".
  14. "Saudi Arabia - List of Champions". www.rsssf.com. Retrieved 2019-11-26.
  15. "احصائيات هدافي الدوري تاريخيا والاكثر حصولا على لقب الهداف".
  16. "ماجد عبد الله، السهلاوي والقحطاني وأبرز الهدافيين التاريخيين في الدوري السعودي".
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