Country | Qatar |
---|---|
Confederation | AFC |
Founded | 1963 |
Number of teams | 14 |
Level on pyramid | 1 |
Relegation to | Qatargas League |
Domestic cup(s) |
Emir Cup Crown Prince Cup Sheikh Jassem Cup |
International cup(s) |
AFC Champions League AFC Cup GCC Champions League |
Current champions |
Lekhwiya SC (5th title) (2016–17) |
Most championships | Al-Sadd SC (13 titles) |
TV partners | Al Jazeera Sports, Al-Kass |
Website | qsl.com.qa |
2016–17 Qatar Stars League |
The Qatar Stars League (Arabic: دوري نجوم قطر), formerly known as the Q-League (Arabic: س الدوري), is the highest professional league in Qatari football, with the next tier being the Qatargas League. The league's first season was played in 1963, although the first official season occurred in 1972. The league's most recent winner was Lekhwiya SC, and the club who has won the most cumulative championships is Al Sadd SC, with 12. The league currently features 14 clubs, with one club being demoted to make room for one club being promoted.
The Qatari league system provides 4 domestic cups that these clubs are able to participate in: the Emir of Qatar Cup, open to all teams in both the first and second divisions, the Qatar Crown Prince Cup a postseason tournament played by the top four first division teams, the Sheikh Jassem Cup, a prelude to the first division regular season, and the Qatari Stars Cup, a round-robin tournament played midseason. The league title has been won by 8 different clubs since its inception.
There are 2 divisions in the Qatari football structure and the league has previously seen one club promoted and relegated each year except in expansion seasons. The Qatar Stars League, previously known as the Q-League currently features 14 teams, with the 2nd division featuring 18 teams. The top four clubs at the end of the regular league system participate in the Qatar Crown Prince Cup, which was formed in the 1994/95 season.
The Qatar Stars League has slowly expanded since the turn of the decade moving from 9 clubs to 10 clubs, and then latest setup of 12 clubs for the Qatari League 2009-10 campaign. It was announced that in the 2013-14 season, the number of clubs in the top division would increase to 14, whereas the second division would increase to 18 clubs which includes the reserve teams of the top division clubs.