Qatar Stars League

Qatar Stars League
Country	Qatar
Confederation	AFC
Founded	1963
Number of teams	12
Relegation to	Second Division League
Level on pyramid	1
Domestic cup(s)	Emir Cup Crown Prince Cup Sheikh Jassem Cup
AFC cup(s)	AFC Champions League AFC Cup GCC Champions League
Current champions	Al-Duhail (8th title) ( 2022–23)
TV	beIN Sports Alkass Sports
Website	Official website
2023–24

The Stars League, formerly known as the Q-League, is the highest professional league in Qatari football, with the next and second tier being the Second Division 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.

League Structure

The 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.

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' season's.

It was announced on 15 April 2009 that no clubs would be relegated from the top flight in the Qatari League 2008-09 season, due to expansion reasons, however the announcement was made with only one game remaining. The Qatar Stars League, previously known as the Q-League currently features 12 teams, with the 2nd division featuring 6 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.

Stars League Member Clubs

Table as of 2015–16 Season:

Qatar Stars League
Club	Location	Stadium	Year Formed
Al Ahli Doha	Doha	Khalifa International Stadium	1950
Al-Arabi Doha	Doha	Grand Hamad Stadium	1952
Al-Gharafa	Al-Gharafa, Al Rayyan	Thani bin Jassim Stadium	1979
Al Kharaitiyat	Al Kharaitiyat, Umm Salal	Al-Khawr Stadium	1996
Al-Khor	Al Khor City, Al Khor	Al-Khawr Stadium	1961
Al Rayyan	Al Rayyan	Ahmed bin Ali Stadium	1967
Al Sadd	Al Sadd, Doha	Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium	1969
Al Sailiya	Doha	Ahmed bin Ali Stadium	1995
Al-Wakrah	Al Wakrah	Al-Wakrah Stadium	1959
El Jaish (Army Club)	Duhail, Doha	Suhaim bin Hamad Stadium	2007
Lekhwiya	Doha	Al-Gharafa Stadium	2009
Mesaimeer	Mesaimeer, Al Rayyan	Al-Sailiya Stadium	1998
Qatar SC	Al Dafna, Doha	Suhaim bin Hamad Stadium	1959
Umm Salal	Umm Salal	Grand Hamad Stadium	1996

• Al-Maref, a club representing the Ministry of Education and composed entirely of foreigners, was dissolved in 1966-67 by decision of the QFA and its players distributed to other clubs;
• In 1971-72 Al-Wehda and Al-Tahrir merged into Al-Arabi SC;
• In 1971-72 Al-Ahli and Al-Najha merged into Al Ahli SC;
• In 1971-72 Al-Oruba and Al Nasour merged into Al-Esteqlal, which was renamed Qatar SC again in 1981
• Al-Qadisiya renamed as Al-Sailiya SC in 2003
• Al Ittihad Doha renamed as Al-Gharafa SC in 2004
• Al-Hilal renamed as Al-Kharitiyath SC in 2004
• Al-Tadamun renamed as Umm Salal SC in 2004
• Al-Ittifaq renamed as Al-Markhiya in 2004
• Al-Shoala renamed as Al-Mesaimeer in 2004
• Al-Nasr renamed as Al-Shahaniya in 2004
• Al-Shabab renamed as Muaither SC in 2004

Championship history

• 1963-64 : Al-Maref
• 1964-65 : Al-Maref
• 1965-66 : Al-Maref
• 1966-67 : Al-Oruba
• 1967-68 : Al-Oruba
• 1968-69 : Al-Oruba
• 1969-70 : Al-Oruba
• 1970-71 : Al-Oruba
• 1971-72 : Al-Sadd SC
• 1972-73 : Al-Esteqlal
• 1973-74 : Al-Sadd SC
• 1974/75 : no champion
• 1975-76 : Al-Rayyan SC
• 1976-77 : Al-Esteqlal
• 1977-78 : Al-Rayyan SC
• 1978-79 : Al-Sadd SC
• 1979-80 : Al-Sadd SC
• 1980-81 : Al-Sadd SC
• 1981-82 : Al-Rayyan SC
• 1982-83 : Al-Arabi SC
• 1983-84 : Al-Rayyan SC
• 1984-85 : Al-Arabi SC
• 1985-86 : Al-Rayyan SC
• 1986-87 : Al-Sadd SC
• 1987-88 : Al-Sadd SC
• 1988-89 : Al-Sadd SC
• 1989-90 : Al-Rayyan SC
• 1990-91 : Al-Arabi SC
• 1991-92 : Al-Ittihad
• 1992-93 : Al-Arabi SC
• 1993-94 : Al-Arabi SC
• 1994-95 : Al-Rayyan SC
• 1995-96 : Al-Arabi SC
• 1996-97 : Al-Arabi SC
• 1997-98 : Al-Ittihad
• 1998-99 : Al-Wakrah SC
• 1999-2000 : Al-Sadd SC
• 2000-01 : Al-Wakrah SC
• 2001-02 : Al-Ittihad
• 2002-03 : Qatar SC
• 2003-04 : Al-Sadd SC
• 2004-05 : Al-Gharafa SC
• 2005-06 : Al-Sadd SC
• 2006-07 : Al-Sadd SC
• 2007-08 : Al-Gharafa SC
• 2008-09 : Al-Gharafa SC
• 2009-10 : Al-Gharafa SC
• 2010-11 : Lekhwiya SC
• 2011-12 : Lekhwiya SC
• 2012-13 : Al-Sadd SC
• 2013-14 : Lekhwiya SC
• 2014-15 : Lekhwiya SC
• 2015-16 : Al-Rayan
• 2016-17 : Lekhwiya SC

Most successful clubs

#	Club	Champions	Runners-Up
1	Al-Sadd	12	4
2	Qatar SC	8	5
3	Al-Rayyan Sports Club	7	5
4	Al-Gharafa Sports Club	7	2
5	Al-Arabi Sports Club	7	1
6	Al Maref	3	0
7	Al-Wakrah Sports Club	2	0
8	Al-Ahli (Doha)	0	1

Total titles won by town or city

Town or city	Number of titles	Clubs
Doha	36	Al-Sadd SC (13), Qatar SC (8), Al-Arabi SC (7), Lekhwiya SC (5), Al Maref (3)
Al Rayyan	15	Al-Rayyan SC (8), Al-Gharafa SC (7)
Al Wakrah	2	Al-Wakrah Sports Club (2)

Total titles won by region

Region	Number of titles	Clubs
Doha	36	Al-Sadd (12), Qatar SC (8), Al-Gharafa Sports Club (7), Al-Arabi Sports Club (7), Al Maref (3)
Ar Rayyan	7	Al-Rayyan Sports Club (7)
Al Wakrah	2	Al-Wakrah Sports Club (2)
Al Ghuwariyah	-
Al Jumaliyah	-
Al Khawr	-
Jariyan al Batnah	-
Madinat ash Shamal	-
Umm Salal	-
Mesaieed	-

Topscorers

Year		Best scorers	Team	Goals
1980/81		Hassan Mattar	Al-Sadd	9
1981/82		Mansour Muftah	Al-Rayyan	19
1982/83		Mansour Muftah	Al-Rayyan	10
1983/84		Mansour Muftah	Al-Rayyan	7
1984/85		Ahmed Yaqoub	Al-Arabi	7
1985/86		Mansour Muftah	Al-Rayyan	20
1986/87		Hassan Sabela	Al-Ahli	9
1987/88		Hassan Jowhar	Al-Sadd	11
1988/89		Farshad Pious	Al-Ahli	9
1989/90		Marco Antônio	Al-Arabi	10
1990/91		Mahmoud Soufi	Al-Ittihad	10
1991/92		Mubarak Mustafa	Al-Arabi	8
1992/93		Mubarak Mustafa	Al-Arabi	9
1993/94		Ahmed Radhi	Al-Wakra	16
1994/95		Mohammed Salem Al-Enazi	Al-Rayyan	9
1995/96		Richard Owebukeri	Al-Arabi	16
1996/97		Mubarak Mustafa	Al-Arabi	11
1997/98		Hussein Amouta	Al-Sadd	10
1998/99		Fabrice Akwa	Al-Wakra	11
1999/00		Mohammed Salem Al-Enazi	Al-Rayyan	14
2000/01		Mamoun Diop	Al-Wakra	14
2001/02		Rachid Amrane	Al-Ittihad	16
2002/03		Rachid Rokki	Al-Khor	15
2003/04		Gabriel Batistuta	Al-Arabi	25
2004/05		Sonny Anderson	Al-Rayyan	20
2005/06		Carlos Tenorio	Al-Sadd	21
2006/07		Younis Mahmoud	Al-Gharafa	24
2007/08		Clemerson de Araújo	Al-Gharafa	27
2008/09		Magno Alves	Umm-Salal Sports Club	25
2009/10		Cabore Younis Mahmoud	Al-Arabi Al-Gharafa	21
2011–12		Adriano	El Jaish SC	18
2012–13		Sebastián Soria	Lekhwiya SC	19
2013–14		Dioko Kaluyituka	Al Ahli SC	22
2014–15		Dioko Kaluyituka	Al Ahli SC	25
2015–16		Abderrazak Hamdallah Rodrigo Tabata	El Jaish SC Al Rayyan	21
2016–17		Baghdad Bounedjah Youssef El-Arabi	Al-Sadd Lekhwiya	24

External links

• QSL Official website (English)
• QFA Official website (English)
• Qatar League - goalzz.com
• News About the Qatar League

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