Lebanese Second Division

The Lebanese Second Division (Arabic: الدوري اللبناني الدرجة الثانية) is the second division of Lebanese football. Established in 1933, it is controlled by the Lebanese Football Association.[1] The 12 teams that participate in the league play each other twice, once at home and once away, with the champions and the second placed team qualifying to the Lebanese Premier League to replace the bottom two teams.

Lebanese Second Division
Organising bodyLebanese Football Association (LFA)
Founded1933; 91 years ago (1933)
CountryLebanon
ConfederationAFC
Number of teams12
Level on pyramid2
Promotion toLebanese Premier League
Relegation toLebanese Third Division
Domestic cup(s)Lebanese FA Cup
Current championsRiyadi Abbasiyah
(2023–24)
TV partnersFIFA+
Websitethe-lfa.com
Current: 2023–24 Lebanese Second Division

History edit

Salam Achrafieh won the inaugural edition of the Second Division, in 1933–34, after beating Ararad 2–0 in the final.[2] There was no promotion or relegation system at the time, so Salam Achrafieh remained in the Second Division.[2] In April 1935, Second Division clubs requested a promotion system to be implemented.[3] It was proposed that, at the end of the season, every Second Division team that wanted to be promoted to the First Division had to play against three teams from the First Division, one match each, winning all three.[3] The teams from the First Division had to have at least seven players from their previous season's squad.[3]

Clubs edit

Champions edit

The following is a list of Lebanese Second Division champions.[3][4]

No. Season Champion(s)
1 1933–34 Salam Achrafieh
2 1934–35 International
3 1935–36 International
4 1936–37 Salam Achrafieh
5 1937–38 Hilmi-Sport
6 1938–39 Racing Beirut
1939–40 Canceled
7 1940–41 Antranik B
8 1941–42 Shabiba Mazraa
9 1942–43
10 1943–44 Sagesse
11 1944–45
12 1945–46 Club de Gaulle
13 1946–47 Pagramian
14 1947–48 Sagesse
15 1948–49
1949–50 Canceled
16 1950–51 Nejmeh
1951 to 1953 Not in operation
No. Season Champion(s)
17 1953–54
18 1954–55
19 1955–56 Sagesse
20 1956–57
1957 to 1960 Not in operation
21 1959–60 Various[a]
22 1960–61 Various[b]
23 1961–62
24 1962–63 Various[c]
25 1963–64 Various
26 1964–65 Homenetmen BH
27 1965–66 Istiklal
28 1966–67 Istiklal
1967–68 Not contested
29 1968–69
30 1969–70
1970 to 1972 Not in operation
31 1972–73
1973–74 Canceled
No. Season Champion(s)
32 1974–75
1975 to 1987 Not in operation
33 1987–88 Mabarra
1988 to 1990 Not in operation
34 1990–91 Bourj
35 1991–92 Egtmaaey
36 1992–93 Akhaa Ahli Aley
37 1993–94 Harakat Shabab
38 1994–95 Riada Wal Adab
39 1995–96 Shabiba Mazraa
40 1996–97 Ahli Saida
41 1997–98 Salam Zgharta
42 1998–99 Sagesse
43 1999–2000 Racing Beirut
44 2000–01 Bourj
45 2001–02 Olympic Beirut
46 2002–03 Homenetmen
47 2003–04 Akhaa Ahli Aley
48 2004–05 Salam Zgharta
No. Season Champion
49 2005–06 Shabab Sahel
50 2006–07 Racing Beirut
51 2007–08 Salam Zgharta
52 2008–09 Ahli Saida
53 2009–10 Salam Sour
54 2010–11 Tripoli
55 2011–12 Egtmaaey
56 2012–13 Various[d]
57 2013–14 Various[e]
58 2014–15 Egtmaaey
59 2015–16 Tadamon Sour
60 2016–17 Shabab Arabi
61 2017–18 Shabab Sahel
62 2018–19 Bourj
63 2019–20 Not awarded
64 2020–21 Sporting
65 2021–22 Chabab Ghazieh
66 2022–23 Racing Beirut
67 2023–24 Riyadi Abbasiyah

2023–24 season edit

The following 12 clubs will compete in the Lebanese Second Division during the 2023–24 season.[5]

Team Home city Position in 2022–23
Akhaa Ahli Aley Aley 12th in the Premier League
BFA Sporting Beirut 4th
Bint Jbeil Bint Jbeil 6th
Egtmaaey Tripoli 9th
Irshad Chehim Shheem 1st in the Third Division
Islah Borj Shmali Tyre 3rd
Mabarra Beirut 10th
Nahda Barelias Bar Elias 8th
Riyadi Abbasiyah Aabbassiyeh 7th
Salam Zgharta Zgharta 11th in the Premier League
Shabab Baalbeck Baalbek 5th
Wehda Saadnayel Saadnayel 2nd in the Third Division

Media coverage edit

In 2019, Mycujoo stream a selection of Lebanese Second Division games weekly.[6] In October 2022, the LFA and FIFA signed an agreement to broadcast all matches in the Lebanese Second Division, Lebanese Super Cup and Lebanese Women's Football League, and some Lebanese Premier League, games through the FIFA+ platform.[7][8]

See also edit

Notes edit

  1. ^ Mount Lebanon: Nejmet Sahra
    Beirut: unknown
    South: unknown
    North: unknown
  2. ^ Mount Lebanon: Chark
    Beirut: Safa
    South: Tadamon Sour
    North: Amal
  3. ^ Mount Lebanon: Nejmet Sahra
    Beirut: unknown
    South: unknown
    North: unknown
  4. ^ Group A: Salam Zgharta
    Group B: Mabarra
  5. ^ Group A: Chabab Ghazieh
    Group B: Nabi Chit

References edit

  1. ^ Henshaw 1979, p. 420.
  2. ^ a b Sakr 1992, p. 21.
  3. ^ a b c d Sakr 1992, p. 25.
  4. ^ Nehme, Ale. "Lebanon – List of Second Level Champions". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 30 July 2022. Retrieved 7 November 2020.
  5. ^ "Lebanese Second Division 2021/2022 - Results, fixtures, tables and stats - Global Sports Archive". globalsportsarchive.com. Archived from the original on 15 June 2022. Retrieved 15 June 2022.
  6. ^ "mycujoo live football streaming: Watch Football Online". mycujoo.tv. Archived from the original on 14 March 2020. Retrieved 15 March 2019.
  7. ^ Khaled, Nasser (26 October 2022). اتفاقية تعاون بين الفيفا والاتحاد اللبناني [A cooperation agreement between FIFA and the Lebanese Football Association]. Kooora (in Arabic). Archived from the original on 28 October 2022. Retrieved 28 October 2022.
  8. ^ الاتحاد اللبناني لكرة القدم وFIFA+ يلتزمان بالنقل الحي للمباريات والمزيد من الفعاليات لجماهير كرة القدم حول العالم [The Lebanese Football Association and FIFA+ commit to live broadcasts of matches and more events for football fans around the world]. Lebanese Football Association (in Arabic). 29 October 2022. Archived from the original on 29 October 2022. Retrieved 29 October 2022.

Bibliography edit

External links edit