Country Bahrain | National team men's national team | |
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Governing body Bahrain Football Association | ||
The sport of football in the country of Bahrain is run by the Bahrain Football Association, and is by far, the most popular sport in the country.
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. The winners of the domestic championship qualify for the AFC Cup.
The league uses a promotion and relegation system 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, almost all games are played at the Bahrain National Stadium.
The bottom placed club is relegated with the team finishing second bottom entering a relegation/promotion playoff match. The most successful club in the league's history is Al-Muharraq SC. The current reigning champion of the 2011-2012 football season is Riffa club.