Réunion Premier League
Founded | 1950 |
---|---|
Country | Réunion |
Confederation | CAF |
Number of teams | 14 |
Level on pyramid | 1 |
Domestic cup(s) | Coupe de la Réunion Coupe de France |
International cup(s) | Champions League Confederation Cup |
Current champions | JS Saint-Pierroise (2015) |
Most championships | JS Saint-Pierroise (17) |
Website | Official site |
Réunion Premier League is the top division of football on the French overseas territory of Réunion. The league is run and managed by the Ligue de Football de la Réunion under the watch of the French Football Federation. Réunion Premier League was created in 1950 and the most successful club is JS Saint-Pierroise, who have won 17 league titles. The defending champions are JS Saint-Pierroise. The winner of the competition earns a berth in the CAF Champions League. In the French pyramid system, the Réunion Premier League is positioned in the Division d'Honneur, the sixth level of French football.
The league has produced several professional Ligue 1 players, as well as players who have gone on to have successful careers abroad. Players such as Jean-Pierre Bade, Guillaume Hoarau, Florent Sinama-Pongolle, Dimitri Payet, and Jean-Pascal Fontaine all began their careers on the island before achieving success abroad.
Competition format
There are 14 clubs in the Réunion Premier League. During the course of a season, usually from March to November, each club plays the others twice, once at their home stadium and once at that of their opponents, for a total of 26 games. Like all other amateur leagues in France, the league operates using a 4–2–1 points system meaning four points for a win, two for a draw, and one for a defeat. If points are equal following the season, the goal difference and then goals scored determine the winner. If still equal, teams are deemed to occupy the same position. If there is a tie for the championship, for relegation, or for qualification to other competitions, a play-off match at a neutral venue decides rank. The two lowest placed teams are relegated to second division and the top two teams from the second division are promoted in their place.
The Ligue de Football de la Réunion runs the Coupe de la Réunion, which is the national cup of the territory. The organization also runs a Coupe de France cup competition that is independent to the Coupe de la Réunion. The Coupe de France competition serves as qualifying rounds for the actual Coupe de France. The competition usually lasts six rounds and the winner of the competition qualifies for the 7th round of the Coupe de France.
Premier League Clubs 2016
Previous winners
Performance by club
Club | City | Titles | Last Title |
---|---|---|---|
JS Saint-Pierroise | Saint-Pierre | 17 | 2015 |
SS Saint-Louisienne | Saint-Louis | 16 | 2012 |
US Stade Tamponnaise | Le Tampon | 10 | 2010 |
Saint-Pauloise FC | Saint-Paul | 7 | 2014 |
SS Patriote | Saint-Denis | 6 | 1962 |
CS Saint-Denis | Saint-Denis | 5 | 1996 |
SS Excelsior | Saint-Joseph | 1 | 1974 |
SS Jeanne d'Arc | Saint-Pierre | 1 | 1952 |
AS Marsouins | Saint-Leu | 1 | 2000 |
FC Ouest | Saint-Paul | 1 | 1977 |
US Sainte-Marienne | Sainte-Marie | 1 | 2013 |
Top scorers
Year | Best scorers | Team | Goals |
2001 | Bernard Lacollay | AS Marsouins | 21 |
2002 | Farid Kekar | US Possession | 19 |
2003 | Willy Robert | SS Saint-Pauloise | 20 |
2004 | Moussa Traoré | US Stade Tamponnaise | 14 |
2005 | Willy Visnelda | SS Saint-Louisienne | 12 |
2007 | Antoine Rasolofo | AS Marsouins | 19 |
2008 | Quentin Boesso | JS Saint-Pierroise | 23 |
2009 | Britton Mandilimana | US Sainte-Marienne | 20 |
2010 | Praxis Rabemananjara | Saint-Denis FC | 12 |
2011 | Mohamed El-Madaghri | US Stade Tamponnaise | 11 |
2012 | Georges Ba | SS Saint-Louisienne | 9 |
2013 | Faissal Zaghar | SS Saint-Louisienne | 13 |