The 2018–19 Gibraltar Premier Division was the 120th season of the top-tier state football league in Gibraltar, as well as the sixth season since the Gibraltar Football Association joined UEFA in 2013. The league was contested by ten clubs, and began on 13 August 2018.
Lincoln Red Imps were the reigning champions, having won their 23rd title the previous season. They competed in the UEFA Champions League qualifiers, while Europa and St Joseph's contested the UEFA Europa League qualifiers. The season was marred by revelations of betting rules violations by a host of players and coaches at a number of clubs.
Format The ten Premier Division clubs played each other three times for a total of 27 matches each. The tenth-placed team in the league would be relegated and the ninth-placed team in the league would enter a playoff with the second-placed team from the Second Division for a place in the 2019–20 Premier Division.
The champions earned a place in the preliminary round of the 2019–20 Champions League, and the second–placed club earned a place in the preliminary round of the 2019–20 Europa League. This season also saw the expansion of the Home Grown Player Rule to require all teams to have a minimum of three Gibraltarian players on the field of play at all times, as well as introducing a maximum registered squad size of 25 players. However, the introduction of the Gibraltar Intermediate League allows them to register a reserve squad of 18 players, of which 13 must be Gibraltarian.
Violations of betting rules Starting in November, the Gibraltar FA began issuing a number of bans following an in-depth investigation of suspected betting rule violations by players and coaches. At first, several Europa players, including Rubo Blanco, Iván Moya and manager Juan José Gallardo, were bannedEuropa FC players banned for up to seven years for irregular betting activities GBC.gi. 4 January 2019. Retrieved 3 April 2019. Following this, Lincoln Red Imps manager Yiyi Pérez was also suspendedFootball coach and player found guilty of breaches in betting rule Gibraltar Chronicle. 22 November 2018. Retrieved 3 April 2019. In March 2019, Lions Gibraltar and Gibraltar Phoenix players including Rafael Bado and Juan Manuel Llaves received bans.6 players Guilty of breaching the GFA's Betting Rules Gibraltar FA. 28 March 2019. Retrieved 3 April 2019. On 12 April 4 further players from Boca Gibraltar, Gibraltar United and Manchester 62, as well as former St Joseph's and Glacis United manager Alfonso Cortijo, received bans.4 players & a coach guilty of breaching the GFA's betting rules Gibraltar FA. 12 April 2019. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
Teams
At the conclusion of the previous season, Manchester 62 were relegated. Boca Gibraltar took their place, having won the Second Division title and earning promotion for the first time in their history.
Lynx finished 9th the previous season, leaving them to face the runners up in the Second Division, FC Olympique 13, in a play-off. Lynx won the play-off 2–0 on 8 June 2018 to secure their status in the Premier Division.
Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality. Team Manager Captain Kit manufacturer Club sponsor 2017–18 D2, 1st 2nd 6th 4th 7th 1st 8th 9th 5th 3rd Ñito Jiménez replaced Blas Álvarez as Gibraltar Phoenix captain after the latter was banned by the GFA for the remainder of the season, while Alberto Caravaca replaced Kalian Perez as Lions Gibraltar captain after Perez was banned for 16 months.
Managerial changes TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyPosition in tableIncoming managerDate of appointment Gibraltar Phoenix Mutual consent 8 June 2018 Pre-season 15 June 2018 Glacis United Signed by CD San Roque 26 June 2018 Lions Gibraltar Mutual consent 29 June 2018 29 June 2018 Gibraltar United Resigned 13 July 2018Farewell Manolo Gibraltar United. 13 July 2018. Retrieved 13 July 2018. 14 July 2018 Glacis United 9 August 2018 10 August 2018 Lincoln Red Imps SuspendedFootball coach and player found guilty of breaches in betting rule Gibraltar Chronicle. 22 November 2018. Retrieved 27 November 2018 8 November 2018 2nd 8 November 2018 Glacis United ResignedAlfonso Cortijo resigns due to personal reasons Gibraltar Chronicle Sports on Twitter. 9 November 2018. Retrieved 27 November 2018. 9 November 2018 7th December 2018 Europa Suspendedimplacable contra el amaño de partidos. Cinco jugadores del Europa FC y un técnico, suspendidos. FUTBOLEROS POR EL MUNDO (Spanish). 23 November 2018. Retrieved 27 November 2018. 23 November 2018 1st 23 November 2018 Lincoln Red Imps Resigned 12 December 2018Stephen Head and Mick McElwee to take charge of Lions game Football Gibraltar on Twitter. 12 December 2018. Retrieved 12 December 2018. 2nd 13 December 2018Victor Afonso appointed Lincoln manager Lincoln Red Imps on Twitter. 13 December 2018. Retrieved 13 December 2018. Boca Gibraltar 18 December 2018Farewell Juanjo Boca Gibraltar on Twitter. 18 December 2018. Retrieved 18 December 2018. 9th 19 December 2018Welcome Allen Bula Boca Gibraltar on Twitter. 19 December 2018. Retrieved 19 December 2018. Gibraltar United Sacked 6 January 2019 4th 7 January 2019 Europa Mutual consent 5 February 2019 2nd 6 February 2019El Europa de Gibraltar tienta a Rafa Escobar con una "oferta irrechazable" EuropaSur. 5 February 2019. Retrieved 6 February 2019.
League table
Results
Matches 1–18
Matches 19–27
Season statistics
Scoring
Top scorers RankPlayerClubGoals1 BoroSt Joseph's212 JuanfriSt Joseph's203 PibeMons Calpe184 Leonardo CarboniMons Calpe165 Tjay De BarrEuropa146 Urko ArroyoEuropa12 Liam WalkerEuropa8 Joseph ChipolinaLincoln Red Imps11 LabraGibraltar Phoenix10 Manuel AranaEuropa10 Héctor FigueroaLincoln Red Imps Raúl SeguraGibraltar Phoenix
Hat-tricks Player For Against Result Date Lincoln Red Imps Lions Gibraltar 3–0 (H) 4 St Joseph's Lynx 7–1 (H) Lincoln Red Imps Gibraltar United 5–1 (A) Mons Calpe Lions Gibraltar 4–0 (A) Gibraltar Phoenix Glacis United 6–0 (H) Lincoln Red Imps Boca Gibraltar 11–0 (A) Lincoln Red Imps Boca Gibraltar 11–0 (A) St Joseph's Glacis United 8–0 (H) St Joseph's Boca Gibraltar 10–1 (H) St Joseph's Boca Gibraltar 10–1 (H) Mons Calpe Boca Gibraltar 5–0 (A) Gibraltar United Boca Gibraltar 7–0 (H) Mons Calpe Lions Gibraltar 6–0 (H) Europa Lynx 5-0 (H) Mons Calpe Gibraltar United 5-2 (H) Lincoln Red Imps Boca Gibraltar 10–0 (H) Lions Gibraltar Boca Gibraltar 7-0 (A) 4 Europa Boca Gibraltar 13-1 (H) 4 Europa Boca Gibraltar 13-1 (H)
Clean Sheets RankPlayerClubClean sheets1 Javi MuñozEuropa9 Jamie RobbaSt Joseph's3 Matt CaferGibraltar Phoenix8 Manuel SolerLincoln Red Imps Marcos ZappacostaMons Calpe6 Kyle GoldwinGibraltar United77 BorjaGlacis United58 Dayle ColeingEuropa4 Jaylan HankinsLincoln Red Imps10 Álex CaroLynx3 Sebastian Andres LallanaLynx
Awards
Monthly awards No league football was played in September 2018 due to the international break and the Gibraltar Music Festival. MonthManager of the MonthPlayer of the MonthReferenceManagerClubPlayerClubAugust Yiyi PérezLincoln Red Imps Joseph ChipolinaLincoln Red ImpsOctober Juan Maria SánchezGibraltar PhoenixEuropaNovember Raúl Procopio BaizánSt Joseph's JuanfriSt Joseph'sDecember Raúl Procopio BaizánSt Joseph's BoroSt Joseph'sJanuary Luis Manuel BlancoMons Calpe PibeMons CalpeFebruary Víctor AfonsoLincoln Red Imps Kike GómezLincoln Red ImpsMarch Rafa EscobarEuropa Álex QuilloEuropaApril Víctor AfonsoLincoln Red Imps Sergio MolinaLincoln Red Imps
End-of-season awards End of season awards were handed out by Football Gibraltar, the Gibraltar Football Association's official UEFA correspondents, on 28 May and 2 June.
Award Winner Club Manager of the Season Raúl Procopio Baizán St Joseph's Goalkeeper of the Season Jamie Robba St Joseph's Defender of the Season Bernardo Lopes Lincoln Red Imps Midfielder of the Season Mustapha Yahaya Europa Striker of the Season Boro St Joseph's Player of the Season Bernardo Lopes Lincoln Red Imps Young Player of the Season Tjay De Barr Europa Fans' Player of the Season Bernardo Lopes Lincoln Red Imps Fans' Young Player of the Season Tjay De Barr Europa
See also 2018–19 Gibraltar Second Division 2018–19 Gibraltar Intermediate League
References
External links soccerway Gibraltar Football Association