The 2019 Singapore Premier League (also known as the AIA Singapore Premier League due to sponsorship reasons) was the second season of the Singapore Premier League, the top-flight Singaporean professional league for association football clubs, since its rebranding in 2018. A major overhaul from the new FAS management was made from this season onwards to improve the standard of Singapore football.Football: Goodbye S-League, welcome Singapore Premier League Straits Times, 21 March 2018

Rules The following key changes were made to the rules for the 2019 season:

Singapore Premier League clubs could sign three imports from next season after the increase in foreign player quota was raised at the Football Association of Singapore's 36th Annual Congress From 2019, only four stadiums host regular matches. The 8 teams (excluding DPMM) will host the matches in the following stadiums. Our Tampines Hub (Tampines Rovers and Geylang International), Jalan Besar Stadium (Young Lions and Hougang United), Bishan Stadium (Home United and Balestier Khalsa) and Jurong East Stadium (Albirex Niigata and Warriors FC). For 2019, Albirex is allowed to sign as many locals as their budget allows. However, the club are only allowed one Singaporean over the age of 23. Also, Albirex must have two Singaporeans in their starting lineup for each game. Each team is now able to register up to 28 players in their squad, an increase of 3 players as compared to 2018.

Teams A total of 9 teams compete in the league. Albirex Niigata (S) and DPMM FC are invited foreign clubs from Japan and Brunei respectively. Despite large criticism and discussion against the Young Lions project, the Young Lions will continue to compete till 2019 for the purposes of training and preparing for the 2019 SEA Games. The criticism mainly focused on the poor performances every season by the largely youth team made up of Singapore Football's brightest prospects. Season-long consecutive losses against the rest of the more mature teams inflicts serious long-term consequences on the morale of the players, considering that most of these players are in the developmental ages of their footballing career. The new age restrictions imposed on the rest of the Singapore Premier League clubs could be seen as giving the Young Lions a better advantage in terms of seniority, but most critics and fans of Singapore football are still wanting the FAS to abolish the FAS-managed Young Lions and have them developed under the guidance of genuine local clubs.

Stadiums and locations

Team Stadium Capacity Albirex Niigata (S) Jurong East Stadium Balestier Khalsa Bishan Stadium DPMM FC Hassanal Bolkiah National Stadium Geylang International Our Tampines Hub Home United Bishan Stadium Hougang United Jalan Besar Stadium Tampines Rovers Our Tampines Hub Warriors FC Jurong East Stadium Young Lions Jalan Besar Stadium

Personnel and sponsors Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

Team Head coach Captain Kit manufacturer Main Shirt sponsor Albirex Niigata (S) Keiji Shigetomi Kyoga Nakamura Mizuno Canon Balestier Khalsa Marko Kraljević Zaiful Nizam Lotto Jeep DPMM FC Adrian Pennock Wardun Yussof Lotto Geylang International Mohd Noor Ali Yuki Ichikawa FBT Epson Home United Noh Rahman Izzdin Shafiq Puma Linco Investments Hougang United Clement Teo Zulfahmi Arifin Warrix Jalan Besar Stadium Tampines Rovers Kadir Yahaya Shahdan Sulaiman Hummel Hyunudai Avante Warriors FC Razif Bin Onn Khairul Nizam Joma Rhino Sports Young Lions Fandi Ahmad Joshua Pereira Nike -

Coaching changes Team Outgoing Head Coach Manner of Departure Date of Vacancy Position in table Incoming Head Coach Date of appointment Geylang International Hirotaka Usui End of exchange 29 September 2018 Pre-Season Mohd Noor Ali 21 December 2018 Home United Aidil Sharin Sahak Signed by Kedah FA 8 October 2018 Pre-Season Saswadimata Dasuki 3 December 2018 Tampines Rovers Jurgen Raab Sacked 9 October 2018 Pre-Season Gavin Lee 9 October 2018 Tampines Rovers Gavin Lee No license 9 October 2018 Pre-Season Kadir Yahaya 9 October 2018 DPMM FC Renê Weber Sacked 16 October 2018 Pre-Season Adrian Pennock 17 October 2018 Warriors FC Mirko Grabovac End of Contract 31 October 2018 Pre-Season Azlan Alipah 1 November 2018 Albirex Niigata (S) Kazuaki Yoshinaga End of contract 30 November 2018 Pre-Season Keiji Shigetomi 11 December 2018 Hougang United NA NA 28 December 2018 Pre-Season Clement Teo 28 December 2018 Balestier Khalsa Marko Kraljević Signed by Kelantan FA 26 January 2019 Pre-Season Khidhir Khamis 4 February 2019 Home United Saswadimata Dasuki Sacked 19 April 2019 7th Noh Rahman (interim) 19 April 2019 Home United Noh Rahman (interim) End of Caretaker 2 July 2019 6th Radojko Avramović 2 July 2019 Home United Radojko Avramović Step down (health reason) 18 August 2019 5th Noh Rahman (interim) 18 August 2019 Balestier Khalsa Khidhir Khamis Sacked 24 September 2019 9th Marko Kraljević 24 September 2019

Foreigners Singapore Premier League clubs could sign three imports from next season after the increase in foreign player quota was raised at the Football Association of Singapore's 36th Annual Congress

Albirex Niigata can sign up unlimited number of Singaporean players for the new season. Only 1 local player above 23 years old is allowed.

Players name in bold indicates the player was registered during the mid-season transfer window. Club Player 1 Player 2 Player 3 U21 Player 1 U21 Player 2 U21 Player 3 Former Players Albirex Niigata (S) Hyrulnizam Juma'at Noor Akid Nordin Daniel Martens Firas Irwan Zamani Zamri Gerald Ang Balestier Khalsa Kristijan Krajcek Sime Zuzul Sanjin Vrebac DPMM FC Blake Ricciuto Charlie Clough Andrey Varankow Geylang International Barry Maguire Yuki Ichikawa Matthew Palmer Morteza Safdari Corey Warren Home United Isaka Cernak Song Ui-young Oliver Puflett Hougang United Stipe Plazibat Kong Ho-won Paulin Mbaye Rafael Ramazotti Tampines Rovers Jordan Webb Ryutaro Megumi Zehrudin Mehmedović Mirza Delimeđac Warriors FC Jonathan Béhé Kento Fukuda Ryosuke Nagasawa

Note 1: Albirex, a Japanese club, is allowed to sign as many locals as their budget allows. However, the club are only allowed one Singaporean over the age of 23.

Note 2: DPMM FC, a Bruneian club, can sign 3 non-Bruneian foreigners.

Note 3: Singapore teams can sign 4 foreigners, of which 2 must be below 21 years old.

Results

League table

Statistics

Top scorers As of 29 September 2019. RankPlayerClubGoals1 Andrey VarankowDPMM FC212 Faris RamliHougang United163 Jordan WebbTampines Rovers154 Jonathan BéhéWarriors FC125 Hazzuwan HalimBalestier Khalsa106 Stipe PlazibatHougang United96 Blake RicciutoDPMM FC96 Gabriel QuakWarriors FC96 Sime ZuzulBalestier Khalsa96 Fareez FarhanGeylang International911 Shawal AnuarGeylang International811 Shahfiq GhaniHougang United813 Hiroyoshi KamataAlbirex Niigata (S)713 Kyoga NakamuraAlbirex Niigata (S)713 Shahril IshakHome United713 Zehrudin MehmedovićTampines Rovers7

Clean sheets As of 29 September 2019. RankPlayerClubClean sheets1 Wardun YussofDPMM FC102 Kengo FukudomeAlbirex Niigata (S)83 Syazwan BuhariTampines Rovers64 Nazri SabriHome United55 Ridhuan BarudinHougang United4

Hat-tricks Player For Against Result Date Reference Andrey Varankow 5 DPMM FC Balestier Khalsa 7–1 Andrey Varankow DPMM FC Warriors FC 3–0 Fareez Farhan Geylang International Hougang United 4–4 Shahfiq Ghani Hougang United DPMM FC 4–5

Note 4 Player scored 4 goals 5 Player scored 5 goals

Own goal Player Team Against Date Zulfahmi Arifin Hougang United Tampines Rovers Darren Teh Geylang International Balestier Khalsa Lionel Tan Young Lions Tampines Rovers Shah Shahiran Tampines Rovers Albirex Niigata (S) Hairul Syirhan Geylang International Warriors FC

Penalty missed Player For Against Date Shahdan Sulaiman Tampines Rovers Hougang United Taufik Suparno Tampines Rovers Home United Kyoga Nakamura Albirex Niigata (S) Warriors FC Faris Ramli Hougang United Balestier Khalsa Jonathan Béhé Warriors FC DPMM FC Sime Zuzul Balestier Khalsa Warriors FC Shahril Ishak Home United Balestier Khalsa Jordan Webb Tampines Rovers Albirex Niigata (S) Shahril Ishak Home United Hougang United Amy Recha Geylang International Home United

Awards

Monthly awards MonthPlayer of the MonthYoung Player of the MonthReferenceCoachClubPlayerClubApril Blake Ricciuto DPMM FC Kyoga Nakamura Albirex Niigata (S)May Gabriel Quak Warriors FC Kyoga Nakamura Albirex Niigata (S)June Shawal AnuarGeylang International Zikos ChuaGeylang InternationalJuly Christopher van HuizenGeylang International Zikos ChuaGeylang InternationalAugust Šime ŽužulBalestier Khalsa Jacob Mahler Young LionsSeptember Shahfiq GhaniHougang United Faizal RaffiWarriors FC

Singapore Premier League Awards night winners

Awards Winners ClubPlayer of the Year Faris RamliHougang UnitedYoung Player of the Year Hami SyahinHome UnitedCoach of the Year Adrian PennockDPMM FCTop Scorer Award Andrey VarankowDPMM FCFair Play AwardAlbirex Niigata (S)Referee of the Year Farhan Mohd

StraitsTime Team of the Year Goalkeeper Wardun Yussof (DPMM FC) Defence Nazrul Nazari (Hougang United) Kaishu Yamazaki (Albirex Niigata (S)) Yuki Ichikawa (Geylang International) Irwan Shah (Tampines Rovers) Midfield Blake Ricciuto (DPMM FC) Kyoga Nakamura (Albirex Niigata (S)) Shahdan Sulaiman (Tampines Rovers) Attack Gabriel Quak (Warriors FC) Faris Ramli (Hougang United) Andrei Varankou (DPMM FC)

AIA Team of the Year Goalkeeper Wardun Yussof (DPMM FC) Defence Nazrul Nazari (Hougang United) Kaishu Yamazaki (Albirex Niigata (S)) Charlie Clough (DPMM FC) Irwan Shah (Tampines Rovers) Midfield Blake Ricciuto (DPMM FC) Kyoga Nakamura (Albirex Niigata (S)) Shahdan Sulaiman (Tampines Rovers) Attack Shawal Anuar (Geylang International) Faris Ramli (Hougang United) Andrei Varankou (DPMM FC)

References

External links Football Association of Singapore website Singapore Premier League website