2018–19 Bangladesh Premier League (football)
The 2018–19 Bangladesh Premier League[3] (also known as TVS Bangladesh Premier League for sponsorship reason) was the 11th season of the Bangladesh Premier League since its establishment in 2007. A total of 13 football clubs competed in the league. Dhaka Abahani were the defending champions. Bashundhara Kings and NoFeL Sporting Club were entered as the promoted teams from the 2017 Bangladesh Championship League. The league was delayed[3][1] and was rescheduled to start from 18 January 2019.[1] Six venues hosted the matches.
| Season | 2018–19 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 18 January 2019[1] – 3 August 2019[2] |
| Champions | Bashundhara Kings (1st title) |
| Relegated | Team BJMC NoFeL Sporting Club |
| AFC Cup | Bashundhara Kings Dhaka Abahani |
| Matches played | 156 |
| Goals scored | 439 (2.81 per match) |
| Best Player |  Daniel Colindres |
| Top goalscorer | 22 goals Raphael Odovin Onwrebe |
| Best goalkeeper |  Ashraful Islam Rana |
| Biggest home win | Bashundhara Kings 5–0 Brothers Union (16 July 2019) |
| Biggest away win | Muktijoddha Sangsad KC 1–6 Sheikh Russel KC (24 July 2019) |
| Highest scoring | Arambagh KS 6–3 Rahmatganj MFS (20 July 2019) |
| Longest winning run | 14 matches Bashundhara Kings |
| Longest unbeaten run | 20 matches Bashundhara Kings |
| Longest winless run | 15 matches Team BJMC |
| Longest losing run | 7 matches Brothers Union |
← 2017–18 2019-20 → | |
Debutant Bashundhara Kings clinched their first title.
Rule changes
Bangladesh became the latest member association to adopt AFC's 3+1 rule which will allow clubs to recruit one player of Asian origin in addition to their regular quota of three foreigners.
The Bangladesh Football Federation executive committee decided to embrace the new AFC rule which encourages the mobility of talented Asian players and provides a fillip to the regional game.[4]
Teams
Twelve teams were competed In previous season. This season, thirteen teams competed in the league, – the top eleven teams from the previous season and the two teams promoted from the Championship. The promoted teams were Bashundhara Kings and NoFeL Sporting Club (both the teams are playing BPL for the first time). They replaced Farashganj SC.
Stadiums and locations
FIFA and the AFC directed the BFF that matches of the professional league would have to organize at least five different venues.
Primarily, teams have applied for eight venues to the BFF. Abahani Limited, Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club and Mohammedan Sporting Club, choose Bangabandhu National Stadium as their home venue. Arambagh and Saif Sporting Club applied for Mymensingh Stadium, Rahmatganj and Brothers for Birsreshtha Kamlapur Stadium, or Goplaganj Stadium, Sheikh Russel, Muktijoddha, newcomers Bashundhara Kings applied for Nilphamari Stadium, NOFEL for Noakhali, or MA Aziz Stadium in Chittagong, Team BJMC and Chittagong Abahani wanted Rajshahi Stadium as their home venue.[5] After inspecting the facilities of these applied venues, BFF has sanctioned the following six stadiums for clubs:
Personnel and sponsoring
| Team | Head Coach | Captain | Shirt sponsor | Kit manufacturer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arambagh KS | Maruful Haque[6] |
Rabiul Hasan |
– |
|
| Bashundhara Kings |  Óscar Bruzón[7] |
Daniel Colindres |
Bashundhara Group | |
| Brothers Union | Mohidur Rahman |
Emrul Hasan |
Biswas Builders Limited & NovoAir | |
| Chittagong Abahani Limited | Zulfiker Mahmud Mintu |
Monaem Khan Raju |
Saif Power Battery | |
| Dhaka Abahani Limited |  Mário Lemos |
Shahidul Alam Sohel |
– |
FBT |
| Dhaka Mohammedan SC Limited |  Sean Lane |
Jahid Hasan Ameli |
K–Sports | Prime Sports |
| Lt.Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club Limited | Shafiqul Islam Manik |
 Solomon King Kanform |
A4 Bashundhara Paper | |
| Muktijoddha Sangsad KC | Abdul Qaium Sentu[8] |
Anik Ahmed |
– |
|
| NoFeL Sporting Club | Kamal Babu |
Monsur Alam |
Saif Power Battery | |
| Rahmatganj MFS | Syed Golam Jilani |
Monday Osagie |
Tiger Cement | |
| Saif Sporting Club | .svg.png.webp){kind=small} Johnny McKinstry |
Jamal Bhuyan |
Saif Power Battery | |
| Sheikh Russel KC | Saiful Bari Titu[9] |
Ashraful Islam Rana |
Bashundhara Cement | |
| Team BJMC | Jahidul Islam Milon |
Samson Iliasu |
– |
Coaching changes
| Team | Outgoing coach | Manner of departure | Date of vacancy | Week | Table | Incoming coach | Date of appointment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dhaka Mohammedan | Ali Asgar Nasir |
Resigned | 16 February 2019 | 6 | 11 | Sean Lane |
4 April 2019 |
| Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club | Joseph Afusi |
End of contract | 29 April 2019 | 13 | 7 | Shafiqul Islam Manik |
1 May 2019 |
| Brothers Union |  Syed Nayeemuddin |
– | – | 13 | 11 | Mohidur Rahman |
– |
Foreign players
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.svg.png.webp){kind=small}
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bashundhara Kings (C, Q) | 24 | 20 | 3 | 1 | 54 | 14 | +40 | 63 | Qualification for AFC Cup group stage |
| 2 | Dhaka Abahani Ltd. (Q) | 24 | 19 | 1 | 4 | 60 | 28 | +32 | 58 | Qualification for AFC Cup preliminary round 2 |
| 3 | Sheikh Russel KC | 24 | 16 | 4 | 4 | 43 | 20 | +23 | 52 | |
| 4 | Saif Sporting Club | 24 | 14 | 5 | 5 | 40 | 24 | +16 | 47 | |
| 5 | Arambagh KS | 24 | 10 | 3 | 11 | 33 | 32 | +1 | 33 | |
| 6 | Lt. Sheikh Jamal DC | 24 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 31 | 37 | −6 | 28 | |
| 7 | Muktijoddha Sangsad KC | 24 | 6 | 8 | 10 | 26 | 38 | −12 | 26 | |
| 8 | Chittagong Abahani Ltd. | 24 | 5 | 10 | 9 | 22 | 26 | −4 | 25 | |
| 9 | Dhaka Mohammedan SC Ltd. | 24 | 6 | 7 | 11 | 31 | 40 | −9 | 25 | |
| 10 | Rahmatganj MFS | 24 | 4 | 10 | 10 | 34 | 53 | −19 | 22 | |
| 11 | Brothers Union | 24 | 5 | 6 | 13 | 28 | 49 | −21 | 21 | |
| 12 | NoFeL Sporting Club (R) | 24 | 5 | 5 | 14 | 23 | 42 | −19 | 20 | Relegation to Bangladesh Championship League |
| 13 | Team BJMC (R) | 24 | 2 | 5 | 17 | 14 | 36 | −22 | 11 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored.
(C) Champions; (Q) Qualify for the AFC competition; (R) Relegated
Champions  |
|---|
| Bashundhara Kings 1st title |
Results
Positions by round
The following table lists the positions of teams after each week of matches. In order to preserve the chronological evolution, any postponed matches are not included to the round at which they were originally scheduled but added to the full round they were played immediately afterward.
| Leader | |
| Relegation to BCL |
Season statistics
Top goalscorers
As of 3 August 2019
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Own goals
† Bold Club indicates winner of the match
| Player | Club | Opponent | Result | Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ashraful Karim | Brothers Union | Sheikh Russel KC | 2–3 | 25 January 2019 |
 Ballo Famoussa |
Muktijoddha Sangsad KC | Dhaka Abahani | 0–2 | 28 January 2019 |
| Riyadul Hasan Rafi | Saif Sporting Club | Brothers Union | 2–1 | 3 February 2019 |
| Yeasin Khan | Sheikh Russel KC | Saif Sporting Club | 1–1 | 8 February 2019 |
| Shofiqul Islam | Brothers Union | Chittagong Abahani | 2–3 | 8 February 2019 |
| Uttom Ray | Brothers Union | Dhaka Abahani | 0–4 | 17 February 2019 |
| Monir Hossain |
Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club | Dhaka Mohammedan | 1–1 | 22 February 2019 |
| Zahidul Islam Babu | Arambagh KS | Bashundhara Kings | 2–3 | 24 February 2019 |
| Monjurur Rahman Manik | Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club | Dhaka Abahani | 3–4 | 13 April 2019 |
| Tutul Hossain Badsha | Dhaka Abahani | Brothers Union | 5–3 | 8 July 2019 |
| Mamun Miah | Dhaka Abahani | Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club | 4–1 | 29 July 2019 |
- As of
Hat-tricks
† Bold Club indicates winner of the match
| Player | For | Against | Result | Date | Ref |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ballo Famoussa | Muktijoddha Sangsad KC | Sheikh Jamal Dhanmondi Club | 3–0 | 23 January 2019 | [18] |
| Zahid Hossain | Arambagh KS | Dhaka Mohammedan | 4–1 | 25 January 2019 | [19] |
| Nabib Newaj Jibon | Dhaka Abahani | Rahmatganj MFS | 5–1 | 2 February 2019 | [20] |
| Sunday Chizoba | Dhaka Abahani | Rahmatganj MFS | 5–2 | 15 June 2019 | [21] |
 Ismael Bangoura | NoFeL Sporting Club | Rahmatganj MFS | 5–2 | 28 June 2019 | [22] |
| Ismael Bangoura | NoFeL Sporting Club | Team BJMC | 4–3 | 4 July 2019 | [23] |
| Motin Mia | Bashundhara Kings | Brothers Union | 5–0 | 16 July 2019 | [24] |
| Raphael Odovin Onwrebe | Sheikh Russel KC | NoFeL Sporting Club | 4–0 | 16 July 2019 | [25] |
| Matthew Chinedu | Arambagh KS | Brothers Union | 5–2 | 2 August 2019 | [26] |
| Raphael Odovin Onwrebe | Sheikh Russel KC | Team BJMC | 3–1 | 2 August 2019 | [27] |
Clean sheets
| Rank | Player | Club | Clean sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Anisur Rahman Zico |
Bashundhara Kings | 12 |
| 2 | Ashraful Islam Rana |
Sheikh Russel KC | 11 |
Awards
| Award | Winner | Club |
|---|---|---|
| BPL Coach of the Season | Óscar Bruzón |
Bashundhara Kings |
| BPL Player of the Season | Daniel Colindres |
Bashundhara Kings |
| BPL Goalkeeper of the Season | Ashraful Islam Rana |
Sheikh Russel KC |
| BPL Emerging Player of the Season | Rabiul Hasan |
Arambagh KS |
| Fair Play Trophy | Sheikh Russel KC |
References
- "Much awaited BPL 2018–19 kicks-off tomorrow" (Press release). Bangladesh Football Federation. 17 January 2019. Retrieved 4 February 2019.
- "BFF President's statement for July 2018". Bangladesh Football Federation. 1 August 2018. Archived from the original on 7 October 2018. Retrieved 7 October 2018.
- "Independence Cup instead of Premier League". Dhaka Tribune. 18 November 2018. Retrieved 1 February 2019.
- বাংলাদেশ প্রিমিয়ার লিগে থাকছে এশিয়ান কোটা. Bangla Tribune (in Bengali).
- "Premier football league at multiple venues". The Independent. Dhaka. Retrieved 2019-05-30.
- আরামবাগেই স্বস্তি কোচ মারুফুল হকের. Janakanta (in Bengali).
- "Oscar Bruzon keen to work with Bashundhara Kings". Daily Sun. Archived from the original on 6 September 2018. Retrieved 12 November 2018.
- সেন্টু আবার মুক্তিযোদ্ধার কোচ. The Daily Ittefaq (in Bengali).
- শেখ রাসেলের কোচ হচ্ছেন টিটু. The Daily Nayadiganta (in Bengali). Retrieved 12 November 2018.
- "Brazilian Marcos inks deal with Bashundhara Kings". Daily Sun. Archived from the original on 14 October 2018. Retrieved 12 November 2018.
- "Daniel Colindres tendrá con quien hablar español en Bangladesh". lateja.cr. Retrieved 5 September 2018.
- "Clubs complete transfer formalities". Dhaka Tribune. 15 October 2018.
- "Brazilian Priori joins Abahani". Dhaka Tribune. Retrieved 29 March 2019.
- "Luciano Araya, la historia del pibe de Junín que juega en el fútbol de Bangladesh". Diario Democracia. 11 November 2018.
- "Luciano Araya en el fútbol de Bangladesh: "Tengo muchas ganas de seguir adelante"". laverdadonline.com.
- "Saif Sporting eye titles, Sheikh Russel consistency". Dhaka Tribune. 14 October 2018.
- সাইফ স্পোর্টিং ক্লাবের খেলোয়াড় চুক্তিবদ্ধকরন (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 2019-04-02. Retrieved 2020-06-02.
- ফামোসার হ্যাটট্রিকে মুক্তিযোদ্ধার বড় জয়. Daily Naya Diganta (in Bengali). Archived from the original on 22 August 2021.
- এক জাহিদই গুঁড়িয়ে দিলেন মোহামেডানকে (in Bengali).
- সৃষ্টিকর্তার কাছে গোলের প্রার্থনার পর হ্যাটট্রিক জীবনের. Jagonews24.com (in Bengali).
- সানডের হ্যাটট্রিকে আবাহনীর সহজ জয়. Jagonews24.com (in Bengali).
- ৭ গোলের ম্যাচে নোফেলের জয়. bdnews24.com (in Bengali).
- আবারও ৭ গোলের ম্যাচে নোফেলের জয়. bdnews24.com (in Bengali).
- মতিনের প্রথম হ্যাট্রিকে জয়রথ চলমান কিংসের! (in Bengali).
- "Shekh Russel return to winning track". Bangladesh Football Federation. Archived from the original on 2019-07-20. Retrieved 2019-07-20.
- চিনেদুর হ্যাট্রিকে বিধ্বস্ত ব্রাদার্স! (in Bengali).
- বিপিএল ফুটবলের সর্বোচ্চ গোলদাতা রাফায়েল! (in Bengali).