2021–22 Pakistan Premier League
2021–22 Pakistan Premier League (2021–22 PPL) was the 62nd season of Pakistani domestic football and the 13th season of the Pakistan Premier League. The league was suspended after a few month into the season and then cancelled.
| Season | 2021–22 |
|---|---|
← 2018–19 2023–24 → | |
Suspension
On 27 March 2021, the PFF's office was attacked by its former president, Syed Ashfaq Hussain Shah and his group, and the ongoing women's championship was cancelled. Major clubs protested: Diya W.F.C. announced following: "...laws laid down by FIFA, PFF NC and the AFC...", Mohsin Gillani W.F.C. announced it pulled out and Karachi United condemned actions taken against the NC and stated to be fully and respectfully supportive of following due process as per FIFA directives.[1][2][3][4][5]
Because of the attack NC lost control of the PFF headquarters in Lahore. Due to the attack FIFA imposed a suspension on the Pakistan Football Federation. Hence, no football activity was possible in Pakistan and the men's Pakistan Premier League was yet to start.[6][7][8] The Ashfaq-led PFF group announced that the 2021 edition of PPL is scheduled to be held from August.[9][10][11]
Teams
Disbanded
K-Electric F.C. and SNGPL F.C. in 2020 announced that they will be shutting down their departments.
Teams relegated to PFFL
Karachi Port Trust FC, Baloch Nushki, Ashraf Sugar Mills and Pakistan Airlines were relegated at the end of the 2018–19 season.
Teams promoted to Pakistan Premier League
Baloch Quetta got promoted after winning their leg in the 2020 PFF League.[12] Masha United, Karachi United and Gwadar Port Authority also qualified for the league.[13] Huma F.C. from Islamabad made their debut in the top tier, even though they didn't get promoted from the 2020 PFF League. They replaced the other teams which are not participating in the competition.
Teams not participating
Masha United, which was promoted to the top-tier, has decided not to feature. Afghan FC, Chaman’s main club is the other major team not participating in the event, saying it is being held by a federation which is not recognised by FIFA. National Bank is another team not featuring. Sources told "The News" that the majority of National Bank players have passed their prime. Gwadar Port Authority also won't be playing due to financial issues.
Stadiums and locations
| Team | Location | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Lyallpur | Faisalabad | Railways Ground | 10,000 |
| Civil Aviation Authority | Karachi | Korangi Baloch Stadium | 5,000 |
| Karachi United | Karachi | Karachi United Stadium | 2,000 |
| Khan Research Laboratories | Rawalpindi | KRL Ground | 8,000 |
| Huma | Islamabad | Jinnah Sports Stadium | 48,820 |
| Muslim | Chaman | Jamal Nasir Stadiium | 12,000 |
| Sui Northern Gas | Lahore | Punjab Stadium | 10,000 |
| Pakistan Air Force | Peshawar | PAF Complex | 2,000 |
| Pakistan Army | Rawalpindi | Army Stadium | 7,000 |
| Pakistan Navy | Islamabad | PNS Karsaz Stadium | 5,000 |
| Sui Southern Gas | Karachi | Karachi Port Trust Stadium | 5,000 |
| WAPDA | Lahore | Punjab Stadium | 10,000 |
Format
Each team played each other twice for a total of 22 games. Teams will be ranked by total points, then goal difference and goals scored. At the end of the season, the club with the most points will be crowned as PPL champion, and the two worst teams will be relegated directly to the PFF League. The first round of the league was held in Multan, followed by Rawalpindi, Quetta and Karachi respectively.
References
- Editorial Staff (2021-03-27). "PFF congress authorises Ashfaq to thwart NC's delaying tactics [The News]". FootballPakistan.com (FPDC). Retrieved 2021-05-13.
- Editorial Staff (2021-03-27). "National Women's Championship cancelled". FootballPakistan.com (FPDC). Retrieved 2021-05-13.
- Editorial Staff (2021-03-28). "Pakistan football on brink of international suspension [The News]". FootballPakistan.com (FPDC). Retrieved 2021-05-13.
- Maryam, Hajira. "'Dark day': Pakistan football HQ attacked, women's event scrapped". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2021-05-13.
- "'Hostile takeover' and smashed glass: turmoil in Pakistan's football". the Guardian. 2021-04-14. Retrieved 2021-05-13.
- "FIFA suspends Pakistan, Chad football federations over interference". Reuters. 2021-04-07. Retrieved 2021-05-13.
- "FIFA suspends Pakistan football after 'hostile takeover'". www.aljazeera.com. Retrieved 2021-05-13.
- FIFA.com. "Who We Are - News - FIFA suspends Chad and Pakistan football associations - FIFA.com". www.fifa.com. Retrieved 2021-05-13.
- Editorial Staff (2021-05-31). "Ashfaq's PFF announces holding of franchise league in December [Dawn]". FootballPakistan.com (FPDC). Retrieved 2021-06-09.
- Editorial Staff (2021-08-01). "PPFL to begin in Multan from August 14 [The News]". FootballPakistan.com (FPDC). Retrieved 2021-08-02.
- Editorial Staff (2021-06-07). "Ignoring top teams of B division shows bias: Nasir [The News]". FootballPakistan.com (FPDC). Retrieved 2021-08-02.
- @pakistanff (15 October 2020). "BALOCH FC GAIN PROMOTION TO 2021 PPFL! #pffleague #PakistanFootball" (Tweet). Retrieved 2020-10-15 – via Twitter.
- Editorial Staff (2020-10-24). "After debut season, Masha United reach heady heights of PPFL [Dawn]". FootballPakistan.com (FPDC). Retrieved 2020-10-24.