2020 Singapore Premier League


The 2020 Singapore Premier League will be the 3rd season of the Singapore Premier League, the top-flight Singaporean professional league for association football clubs, since its rebranding in 2018. The champions of the 2020 Singapore Premier League will qualify for the AFC Champions League group stage automatically.

Rules

The following key changes were made to the rules for the 2020 season:
  1. Singapore Premier League clubs can sign a maximum of four foreign players in the 2020 season, up from three as compared to 2019.
  2. From 2019, only four stadiums host regular matches. The 8 teams will host the matches in the following stadiums: Our Tampines Hub, Jalan Besar Stadium, Bishan Stadium and Jurong East Stadium.
  3. 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.
  4. Each team is now able to register up to 28 players in their squad, an increase of 3 players as compared to 2018.
  5. It was reported at the start of the year that FAS had instructed Warriors FC to sit out the 2020 Singapore Premier League season due to their financial issue. However, the chairman is appealing to-date.
  6. Tanjong Pagar United to replace Warriors FC in Singapore Premier League 2020.
  7. Young Lions to play their home games at Jurong West Stadium, while Hougang United will move back to their previous home at Hougang Stadium. Tanjong Pagar United will take over Warriors and played in Jurong East Stadium.
  8. Home United changed its name to Lion City Sailors Football Club ahead of the new season after being taken over by SEA Group. It is the 1st club in the SPL to be privatized.
  9. Local SPL clubs are required to have a minimum of six U-23 players for a squad size of 19 to 25 players; this increases to seven, eight and nine.
  10. Players in the League shall be allocated jersey numbers 1 to 50. Jersey numbers that have been registered shall not be reused during the same season.

    Teams

A total of 9 teams compete in the league. Albirex Niigata 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

TeamStadiumCapacity
Albirex Niigata Jurong East Stadium
Balestier KhalsaBishan Stadium
DPMM FCHassanal Bolkiah National Stadium
Geylang InternationalOur Tampines Hub
Hougang UnitedHougang Stadium
Lion City SailorsBishan Stadium
Tampines RoversOur Tampines Hub
Tanjong Pagar UnitedJurong East Stadium
Young LionsJurong West 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.
TeamHead coachCaptainKit manufacturerMain Shirt sponsorOther shirt sponsors
Albirex Niigata Keiji Shigetomi Kazuki HashiokaMizunoCanonKirin
EnglishCentral
Lensmode
Kubota
Reeracoen
Gain City
Nippon Medical Care
Balestier Khalsa Marko KraljevićZaiful NizamAdidasJeepWeston Corporation
Project Vaults
StarBalm
DPMM FC Adrian Pennock Wardun YussofLottoMitsubishi Corporation
StarBalm
Brunei Shell Marketing
Datastream Digital
Royal Brunei Airlines
YOU.C1000
Geylang InternationalMohd Noor Ali Yuki IchikawaFBTEpsonHeng Motor
Chiang Kong
Broadway
D2D Sports
SoundTech
Hougang UnitedClement TeoKhairulhin KhalidWarrixSportCenter by Zup
Polar Water
Lion City Sailors Aurelio VidmarIzzdin ShafiqPumaSEAShopee
Tampines RoversGavin LeeYasir HanapiMizunoHyundai AvanteANA Courier Express
Tanjong Pagar UnitedHairi Su'apFaritz Abdul HameedThorb
Young LionsNazri NasirJacob MahlerNikeCatapult

Coaching changes

Foreigners

Singapore Premier League clubs can sign a maximum of four foreign players in the 2020 season, up from three as compared to 2019. However, one of them has to be 21 years old or younger on 1 January 2020.
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.
ClubPlayer 1Player 2Player 3U21 Player 1SG U-23 Player 1SG U-23 Player 2SG U-23 Player 3SG U-23 Player 4Former Players
Albirex Niigata Hyrulnizam Juma'at Noor Akid Nordin Gareth Low Ong Yu En Iman Hakim Aizil Yazid Sharul Nizam
Zamani Zamri
Daniel Goh
Balestier Khalsa Shuhei Hoshino Šime Žužul Kristijan Krajcek Ensar Brunčević
DPMM FC Charlie Clough Andrey Varankow Emerson
Geylang International Yuki Ichikawa Panagiotis Linardos Barry Maguire Kamolidin Tashiev Gilson Varela
Hougang United Stipe Plazibat Charlie Machell Zachary Anderson Maksat Dzhakybaliev
Lion City Sailors Song Ui-young Kaishu Yamazaki Andy Pengelly
Tampines Rovers Kyoga Nakamura Jordan Webb Boris Kopitović Zehrudin Mehmedović
Tanjong Pagar United Takahiro Tanaka Shodai Nishikawa Luiz Júnior Yann Motta
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Note 1: 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.

Results

League table

Statistics

Top scorers

As of 20 March 2020
RankPlayerClubGoals
1 Stipe PlazibatHougang United5
2 Jordan WebbTampines Rovers3
2 Reo Nishiguchi Albirex Niigata 3
3 Ryoya Tanigushi Albirex Niigata 2
3 Tomoyuki Doi Albirex Niigata 2
3 Ensar BrunčevićBalestier Khalsa2
3 Shuhei HoshinoBalestier Khalsa2
3Iqbal HussainGeylang International2
3Christopher van HuizenGeylang International2
3 Boris KopitovićTampines Rovers2
3 Yann MottaTanjong Pagar United2

Top Assist

''As @ 18 March 2020.
RankPlayerClubAssists
1 Jordan WebbTampines Rovers3
2 Kristijan KrajčekBalestier Khalsa2

Clean Sheet

RankPlayerClubClean Sheet
1Syazwan BuhariTampines Rovers3
2 Kei Okawa Albirex Niigata 1
2 Emerson DPMM FC1
2Zaiful NizamBalestier Khalsa1
2Zainol GulamGeylang International1

Hat-tricks

Note
4 Player scored 4 goals
5 Player scored 5 goals

Own goal

Penalty missed

Man of Match

RankPlayerClubMan of Match
1 Jordan WebbTampines Rovers2
1 Stipe PlazibatHougang United2
2Kenji Syed RusydiTanjong Pagar United1
2Fashah IskandarTanjong Pagar United1
2Syazwan BuhariTampines Rovers1
2Zaiful NizamBalestier Khalsa1
2Hazzuwan HalimBalestier Khalsa1
2 Andrey Varankow DPMM FC1
2 Reo Nishiguchi Albirex Niigata 1
2Iqbal HussainGeylang International1
2Christopher van HuizenGeylang International1

Awards

Monthly awards

Singapore Premier League Awards night winners

AwardsWinnersClub
Player of the Year
Young Player of the Year
Coach of the Year
Top Scorer Award
Fair Play Award-
Referee of the Year-