The Lebanese Second Division (Arabic:الدوري اللبناني الدرجة الثانية) is the second division of Lebanese football. Established in 1933, it is controlled by the Lebanese Football Association.

Format

The 12 teams in the league play each other twice, home and away. After the regular season, the league splits into three groups:

  1. Top four: Play home-and-away matches to determine promotion; the top two are promoted to the Lebanese Premier League.
  2. Bottom four: Play home-and-away matches to determine relegation; the bottom two are relegated to the Third Division.
  3. Middle four (5th–8th): Season ends; teams remain in the Second Division.

History

Salam Achrafieh won the inaugural edition of the Second Division, in 1933–34, after beating Ararad 2–0 in the final. There was no promotion or relegation system at the time, so Salam Achrafieh remained in the Second Division. In April 1935, Second Division clubs requested a promotion system to be implemented. It was proposed that, at the end of the season, every Second Division team that wanted to be promoted to the First Division had to play against three teams from the First Division, one match each, winning all three. The teams from the First Division had to have at least seven players from their previous season's squad.

Clubs

Champions

The following is a list of Lebanese Second Division champions.

No.SeasonChampion(s)
No. Season Champion(s) 1 1933–34 Salam Achrafieh 2 1934–35 International 3 1935–36 International 4 1936–37 Salam Achrafieh 5 1937–38 Hilmi-Sport 6 1938–39 Racing Beirut 1939–40 Canceled 7 1940–41 Antranik B 8 1941–42 Shabiba Mazraa 9 1942–43 10 1943–44 Sagesse 11 1944–45 12 1945–46 Club de Gaulle 13 1946–47 Pagramian 14 1947–48 Sagesse 15 1948–49 1949–50 Canceled 16 1950–51 Nejmeh 1951 to 1953 Not in operation 17 1953–54No. Season Champion(s) 18 1954–55 19 1955–56 Sagesse 20 1956–57 1957 to 1960 Not in operation 21 1959–60 Various 22 1960–61 Various 23 1961–62 24 1962–63 Various 25 1963–64 Various 26 1964–65 Homenetmen BH 27 1965–66 Istiklal 28 1966–67 Istiklal 1967–68 Not contested 29 1968–69 30 1969–70 1970 to 1972 Not in operation 31 1972–73 1973–74 Canceled 32 1974–75 1975 to 1987 Not in operationNo. Season Champion(s) 33 1987–88 Mabarra 1988 to 1990 Not in operation 34 1990–91 Bourj 35 1991–92 Egtmaaey 36 1992–93 Akhaa Ahli Aley 37 1993–94 Harakat Shabab 38 1994–95 Riada Wal Adab 39 1995–96 Shabiba Mazraa 40 1996–97 Ahli Saida 41 1997–98 Salam Zgharta 42 1998–99 Sagesse 43 1999–2000 Racing Beirut 44 2000–01 Bourj 45 2001–02 Olympic Beirut 46 2002–03 Homenetmen 47 2003–04 Akhaa Ahli Aley 48 2004–05 Salam Zgharta 49 2005–06 Shabab Sahel 50 2006–07 Racing Beirut 51 2007–08 Salam ZghartaNo. Season Champion 52 2008–09 Ahli Saida 53 2009–10 Salam Sour 54 2010–11 Tripoli 55 2011–12 Egtmaaey 56 2012–13 Various 57 2013–14 Various 58 2014–15 Egtmaaey 59 2015–16 Tadamon Sour 60 2016–17 Shabab Arabi 61 2017–18 Shabab Sahel 62 2018–19 Bourj 63 2019–20 Not awarded 64 2020–21 Sporting 65 2021–22 Chabab Ghazieh 66 2022–23 Racing Beirut 67 2023–24 Riyadi Abbasiyah 68 2024–25 Jwaya
11933–34Salam Achrafieh
21934–35International
31935–36International
41936–37Salam Achrafieh
51937–38Hilmi-Sport
61938–39Racing Beirut
1939–40Canceled
71940–41Antranik B
81941–42Shabiba Mazraa
91942–43
101943–44Sagesse
111944–45
121945–46Club de Gaulle
131946–47Pagramian
141947–48Sagesse
151948–49
1949–50Canceled
161950–51Nejmeh
1951 to 1953Not in operation
171953–54
No.SeasonChampion(s)
181954–55
191955–56Sagesse
201956–57
1957 to 1960Not in operation
211959–60Various
221960–61Various
231961–62
241962–63Various
251963–64Various
261964–65Homenetmen BH
271965–66Istiklal
281966–67Istiklal
1967–68Not contested
291968–69
301969–70
1970 to 1972Not in operation
311972–73
1973–74Canceled
321974–75
1975 to 1987Not in operation
No.SeasonChampion(s)
331987–88Mabarra
1988 to 1990Not in operation
341990–91Bourj
351991–92Egtmaaey
361992–93Akhaa Ahli Aley
371993–94Harakat Shabab
381994–95Riada Wal Adab
391995–96Shabiba Mazraa
401996–97Ahli Saida
411997–98Salam Zgharta
421998–99Sagesse
431999–2000Racing Beirut
442000–01Bourj
452001–02Olympic Beirut
462002–03Homenetmen
472003–04Akhaa Ahli Aley
482004–05Salam Zgharta
492005–06Shabab Sahel
502006–07Racing Beirut
512007–08Salam Zgharta
No.SeasonChampion
522008–09Ahli Saida
532009–10Salam Sour
542010–11Tripoli
552011–12Egtmaaey
562012–13Various
572013–14Various
582014–15Egtmaaey
592015–16Tadamon Sour
602016–17Shabab Arabi
612017–18Shabab Sahel
622018–19Bourj
632019–20Not awarded
642020–21Sporting
652021–22Chabab Ghazieh
662022–23Racing Beirut
672023–24Riyadi Abbasiyah
682024–25Jwaya

2024–25 season

The following 12 clubs competed in the Lebanese Second Division during the 2024–25 season.

TeamHome cityPosition in 2023–24
Ahly NabatiehNabatieh11th in the Premier League
Akhaa Ahli AleyAley6th
BFA SportingBeirut8th
Irshad ChehimShheem9th
JwayaJwaya4th
MabarraBeirut3rd
Nahda BareliasBar Elias10th
Okhwa KharayebAl-Kharayeb2nd in the Third Division
Rissala TouraToura1st in the Third Division
Salam ZghartaZgharta7th
TripoliTripoli12th in the Premier League
Wehda SaadnayelSaadnayel5th

Media coverage

In 2019, Mycujoo stream a selection of Lebanese Second Division games weekly. In October 2022, the LFA and FIFA signed an agreement to broadcast all matches in the Lebanese Second Division, Lebanese Super Cup and Lebanese Women's Football League, and some Lebanese Premier League, games through the FIFA+ platform.

See also

Notes

Bibliography

  • Henshaw, Richard (1979). . Washington, D.C.: New Republic Books. ISBN0915220342.
  • Sakr, Ali Hamidi (1992). [1991–1992 Lebanese Football Encyclopedia] (PDF) (in Arabic). مؤسسة نوفل للتوزيع. ISBN0000281247.

External links

  • at Goalzz.com