The 2020 Singapore Premier League (also known as the

AIA AIA or A.I.A. or Aia may refer to: Aia * Aia, a small town in the Basque province of Gipuzkoa, Spain * Aia, current Kutaisi, ancient capital of Colchis * Aia, another name for Aea (Malis), an ancient town in Greece * ''Aia'', the collected ed ...

Singapore Premier League due to sponsorship reasons) was the 3rd season of the

Singapore Premier League The Singapore Premier League, commonly abbreviated as SPL, officially known as the AIA Singapore Premier League for sponsorship reasons, is a men's professional football league sanctioned by the Football Association of Singapore (FAS), which ...

, the top-flight Singaporean professional league for

association Association may refer to: *Club (organization), an association of two or more people united by a common interest or goal *Trade association, an organization founded and funded by businesses that operate in a specific industry *Voluntary associatio ...

football clubs A football team is a group of players selected to play together in the various team sports known as football. Such teams could be selected to play in a match against an opposing team, to represent a football club, group, state or nation, an all- ...

, since its rebranding in 2018. The champions of the 2020 Singapore Premier League qualified for the

AFC Champions League The AFC Champions League (abbreviated as ACL) is an annual continental club football competition organised by the Asian Football Confederation, and contested by Asia's top-division football clubs. It is the most prestigious club competition ...

group stage automatically. DPMM FC were the defending champions, but withdrew from the league prior to the season re-starting in October 2020. The league was won by Albirex Nigata (S) on the last matchday after beating Hougang United 1-0. Tampines Rovers qualified for the AFC Champions League as the highest ranked local team while Lion City Sailors and Geylang International qualified for the AFC Cup.

Format

The following key changes were made to the rules for the 2020 season: # Singapore Premier League clubs can sign a maximum of four foreign players in the 2020 season, up from three as compared to 2019. # 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. # FAS had instructed Warriors FC to sit out the 2020 Singapore Premier League season due to their financial issue. # Tanjong Pagar United to replace Warriors FC in Singapore Premier League 2020. # 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. # 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. # 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 (squad size 26), eight (27) and nine (28). # 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.

Disruptions due to COVID-19

Due to the

COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore The COVID-19 pandemic in Singapore is part of the worldwide pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 () caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (). The first case in :Singapore was confirmed on 23 January 2020. Early cases ...

and more generally in

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia, also spelled South East Asia and South-East Asia, and also known as Southeastern Asia, South-eastern Asia or SEA, is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, south-eastern region of Asia, consistin ...

, the season was halted from 27 March. The Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth approved the season recommencement on 17 October. Competition rule changes included the provision for two water breaks during a match, and clubs will be able to use up to five substitutions (in defined windows after half-time). On 26 October 2020, DPMM FC withdrew from the league due to travel restrictions.

Teams

A total of 8 teams competed in the league.

Albirex Niigata (S) Albirex Niigata Singapore FC, abbreviated as Albirex Niigata (S), is a Singaporean football club that plays in the Singapore Premier League. The club is a satellite team of Albirex Niigata of Japan. History Albirex Niigata Singapore, a satellite ...

from

Japan Japan ( ja, 日本, or , and formally , ''Nihonkoku'') is an island country in East Asia. It is situated in the northwest Pacific Ocean, and is bordered on the west by the Sea of Japan, while extending from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north ...

is the only foreign team invited.

Stadiums and locations

Personnel and sponsors

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under

FIFA FIFA (; stands for ''Fédération Internationale de Football Association'' ( French), meaning International Association Football Federation ) is the international governing body of association football, beach football and futsal. It was found ...

eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

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. ''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. '' ''Note 2: Hougang United releases Charlie Machell and Zac Anderson before the season end as their contracts ended 30 November 2020 were not extended.''

League table

Results

Statistics

Top scorers

: As at 5 Dec 2020

Top Assists

: As at 5 Dec 2020 {, class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" style="font-size:95%" !Rank !Player !Club !Assists , - , 1 , align="left", Gabriel Quak , align="left",

Lion City Sailors Lion City Sailors Football Club, commonly referred to as The Sailors or LCS, is a Singaporean professional football club competing in the Singapore Premier League, the top tier of the Singapore football league system. Since the 2021 season, th ...

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Shahdan Sulaiman Dato' Shahdan bin Sulaiman (born 9 May 1988) is a Singaporean professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Geylang International and the Singapore national team. Club career LionsXII Shahdan previously played for S.League clubs H ...

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Stipe Plazibat Stipe Plazibat (; born 31 August 1989) is a Croatian former professional footballer who played as a forward. Career FC Gifu On 8 August 2013, Plazibat signed for J2 League side FC Gifu. He made his debut on 18 August, as an 85th-minute sub ...

, align="left",

Hougang United Hougang United Football Club is a Singaporean professional football club that competes in the Singapore Premier League. History Hougang United Football Club was founded as Marine Castle United Football Club, which was formed by Newcastle Unit ...

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Tampines Rovers Tampines Rovers Football Club is a professional football club based in Tampines, Singapore, that competes in the Singapore Premier League, the top tier of Singapore football league system. Founded in 1945, the club have won the national league ...

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Balestier Khalsa Balestier Khalsa Football Club is a Singaporean professional association football, football club that competes in the Singapore Premier League. Founded in 1898, the club is considered as the oldest Football in Singapore, football club in Singap ...

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Nur Adam Abdullah Muhammad Nur Adam Bin Abdullah (born 13 April 2001) more commonly known as Nur Adam Abdullah or monoymously as Nur Adam, is a Singaporean professional footballer who plays as a full-back or winger for Singapore Premier League club Lion City S ...

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Clean Sheets

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Hassan Sunny Hassan bin Abdullah Sunny (born 2 April 1984) is a Singaporean professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Singapore Premier League club for Singapore Premier League club Albirex Niigata (S) and the Singapore national team. Foot ...

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Hairul Syirhan Hairul Syirhan (born 21 August 1995), more commonly known as Hairul, is a Singaporean professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for Singapore Premier League club Balestier Khalsa and the Singapore national team. Club career Geylan ...

Geylang International Geylang International Football Club is a professional football club based in Bedok, Singapore, which plays in the Singapore Premier League, the top division of football in Singapore. The club was founded in 1973 with the purpose of building a s ...

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, 1 , - , 6 , Kenji Syed Rusydi ,

Tanjong Pagar United Tanjong Pagar United Football Club is a professional football club that competes in the Singapore Premier League, the top division of football in Singapore. The club took part in S.League from 1996 to 2004, and from 2011 to 2014. The club with ...

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Hat-tricks

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Penalty missed

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Man of the Match

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Khairul Nizam Mohammad Khairul Nizam bin Mohammad Kamal (born 25 June 1991) is a Singaporean professional footballer who plays as a winger or striker for Island Wide League club GDT Circuit FC. He is the younger brother of Khairul Amri who's also a profes ...

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Shawal Anuar Shawal Anuar (born 29 April 1991) is a Singaporean professional footballer who plays as a forward for Singapore Premier League club Lion City Sailors and the Singapore national team. Shawal is known for his pace, dribbling skills and finish ...

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Discipline

Player

* Most yellow cards: 7 ** Ahmad Syahir (Balestier Khalsa) * Most red cards: 1 ** Adam Hakeem (Geylang International) ** Delwinder Singh (Tanjong Pagar United) ** Fadli Kamis (Balestier Khalsa) **

Firdaus Kasman Mohammad Firdaus bin Kasman (born 24 January 1988) is a Singapore international footballer who plays as a midfielder for Tampines Rovers in the Singapore Premier League. Club career Tampines Rovers Firdaus began his professional football car ...

(Geylang International) **

(Geylang International) ** Hami Syahin (Geylang International) **

Shahfiq Ghani Muhammad Shahfiq bin Ghani (born 17 March 1992), also known as just Shahfiq, is a Singaporean professional footballer who plays mainly as a forward or midfielder for Singapore Premier League club Geylang International and the Singapore nation ...

(Hougang United) ** Shahrin Saberin (Geylang International) ** Zainol Gulam (Geylang International) ** Zulfadhmi Suzliman (Balestier Khalsa)

Awards

Monthly awards

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Singapore Premier League Awards night winners

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Saifullah Akbar Muhammad Saifullah bin Mohammad Akbar (born January 31, 1999) is a Singaporean professional footballer who plays as a attacking midfielder for Malaysia Super League club Sri Pahang and the Singapore national team. Youth and early life At the ...

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(

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Kaishu Yamazaki is a Japanese footballer who plays as a defender for Singapore Premier League club Hougang United. Club career Youth Yamazaki spent a season of his youth career in Germany with SV Darmstadt 98's U-19 team in 2015. Albirex Niigata (S) He ...

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) , colspan="3" align="center" , Kazuki Hashioka
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Kristijan Krajcek Kristijan is a given name. Notable people with the name include: *Kristijan Brčić (born 1987), Croatian football midfielder, plays for C.D. Nacional on loan from NK Inter Zaprešić *Kristijan Čaval (born 1978), Croatian football midfielder, cur ...

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Song Ui-young Song Ui-young (; born 8 November 1993) is a professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Thai League 1 club Nongbua Pitchaya. Born in South Korea, he represents the Singapore national team. Arguably one of the most accomplished midf ...

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(

)

References

External links

Football Association of Singapore website

Singapore Premier League website
{{DEFAULTSORT:S.League 2020

2020 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of events, COVID- ...

1 2020 in Asian association football leagues