The A-League is the Australian men’s professional upper-tier soccer league sanctioned by the Football Federation Australia. Here are five quick facts about the league.
History
Established in 2004, the A-League came to replace the National Soccer League (NSL) which was declared financially unviable in the Crawford Report. The inaugural season of the A-League was 2005/6. The league is totally independent and doesn’t recognize the NSL records.
Participants
The A-League comprised of ten teams, but as from the 2019/2020 season, we’ll have eleven teams including one from New Zealand. In the A-League, there is no promotion or relegation system. Just like in other top-flight leagues, there are derbies including the Melbourne derby which pits Melbourne Victory vs Melbourne City and the original derby featuring Adelaide United vs Melbourne Victory.
Cups
The A-League attracts two main cups. First is the domestic league known as the FFA Cup and second is the international cup, the AFC Champions League. The team which finishes first in the A-League is the premier, while the champions are the winners of the A-League Grand Final.
Club Honours
Sydney FC is the current champion bagging their fourth title while Perth Glory is the current premier, their first. Melbourne Victory and Sydney FC have the most premierships with three titles each. The two teams also remain dominant in the championships category with four titles apiece.
Player Stats
Andrew Durante has made the most appearances in the A-League featuring in a record 283 matches. The New Zealand centre-back plays for Western United at the moment. The all-time top scorer is Besart Berisha, the former Melbourne Victory, and Brisbane Roar, marksman, who netted a total of 116 goals in 186 A-League appearances.
There you have it folks; five fun facts about the A-League. Right now the league is on a break, but the transfer market is very busy.