Ansar are champions, Bourj FC finished top of the relegation group, Shabab Al-Ghazieh and Shabab Baalbek are relegated

The 2024-2025 season of the Lebanese Premier League is approaching its end, but actually everything has been already decided. Ansar are the new Lebanese champions, after their 2-0 win over Tadamon Sour on Sunday, 13 July, which increased their gap over the second classified, Safa, to 5 points with only one round to go. The remaining match between Ansar and Safa will be no doubt interesting, because of the pride involved, but the final result will not change anything. Safa, as second classified, have also qualified to the group stage of the next year AFC Challenge Cup, and they proved themselves a strong contender for the title, above the likes of Al Ahed (third) and the defending champions Nejmeh (fourth).

The relegation group ended earlier, with the last round played on 5 July. However, things were also set some time ago, when Riyadi Al Abbasiyah won 4-1 over Racing, while Shabab Baalbek lost 3-0 to Bourj FC, so the gap increased to 8 points with one round to go. Shabab Al-Ghazieh, bottom of the table, were relegated even before that. So, Shabab Al-Ghazieh and Shabab Baalbek are the two teams that were relegated to the Second Division, and this was no surprise, given their poor performance throughout the season.

On the other hand, Bourj FC had a very good second half of the season, winning 11 matches (out of 15) and four out of the last five (with one draw) in the play-out and classifying on top of the relegation group, or seventh overall. This is an extraordinary achievement, taking into account that their results in the first half of the season (during the regular part of the season) were poor and relegation seemed difficult to avoid.

 Bourj FC players and staff at the end of the 2024-2025 season. Photo source: Bourj FC Facebook page

An important contribution to these results had the return of the main financial support, in the person of president Fadi Nasser, to which one may add the return of the manager Ahmed Atwi and his team, and the successful addition of a number of essential players in the second half of the season. 

Results, tables and fixtures:

 

Play-off

 

Round 14 (12-13 July 2025)

 

Hikma / Sagesse – Nejmeh 2-3

Al Ahed – Safa 1-1

Ansar – Tadamon Sour 2-0

 

                                    Table

 

1	Ansar (C)	14	10	2	2	57-13	48	(+)	Qualified for AFC Challenge Cup
2	Safa	14	8	4	2	57-18	43	(+)	Qualified for AFC Challenge Cup
3	Al Ahed	14	5	4	5	54-31	33
4	Nejmeh	14	5	5	4	37-29	29	(+)
5	Hikma / Sagesse	14	3	2	9	25-36	19
6	Tadamon Sour	14	1	3	10	22-48	13

 

(+) Points have been rounded up.

C – champions

 

Round 15 (16-19 July 2025)

 

Hikma / Sagesse – Al Ahed

Nejmeh – Tadamon Sour

Safa – Ansar

 

Play-out

 

Round 15 (5 July 2025)

 

Bourj – Racing 2-1

Shabab Al-Ghazieh – Riyadi Al Abbasiyah 1-4

Shabab Baalbek – Shabab Sahel 1-5

 

Final table

 

7	Bourj	15	11	2	2	30-32	39	(+)
8	Shabab Sahel	15	8	2	5	44-41	33	(+)
9	Riyadi Al Abbasiyah	15	6	5	4	32-27	27
10	Racing	15	7	1	7	24-39	27	(+)
11	Shabab Baalbek (R)	15	3	4	8	17-55	16	(+)
12	Shabab Al-Ghazieh (R)	15	1	4	10	19-49	10

 

(+) Points have been rounded up.

R – relegated 

Maardu Linnameeskond II FC Starmedia finished fourth after the first half of the season in the Estonian Second League (South-East Group)

The first half of the season finished in the Estonian Second League, South-East Group (fifth tier in Estonian football). Following the excellent results of the first team Maardu Linnameeskond in the Esiliiga B (the third tier in Estonia), which are top of the league with a good chance to promote to Esiliiga after several years, the second team Maardu Linnameeskond II, merged with FC Starmedia, obtained a series of wins at the end of the first half of the season, concluding with a 7-1 thrashing of Põlva FC Lootos in the 13th round on Sunday, June 15.

The match was played on the road at Põlva Lootospark, kicking off at 4 pm local time. Maardu Linnameeskond II FC Starmedia took the lead by means of Danil Lebedev (24'), but Põlva FC Lootos equalized by Elon Holger Vaab (31'). Just before half time, Sergei Mištšenko gave the lead again to the visitors (41'): 1-2 at half time.

The second half belonged completely to Maardu Linnameeskond II FC Starmedia, as they scored goal after goal by Mikita Naydis (50', 1-3), Sergei Mištšenko (56', 1-4), Nikita Naydis again (65', 1-5), Sergei Paništšev (88', 1-6) and Artemi Butajev (90'+1', 1-7). The hosts could have scored a second goal in the meantime, but Tambet Toim missed a penalty (86'). Tensions emerged towards the end of the game and the referee had to show several yellow cards to players from both teams.

Põlva FC Lootos: Villako (Kõiv 66') - Saarniit, Preeden, Mäeots (Heinsoo 66') - Tuul (Juks 70'), Toim, Mõttus (Lillo 70'), Vigel (Hirmo 60'), Roodes - Vahtra, Vaab (Tobreluts 79'). Manager: Avo Jakovits.

Maardu Linnameeskond II FC Starmedia: Raider - Jeremejev, Metwalli (Paništšev 42'), Gasinski, Tõsjatov, Dolinin - Amadou, Lebedev (Vtorushin 60'), Sjöblom (Bondar 70') - Naydis (Butajev 70'), Mištšenko. Manager: Daniil Kulagin. 

Referee: Mark-Oskar Arst.

Yellow cards: Heinsoo 90', Roodes 90' - Dolinin 66', Tõsjatov 80', Jeremejev 82', Raider 85'.

Maardu Linnameeskind II FC Starmedia finished the first half of the season in fourth place, with 26 points (8 wins, 2 draws, and 3 defeats), and 29-11 (+18 goal difference). They are behind Tallina FC Smsraha (35 points), Jõgeva SK Noorus-96 (30 points) and Raasiku FC Joker (29 points), and just above Paide Linnameeskond III (26 points) and Võru FC Helios (25 points).

At the other end of the table, Põlva FC Lootos are 11th (out of 14) with 12 points. They also have a match that remained to be played from the first half of the season, away at FC Elva II, counting for the 8th round. Another match from the first half of the season that still needs to be played is the one between Lasnamäe FC Ajax and Viljandi JK Tulevik II. Both matches are scheduled at the end of July, before the start of the second half of the season (in August).

For Maardu Linnameeskond II FC Starmedia, the next official match is scheduled on the 3rd of August, when the second half of the season starts. They will play away at third place Raasiku FC Joker.