The 74th edition of the Professional Football League kicks off today, Thursday.
The 10 teams have completed their preparations to enter the competition in the best possible shape, amid varying ambitions.
اضافة اعلان
Al-Hussein Irbid is aiming to claim the title for a fourth consecutive time, though it won't be easy given the ambitions of the other contenders, particularly Al-Faisaly, boosted morally by winning the Super Cup title just days ago, and Al-Wehdat, both seeking to reclaim the country's most prestigious title, which has eluded them for years.
This season promises plenty of excitement given the level of signings clubs have made, and VAR technology will be used for the first time, aiming for greater fairness between teams. The federation has released first-round tickets through the electronic ticketing platform.
For the second consecutive season, the league will be held in a three-stage format, with the team accumulating the most points at the end crowned champion, while the bottom two teams are relegated to the First Division.
Historically, Al-Faisaly is the most decorated team in the league with 35 titles, followed by Al-Wehdat with 17, then Al-Ahli with 8, followed by Al-Jazeera, Al-Ramtha, and Al-Hussein Irbid with 3 titles each, while Shabab Al-Ordon has won the title twice, and Amman and Al-Ordon each have one title.
An Early Showdown
Al-Baqa'a and Dhuqara are set to officially open the competition when they meet at 7:00 PM today, Thursday, at Petra Stadium in Prince Hussein Youth City.
The second match brings together Shabab Al-Ordon and Al-Ramtha at 6:00 PM tomorrow, Friday, at King Abdullah II Stadium.
The first round also features a highly anticipated and very early showdown, as Al-Wehdat hosts Al-Faisaly at 8:30 PM tomorrow, Friday, at Amman International Stadium.
Fans aren't used to seeing the "Jordan Classico" in the opening week, meaning they'll be thrown quickly into the thick of the league, given the importance of matches between the two giants and what they mean to both sets of supporters.
Matches continue the day after tomorrow, Saturday, with Petra Stadium hosting Al-Arabi against Al-Salt at 6:00 PM, while Al-Hussein Irbid begins its title defense against Al-Jazeera at 8:30 PM, at King Abdullah II Stadium.
All teams are well aware of the importance of securing a win in the opening round, given its positive impact on morale — three points can give a team a major boost to continue its campaign, though a loss won't be the end of the road, as there's still a long way to go to make up for it.
Overall, fans are looking forward to watching highly competitive matches worthy of Jordanian football's reputation, which has come to enjoy wide international respect thanks to the "Nashama" national team.
Refereeing Crews
In addition, the federation announced the names of the refereeing crews who will oversee the first round's matches, covering officials for the Al-Baqa'a–Dhuqara, Shabab Al-Ordon–Al-Ramtha, Al-Wehdat–Al-Faisaly, Al-Arabi–Al-Salt, and Al-Hussein–Al-Jazeera fixtures, including main referees, assistants, fourth officials, and VAR officials for each match.
