Football in Artadesia

Football in Artadesia
Country	Artadesia
Governing body	Commonwealth of Artadesian Football Associations (CAFA)
National team(s)	Artadesia
First played	1850s (1850s)
Clubs	12,000+ clubs (organised into Artadesian Football League System
National competitions
Men's Competition IFFCA World Cup SAFCA Agleia-Sorenway Championship SSFF South Sorenway Championship Women's Competition IFFCA Women's World Cup SAFCA Women's Agleia-Sorenway Championship SSFF Women's South Sorenway Championship
Club competitions
League: Men's Competition Artamarsk Primaersieren Artamarsk Sekundaersieren A-Liga Mesterskap A-Liga 1. Divisjon A-Liga 2. Divisjon Distriktsieren A Women's Competition Artamarsk Elitesieren Artamarsk Kvinners 1. Divisjon Artamarsk Kvinners Norddivisjon Artamarsk Kvinners Sørdivisjon Cups: Men's Competition Artamarsk Primaerpokal CAFA Artamarsk Utfordrerpokal CAFA Samfunnskjold CAFA Mellondistrikts-Pokal Women's Competition Kvinner Primaerpokal Kvinner Utfordrerpokal Kvinner Samfunnskjold Kvinner Mellondistrikts-Pokal
International competitions
Men's Competition IFFCA Club Cup SAFCA Champions League SAFCA Agleia-Sorenway Cup SAFCA Super Shield Women's Competition IFFCA Women's Club Cup SAFCA Women's Club Cup

Football is the most popular sport in Artadesia, far surpassing both Cricket and Kabbadi. Artadesia was one of the earliest countries to adopt football, and has the world's two 4th oldest football clubs outside of Arnynsland, Lala Hati F.C. and Shaw Brothers F.C. as well as the world's sixth oldest national football competition, the Challengers Cup. The Artadesian Football League System contains 6 tiers of official leagues, with the Artadesian top flight competition, the Primaersieren, being the most-watched and strongest footballing competition in Sorenwey and Agleia.

The Artadesian National Football Team is one of only 9 teams to win the IFFCA World Cup, doing so while hosting during 2022, as well as the only team not from Cesylle or Marius to do so. The senior men's, U-23 Men's, U-17 Men's and U-17 Women's teams are considered the best respective national teams in Agleia or Sorenway. A total of 5 Artadesian clubs have won the SAFCA Champion's League a total of 8 times, participating in 11 finals.

History

Football in Artadesia has a long past, with the game being introduced to locals in Zikam by the Arnynsh soldiers stationed there in the 1870s, and it wouldn't take long to spread, with the two earliest official football clubs being founded on July 7, 1889, in the Lala Hati villa of the Shaw Brothers, two prominent Arnynsh Udesian Company. One was the aptly named "Shaw Brothers Football Club", owned by the Shaw Brothers themselves, and the other was the first Udesian owned club, "Lala Hati Football Club", named after the villa itself.

These two clubs would be joined by three others, from Zikam as well, those being "Zikam Rela FC", formed by the railway workers of the region, "Zikam Kamaran FC", founded by industrial workers, and "Maheshpratha FC", founded by a wealthy Artadesian businessman. It wouldn't take long for them to start informal matches, and by 1893, a United Udesian Football Association had been formed.

The UUFA organized its first cup competition, the Udesian Challengers Cup, in 1894, and even amidst political upheaval, it was a spectacle. Hosted in Zikam, the competition featured 16 teams, 9 from Zikam, 2 from the nearby city of Zakaran, 2 from the Chakadeshi city of Cochit, 1 from Etilabad, and 1 from Ayunagaram. A crowd of 35,000 attended the final between Zikam Rela FC and Shaw Brothers FC, won 5-4 by Zikam Rela.

The sport began to grow, and in 1913 history was made as Zikam Rela FC beat [ARNYNSH CLUB] 1-0 in a friendly match, making it the first Indian team to ever beat a European side. This first great era of Artadesian football would last until 1919, with notable clubs outside of Zikam being Club de Reyes, founded in 1903 in Isabellan Cochit, and the Gaonitanian "Super 3" clubs of Sporting Club de Nueva Suerte, Clube dos Reis, and Atlético de Nueva Suerte. This period would come to an end, however, with the rising civil war and the eventual collapse of the UUFA due to internal disputes.

After the UUFA's collapse, Artadesian football went through a period of chaos and uncertainty. With the country plunged into civil war, some football clubs disbanded, and others were left to struggle with the absence of resources and infrastructure. However, there were a few clubs that managed to survive amidst the turmoil. A major example of this was Shaw Brothers and Lala Hati FC, with both teams having established themselves as dominant in previous Artadesian competitions. They managed to maintain their dominance in the years that followed, winning several domestic titles throughout the 1920s and 1930s. Other notable clubs that managed to thrive were Zikam Rela and Zikam Kamaran, who gained a lot of support due to their socialist histories, as well as the Nova Sorte super clubs.

It wasn't until the 1950s that Artadesian football began to experience a slight comeback. The country had stabilized after a 20 year civil war and additional 30 year rebuilding process , and interest in football grew. As a result, several new football clubs emerged, and existing ones were able to expand and improve their facilities. During this time, Artadesian football also began to gain recognition on the international stage. The Artadesian National Team had its first major breakthrough in 1956 when they reached the semifinals of the SAFCA Agleia-Sorenway Cup, spearheaded by the "Holy Trinity of Artadesia", Aakrimana Balaram, T.D. Prakit, and Sikha Ghat, whose brilliant attacking displays were only stopped by eventual champions Ilbon in an action packed 4-3 game. Despite losing, this achivement proved a boon for the game, which grew exponentially.

It took until the 1950s for Artadesian Football to make a comeback, with the scars of the civil war mostly dealt with, interest in football grew. This led to the foundation of many new football clubs, and preexisting ones were given more attention and were able to expand and improve their facilities. The national team also gained huge success, with the "Holy Trinity of Artadesia", Aakrimana Balaram, T.D. Prakit, and Sikha Ghat, whose brilliant attacking displays brough ARtadesia to a bronze medal in an [OLYMPICS], a gold medal in the Sorenway Games, a semi-final in the SAFCA Agleia-Sorenway Championship, and a 4th placed finish in the [OLYMPICS]. On the club level, Shaw Brothers reached the finals of the SAFCA grand cup, before getting humilitated in a 7-0 defeat to [ILBONESE TEAM]. This momentum would slow down, and the first National Football League formed in 1962 would close unceremoniously in 1966. The concept of a national league stayed popular though, and in 1971 the Artamarsk Primaersieren was founded. It's regional system allowed for more clubs and meant that a wider base of support was established, especially by 1978 when the Hwarsan Liga 1. Divisjon was accepted into the Primaersieren. The first team to win the Primaersieren was Red Star Enqilapur, who won the first ever Artadesian domestic treble, winning the Challengers Cup and the Playoff Title. Later on, during 1977-1985, the Gaonitanian clubs Club dos Reis, Sporting Nueva Suerte, and Atlético Nueva Suerte won every league shield, all finished no less than 4th place in their leagues, and won 6 Premier Cups and 3 Challengers Cups.

In 1989 , Lala Hati FC would become the first Artadesian club to win a SAFCA Champions League trophy after beating Shaw Brothers in a 2-1 final of epic proportions. This marked another era of brilliance, and the national team would go to its first ever world cup in 1994 (Artadesia qualified in 1954 due to all other teams in their group forfeiting, however they chose to prioritize other tournaments). There, a front line including Priya Khalati and Tivesh Prathan Swamyvishyanagarayan and a back line including Tsushida Kou managed to beat West Valkia in a shocking upset 1-0. They then lost both of their next matches to Nastanovo and Viandie, progressing in 3rd place to the knockouts where they were unceremoniously dumped out by Aosta 4-0.

Artadesian football would somewhat stagnate for the next decade on the international stage, and most club teams failed to go anywhere meaningful in SAFCA competitions. They missed out on the 1998 World Cup and got closely ejected from the group stage of the 2002 World Cup, however in 2005 an Agnikaadu team containing a young Sunil Chhetri would become the only ever team to be invincible in the Primaersieren and Premier Cup, and they would win a SAFCA Champions League final over [ILBONESE CLUB], making them the first club to ever win all their matches in the SAFCA CL. This did not kickstart a new golden age, however it proved the strength of Artadesian football and Artadesian clubs would continue to compete more and more in Sorenway. Artadesia would make it to the Round of 16 in the 2010 World Cup, and to their second ever Semifinal in the 2012 SAFCA AS Cup. 2014 brought a close Round of 16 with new young talent, however 2016 marked a turning point. Artadesia won their only ever SAFCA AS Cup, with a young exciting squad playing attacking football. They carried over this success to the 2018 World Cup, where they made it to the quarterfinals and lost 4-5 on penalties to Viandie. 2020 would bring a shock, however, in the form of a weak group performance and a round of 16 exit to Janubia. The manager responsible, [MANAGER], was kept on, and he managed to reshape the team into an even better one, utilizing the youth from 2018 and growing them into a cohesive force.

Domestically, Zikam Kamaran had the most dominant stretch by a single club in Artadesian football, winning a total of 2 Challengers Cups, 2 Premier Cups, 2 Midartamarsk Primaersieren Shields, and 3 successive SAFCA Champions Leagues over 3 years, winning an average of 3 trophies per season, as well as the third ever Treble and only Quadruple in Artadesian football history, in the 2019-20 season and 2021-22 season. This time period also coincided with the first ever Premier Cup and League Shield for Red Star Enqilapur since 1971 with their domestic double in 2021.

Going into the 2022 World Cup, Artadesia were a firm dark horse pick to go deep, but few expected them to go farther than that. They started out strong with a 1-0 win over Druermark where they displayed the core tenets of their exciting football, before surprising the world with 3-1 and 3-0 defeats of Ilbon and Aldlocke. In particular, 19 year old right winger Ishaan Singh stood out with 2 goals and 2 assists, contributing to over half of Artadesia's goals. In the Round of 16 they would face Elesthra, beating them 3-1 on penalties after a 1-1 game, before shocking West Valkia with a 1-0 victory. They then beat Nastanovo 2-1 after going down 1-0 in the 7th minute due to a spectacular long goal from Ezhilarasan Takayuri and a bicicyle kick winner by Ishaan Singh in the 90+3rd minute. They then would shock Aosta in the final by winning 5-4 on penalties after a 1-1 draw salvaged by a Sunil Chhetri header in the 119th minute of the game. This caused nationwide celebration for weeks on end in Artadesia, and Ishaan Singh would ultimately be named Young Player of the Tournament, with the 25 year old goalkeeper Akamoru Ramasamy winning Golden Glove and the Bronze Ball, while the team was voted as the most entertaining team and Ishaan Singh's bicicyle kick against Nastanovo was voted Goal of the Tournament.

Men's League System

The organized league system in Artadesia follows a system of various leagues linked by promotion and relegation, with a total of 992 teams spread across 6 tiers of football, divided into regional sub-leagues. Each league uses a double round-robin system with a win awarding 3 points and a draw awarding 1. Teams are ranked by points, with various positions entailing promotion, relegation, or qualification for various competitions.

The Structure

At the top of the league system is the Artamarsk Primaersieren, with 4 subdivisions, two with 15 teams and two with 12. Below that is the Artamarsk Sekundaersieren, with 4 subdivisions, two with 21 teams and two with 14. Below that are the three divisions of the A-Liga, the Mesterskap with 4 subdivisions with two 24 team and two 16 team leagues. The A-liga 1. Divisjon, 2. Divisjon, and Distriktsierener A are made up of 11 state sub-leagues with 24 teams each. Below that is "Non-league" football, divided into state subdivisions.

The Pyramid

Level	League(s)/Division(s)
1	Primaersieren 50 clubs - 4 Subdivisions - 3/2 relegations per subdivision
2	Sekundaersieren 70 clubs - 4 Subdivisions - 3/2 Promotions and 4/3 relegations per subdivision
3	A-Liga Mesterskap 80 clubs - 4 Subdivisions - 4/3 Promotions and 4/3 relegations per subdivision
4	A-liga 1. Divisjon 264 clubs - 11 Subdivisions - 4/3 Promotions per A-Liga Mesterskap subdivision and 4 relegations per subdivision
5	A-liga 2. Divisjon 264 clubs - 11 Subdivisions - 4 Promotions and relegations per subdivision
6	Distriktsieren A 264 clubs - 11 Subdivisions - 4 Promotions and relegations per subdivision

Primaersieren

The Artamarsk Primaersieren is contested by 50 teams divided into 4 leagues. The Hwarskliga 1. Divisjon (consisting of teams from Hwarsan,Adipashratta, and Spentavrat) and the Vestartamarsk Primaersieren (consisting of teams from Mehrdesh, Tahar Nadu, and Haomkisak) have 10 clubs, while the Sorartamarsk Primaersieren (consisting of teams from Tondavil Nadu and Venikarikam) and the Midartamarsk Primaersieren (consisting of teams from Airyavej, Chorap, and Chakhadesh) have 15. The 15-league teams play double round robin home and away, while the 10-league teams also play double round robin home and away, and also contest each other club from the other division once based on a yearly rotating schedule. At the end of the season, the top teams in each league are awarded the league shield, and the top 6 of the 10-team leagues and top 8 of the 15-team leagues qualify for next season's Primaerpokal. The top clubs in each league take part in the single-elimination SAFCA Champion's League playoffs, where the winners qualify for next season's SAFCA CL and the losers contest the SAFCA AS League Playoffs, which have a first round of the 4 second best clubs in each league as well as a second round with the losers of the SAFCA CL playoffs. The winners of the second round qualify for next season's SAFCA AS League Playoffs. The bottom 2 and 3 teams in the 10 and 15-team subdivisions respectively get relegated to their respective Sekundaersieren league.

Sekundaersieren

The Artamarsk Sekundaersieren is contested by 70 teams divided into 4 leagues. The Hwarskliga 2. Divisjon and the Vestartamarsk Sekundaersieren have 14 teams while the Sorartamarsk Sekundaersieren and the Midartamarsk Sekundaersieren have 21 teams. The top teams in each league win a league shield, and a bye in the playoffs, while the 2nd and 2nd-4th placed teams in the 14 and 21 team leagues respectively go to the preliminary rounds. The winner of the playoff final wins the Sekundaersieren cup. The top 2/3 teams from the 14 and 21 team subdivisions get promoted to the Primaersieren and the bottom 3/4 teams from their respective subdivisions get relegated to the A-liga Mesterskap.

A-Liga Mesterskap

The A-Liga Mesterskap is contested by 80 teams divided into 4 leagues. The Hwarskliga 3. Divisjon and the A-liga Vestliga have 16 teams while the A-Liga Midliga and the A-Liga Sorliga have 24 teams. The top/bottom 3 teams of the 16 team leagues and 4 teams of the 24 team leagues get promoted and relegated to either the Sekundaersieren or the A-liga 1. Divisjon.

A-Liga 1. Divisjon

The A-Liga 1. Divisjon is contested by 264 teams divided into 11 leagues. Each league corresponds to a National Republic and has 24 teams. The top teams in the Hwarsan, Adipasrhatta, and Spentavrat leagues automatically promote while the second and third place teams play in a playoff, whose winner promotes to the Hwarskliga 3. Divisjon. The top teams in the Airyavej, Chakhadesh, and Chorap leagues automatically promote, with the second and third teams playing in a playoff, whose winner promotes to the A-Liga Midliga. The top teams in Mehrdesh, Haomkisak, and Tahar Nadu promote while the second and third teams compete in a playoff, whose winner promotes to the A-liga Vestliga. The winners and runners-up of the Tondavil and Venikarikam leagues promote to the A-liga Sorliga.

A-liga 2. Divisjon

The A-liga 2. Divisjon is contested by 264 teams divided into 11 leagues. The top 4 teams in each league promote to their respective 1. Divisjon leagues while the bottom 4 teams relegate to their respective Distriktsieren A leagues.

Distriktsieren A

The Distriktsieren A is contested by 264 teams divided into 11 leagues. The top 4 teams in each league promote to their respective 2. Divisjon leagues while the bottom 4 teams relegate to their respective regional leagues outside of the organized artadesian football system.

Men's Cup Competitions

Artadesia has multiple major cup competitions, primary among them the Premier Cup contested by the top teams from the Primaersieren from the previous season, and the Challengers Cup, the worlds 4th oldest cup competition, contested between all members of the Artadesian Football League System.

Artadesian Challenger's Cup

The Challenger's Cup is the oldest still existing football competition in Artadesia, with the 2022-23 edition being the 129th edition of the competition. The cup is known for creating major upsets and fairytale stories, with many teams from lower divisions making deep runs into the competition. The Competition is divided into a qualifying stage and a proper stage. Prizes are alloted based on league and run length, with teams that make deeper runs and that are in lower leagues gaining more in cash prizes. All unused cash prizes are then redistributed again among the lower league teams.

Schedule

Round	Teams Competing/League/Method of Competiton
1	Qualifiers 1 528 clubs - Distriktsieren A / A-Liga 2. Divisjon - Single-Game Knockout
2	Qualifiers 2 528 clubs - Qualifying Round 1 / A-Liga 1. Divisjon - Single-Game Knockout
3	Qualifiers 3 264 clubs - Qualifying Round 2 - 88 3-Team Group Round Robin Group Stage, top 80 group winners proceed
4	Proper 1 160 - Qualifying Round 3 / A-Liga Mesterskap - Single-Game Knockout
5	Proper 2 200 - First Round Proper/ Artamarsk Sekundaersieren / Artamarsk Primaersieren - Single-Game Knockout
6	Proper 3 100 - Second Round Proper - 32 Groups of 3/2 Groups of 4 Round Robin Group Stage / 4-Team Group Winners & Runners-up & top 30 3-Team Group Winners & Runners-up proceed
7	Proper 4 64 - Third Round Proper - Single-Game Knockout
8	Proper 5 32 - Fourth Round Proper - Single-Game Knockout
9	Proper 5 16 - Fifth Round Proper - Single-Game Knockout
10	Quarterfinals 8 - Fifth Round Proper - Single-Game Knockout
11	Semifinals 4 - Quarterfinals - Single-Game Knockout
11	Final 2 - Semifinals - Single-Game Final