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Vinalian Superliga

Current season, competition or edition: 2019-20 Superliga season
Formerly	First League, Sporting League
Sport	Association football
Founded	May 15, 1999 (1999-05-15) Orlavo, Vinalia
Inaugural season	1999-2000
President	Kyrylo Taras
Commissioner	Hryhorij Korzh
No. of teams	14
Country	Vinalia
Confederation	Asteria Superior
Most recent champion(s)	Chervona Coyotes (4th title)
Most titles	Velkarichka F.C. (5 titles) Orlavo Red Stars (5 titles)
TV partner(s)	VIN Sports
Level on pyramid	1
Relegation to	Super Combine
Official website	Суперліга.com

The Vinalian Superliga (Narodyn:Виналійська Суперліга), or simply Superliga is the highest division of Vinalian annual football championship. It was formed in 1999 do to the merge of the Northern Vinalian First League, and the Southern Vinalian Sporting League, which had remained separated following Vinalian Unification. In 1999 the top 7 teams of each league entered into the Superliga, with the remaining teams (7 Northern, and 5 Southern) would become the Super Combine.

Teams play each other twice for a total of 28 matches, the team with the best record wins the league. The top 8 Teams classify for the Novikov Cup, of which teams currently part of the Superliga have won all 37 times it's been disputed.

The top teams of the Superliga are the historic teams of Velkarichka F.C. and the Orlavo Red Stars which were on their own respective leagues the best teams, the Chervona Coyotes are a team of great success in recent years but with little success before the Superliga, the Nazica F.C. are the only team to win the Superliga without having previously won a First or Sporting League title when they won the league in 2017.

History

Foundation (1999-2009)

Ideas for creating a unified Vinalian league had existed since the establishment of the Novikov Cup in the early 80's, but the involved economical risk and the ever present threat of war breaking out between both Vinalia's, as was the case in 1987 which saw the Novikov Cup cancelled for 3 years. When Vinalian reunification was achieved calls for the unification of both nations football pyramids was called for, but reluctance over the issue of franchise ownership (most Southern teams were owned by a private entity, while Northern teams tended to be owned by different groups sometimes the cities they played in), and the issue of team allocation as Northern teams advocated for greater quota of teams based on more teams in their First League, and better international and inter-Vinalian playing records which was rejected by Southern teams.

Following a controversial game winning penalty kick, Orlavo Red Star fans lit flares before an ensuing riot

In 1994, over continued disagreement and following the breakout of violence between fans of the Velkarichka F.C. and the Orlavo Red Stars at the finals of the Novikov Cup the main teams of South and North Vinalia respectively, and the ensuing riots in Orlavo following the defeat do to a highly controversial penalty kick, forced the government to intervene on the subject. But disagreements kept the First and Sporting League separated, but the expansion of the Novikov Cup to include the top 4 teams of each league in a league type format in 1995, eased the tension and removed the immediate need for the unification of both systems.

By 1996 the third level leagues of both nations were combined in the United League, and by 1997 the second level league of the Super Combine was established with many teams that would later play in the Superliga playing against one another only to be segregated again upon ascending. In 1998 an agreement was reached, with the top 7 teams of each league entering into the new Superliga, to keep the Novikov Cup as the premier playoffs of Vinalian soccer it was expanded to include the top teams of all 3 leagues.

First years

The first years of the league saw the success of the top teams of each former league the Velkarichka F.C., Catherinsk Tigers and the Vevetsia F.C., and the Orlavo Red Stars dominating the league between 1999 to 2005, when only 2 times did other teams crack the top 3 most prominently in 2003 when the Morechia Foxes would win the Superliga, their only victory. Fedir Eduardovych became the first top goalscorer for the league following his successes in the Sporting League, leading the superliga in goals scored from 1999-2000 to 2003-2004, coming within one of the 2004-2005 winner Danylo Sheremet. Both are 1st and 2nd in all-time goalscorers for the Superliga.

Northern teams suffered from poor performance, as Southern teams became highly competitive in the free market, and the development of prospects, foreign players were also offered higher bonuses from Southern teams, and the Northern teams were put at a disadvantage. Following traditional Northern teams being relegated such as Apajia F.C. in 2008-2009, and Orlavo F.C. in 2010-2011, teams such as a the Norelinsk Monkey's and Chervona Coyotes received renewed support. The Coyotes had been the flagship Northern team with strong seasons, and a deep prospect pool, they were the first Northern team to win the Superliga since 2002-2003 when they won in 2009-2010 under a high scoring season by Yurik Shevchenko.

Modern day

Sanzo Vukovenic battling against Velkarichka F.C. players in 2013

The Red Stars had come under new management in 2008-2009 following disappointing seasons, coming under control of legendary Red Stars player Yaroslav Herasymenko, under his guidance the Red Stars would become highly aggressive in the acquisition of prospects and free agents landing highly valued Vinalian-Dezevauni prospect Sanzo Vukovenic in 2010. Vukovenic would clash into the Superliga stage setting rookie goals, and assists records in his first season in 2011-2012, leading the Red Stars to 3 consecutive titles, with himself being the top goal scorer for 5 years straight.

The Velkarichka F.C. would in 2014-2015 defeat the Red Stars following a 3-2 game at the end of the season between the two. Since the victory the Velkarichka F.C. and Red Stars have struggled to secure another victory do to the rise of the Chervona Coyotes, and Nazica F.C. with the Coyotes winning 3 out of the 4 previous seasons.

Teams

Team	Home City	Stadium	Position in 2018-2019	Seasons in Superliga	First season in Superliga
Chervona Coyotes	Chervona	Chervona Hall of Sport	1st	20	1999-2000
Velkarichka F.C.	Velkarichka	National Stadium	2nd	20	1999-2000
Catherinsk Tigers	Catherinsk	New Life Stadium	3rd	20	1999-2000
Orlavo Red Stars	Orlavo	Orlavo National Stadium	4th	20	1999-2000
Nazica F.C.	Nazica	Nazica New Stadium	5th	20	1999-2000
Vevetsia F.C.	Vevetsia	Vevetsia Municipal Stadium	6th	20	1999-2000
Morechia Foxes	Morechia	Morechia Hall of Sport	7th	20	1999-2000
Vinalinsk United	Vinalinsk	Vinalinsk National Stadium	8th	2	2017-2018
Norelinsk Monkeys	Norelinsk	Chervona Hall of Sport	9th	20	1999-2000
Orlavo Red Foxes	Orlavo	Red Foxes Stadium	10th	8	2012-2013
Apajia F.C.	Apajia	Apajia Hall of Sport	11th	14	1999-2000
Velkarichka Metropolitans	Velkarichka	Metropolitan Stadium	12th	5	1999-2000
Orlavo F.C.	Orlavo	Orlavo New Jula Stadium	13th	9	1999-2000
Virona F.C.	Virona	Virona Hall of Sport	14th	Debut	2018-2019

Champions

Season	Champion	Runner-up	Third place	Top goalscorer
1999-2000	Orlavo Red Stars	Velkarichka F.C.	Vevetsia F.C.	Vinalia Fedir Eduardovych (Vevetsia F.C., 19)
2000-2001	Velkarichka F.C.	Catherinsk Tigers	Orlavo Red Stars	Vinalia Fedir Eduardovych (Vevetsia F.C., 20)
2001-2002	Orlavo Red Stars	Velkarichka F.C.	Catherinsk Tigers	Vinalia Fedir Eduardovych (Orlavo Red Stars, 27)
2002-2003	Morechia Foxes	Orlavo Red Stars	Vevetsia F.C.	Vinalia Fedir Eduardovych (Orlavo Red Stars, 22)
2003-2004	Velkarichka F.C.	Orlavo Red Stars	Catherinsk Tigers	Vinalia Danylo Sheremet (Catherinsk Tigers, 20)
2004-2005	Catherinsk Tigers	Vevetsia F.C.	Norelinsk Monkeys	Vinalia Danylo Sheremet (Catherinsk Tigers, 25)
2005-2006	Vevetsia F.C.	Norelinsk Monkeys	Morechia Foxes	Vinalia Petrov Bojic (Vevetsia F.C., 19)
2006-2007	Catherinsk Tigers	Velkarichka Metropolitans	Chervona Coyotes	Vinalia Danylo Sheremet (Catherinsk Tigers, 21)
2007-2008	Velkarichka F.C.	Catherinsk Tigers	Chervona Coyotes	Poliania Blagoi Teodorov (Velkarichka F.C., 18)
2008-2009	Vevetsia F.C.	Velkarichka F.C.	Orlavo F.C.	Narozalica Zykin Panteley (Vevetsia F.C., 20)
2009-2010	Chervona Coyotes	Vevetsia F.C.	Velkarichka Metropolitans	Vinalia Yurik Shevchenko (Chervona Coyotes, 22)
2010-2011	Velkarichka F.C.	Chervona Coyotes	Norelinsk Monkeys	Vinalia Yurik Shevchenko (Chervona Coyotes, 20)
2011-2012	Orlavo Red Stars	Velkarichka F.C.	Velkarichka Metropolitans	Vinalia Sanzo Vukovenic (Orlavo Red Stars, 21)
2012-2013	Orlavo Red Stars	Velkarichka F.C.	Catherinsk Tigers	Vinalia Sanzo Vukovenic (Orlavo Red Stars, 24)
2013-2014	Orlavo Red Stars	Catherinsk Tigers	Velkarichka F.C.	Vinalia Sanzo Vukovenic (Orlavo Red Stars, 22)
2014-2015	Velkarichka F.C.	Orlavo Red Stars	Norelinsk Monkeys	Vinalia Sanzo Vukovenic (Orlavo Red Stars, 20)
2015-2016	Chervona Coyotes	Orlavo Red Stars	Velkarichka F.C.	Vinalia Sanzo Vukovenic (Orlavo Red Stars, 21)
2016-2017	Nazica F.C.	Chervona Coyotes	Velkarichka F.C.	Vinalia Serhiy Bilyj (Nazica F.C., 25)
2017-2018	Chervona Coyotes	Nazica F.C.	Orlavo Red Foxes	Vinalia Serhiy Bilyj (Nazica F.C., 21)
2018-2019	Chervona Coyotes	Velkarichka F.C.	Catherinsk Tigers	Halland Marcus McBríen (Chervona Coyotes, 23)

Record Holders

Rank	Name	Goals
All-time Goals leader
1	Vinalia Fedir Eduardovych	174
2	Vinalia Danylo Sheremet	140
3	Vinalia Sanzo Vukovenic	139
4	Vinalia Petrov Bojic	120
5	Vinalia Yurik Shevchenko	110
Players in Bold are currently playing.

[[Category:Sports (Kylaris)]