Iraq Central FA League
The Iraq Central FA League, previously known as the Iraq FA Baghdad League (Arabic: دوري الاتحاد العراقي لمنطقة بغداد) and also known as the League of the Institutes (Arabic: دوري المؤسسات, romanized: Dawri Al-Muassasat) due to containing a number of teams representing different Iraqi institutes, was the top-level division of football in Baghdad and its neighbouring cities between 1948 and 1973.[1]
| Founded | 1948 |
|---|---|
| Folded | 1973 |
| Country | Iraq |
| Number of teams | 8 |
| Level on pyramid | 1 |
| Relegation to | Iraq Central FA Second Division |
| Domestic cup(s) | Iraq FA Cup Iraq Central FA Perseverance Cup |
| International cup(s) | Asian Champion Club Tournament |
| Last champions | Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya (4th title) |
| Most championships | Al-Haris Al-Maliki (7 titles) |
It was controlled by the Iraq Central Football Association and was played under a variety of different formats including a double-elimination format, a round-robin format and a double round-robin format. It was one of four regional league championships played in Iraq at the time, with the others being in Basra, Kirkuk and Mosul.[2] The last champions of the competition were Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya, who won the title in the 1972–73 season.
The regional leagues folded in 1973 and were replaced by the Iraqi National League.[3]
List of champions

- Renamed to Al-Kuliya Al-Askariya in 1958.
- Renamed to Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya in 1958.
Most successful teams
| # | Club | Titles | Winning seasons |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Al-Haris Al-Maliki | 7 | 1949–50, 1950–51, 1951–52, 1952–53, 1953–54, 1954–55, 1955–56 |
| 2 | Maslahat Naqil Al-Rukab | 4 | 1956–57, 1960–61, 1964–65, 1970–71 |
| Aliyat Al-Shorta | 1967–68, 1968–69, 1969–70, 1971–72 | ||
| Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya | 1957–58, 1961–62, 1963–64, 1972–73 | ||
| 5 | Al-Kuliya Al-Askariya | 1 | 1948–49 |
| Amanat Al-Asima | 1958–59 | ||
| Al-Athori | 1959–60 | ||
| Montakhab Al-Shorta | 1962–63 | ||
| Al-Firqa Al-Thalitha | 1965–66 |
Winning managers
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| Season | Nationality | Winning manager[4] | Team |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1948–49 | Hamid Qadir Al-Samarrai | Al-Kuliya Al-Askariya Al-Malikiya | |
| 1949–50 | Nadhim Al-Tabaqchali | Al-Haris Al-Maliki | |
| 1950–51 | Nadhim Al-Tabaqchali | Al-Haris Al-Maliki | |
| 1951–52 | Nadhim Al-Tabaqchali | Al-Haris Al-Maliki | |
| 1952–53 | Nadhim Al-Tabaqchali | Al-Haris Al-Maliki | |
| 1953–54 | Ahmed Abdul-Razzaq | Al-Haris Al-Maliki | |
| 1954–55 | Dennis Nasrawi | Al-Haris Al-Maliki | |
| 1955–56 | Dennis Nasrawi | Al-Haris Al-Maliki | |
| 1956–57 | Ismail Mohammed | Maslahat Naqil Al-Rukab | |
| 1957–58 | Aziz Jassim Al-Hajia | Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya Al-Malikiya | |
| 1958–59 | Nassir Yousef | Amanat Al-Asima | |
| 1959–60 | Ammo Baba | Al-Athori | |
| 1960–61 | Salman Jassim | Maslahat Naqil Al-Rukab | |
| 1961–62 | Salih Faraj | Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya | |
| 1962–63 | Fahmi Al-Qaimaqchi | Montakhab Al-Shorta | |
| 1963–64 | Shawqi Aboud | Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya | |
| 1964–65 | Ismail Mohammed | Maslahat Naqil Al-Rukab | |
| 1965–66 | Abdelilah Mohammed Hassan | Al-Firqa Al-Thalitha | |
| 1967–68 | Mohammed Najeeb Kaban | Aliyat Al-Shorta | |
| 1968–69 | Mohammed Najeeb Kaban | Aliyat Al-Shorta | |
| 1969–70 | Mohammed Najeeb Kaban | Aliyat Al-Shorta | |
| 1970–71 | Mohammed Thamir | Maslahat Naqil Al-Rukab | |
| 1971–72 | Mohammed Najeeb Kaban | Aliyat Al-Shorta | |
| 1972–73 | Abdelilah Mohammed Hassan | Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya | |
See also
References
- "Baghdad Football League games start on Friday". The Iraq Times. 2 November 1948.
- "Football leagues set up in Iraq's main centres". The Iraq Times. 16 October 1948.
- League of the Institutes Top 3 Finishes
- Iraq - League Winning Coaches