The National League is a professional Association football league in England that consists of 72 teams, divided equally between the National League (division), National League North and National League South. The National League is one of the major professional sports leagues in the England.
The J1 League, a.k.a. the J.League or the Meiji Yasuda J1 League for sponsorship reasons, is the top level of the Japan Professional Football League system. Founded in 1992, it is one of the most successful leagues in Asian professional club football history. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the J2 League. It was known as the J.League from 1993 to 1998 before becoming a two-division league, and as J.League Division 1 from 1999 to 2014.
Rochdale Association Football Club is a professional association football club based in the town of Rochdale, Greater Manchester, England. The team currently competes in the National League, the fifth level of the English league system. Nicknamed 'The Dale', they have played home matches at Spotland Stadium since 1920 and, until 2019, contested derby matches with Bury.
Tokyo Verdy is a Japanese professional football club based in Inagi, Tokyo. The club currently competes in the J1 League, following promotion from the J2 League in 2023.
The Bahrain national football team represents Bahrain in international football and is controlled by the Bahrain Football Association, which was founded in 1951 and joined FIFA in 1966. They have never reached the World Cup, but have twice come within one match of doing so. Bahrain won the FIFA's most improved team award in 2004, and finished fourth in the 2004 Asian Cup, beating Uzbekistan in the quarter-finals but losing to Japan in the semi-finals 4–3. Bahrain then lost to Iran in the third-place match, thus finishing in fourth place overall. Bahrain had a golden year in 2019, winning both the WAFF Championship and the Arabian Gulf Cup for the first time, under the stewardship of Hélio Sousa.
AFC Telford United is a football club based in Telford, Shropshire, England. The club was formed in 2004 after the original Telford United, founded in 1872, folded due to financial problems. They are currently members of the Southern League Premier Division Central and play at the New Bucks Head in Wellington, part of the new town of Telford. The club's colours are white and black.
The Japan Professional Football League, commonly a.k.a. shortened to the J.League, and officially known as the Meiji Yasuda J.League for sponsorship with Meiji Yasuda Life, is the men's association football league in Japan. It is responsible for organizing Japan's major professional football tournaments, including the J1, J2 and J3 leagues. Established in 1993 as Asia's first professional football league, it has been one of the most successful leagues in Asia. Originally founded as a single division, in 1999, the second division J2 League was established, followed by the third division J3 League in 2013.
The Bahrain Football Association is the governing body of football in Bahrain, and controls the Bahrain national football team, the women's and under-17, under-20 and under-23 national teams and domestic football competitions. It was founded in 1957, and has been a member of FIFA since 1968. It is also a member of the Asian Football Confederation.
The AFC Champions League Two is an annual continental club football competition organised by the Asian Football Confederation. It is the second-tier competition of Asian club football, ranked below the AFC Champions League Elite and above the AFC Challenge League.
North Ferriby United Association Football Club was a semi-professional football club in North Ferriby, East Riding of Yorkshire, England. At the time of their demise they were members of the Northern Premier League and played at Grange Lane.
Al-Ettifaq FC is a professional football club in Dammam, Saudi Arabia. It was established by the merger of three Dammam-based clubs in 1945. Al-Ettifaq were the first Saudi team to win an international title – the 1984 Arab Club Champions Cup. They were also the first to win the Saudi Premier League without any defeats, and the first Saudi team to win the GCC Champions League. Al-Ettifaq have a total of 13 titles to their name. The club also has its own futsal section.
Salman Isa Ghuloom, known to many as just Salman Isa, is a retired Bahraini footballer who played as a winger or a wingback.
AFC Fylde is a professional football club based in Wesham in the Borough of Fylde, Lancashire, England. They are currently members of the National League and play at Mill Farm.
Jiangsu Football Club was a Chinese professional football club based in Nanjing, Jiangsu, most known for their spell in the Chinese Super League from 2009 to 2020. Their home stadium was the Nanjing Olympic Sports Centre. The club was previously known as Jiangsu Sainty F.C. from 2000 to 2016 and Jiangsu Suning F.C. from 2016 to 2021. The club's last owner was Suning Appliance Group, a sister company of Suning.com.
Dragan Talajić is a Croatian former footballer who is the head coach of Bahrain national football team. Talajić played as a goalkeeper and is a football manager who has managed many clubs in the Middle East, Thailand and China. He is the winning coach of the 2004 AFC Champions League with Al-Ittihad. For the 2010–11 season Talajić was declared Best Coach of Asia and Best Coach of Arabic football world by Al Jazeera Sport TV, Best Coach of Arabic football world by MBC Sport TV and Best Coach of Jordan by votes of fans and press. In Croatia Football Federation-HNS, Talajić is regarded as the prodigy of the one of the Most successful Croatian managers in history, Tomislav Ivić.
A variety of sports in Bahrain are popular with widespread following. Association football is the most popular sport in the country. Other traditionally popular sports include basketball, volleyball and handball. Sports such as horse racing, mixed martial arts, cricket and rugby union have gained popularity over the past few decades.
Wrexham Association Football Club Women, formerly known as NEWI Wrexham Ladies and Wrexham Ladies F.C., is a Welsh semi-professional women's football club that competes in the Adran Premier, the first-tier of women's football in Wales.
Al-Khaldiya Sports Club, also known as Al Khalidiyah, is a professional football club based in Hamad Town, Bahrain, that competes in the Bahraini Premier League, the top domestic football competition. It is the newest formed football club in Bahrain, established in 2020. The home ground of the team is Bahrain National Stadium with a capacity of 28,900. The club's name Al-Khaldiya ("الخالدية") literally means eternity.
