Volkian Premier League
The Volkian Premier League (VPL) (Volkian: Волкскийская Премьер Лига; Volkskiyskaya Prem'yer Liga) is the top level of the Volkian football system. Sanctioned by the Volkian Football Federation, the league comprises of 22 teams with plans to expand in 2022. It is one of the major professional sports leagues in Volkia and the top football league of the lupine world. The league is headquartered in Volkgoroda.
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| Organising body | Volkian Football Federation |
|---|---|
| Founded | February 19, 1972 |
| First season | 1972 |
| Country |  Volkia |
| Conferences | Western Conference Eastern Conference |
| Number of teams | 22 |
| Level on pyramid | 1 |
| Domestic cup(s) | Volkian Open Cup |
| League cup(s) | Premier Championships |
| Current champions | Askiz FC (3rd title) (2020) |
| Most championships | Volkgoroda United (12 titles) |
| Most appearances | Andrey Zhernakov (598) |
| Top goalscorer | Luca Nuriyev (372) |
| TV partners | VTK Sports, SRS, TCB |
| Website | www.premierleague.vol |
The Volkian Premier League was founded on February 19, 1972 after a split with the Volkia League 1, which was previously the top tier of Volkian football. The league started its inaugural season in 1972 with ten teams. After a series of expansions, reductions, and relocations the VPL reached its current size of 22 teams in 2019 and will add two additional teams in 2022. With an average attendance of 35,173, it has the highest average attendance of any professional sports league in Volkia. Most stadiums are often at capacity during games.
The VPL season typically begins in mid to late March and runs through mid-October, with each team playing 42 games; the team with the best record is awarded the President's Trophy. Sixteen teams go on to compete in the postseason Premier Championships in late October and early November, culminating in the Premier Championship Final.
History
Competition format
The Volkian Premier League's season runs from mid to late March through mid-October. Teams are divided geographically into the Western and Eastern Conferences, playing every other team twice (home and away) for a total of 42 games.
Similar to the Volkian Hockey League, the VPL's regular season standings are based on a point system. Three points are awarded for a win, one point for a draw, and zero points for a loss. At the end of the regular season, the team with the highest point total is awarded the President's Trophy and home-field advantage throughout the Premier Championships.
Seven teams from each conference qualify for the Premier Championships: the top six teams in each conference plus the conference team with the next highest points (wild cards). The top seeded teams get a first-round bye. The winners of the conference finals play each other in the Premier Championship Final for the VPL Cup.
Teams
| Team | Location | Stadium | Capacity | Founded | Joined | Head coach |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Western Conference | ||||||
| Askiz FC | Askiz, Uzlovaya Oblast | AKL Field | 35,000 | 1912 | 1972 | David Konnikov |
| Team Name | Where it is | Stadium Name | Capacity | Founded | Joined | Head Coach |
| Team Name | Where it is | Stadium Name | Capacity | Founded | Joined | Head Coach |
| Team Name | Where it is | Stadium Name | Capacity | Founded | Joined | Head Coach |
| Team Name | Where it is | Stadium Name | Capacity | Founded | Joined | Head Coach |
| Team Name | Where it is | Stadium Name | Capacity | Founded | Joined | Head Coach |
| Team Name | Where it is | Stadium Name | Capacity | Founded | Joined | Head Coach |
| Team Name | Where it is | Stadium Name | Capacity | Founded | Joined | Head Coach |
| Team Name | Where it is | Stadium Name | Capacity | Founded | Joined | Head Coach |
| Team Name | Where it is | Stadium Name | Capacity | Founded | Joined | Head Coach |
| Team Name | Where it is | Stadium Name | Capacity | Founded | Joined | Head Coach |
| Eastern Conference | ||||||
| Volkgoroda United | Volkgoroda, Volkgoroda Oblast | Old Union Park | 60,000 | 1898 | 1972 | Georgiy Fedchenkov |
| Kursavka City | Kursavka, Yekartovsk Oblast | Jasmine Heights Park | 52,500 | Founded | Joined | Head Coach |
| FC Georgiyevsk | Georgiyevsk, Kalinibinsk Oblast | Sunset Park Stadium | 47,250 | Founded | Joined | Head Coach |
| Kovdor City FC | Kovdor, Norindzhik Oblast | Kovdor Field | 35,500 | Founded | Joined | Head Coach |
| Zarinsk Union | Zarinsk, Zhukovsky Oblast | Stadium Name | Capacity | Founded | Joined | Head Coach |
| Yadrin United FC | Yadrin, Orlik Oblast | Stadium Name | Capacity | Founded | Joined | Head Coach |
| Team Name | Where it is | Stadium Name | Capacity | Founded | Joined | Head Coach |
| Team Name | Where it is | Stadium Name | Capacity | Founded | Joined | Head Coach |
| Team Name | Where it is | Stadium Name | Capacity | Founded | Joined | Head Coach |
| Team Name | Where it is | Stadium Name | Capacity | Founded | Joined | Head Coach |
| Team Name | Where it is | Stadium Name | Capacity | Founded | Joined | Head Coach |
League championships
Organization
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Volkian Federative Republic |
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|---|---|---|
| Main article: Volkia | ||
| Important Topics: Culture ♦ Lupine ♦ Volkian language ♦ Lunarism ♦ Volkian korona ♦ Defense Forces | ||
| Government: Federal Government ♦ President ♦ Cabinet ♦ National Assembly ♦ Federal Supreme Court ♦ Political Parties | ||
| History: Grand Principality of Volkia ♦ Duchy of Volkia ♦ Kingdom of Volkia ♦ Volkian Civil War ♦ Northern Revolt ♦ Volkian Revolution | ||
| Important Figures (Past and Present): Yuliya Surkova ♦ Aleksey Pushkarev ♦ Stefan Gurkovsky ♦ Ivan Ogarkov ♦ Vasily Tolmachyov ♦ Yulian Lebedev | ||