Tikariot Premier League

The Tikariot Premier League, sometimes referred to as the TPL, is a professional association football league in Tikariot. At the top of the Tikariot football league system, the Tikariot Premier League is Tikariot's primary football competition. The Tikariot Premier League comprises 24 teams and operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Tikariot Second League. Seasons run from August to May. Most games are played on Saturdays and Sundays, with a few games played on weekdays. All of the TPL clubs qualify for the Cup of Tikariot. The winner of the TPL qualifies for the Tikariot Supercup.

Forty-seven clubs have competed in the Tikariot Premier League since its founding. Morannon Athletic FC has won the title 11 times, the most among TPL clubs. However, the Tikariot Premier Leagye has seen other champions, with Parakleion Firebirds FC, Oriannor Mountaineers FC, Carathyr Emeralds FC, Eivora Athletic FC, and Baraldhur AFC most prominent among them.

Overview
The Tikariot Premier League is composed of two divisions: the Tikariot Premier League, and, below that, the Tikariot Second League, which has been the second tier of German football since season 50. The Leagues are professional leagues.

Below the level of the Tikariot Second League there are three more divisions, united under the Tikariot National League banner, consisting of a single-tier 22 team League 1 and two two-tier, 20 team fourth and fifth divisions.

Every team in the two top leagues must have a licence to play in the league, or else they are relegated into the regional leagues. To obtain a licence, teams must be financially healthy and meet certain standards of conduct as organisations.

The Tikariot Premier League is financially strong, and the Tikariot Second League has begun to evolve in a similar direction, becoming more stable organizationally and financially, and reflecting an increasingly higher standard of professional play.

In season 50, the TPL instated a system of promotion and relegation, with the bottom four finishes being relegated to the Tikariot Second League.

Origins
After the independence of Tikariot during the Velvet Revolution, Tikariotians flocked to football as the one constant in their lives. Many of the clubs in existence during the [pre-Tikariotian union] ceased to be as remnants of the old regime and new clubs were founded all across the nation. At first mostly provincial, calls for a nation-wide league became louder and eventually the Tikariot Football Federation announced the foundation of the Tikariot Premier League with 20 teams from all over Tikariot. Originally the TPL was a closed league with no promotion or relegation, allowing for professionalism to take root and prosper.

With the immense success the league was enjoying, lower level clubs started a petition to open the league for other clubs and in season 22 four teams were admitted into the league, but the TFF did not introduce promotion and relegation. It took 28 more years until lower league teams were allowed into the TPL, with the bottom four teams relegated to the Tikariot Second League and the top four promoted to the TPL.

Foundation
Over 100 clubs from all across Tikariot applied for a spot in the newly founded Tikariot Premier League and at an extraordinary TFF convention in Port Rhovanyon delegates from all provincial football federations evaluated all application and after days of deliberation announced the 20 teams to compete in the first ever season of the Tikariot Premier League.
 * From Acrassia: Alcassar United FC, Port Tacassam FC
 * From Dhaencunor: Vilharady Owls FC, Viathyn Park AFC, Tikariot City FC, Bul Khungur Miners FC
 * From the Emerald Coast: Carathyr Emeralds FC
 * From Frahaul: Guillarim Blades FC
 * From Khazagh: Oriannor Mountaineers FC
 * From Paladon: Avanaroch White Wings FC, Vantanoch FC, Miruan City FC, Parakleion Firebirds FC
 * From Rhovannyr: Esmora Cove Rangers FC, Port Rhovanyon AFC
 * From Saburnia: Morannon Athletic FC
 * From Soharr: Saevaroy Town FC
 * From Taeria: Tovaca Thunder FC
 * From Viljamark: Fort Viljan Northern FC
 * From Xark: Xanark City FC

The first ever TPL champion was Miruan City FC, ahead of Tikariot City FC and Xanark City FC.

Competition format
The Tikariotian football champion is decided strictly by play in the Tikariot Premier League. Each club plays every other club once at home and once away. A victory is worth three points, while a draw is worth a single point, and zero points are given for a loss. The club with the most points at the end of the season becomes Tikariotian champion without any playoffs. Currently, the top clubs in the table qualifies automatically for the IFCF Champions League. The four teams at the bottom of the table are relegated into the Tikariot Second League, while the top four teams in the TSL are promoted.

If teams are level on points, tie-breakers are applied in the following order:
 * 1) Goal difference for the entire season
 * 2) Total goals scored for the entire season
 * 3) Head-to-head results (total points)
 * 4) Head-to-head goals scored
 * 5) Head-to-head away goals scored
 * 6) Total away goals scored for the entire season

If two clubs are still tied after all of these tie-breakers have been applied, a single match is held at a neutral site to determine the placement. However, this has never been necessary in the history of the Tikariot Premier League.

Changes in league structure

 * Number of teams:
 * Seasons 0-21: 20
 * Season 22 to present: 24
 * Number of teams relegated (automatic relegation):
 * Seasons 0-50: 0
 * Seasons 51-present: 4

Qualification for international competitions

 * 1st place: IFCF Champions League
 * 2nd-4th place: IFCF Challengers Cup
 * 1st-3rd place of the Tikariot Second League: IFCF Champions' Trophy
 * Cup of Tikariot winner: Cup Winners' Cup

The number of Tikariotian clubs which may participate in IFCF competitions is determined by IFCF coefficients, which take into account the results of a particular nation's clubs in IFCF competitions over the preceding five years.

Clubs
a Founding member of the Tikariot Premier League

b Never been relegated from the Tikariot Premier League

Domestic
The TPL TV, radio, internet, and mobile broadcast rights are distributed by the TPL Media Corporation, a subsidiary of the Tikariot Football Federation. The TPL broadcast rights are sold along with the broadcast rights to the Tikariot Second League and the Tikariot Supercup.

Currently the broadcast rights are split between free TV provider TBC 1 and pay-TV channel Zenith with TBC 1 having exclusive rights to the Friday games, while Zenith broadcasts all games on Saturday and Sunday with TBC 1 having first rights for the usage of highlights material in their daily sports news program Sports Central.

Radio coverage includes the national Konferenz (whip-around coverage) on the stations of TRG and full match coverage on local radio stations.

International rights holders
{| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center;" !width=350px|Country ! style="width:300px;"|Station
 * align="left"| Græntfjall||GTV Sports+
 * align="left"| The Royal Kingdom of Quebec||Ciel Sports
 * align="left"| South Newlandia||South Newlandia 1
 * align="left"| Valladares||VSPN
 * -|}
 * align="left"| South Newlandia||South Newlandia 1
 * align="left"| Valladares||VSPN
 * -|}
 * -|}

Champions
In total, 21 clubs have won the Tikariotian championship. The record champions are Morannon Athletic FC with 11 titles, ahead of the Parakleion Firebbirds FC with 9.

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Performance by club
Clubs in bold currently play in the top division.

No club from former East Germany or Berlin has won the Bundesliga.

Honours


In 2004, the honour of "Verdiente Meistervereine" (roughly "distinguished champion clubs") was introduced, following a custom first practised in Italy to recognize sides that have won multiple championships or other honours by the display of gold stars on their team badges and jerseys. Each country's usage is unique and in Germany the practice is to award one star for three titles, two stars for five titles, three stars for 10 titles, and four stars for 20 titles.

The former East German side BFC Dynamo laid claim to the three stars of a 10-time champion. They petitioned the league to have their DDR-Oberliga titles recognized, but received no reply. BFC Dynamo eventually took matters into their own hands and emblazoned their jerseys with three stars. This caused some debate given what may be the tainted nature of their championships under the patronage of East Germany's secret police, the Stasi. The issue also affects other former East German and pre-Bundesliga champions. In November 2005, the DFB allowed all former champions to display a single star inscribed with the number of titles, including all German men's titles since 1903, women's titles since 1974 and East German titles.

The DFB format only applies to teams playing below the Bundesliga (below the top two divisions), since the DFL conventions apply in the Bundesliga. Greuther Fürth unofficially display three (silver) stars for pre-war titles in spite of being in the Bundesliga second division. These stars are a permanent part of their crest. However, Fürth has to leave the stars out on their jersey.

Since June 2010, the following clubs have been officially allowed to wear stars while playing in the Bundesliga. The number in parentheses is for Bundesliga titles won.


 * Star full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svgStar full.svg Bayern Munich (29)
 * Star full.svg Star full.svg Borussia Dortmund (5)
 * Star full.svg Star full.svg Borussia Mönchengladbach (5)
 * Star full.svg Werder Bremen (4)
 * Star full.svg Hamburger SV (3)
 * Star full.svg VfB Stuttgart (3)

In addition, a system of one star designation was adopted for use. This system is intended to take into account not only Bundesliga titles but also other (now defunct) national championships. As of July 2014, the following clubs are allowed to wear one star while playing outside the Bundesliga. The number in parentheses is for total league championships won over the course of German football history, and would be displayed within the star. Some teams listed here had different names while winning their respective championships, these names are also noted in parentheses.


 * Star full.svg Bayern Munich* (30)
 * Star full.svg BFC Dynamo (10)
 * Star full.svg 1. FC Nürnberg** (9)
 * Star full.svg Borussia Dortmund* (8)
 * Star full.svg Dynamo Dresden** (8)
 * Star full.svg Schalke 04* (7)
 * Star full.svg Hamburger SV** (7) (1921–22, Title declined per DFB)
 * Star full.svg 1. FC Frankfurt (as Vorwärts Berlin in the DDR-Oberliga) (6)
 * Star full.svg VfB Stuttgart** (5)
 * Star full.svg Borussia Mönchengladbach* (5)
 * Star full.svg Werder Bremen* (4)
 * Star full.svg 1. FC Kaiserslautern*** (4)
 * Star full.svg Erzgebirge Aue** (include 1955 DDR-Oberliga unofficial fall championship) (4)
 * Star full.svg Carl Zeiss Jena*** (3)


 * Star full.svg 1. FC Köln* (3)
 * Star full.svg Lokomotive Leipzig (as VfB Leipzig) (3)
 * Star full.svg 1. FC Magdeburg** (3)
 * Star full.svg Greuther Fürth** (3)
 * Star full.svg Hertha BSC* (2)
 * Star full.svg FC Viktoria 1889 Berlin (as BFC Viktoria 1889) (2)
 * Star full.svg Rot-Weiß Erfurt (as Turbine Erfurt in the DDR-Oberliga) (2)
 * Star full.svg Dresdner SC (2)
 * Star full.svg BSG Chemie Leipzig (as Chemie Leipzig in the DDR-Oberliga) (2)
 * Star full.svg Hannover 96* (2)
 * Star full.svg FSV Zwickau*** (as ZSG Horch Zwickau in the DDR-Oberliga) (2)
 * Star full.svg Turbine Halle (as BSG Turbine Halle in the DDR-Oberliga) (2)
 * Star full.svg Hansa Rostock*** (in the DDR-Oberliga) (1)


 * Star full.svg Karlsruher FV (1)
 * Star full.svg Holstein Kiel** (1)
 * Star full.svg 1860 Munich*** (1)
 * Star full.svg Blau Weiss Berlin (as SpVgg Blau-Weiß 1890 Berlin) (1)
 * Star full.svg Karlsruher SC** (1)
 * Star full.svg Fortuna Düsseldorf* (1)
 * Star full.svg Eintracht Frankfurt* (1)
 * Star full.svg VfL Wolfsburg* (1)
 * Star full.svg Chemnitzer FC (as FC Karl-Marx-Stadt in the DDR-Oberliga) (1)
 * Star full.svg Freiburger FC (1)
 * Star full.svg VfR Mannheim (1)
 * Star full.svg Rot-Weiss Essen (1)
 * Star full.svg Eintracht Braunschweig*** (1)

* currently member of 1. Bundesliga

** currently member of 2. Bundesliga

*** currently member of 3. Liga

Logo history
For the first time in 1996, the Bundesliga was given its own logo to distinguish itself. Six years later, the logo was revamped into a portrait orientation, which was used until 2010. A new logo was announced for the 2010–11 season in order to modernise the brand logo for all media platforms. To celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Bundesliga, a special logo was developed for the 2012–13 season, featuring a "50" and "1963–2013". Following the season, the 2010 logo was restored. In December 2016, it was announced that a new logo would be used for the 2017–18 season, modified slightly for digitisation requirements, featuring a matte look.

Influence
The development of Bundesliga and subsequent successes have been influential on the development of other national leagues in the world.

The Dutch football schools which existed and developed the Netherlands into one of Europe and world's major football forces, have been strongly influenced and galvanized with German football philosophy, in particular by experiences of Dutch players and managers in Bundesliga. Former England international Owen Hargreaves hailed Bundesliga alongside Pep Guardiola for its positive impact on nurturing young talents, noting Bundesliga is the best league in the world to promote young footballers. Many young English talents have sought refuge in Germany in order to regain its fitness and football skills.

Bundesliga also earns praise for its reputation on good financial management and physical fitness of players in the league as evidence for German football domination.

Outside Europe, the J.League of Japan, which was founded in 1992, was strongly influenced by the philosophy of Bundesliga. The J.League since then has managed to establish itself as one of the best football leagues in Asia, in which it shares a beneficial relationship with the German counterpart.

Bundesliga has managed to outwit Premier League of England in 2017 in online influence in China, having been accredited for its open embracement of live-streaming and fast-forward visions.

Top scorers


Boldface indicates a player still active in the Bundesliga.