2018 Uzbekistan Super League Explained

Competition:Uzbekistan Super League
Season:2018
Winners:Lokomotiv Tashkent (3rd title)
Relegated:Neftchi Fergana
Continentalcup1:AFC Champions League
Continentalcup1 Qualifiers:Lokomotiv
Pakhtakor
AGMK
League Topscorer: Tiago Bezerra (17)
Matches:506
Total Goals:626
Prevseason:2017
Nextseason:2019

The 2018 Uzbekistan Super League (known as the Pepsi Uzbekistan Super League for sponsorship reasons) was the 27th season of top level football in Uzbekistan since 1992. Lokomotiv Tashkent were the defending champions from the 2017 campaign.[1]

Teams

On 21 November 2017 according to UzPFL management decision the Uzbek League was officially renamed to Uzbekistan Super League starting from 2018 season. The number of teams playing in top division of Uzbek football is reduced from 16 to 12.[2]

The draw for the 2018 Super League season was held on 3 February 2018. The first matchday is scheduled for 1 March 2018.[3]

Sementchi, the winner of 2017 Uzbekistan First League did not participate in new Super League season. The club failed to pass licensing procedures like Mash'al Mubarek.[4] These both clubs have been replaced by Neftchi Fergana and Sogdiana Jizzakh which according to 2017 season have been relegated to First League.

ClubCoachLocationStadiumCapacityKit sponsor
AGMK Viktor KumykovOlmaliqAGMK Stadium12,000Adidas
Bunyodkor Mirjalol QosimovTashkentBunyodkor Stadium34,000Jako
Bukhoro Ulughbek BaqayevBukharaBukhara Arena22,700Macron
Kokand 1912 Numon HasanovKokandKokand Stadium10,500Joma
Lokomotiv Andrey FyodorovTashkentLokomotiv Stadium8,000Joma
Metallurg Andrey ShipilovBekabadMetallurg Stadium15,000Joma
Nasaf Ruziqul BerdiyevruQarshiQarshi Markazi Stadium16,000Adidas
Navbahor Ilkhom MuminjonovNamanganNamangan Markazi Stadium22,000Jako
Neftchi Sergey KovshovFerghanaIstiqlol Stadium20,000Joma
Pakhtakor Shota ArveladzeTashkentPakhtakor Stadium35,000Adidas
Sogdiana Sergey LushanJizzakhSoghdiana Stadium11,650Joma
Qizilqum Hamidjon AktamovZarafshanProgress Stadium12,500Joma

Managerial changes

TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyPosition in tableReplaced byDate of appointment
Metallurg Rustam Mirsodikov ResignedPre-season Andrey Shipilov [5]
Sogdiana ResignedPre-season Alexander Mochinov
NeftchiPre-season Sergey Kovshov
Sogdiana Alexander Mochinov Sacked12th [6]
Lokomotiv Andrey Miklyaev Resigned10th [7]

Foreign players

The number of foreign players is restricted to five per USL team. A team can use only five foreign players on the field in each game.

ClubPlayer 1Player 2Player 3Player 4AFC PlayerFormer Player
AGMK Miloš Trifunović Vladimir Bubanja Jovan Đokić Vladislav Kosmynin Pavel Matyash Vadim Cemirtan
Bunyodkor Filip Rajevac
Bukhara Vlad Larinov Vadim Cemirtan Arslanmyrat Amanow Sergey Rusetsky
Marko Klisura
Kokand 1912 Darko Gojkovic Marko Milič Milan Spremo
Lokomotiv Tashkent Kakha Makharadze Igor Jelić Nikolai Pogrebnyak Nivaldo
Cho Suk-jae
Metallurg Bekabad Andrei Shipilov Zoir Juraboev
Nasaf Igor Golban
Dragan Ceran
Slavko Lukic
Jahongir Aliev
Navbahor Darko Stanojević Tomislav Pajović Darko Nikač Igor Golban Nenad Injac
Neftchi Ferghana Vyacheslav Sushkin Vitali Myrnyi
Pakhtakor Marko Simić Isma Tiago Bezerra Dragan Ceran Rostyn Griffiths
Soghdiana Darvydas Šernas Miloš Simonović Nikola Milinković Milan Mitrović Kim Dong-hee
Qizilqum Elgujja Grigalashvili Giorgi Kvesieshvili Nemanja Jovanovic Yevgeni Cheremisin Artur Gevorkyan
In bold: Players that have been capped for their national team.

Regular stage

Championship round

Teams keep records from regular stage (10 matches) against championship round opponents.

Relegation round

Teams keep records from regular stage (10 matches) against relegation round opponents.

Relegation play-off

----Sogdiana and AGMK will play in 2019 Uzbekistan Super League next season.

Season statistics

Top scorers

.

PlayerClubGoals
1 Tiago BezerraPakhtakor17
2 Esmaël GonçalvesPakhtakor16
3 Marat BikmaevLokomotiv14
4 Bobur AbdikholikovNasaf13
5 Jovan ĐokićAGMK11
Murod KholmukhamedovKokand 1912
Jovlon IbrokhimovBunyodkor

Notes and References

  1. https://www.rsssf.org/tableso/oez2018.html Uzbekistan 2018
  2. News: Высшая и Первая лиги Узбекистана сменят названия . Gazeta.uz . ru . 2017-11-21 .
  3. News: Когда начнется Суперлига-2018? . Championat.asia. ru . 2018-02-03.
  4. News: ФФУ объявила список команд, которые примут участие в Суперлиге . Uzdaily.uz . ru . 2018-01-25 .
  5. News: Андрей Шипилов встал у руля "Металлурга" . sports.uz . ru . 2017-12-26 .
  6. News: Официально. Сергей Лущан - главный тренер "Согдианы" . Championat.asia. ru . 2018-04-07.
  7. News: Андрей Микляев покинул пост главного тренера «Локомотива» . Gazeta.uz. ru . 2018-04-19.