The Singapore Premier League (SPL) will undergo a revamp for the upcoming 2025/26 season.
According to an official statement from the Football Association of Singapore (FAS), the changes are aimed at “strengthening competition and refining developmental pathways for local talent.”
But critics are already asking: is this a real solution or are the changes cosmetic?
From August, the SPL will be an eight-team, 21-match competition played in a triple round-robin format.
Matches will take place between Fridays and Mondays at 7.30pm, a change meant to support “consistent fan engagement.”
More significantly, clubs can now field seven foreign players on the pitch at the same time.
That’s an increase from the previous limit of six and the highest quota since the league began in 1996.
This move mirrors changes made in the Malaysia Super League, which now allows up to seven foreign starters and two on the bench.
But questions are being raised about how this will impact the state of the national team, given the lesser playing time for local players.
Prize money is also going up.
From $290,000 last season, the total pot has more than doubled to $600,000.
The SPL champions will now receive $200,000.
Second and third place will earn $150,000 and $100,000 respectively, and even fifth and sixth will now get $50,000 and $30,000.
Clubs must also register a combined squad of 36 to 50 players for both the SPL and the new SPL2, a reserve league replacing the U21 competition.
In SPL2, matches will be played Mondays to Wednesdays, with six locals (four U-23s) required on the pitch.
Still, not everyone is sold.
“There might not be enough exposure for some national team players. We won’t know the effects in the short term yet,” said Football commentator and former SPL coach Khidhir Khamis in The Straits Times.
He also commented that the foreign quota should decrease in the years ahead as the youth system starts to feed more talented local players.
With Brunei DPMM gone and no new clubs added despite earlier interest from Tengah FC and Selangor’s B team, the SPL’s latest overhaul feels ambitious but also like a last-ditch attempt to stay relevant.
The new season kicks off with the Community Shield on 16 August.
MAIN PHOTO: FAS