K League named top Asian football league for 12th consecutive year by int'l organization

By Yoo Jee-ho

SEOUL, Jan. 27 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's professional football league has been named the best competition in Asia for the 12th consecutive year by an international organization on the sport's history.

The Korea Professional Football League (K League) announced Friday it led all Asian circuits in the latest national league rankings by the International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS), released earlier this month.

The IFFHS has been compiling league rankings since 1991, and the K League has been the top Asian league every year since 2011. The IFFHS rankings are based on performances at FIFA or continental competitions and domestic matches by the top-five clubs in leagues across the world.

With 525.25 points, the K League ranked 18th overall, up four spots from a year ago. Japan's J1 League was the next best Asian competition at No. 30.

Brazil's Serie A topped the rankings for the second straight year with 1,181 points, followed by the Premier League in England with 1,086 points.

Among clubs, K League's Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors were the top Asian side at No. 42. Jeonbuk finished runners-up in the K League 1 last year, while winning the domestic FA Cup and losing in the semifinals of the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League.

Ulsan Hyundai FC, the reigning K League 1 champions, were the next best Asian team on the IFFHS rankings at No. 99.

jeeho@yna.co.kr
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