Fonaca Aze

Foňača Aze

Founded	1982
Region	Lenezan
Number of teams	25 (1982-90) 24 (1991-94) 22 (1995-2004) 20 (2005-present)
Most successful club(s)	Rulona (9 titles)

The Foňača Aze (often referred to as the Lenezi Išanah Aze outside Lenezan), is the top level of the football league system in Lenezan. Contested by 20 clubs, it operates on a system of promotion and relegation with the Leneha Ňepo Foňača (LNF). Seasons typically run from the months of Ha-Ghiveye (August) to Jud (May) with each team playing 38 matches (playing all 19 other teams both home and away). Most games are played on Ṣukhyə and Yəmâr afternoons, with occasional weekday evening fixtures.

History

The Ňepo Foňača Aze, the top level of Lenezi football at the time, was trailing behind leagues in neighboring countries leading to the rise in initiative to restore the sport’s dominance in the country.

At the turn of the 1980s, the downward trend was starting to reverse. The Ministry of Sports and Recreation was given jurisdiction over fixing the state of Lenezi football. Secretary of State for Sports and Recreation at the time, Bosika Ruricir, decided to take several key steps in resurrecting the reputation of Lenezi football which also contributed to the formation of the Foňača Aze. He authorized the Ruricir Report on stadium safety standards, which would later be published in 1981. When the committee behind the Ruricir Report proposed expensive upgrades to create all-seater stadiums in the aftermath of the Rekimiso disaster, the Ministry would introduce stricter regulations to enforce these implementations across multiple stadiums.

Within the LNF itself, tensions between the top Lenezi clubs and the Ňepo Foňača would begin to reach a boiling point. This all began in the 1970s, as top Lenezi clubs were to be remodeled into business enterprises, by applying commercial concepts to club administration to broaden their revenue. This eventually led to major clubs seeking to increase their power and profit in the LNF. Different club boards would form alliances and create collective ultimatums that would be given to the LNF leadership, with demands that would increase their commercial opportunity and profit. These would be successful, as the LNF was faced with threats of these top clubs forming "super leagues" that would overwhelm the popularity of their organization.

Over time, more major clubs would join in on the commercial coalition that was being spearheaded by the likes of Urim Taceyejirid of Ihana Hątun, Šar Izošeir of Afąván Šód, and Have Vizeyes of FC Rábuza. With the Ruricir Report, as stadium upgrades would prove costly they began serious consideration around breaking from the LNF in the 1980s. The LNF felt that this move would be unfair towards the league due to mounting demands from these top clubs, as well as the bullying of smaller clubs in terms of voting power. This feud would have to be settled by Bosika Ruricir. The Lenezi Football Association would have immense influence in the decisions of Ruricir, as three board members hailed from the governing body. Other interests that would prove to be instrumental would be different television networks such as the Tarilir Avenača and Lenehbañan Avenača who would want rights to broadcast the games of the largest Lenezi clubs in the case of a new league being formed.

Ruricir would oversee the divorce of the Ňepo Foňača Aze and LNF, as well as assured support from the Lenezi Football Association which further legitimized the formation of a top league.