2008–09 UAE Pro League
The 2008–09 UAE Pro League season was the 34th edition of top level football in the United Arab Emirates and started on 19 September 2008 until 24 May 2009.
Al-Ahli clinched the championship on the last day of the season, one of the most exciting campaigns for a number of years and also qualified for the 2009 edition of the FIFA Club World Cup as the host representative.
Al-Shabab were defending champions from the 2007–08 campaign.
Emirates and Hatta were relegated from the previous season. Ajman and Al-Khaleej were promoted from the second level.
The winners of the league qualified for the 2009 edition of the FIFA Club World Cup as the host representative.
Clubs
Managerial changes
| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Replaced by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Al-Wasl |  Miroslav Beranek
|
Sacked[1] |  Hélio dos Anjos
|
| Al-Wahda |  Ahmad Abdulhaleem
|
Sacked[2] |  Josef Hickersberger
|
| Al-Dhafra |  Mohammad Kwid
|
Resigned[3] |  Eid Baroot
|
| Al-Sharjah |  Youssef Al Zawawi
|
Resigned after 11 games[4] |  Toni Oliveira
|
| Al-Wasl | Hélio dos Anjos
|
Sacked | Jaroslav Horák
|
| Ajman |  Abdul Wahab Abdul Qader
|
Sacked [5] | |
| Al-Sharjah | Toni Oliveira
|
Sacked after 'poor results' [6] | Abdul Wahab Abdul Qader
|
| Al-Ahli | Ivan Hašek
|
Quit after winning championship [7][8] |  Ioan Andone
|
Foreign players
Standings
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Al-Ahli (C) | 22 | 17 | 4 | 1 | 54 | 25 | +29 | 55 | 2009 Club World Cup and 2010 AFC Champions League Group Stage |
| 2 | Al Jazira | 22 | 17 | 3 | 2 | 57 | 17 | +40 | 54 | 2010 AFC Champions League Group Stage |
| 3 | Al Ain | 22 | 12 | 7 | 3 | 40 | 20 | +20 | 43 | |
| 4 | Al-Wahda | 22 | 10 | 4 | 8 | 40 | 39 | +1 | 34 | 2010 AFC Champions League Qualifying play-off[a] |
| 5 | Al Shabab | 22 | 8 | 4 | 10 | 33 | 37 | −4 | 28 | 2009–10 Gulf Club Champions Cup |
| 6 | Al Nasr | 22 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 37 | 40 | −3 | 26 | |
| 7 | Al Wasl | 22 | 7 | 5 | 10 | 38 | 45 | −7 | 26 | 2009–10 Gulf Club Champions Cup |
| 8 | Al-Dhafra | 22 | 5 | 9 | 8 | 32 | 32 | 0 | 24 | |
| 9 | Ajman | 22 | 7 | 3 | 12 | 21 | 39 | −18 | 24 | |
| 10 | Al Sharjah | 22 | 6 | 4 | 12 | 31 | 45 | −14 | 22 | |
| 11 | Al-Shaab (R) | 22 | 5 | 3 | 14 | 23 | 37 | −14 | 18 | Relegation to 2009–10 UAE League Division 1 |
| 12 | Al Khaleej Club (R) | 22 | 4 | 2 | 16 | 21 | 51 | −30 | 14 |
Source: [1]
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated
Notes:
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated
Notes:
- ^ Since Al-Ain also won the 2008–09 UAE President's Cup, the fourth-placed team of the league also qualified for the 2010 AFC Champions League.
| UAE League 2008–09 winners |
|---|
| Al-Ahli 5th title |
Top goalscorers
Source: goalzz.com
- 25 goals
- 13 goals
- Mohamed Omer (Al-Nasr) (also UFL Top Scorer)
Mohamed Kader (Dhafra)
- 12 goals
- 11 goals
- 9 goals
- Faisal Khalil (Al-Ahli)
- Alexandre Oliveira (Al Wasl)
Mehrzad Madanchi (Al-Nasr)
Jorge Valdivia (Al Ain)
References
- ^ Al Wasl sack Czech coach
- ^ Austrian coach for faltering Wahda
- ^ Kwid resigns
- ^ Sharjah setback ahead of play-off
- ^ Ajman replace coach
- ^ Beleaguered Sharjah sack coach
- ^ Hasek quits as Ahli coach
- ^ http://www.the-afc.com/en/news-centre/member-association-news/279-ir-iran/24680-madanchi-joins-uae-champs-ahli Romanian Ioan Andone replaced Czech Ivan Hasek last month (June)
External links
- UAE League Goalzz