Al Ain FC
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Al-Ain Football Club (Arabic: نادي العين لكرة القدم; transliterated: Nady al-'Ayn) is a professional football club based in the city of Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. It is one of many sport sections of the multi-sports club Al Ain Sports and Cultural Club (Arabic: نادي العين الرياضي الثقافي).
The club was founded in 1968 by players from Al Ain, members of a Bahraini group of exchange students and the Sudanese community working in the United Arab Emirates. The team quickly gained popularity and recognition throughout the country, being the team with the most trophies (38 in total).
Al Ain is by far the most successful club in the UAE. Al Ain has won a record 14 UAE Pro League, 7 President's Cups, 5 Super Cups, 3 Federation Cups, two League Cup, two Abu Dhabi Championship, Joint League, Gulf Club Champions Cup and two AFC Champions League and one Emirati-Moroccan Super Cup. The club is the first and only UAE side so far to win the AFC Champions League.
History
Foundation and early years
| Squad of season 1975–76 |
|---|
| Jasim Al Dhaheri |
| Subait Anbar |
| Saeed Mubarak |
| Ahmed Hajeer |
| Abdullah Matar |
| Fayez Subait |
| Juma Khalaf |
| Abdelhafez Arab |
| Ahmed Al Qatari |
| Shaya Masoud |
| Ali Saeed |
| Awad Saeed |
In the early 1860s, a group of young men learned the rules of the game by watching Russian soldiers playing football and formed their own team. The first pitch was very simple and small, taking the shape of a square sandy plot of land on the main street near the Clock Roundabout in Al Ain. In August 1968, the club was officially established, taking its name from the city they lived. The founders thought it was necessary to have a permanent headquarters for the club and rented a house on the current Khalifa Road for club meetings. The club's founders took responsibility for all the club's affairs, from planning the stadium to cleaning the club headquarters and washing the kit. Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan was approached for assistance and he provided the club with a permanent headquarters in the Al Jahili district and a Land Rover to serve the club and the team. Al Ain made a successful debut by beating a team made up of British soldiers and went on to play friendly matches against other Abu Dhabi clubs. In 1971, the team played their first match against international opposition when they were defeated 7–0 by the Egyptian club Ismaily in a friendly match for the war effort.
In 1971, a group members of the club (Hadher Khalaf Al Muhairi, Saleem Al Khudrawi, Mohammed Khalaf Al Muhairi and Mahmoud Fadhlullah) broke away and founded Al Tadhamun Club. In 1971, Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan provided the club with new headquarters with modern specifications: the Khalifa Stadium in Al Sarooj district. On 10 November 1974, Al Ain combined with the breakaway Al Tadhamun, to form the Al Ain Sports Club. The first board of directors of the club was formed after the merger under the chairmanship Mohammed Salem Al Dhaheri.
The founders were Mohammed Saleh Bin Badooh and Khalifa Nasser Al Suwaidi, Saeed Bin Ghannoum Al Hameli, Abdullah Hazzam, Salem Hassan Al Muhairi, Abdullah and Mane'a Ajlan, Saeed Al Muwaisi, Nasser Dhaen, Abdullah Matar, Juma Al Najem, Ibrahim Al Mahmoud, Ibrahim Rasool and Ali Al Maloud and Ali Bu Majeed, who were the members of the Bahraini group of exchange students and Maamoun Abdulqader, Mahmoud Fadhlullah, Al Fateh Al Talib, Hussain Al Mirghani, Abbas Ali and Nasser, Abdullah Al Mansouri from the Sudanese and Saudi community working in the UAE.
First titles and Entry to the Football League (1974–1997)
On 2 February 1974, the club won its first title, the Abu Dhabi League. On 13 November 1974, Sheikh Khalifa was named honorary president of Al Ain, in recognition of his continuing support for the club. On 21 May 1975, Sheikh Sultan bin Zayed Al Nahyan was elected Chairman of Board of Directors. In 1975, Al Ain won its second Abu Dhabi League. In the same year on 21 March 1975, the club played its first UAE President Cup losing 4–5 on penalties in the Round of 16 against Al Shaab after drawing 1–1 in normal time. In 1975–76 season, the team participated for the first time in the UAE Football League, finishing runners-up behind Al Ahli. Al Ain won its first League title in the 1976–77 season, after drawing 1–1 with Al Sharjah in the last match. In the following season, they finished runners-up to Al Nasr; Mohieddine Habita was the top scorer with 20 goals. In the 1978–79 season, Al Ain secure third place with 27 points in the league and defeated by Sharjah in the President Cup final.
Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahyan became president of Al Ain on 19 January 1979. Al Ain won the League again in the 1980–81 season and lost the President Cup final to Al Shabab of Dubai. In 1983–84, the team won Joint League Cup and followed with its third League title, becoming the second with Al Ahli to have won the championship three times.
The team had the strongest attack with 35 goals, and Ahmed Abdullah, with 20 goals was the joint-winner of the Arab League Golden Boot award for top scorer, alongside Al Wasl striker Fahad Khamees. This season was the first season in which foreign players were excluded from the UAE League, a restriction which was opposed by Al Ain.
After winning the League title in 1983–84 season, Al Ain failed to win any trophies until 1989 when they won the Federation Cup. In the following year they reached the final of the President Cup, losing to Al Shabab.
The 1992–93 season began with several new signings: Saif Sultan (Ittihad Kalba), Salem Johar (Ajman), Saeed Juma (Emirates). Al Ain won their fourth League title with three games left to play, after a 5–0 win at Al Khaleej. In the following season, they finished second in the Football League and were runners-up the 1993 UAE Super Cup losing 2–1 against Al Shaab. They also reached the President Cup final but were beaten 1–0 by Al Shabab, failing for the fourth time to win the Cup. In 1994 and 1995, Al Ain lost two President Cup finals, finished second in the League, won the 1995 UAE Super Cup and lost out in the Asian Cup Winners' Cup second round to the Kuwaiti team Kazma. In the 1996–97 season, Al Ain were eliminated in the round of 16 of the President Cup by Hatta and finished fourth in the Football League.
The Golden Age (1997–2003)
Before the start of the 1997–98 season, the honorary board was formed on 7 June 1997. After this initiative, Al Ain won the league championship. In the following season, they won the President Cup and finished runner-up in the league and secured the third place in their second appearance in Asian Club Championship, after the 1985. Ilie Balaci took charge in 1999. He led them to their sixth League championship, while in the Asian Cup Winners' Cup they were eliminated by Al Jaish on the away goals rule in the first round.
In 2003, Al Ain contested the AFC Champions League competition. In the Group stage they won all three matches, beating Al Hilal of Saudi Arabia, Al Sadd of Qatar and Esteghlal of Iran. In the semi-final they were matched against the Chinese side Dalian Shide over two legs. In the first game, Al Ain won 4–2 at home, with Boubacar Sanogo scoring twice. In the return match in China Al Ain went 4–2 down with six minutes to play but won 7–6 on aggregate after a late goal by Farhad Majidi the Iranian legend. The final saw Al Ain face BEC Tero Sasana of Thailand. In the home leg, Al Ain prevailed 2–0 with goals from Salem Johar and Mohammad Omar. At the Rajamangala Stadium on 11 October, Al Ain were beaten 1–0 by Tero Sasana, but won 2–1 on aggregate to become the first Emirati club to win the Champions League.
New Era (2016– present )
In December 2018, Al Ain which celebrated the 50th anniversary participating in the 2018 FIFA Club World Cup, representing the host nation as the reigning champions of the UAE Pro-League. Al Ain beat Team Wellington from New Zealand in the first round and Espérance de Tunis of 2018 CAF Champions League champions to enter semifinal. On 18 December 2018, Al Ain defeated Copa Libertadores champions River Plate by penalties hosted in their home stadium Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium to enter the final for the first time in team history and became the first Emirati club to reach the decisive match. On 22 December during the 2018 FIFA Club World Cup Final, Al Ain lost 4–1 to UEFA Champions League winners Real Madrid at the Zayed Sports City Stadium in Abu Dhabi with Japanese player Tsukasa Shiotani scoring the only goal for the club.
In the 2023–24 AFC Champions League campaign, Al Ain was drawn with Saudi Arabia club Al Fayha, Uzbekistan side Pakhtakor and Turkmenistan side Ahal FK. Al Ain than finished the group as group leaders with 5 wins, 0 draws and 1 losses which saw the club qualified to the Round of 16. Al Ain then faced Uzbekistan club Nasaf in which Al Ain won 3–0 on aggregate to qualify to the quarter-finals. Al Ain then faced Saudi Arabian giants Al Nassr, containing multiplies world renowned superstars, like Cristiano Ronaldo, Sadio Mané, Alex Telles, David Ospina, Aymeric Laporte, Marcelo Brozović and Talisca. Al Ain won the first leg 1–0 at home but suffered a 4–3 away defeat after extra time, which saw the game being tied 4–4 on aggregate leading to a penalty shootout. Al Ain managed to win 3–1 on penalties, thus seeing them qualified to the semi-finals against another Saudi Arabian giants, Al Hilal. On 17 April 2024, Al Ain won Al Hilal 4–2 at home, with Moroccan Soufiane Rahimi scoring a hat-trick in the match for the club. However, Al Ain suffered an 2–1 away defeat to Al Hilal but managed to qualify to the 2023–24 AFC Champions League final 5–4 on aggregate, thus seeing them face Japanese Yokohama F. Marinos where they’d suffer a 2-1 defeat in the first leg. However, in the second leg they’d go on to win 5-1 and win 6-3 on aggregate making them champions of Asia.
Club rivalries
Abu Dhabi Classico (Al Ain vs Al Wahda)
Al Ain–Shabab Al Ahli rivalry
Al Ain–Sharjah rivalry
Crest, colours, logo
Crests
Al Jahili Fort is considered as a symbol of the club, because it reflects the history of the city and also was the formal home of Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan since 1946 when he was a ruler's representative. It officially became a crest for the club in 1980. They import a two stars in their emblem because of their AFC Champions League's 2x winners (2003 and 2023).
Logo
3 colors purple, gold and white are used in Al Ain club logo. Inside the logo, the name of the club is engraved in Arabic and English. In the middle of the logo, there is an image of Al Jahili Fort Castle, and at the end of the logo, the date of the club's establishment is written. Above the logo, two golden stars can be seen which means winning two championship positions in AFC Champions League.
Kits and colours
The team began playing in green and white in 1968. After merging with Al Tadhamon in 1974, their red colour became Al Ain's from season 1974–75 until the start of season 1976–77. During the first team training camp in Morocco in 1977, a friendly tournament was held by Moroccan club Wydad Casablanca with the Nice, Sporting CP, and Anderlecht. Al Ain admired Anderlecht's purple colors, and an idea came to change Al Ain's colors to purple. The idea was presented to Sheikh Hamdan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, who agreed to change the club colors officially to the purple with the beginning of the season 1977–78.
| 1968–74 | 1974–77 | 1977–78 | 2018–19 | 2023–24 |
Notes
Kit suppliers and shirt sponsors
| Period | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| chest | back | sleeve | |||||
| 1991–1992 | Puma, Adidas | None | |||||
| 1992–1993 | Lotto | ||||||
| 1993–1994 | |||||||
| 1994–1995 | |||||||
| 1995–1996 | Lotto, Uhlsport | ||||||
| 1996–1997 | Adidas | ||||||
| 1997–1998 | Jako, Kelme, Lotto, ABM[it], Adidas | ||||||
| 1998–1999 | Lotto | None | None | ||||
| 1999–2000 | CALANNI | Abu Dhabi National Hotels | |||||
| 2000–2001 | Jako | Avis | Xerox | ||||
| 2001–2002 | Adidas | None | |||||
| 2002–2003 | Nike | ||||||
| 2003–2004 | ADCB | ||||||
| 2004–2005 | Lotto | Sasan Trading | ADCB | ||||
| 2005–2006 | |||||||
| 2006–2009 | Sorouh | 4 December 2021 at the Wayback Machine | 24 December 2021 at the Wayback Machine | None | |||
| 2009 | Adidas | None | |||||
| 2009–2010 | Erreà | Sorouh | First Gulf Bank | 4 December 2021 at the Wayback Machine | None | 24 December 2021 at the Wayback Machine | None |
| 2010–2011 | Macron, Erreà | Abu Dhabi National Hotels | Strata | ||||
| 2011 | Kappa | None | None | ||||
| 2011–2013 | Adidas | Sorouh | First Gulf Bank | Abu Dhabi National Hotels | Strata | ||
| 2013–2015 | Nike | First Gulf Bank | Abu Dhabi Airports | ||||
| 2015–2016 | BMW Abu Dhabi Motors | ||||||
| 2016–2018 | FAB – First Abu Dhabi Bank | None | |||||
| 2018–2021 | None | ||||||
| 2021–2023 | Expo 2020 | ||||||
| 2023– | EIH – Ethmar International Holding | None |
Grounds
Al Ain first playground was set up on the main street near the Clock Roundabout in Al Ain. Took the shape of a square sandy plot of land. In 1971, Al Ain moved to new stadium in Al Sarouj district at a cost of £40,290. On 18 June 1978, the new stadium named after honorary president Khalifa Bin Zayed known as Sheikh Khalifa International Stadium. The stadium underwent a renovation in 2002 and increased its capacity to 12,000 people and as of the 2006–07 season all the Al Ain matches are played in this stadium. The stadium went through another significant upgrade and renovation, to prepare for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, hosted in the UAE. As of 14 January 2014, Hazza bin Zayed been Al Ain home ground.
Honours
| Type | Competition | Seasons | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Titles | Runners-up | ||||
| Domestic | Pro League | 1976–77, 1980–81, 1983–84, 1992–93, 1997–98, 1999–2000, 2001–02, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2014–15, 2017–18, 2021–22 | 14 | 1975–76, 1977–78, 1981–82, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1998–99, 2004–05, 2015–16, 2022–23 | 9 |
| President's Cup | 1998–99, 2000–01, 2004–05, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2013–14, 2017–18 | 7 | 1978–79, 1980–81, 1989–90, 1993–94, 1994–95, 2006–07, 2015–16, 2022–23 | 8S | |
| Super Cup | 1995, 2003, 2009, 2012, 2015 | 5 | 1993, 2002, 2013, 2014, 2018, 2022 | 6 | |
| League Cup | 2008–09, 2021–22 | 2 | 2010–11, 2022–23, 2023–24 | 3S | |
| Federation Cup | 1988–89, 2004–05, 2005–06 | 3 | 1986, 1994 | 2 | |
| Joint League | 1982–83 | 1S | |||
| Regional | GCC Champions League | 2001 | 1 | ||
| Emirati-Moroccan Super Cup | 2015 | 1 | |||
| Continental | AFC Champions League Elite | 2003, 2024 | 2 | 2005, 2016 | 2 |
| Intercontinental | FIFA Club World Cup | 2018 | 1 |
- record
- S shared record
Minor titles
- Abu Dhabi Championship Winners (2): 1973–74, 1974–75
Awards & recognitions
Doubles and trebles
- Doubles: League and President's Cup (1): 2017–18 League and League Cup (1): 2021–22 President's Cup and Federation Cup/League Cup (3): 2004–05, 2005–06, 2008–09
- Trebles: League, Super Cup and Champions League (1): 2002–03
Players
Current squad
As of 28 July 2024
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Reserve team
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
|---|---|---|---|
| No. Pos. Nation Player 32 DF UAE Khalid Al-Hassani 40 DF UAE Khalid Al-Baloushi 48 DF UAE Yussif Suleiman 50 GK UAE Saif Al-Mazmi 53 DF NGA Hope Yusuf | No. Pos. Nation Player 56 DF UAE Amadou Niang 60 FW UAE Jonas Naafo 65 GK TAN Abdullah Hamisi 68 MF CAN Sorin Ziane 80 MF NGA Jushoa Udoh | ||
| 32 | DF | UAE | Khalid Al-Hassani |
| 40 | DF | UAE | Khalid Al-Baloushi |
| 48 | DF | UAE | Yussif Suleiman |
| 50 | GK | UAE | Saif Al-Mazmi |
| 53 | DF | NGA | Hope Yusuf |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 56 | DF | UAE | Amadou Niang |
| 60 | FW | UAE | Jonas Naafo |
| 65 | GK | TAN | Abdullah Hamisi |
| 68 | MF | CAN | Sorin Ziane |
| 80 | MF | NGA | Jushoa Udoh |
Unregistered players
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
|---|---|---|---|
| No. Pos. Nation Player 5 MF KOR Park Yong-woo | No. Pos. Nation Player 74 MF VEN Yohan González | ||
| 5 | MF | KOR | Park Yong-woo |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 74 | MF | VEN | Yohan González |
Out on loan
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
|---|---|---|---|
| No. Pos. Nation Player 6 MF UAE Yahia Nader (on loan to Baniyas) 11 MF UAE Solomon Sosu (on loan to Baniyas) 19 MF MAR El Mehdi El Moubarik (on loan to Dynamo Makhachkala) 22 MF UAE Jonatas Santos (on loan to Al-Nasr) 27 MF UAE Sékou Gassama (on loan to Kalba) | No. Pos. Nation Player 28 FW MAR Nassim Chadli (on loan to Baniyas) 41 GK BIH Vedad Alibašić (on loan to Majd) 90 FW UAE Eisa Khalfan (on loan to Kalba) 99 FW CGO Josna Loulendo (on loan to Recreativo Granada) | ||
| 6 | MF | UAE | Yahia Nader (on loan to Baniyas) |
| 11 | MF | UAE | Solomon Sosu (on loan to Baniyas) |
| 19 | MF | MAR | El Mehdi El Moubarik (on loan to Dynamo Makhachkala) |
| 22 | MF | UAE | Jonatas Santos (on loan to Al-Nasr) |
| 27 | MF | UAE | Sékou Gassama (on loan to Kalba) |
| No. | Pos. | Nation | Player |
| 28 | FW | MAR | Nassim Chadli (on loan to Baniyas) |
| 41 | GK | BIH | Vedad Alibašić (on loan to Majd) |
| 90 | FW | UAE | Eisa Khalfan (on loan to Kalba) |
| 99 | FW | CGO | Josna Loulendo (on loan to Recreativo Granada) |
Personnel
Current technical staff
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| Head coach | Serbia Vladimir Ivić |
| Assistant coaches | Serbia Miloš Veselinović United Arab Emirates Ahmed Abdullah United Arab Emirates Abdulla Khaseeb Alnasri United Arab Emirates Salem Al-Kaabi |
| Chief analyst | Spain Carles Martínez |
| Analyst | United Arab Emirates Jamal Al-Karbi |
| Goalkeeping coaches | Greece Christos Kelpekis |
| Fitness coach | Greece Nikolaos Amanatidis |
| U-21 team head coach | United Arab Emirates Ismail Ahmed |
| Physiotherapist | Argentina Santiago Thompson Brazil Felipe Perseu Pianca Egypt Abdelnasser Aljohny |
| Club Doctor | Greece Nikos Tzouroudis |
| Nutritionist | Wales Tom Maynard |
| Scout | Italy Daniele Di Napoli |
| Team manager | United Arab Emirates Ahmed Al Shamsi |
| Team supervisor | United Arab Emirates Abdullah Al Shamsi |
Last updated: 14 November 2023 Source:
Management
| Position | Name |
|---|---|
| President President of the Honorary Council | Mohammed Bin Zayed |
| First Vice President First Vice President of the Honorary Council Chairman of the Board of Directors of Al Ain SCC | Hazza Bin Zayed |
| Second Vice President Second Vice President of the Honorary Council | Tahnoun bin Zayed |
| Honorary President | Khalifa bin Zayed |
| Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Al Ain SCC Chairman of the Executive Committee Chairman of the Board of Directors Al Ain FC | Sultan bin Hamdan bin Zayed |
Board of directors
| Office | Name |
|---|---|
| Chairman of the Board of Directors | Sultan bin Hamdan bin Zayed |
| Supervising Sports affairs | Mohammed Al Mahmoud |
| Supervising Media affairs | Mohammed Al Ketbi |
| Supervising of Financial and Administrative affairs | Ziad Amir Ahmed Saleh |
| Supervising the Academy and Talents sector | Abdullah Mohammed Abdullah Khouri |
Last updated: 10 June 2024 Source: Source:
Managerial history
* Served as caretaker coach.
| No. | Nationality | Head coach | From | Until | Honours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United Arab Emirates | Nasser Dhaen* | 1968 | 1971 | |
| 2 | Egypt | Abdel Aziz Hammami | 1971 | 1973 | |
| 3 | Syria | Ahmed Alyan | 1973 | 1976 | 2 Abu Dhabi Championship |
| 4 | Tunisia | Humaid Dhib | 1976 | 1978 | 1 Championship |
| 5 | Syria | Ahmed Alyan | 1978 | 1979 | |
| 6 | Tunisia | Abdelmajid Chetali | 1979 | 1980 | |
| 7 | Morocco | Ahmed Nagah* | 1980 | 1982 | 1 Championship |
| 8 | Brazil | Nelsinho Rosa | 1982 | 1984 | 1 Championship, 1 Joint League |
| 9 | Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia | Miljan Miljanić | 1984 | 1986 | |
| 10 | Brazil | Jair Picerni | 1986 | 1986 | |
| 11 | Brazil | João Francisco | 1986 | 1988 | |
| 12 | Brazil | Zé Mario | 1988 | 1990 | 1 Federation Cup |
| 13 | Algeria | Mahieddine Khalef | 1990 | 1992 | |
| 14 | Egypt | Yusri Abdul Ghani | 1992 | 1992 | |
| 15 | Brazil | Amarildo | 1992 | 1995 | 1 Championship |
| 16 | Egypt | Shaker Abdel-Fattah | 1995 | 1995 | 1 Supercup |
| 17 | Argentina | Ángel Marcos | 1995 | 1996 | |
| 18 | Brazil | Lori Sandri | 1996 | 1996 | |
| 19 | Egypt | Yusri Abdul Ghani* | 1996 | 1997 | |
| 20 | Brazil | Cabralzinho | 1997 | 1997 | |
| 21 | Egypt | Shaker Abdel-Fattah | 1997 | 1998 | 1 Championship |
| 22 | Portugal | Nelo Vingada | 1998 | 15 November 1998 | |
| 23 | Romania | Ilie Balaci | 15 November 1998 | 10 May 2000 | 1 President's Cup 1 Championship |
| 24 | Argentina | Oscar Fulloné | 29 June 2000 | November 2000 | |
| 25 | Tunisia | Mrad Mahjoub | November 2000 | March 2001 | 1 Gulf Club Champions Cup |
| 26 | Romania | Anghel Iordănescu | March 2001 | 4 January 2002 | 1 President's Cup |
| 27 | United Arab Emirates | Ahmed Abdullah* | 6 January 2002 | 8 January 2002 | |
| 28 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | Džemal Hadžiabdić | 8 January 2002 | 15 June 2002 | 1 Championship |
| 29 | France | Bruno Metsu | 14 July 2002 | 1 June 2004 | 2 Championships, 1 Champions League, 1 Supercup |
| 30 | France | Alain Perrin | July 2004 | 21 Oct 2004 | |
| 31 | Tunisia | Mohammad El Mansi* | 23 Oct 2004 | Jan 2005 | 1 Federation Cup |
| No. | Nationality | Head coach | From | Until | Honours |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 32 | Czech Republic | Milan Máčala | Jan 2005 | Jan 2006 | 1 President's Cup |
| 33 | Tunisia | Mohammad El Mansi* | Jan 2006 | June 2006 | 1 President's Cup, 1 Federation Cup |
| 34 | Romania | Anghel Iordănescu | June 2006 | Nov 2006 | |
| 35 | Netherlands | Tiny Ruys* | Nov 2006 | January 2007 | |
| 36 | Italy | Walter Zenga | 7 January 2007 | 1 June 2007 | |
| 37 | Brazil | Tite | 9 July 2007 | 22 Dec 2007 | |
| 38 | Germany | Winfried Schäfer | 25 Dec 2007 | 2 Dec 2009 | 1 League Cup, 1 President's Cup, 1 Supercup |
| 39 | Morocco | Rachid Benmahmoud* | 2 Dec 2009 | 6 Dec 2009 | |
| 40 | Brazil | Toninho Cerezo | 6 Dec 2009 | 14 April 2010 | |
| 41 | United Arab Emirates | Abdulhameed Al Mistaki* | 14 April 2010 | 20 Dec 2010 | |
| 42 | United Arab Emirates | Ahmed Abdullah* | 20 Dec 2010 | 30 Dec 2010 | |
| 43 | Brazil | Alexandre Gallo | 30 Dec 2010 | 6 June 2011 | |
| 44 | Romania | Cosmin Olăroiu | 6 June 2011 | 6 July 2013 | 2 Championships, 1 Supercup |
| 45 | Uruguay | Jorge Fossati | 29 July 2013 | 13 Sept 2013 | |
| 46 | United Arab Emirates | Ahmed Abdullah* | 13 Sept 2013 | 27 Sept 2013 | |
| 47 | Spain | Quique Sánchez Flores | 27 Sept 2013 | 8 March 2014 | |
| 48 | Croatia | Zlatko Dalić | 8 March 2014 | 23 January 2017 | 1 Championship, 1 President's Cup, 1 Supercup 1 Emirati-Moroccan Super Cup |
| 49 | Croatia | Joško Španjić* | 23 January 2017 | 1 February 2017 | |
| 50 | Croatia | Zoran Mamić | 1 February 2017 | 30 January 2019 | 1 Championship, 1 President's Cup |
| 51 | Croatia | Željko Sopić* | 30 January 2019 | 18 February 2019 | |
| 52 | Spain | Juan Carlos Garrido | 18 February 2019 | 26 May 2019 | |
| 53 | Croatia | Ivan Leko | 1 June 2019 | 21 December 2019 | |
| 54 | Iraq | Ghazi Fahad* | 21 December 2019 | 5 January 2020 | |
| 55 | Portugal | Pedro Emanuel | 5 January 2020 | 11 May 2021 | |
| 56 | Ukraine | Serhiy Rebrov | 6 June 2021 | 27 May 2023 | 1 Championship, 1 League Cup |
| 57 | Netherlands | Alfred Schreuder | 27 May 2023 | 8 November 2023 | |
| 58 | Argentina | Hernán Crespo | 14 November 2023 | 6 November 2024 | 1 Champions League |
| 59 | Portugal | Leonardo Jardim | 8 November 2024 | 4 February 2025 | |
| 60 | Serbia | Vladimir Ivić | 4 February 2025 | present |
Record
Recent seasons
| Champions | Runners-up | 3rd place | Advanced to next round but the cup continued in next season |
Notes
Most appearances
As of match played 25 May 2024
The below list is since the professional era starting in 2008–09. Bold indicates player is still active at club level.
| Rank | Player | Years | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United Arab Emirates Khalid Eisa | 2013– | 389 |
| 2 | United Arab Emirates Mohanad Salem | 2008–2021 | 331 |
| United Arab Emirates Mohammed Abdulrahman | 2008–2021 | 331 | |
| 4 | United Arab Emirates Ismail Ahmed | 2008–2021 | 328 |
| 5 | United Arab Emirates Bandar Al-Ahbabi | 2010– | 241 |
| 6 | United Arab Emirates Omar Abdulrahman | 2008–2018 | 231 |
| 7 | United Arab Emirates Mohamed Ahmed | 2012–2023 | 212 |
Top goalscorers
Updated 21 January 2025. Note: this includes goals scored in all competitions.
| Rank | Player | Years | Goals(League goals only) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United Arab Emirates Ahmed Abdullah | 1978–1995 | 185(122) |
| 2 | Togo Kodjo Fo-Doh Laba | 2019–present | 140(113) |
| 3 | Ghana Asamoah Gyan | 2011–2015 | 128(95) |
| 4 | United Arab Emirates Matar Al Sahbani | 1983-?? | 93(37) |
| 5 | United Arab Emirates Majid Al Owais | 1992–2001 | At least 90(86) |
| 6 | Tunisia Mohieddine Habita | 1976–1983 | 71(57) |
| 7 | United Arab Emirates Omar Abdulrahman | 2008–2018 | 62(39) |
| 8 | United Arab Emirates Salem Johar | 1992–2005 | 60(53) |
| 9 | Morocco Soufiane Rahimi | 2019– | 60(33) |
| 10 | United Arab Emirates Saif Sultan | 1992–2005 | 55(45) |
Top scorers in Asian competitions
Since 2002–03 AFC Champions League, includes goals scored in qualifying play-off Statistics correct as of 6 December 2024
Asian
Overview
As of 25 May 2024.
| Competition | Played | Won | Drew | Lost | GF | GA | GD | Win% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Club Championship / Champions League | 144 | 61 | 39 | 44 | 236 | 191 | +45 | 042.36 |
| Cup Winners' Cup | 8 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 7 | 12 | −5 | 037.50 |
| Total | 152 | 64 | 39 | 49 | 243 | 203 | +40 | 042.11 |
- GF = Goals For. GA = Goals Against. GD = Goal Difference.
Participations
| Competition | 1995 | 1999 | 2000 | 2001 | 2002 | 2003 | 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2010 | 2011 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asian Cup Winners' Cup | 2R | 1R | QF | |||||||||||||||||||
| Club Championship / Champions League | 3rd | 2R | C | QF | RU | QF | GS | GS | GS | GS | SF | R16 | RU | QF | R16 | GS | GS | QS | C |
- QS : Qualifying Stage, 1R/2R : First/Second round, GS : Group Stage, R16 : Round of 16, QF : Quarterfinals, SF : Semifinal, RU : Runner-up, C : Champions
See also
- List of football clubs in the United Arab Emirates
- List of world champion football clubs and vice-world champions in football
External links
- (in Arabic and English)
- on Arabian Gulf League official website
- on AFC official website