Al Ain Football Club is an association football club based in Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, that competes in UAE Pro League, the top-division football league in United Arab Emirates. 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.[1] Al Ain is one of only three clubs never to have been relegated from the top level of Emirati football since 1975–76 season, the others being Al Nasr and Al Wasl.
Key
edit- Pos. = Position
- Div. = Division
- C = Champion
- RU = Final (Runner-up)
- SF = Semi-finals
- QF = Quarter-finals
- R16/R32 = Round of 16, round of 32, etc.
- R1/R2 = First round, second round, etc.
- GS = Group stage
- PO = Play-off
- QS = Qualifying Stage
- W = Withdrew
| Champions | Runners-up | 3rd Place | Advanced to next round but the cup continued in next season |
Seasons
editPre-Football League era
edit| Season | Div. | Pos. | Cup | Manager | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1969–70[n 1] | Abu Dhabi Championship | Abu Dhabi Ruler Cup | Not held |  Nasser Dhaen[2][3][4]
| |
| 1970–71 | Abu Dhabi Championship | Abu Dhabi Ruler Cup | RU | ||
| 1971–72 | Abu Dhabi Championship | Not completed | Abu Dhabi Ruler Cup | RU |  Abdelaziz Hammami
|
| 1972–73 | Abu Dhabi Championship | Abu Dhabi Ruler Cup | |||
| 1973–74 | Abu Dhabi Championship | 1st | Abu Dhabi Ruler Cup | Not held |  Ahmed Alyan
|
| 1974–75[n 2] | Abu Dhabi Championship | 1st | UAE President's Cup | R16[5] | |
Notes
- ^ from 1969 to 1974, Al Ain competed in the championship and Cup of the Abu Dhabi region organised by Abu Dhabi Football Association.
- ^ Played as Categorization League and organised by UAEFA, included four clubs from Abu Dhabi region, Al Ain, Al Emirates qualified to 1975–76 UAE Football League, Al Jazira, Abu Dhabi to 1975–76 First Division League.
Football League and Pro League era
edit| Season | Div. | Pos. | Pl. | W | D | L | GS | GA | GD | P | President's Cup | Federation Cup / League Cup[n 1] | Super Cup | GCC | ACCC | Asia | Other competitions | Top scorer | Manager | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1975–76 | 1 | 2nd | 16 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 33 | 15 | +18 | 24 | Not completed | Not held | – | – | Ahmed Alyan
| |||||||||
| 1976–77 | 1 | 1st | 3 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 3 | +3 | 5 | Quarter-finals |  Mohieddine Habita[6]
|
Humaid Dhib
| |||||||||||
| 1977–78 | 1 | 2nd | 24 | 15 | 4 | 5 | – | 34 | Cancelled | |||||||||||||||
| 1978–79 | 1 | 3rd | 20 | – | 27 | RU | Ahmed Alyan
| |||||||||||||||||
| 1979–80 | 1 | 8th | 18 | 3 | 6 | 9 | 28 | 40 | −12 | 12 | Semi-Finals | Abdelmajid Chetali
| ||||||||||||
| 1980–81 | 1 | 1st | 18 | 10 | 4 | 4 | 24 | 22 | +2 | 24 | RU | Ahmed Abdullah
|
Abdelmajid Chetali Ahmed Nagah*
| |||||||||||
| 1981–82 | 1 | 2nd | 18 | – | 21 | Quarter-finals | Not held | – | Ahmed Nagah
| |||||||||||||||
| 1982–83 | 1 | 5th | 18 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 21 | 21 | 0 | 19 | Quarter-finals | Not held | – | Not held | Joint League | C |  Nelsinho Rosa
| |||||||
| 1983–84 | 1 | 1st | 18 | 12 | 3 | 3 | 35 | 18 | +17 | 27 | Semi-Finals | – | – | Ahmed Abdullah
|
||||||||||
| 1984–85 | 1 | 8th | – | Quarter-finals | Group Stage | Not held | Gulf Club Champions Cup | GS | Joint League | 4th | Nelsinho Rosa Miljan Miljanić
| |||||||||||||
| 1985–86 | 1 | 9th | 18 | 4 | 2 | 12 | 27 | 47 | −20 | 14 | Semi-Finals | RU | – | – | ||||||||||
| 1986–87 | 1 | 3rd | 20 | 11 | 3 | 6 | 32 | 23 | +9 | 25 | Semi-Finals | Not held | Jair Picerni João Francisco
| |||||||||||
| 1987–88 | 1 | 5th | 22 | 9 | 6 | 7 | 26 | 24 | +2 | 33 | Round of 16 | João Francisco
| ||||||||||||
| 1988–89 | 1 | 5th | 22 | 8 | 9 | 5 | 29 | 21 | +8 | 25 | Quarter-finals | C | Zé Mario
| |||||||||||
| 1989–90 | 1 | 7th | 26 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 36 | 26 | +10 | 27 | RU | Not held | – | Not held | Not held | |||||||||
| 1990–91[n 2] | 1 | 8th | 13 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 15 | 10 | +5 | 15 | Semi-Finals | Not held | Not held | – | cancelled[n 3] |  Mahieddine Khalef
| ||||||||
| 1991–92 | 1 | 7th | 30 | 13 | 8 | 9 | 42 | 35 | +7 | 34 | Round of 16 | – | ||||||||||||
| 1992–93 | 1 | 1st | 22 | 15 | 5 | 2 | 54 | 13 | +41 | 35 | Round of 16 | Group Stage | – | Saif Sultan
|
Yusri Abdul Ghani Amarildo
| |||||||||
| 1993–94 | 1 | 2nd | 18 | 12 | 5 | 1 | 31 | 10 | +21 | 29 | RU | RU | RU | Amarildo
| ||||||||||
| 1994–95 | 1 | 2nd | 18 | 7 | 9 | 2 | 26 | 15 | +11 | 23 | RU | – | 1st | Gulf Club Champions Cup | 5th | Amarildo Shaker Abdel-Fattah
| ||||||||
| 1995–96 | 1 | 3rd | 18 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 17 | 11 | +6 | 25 | Round of 16 | Not held | 4th | – | Asian Cup Winners' Cup | R2 |  Ángel Marcos
| |||||||
| 1996–97 | 1 | 5th | 28 | 10 | 11 | 7 | 40 | 31 | +9 | 41 | Round of 16 | Not held | – | Lori Sandri Yusri Abdul Ghani Cabralzinho
| ||||||||||
| 1997–98 | 1 | 1st | 32 | 17 | 9 | 6 | 49 | 29 | +20 | 61 | Semi-Finals | Salem Johar
|
Cabralzinho Shaker Abdel-Fattah
| |||||||||||
| 1998–99 | 1 | 2nd | 33 | 16 | 9 | 8 | 58 | 36 | +22 | 57 | C | Asian Club Championship | 3rd |  Seydou Traoré
|
15 |  Nelo Vingada Ilie Balaci
| ||||||||
| 1999–2000 | 1 | 1st | 22 | 13 | 7 | 2 | 48 | 25 | +23 | 47 | Round of 16 | Group Stage | Asian Cup Winners' Cup | R1 | Majid Al Owais
|
15 | Ilie Balaci
| |||||||
| 2000–01 | 1 | 4th | 22 | 10 | 4 | 8 | 33 | 27 | +6 | 34 | C | Group Stage | Gulf Club Champions Cup | C | Asian Club Championship | R2 |  Juma Mossi
|
15 | Oscar Fulloné Mrad Mahjoub Ahmed Abdullah * Anghel Iordănescu
| |||||
| 2001–02 | 1 | 1st | 22 | 14 | 5 | 3 | 44 | 23 | +21 | 47 | Semi-Finals | Group Stage | RU | – | Arab Club Champions Cup | W[n 4] | Asian Cup Winners' Cup | QF |  Joël Tiéhi
|
19 |  Džemal Hadžiabdić
| |||
| 2002–03 | 1 | 1st | 22 | 14 | 6 | 2 | 51 | 20 | +31 | 48 | Quarter-finals | Not held | C | – | AFC Champions League | C | Boubacar Sanogo
|
24 |  Bruno Metsu
| |||||
| 2003–04 | 1 | 1st | 16 | 11 | 3 | 2 | 34 | 17 | +17 | 36 | Semi-Finals | Not held | Not held | AFC Champions League | bye GS [n 5] | Rodrigo Mendes
|
19 | |||||||
| 2004–05 | 1 | 2nd | 26 | 18 | 3 | 5 | 54 | 26 | +28 | 57 | C | C | – | |||||||||||
| AFC Champions League | QF | Edílson
|
22 | Alain Perrin Mohammad El Mansi * Milan Máčala
| ||||||||||||||||||||
| AFC Champions League | QF | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2005–06 | 1 | 4th | 22 | 13 | 2 | 7 | 42 | 23 | +19 | 41 | C | C | ||||||||||||
| AFC Champions League | RU |  Nenad Jestrović
|
14 | Milan Máčala Mohammad El Mansi *
| ||||||||||||||||||||
| AFC Champions League | QF | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2006–07 | 1 | 9th | 22 | 7 | 7 | 8 | 22 | 26 | −4 | 28 | RU | Group Stage | ||||||||||||
| AFC Champions League | QF | Nenad Jestrović
|
9 | Anghel Iordănescu Tiny Ruys * Walter Zenga
| ||||||||||||||||||||
| AFC Champions League | GS | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2007–08 | 1 | 6th | 22 | 9 | 5 | 8 | 41 | 36 | +5 | 32 | Round of 16 | Not held | – |  Ousman Jallow
|
11 | Tite Winfried Schäfer
| ||||||||
| 2008–09 | 1 | 3rd | 22 | 12 | 7 | 3 | 40 | 20 | +20 | 43 | C | C | – | Not held | André Dias
|
23 | Winfried Schäfer
| |||||||
| 2009–10 | 1 | 3rd | 22 | 14 | 3 | 5 | 57 | 29 | +28 | 45 | Round of 16 | Semi-Finals | C | – | AFC Champions League | GS | José Sand
|
33 | Winfried Schäfer Rachid Benmahmoud * Toninho Cerezo Abdulhameed Al Mistaki *
| |||||
| 2010–11 | 1 | 10th | 22 | 6 | 7 | 9 | 33 | 35 | −2 | 25 | Round of 16 | RU | – | AFC Champions League | GS | José Sand Omar Abdulrahman
|
11 | Abdulhameed Al Mistaki * Ahmed Abdullah * Alexandre Gallo
| ||||||
| 2011–12 | 1 | 1st | 22 | 17 | 4 | 1 | 52 | 16 | +36 | 55 | Quarter-Finals | Group Stage | – |  Asamoah Gyan
|
27 | Cosmin Olăroiu
| ||||||||
| 2012–13 | 1 | 1st | 26 | 20 | 2 | 4 | 74 | 26 | +48 | 62 | Semi-Finals | Group Stage | C | AFC Champions League | GS | Asamoah Gyan
|
32 | |||||||
| 2013–14 | 1 | 6th | 26 | 12 | 7 | 7 | 52 | 33 | +19 | 43 | C | Group Stage | RU | AFC Champions League | QF | Asamoah Gyan
|
45 |  Jorge Fossati Ahmed Abdullah * Quique Flores Zlatko Dalić
| ||||||
| 2014–15 | 1 | 1st | 26 | 18 | 6 | 2 | 62 | 19 | +43 | 60 | Quarter-Finals | Group Stage | RU | |||||||||||
| AFC Champions League | SF | Asamoah Gyan
|
24 | Zlatko Dalić
| ||||||||||||||||||||
| AFC Champions League | R16 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2015–16 | 1 | 2nd | 26 | 18 | 3 | 5 | 53 | 24 | +29 | 57 | RU | Group Stage | C | Cancelled | AFC Champions League | QF | Emirati-Moroccan Super Cup | C | Dyanfres Douglas
|
18 | ||||
| 2016–17 | 1 | 4th | 26 | 17 | 4 | 5 | 58 | 37 | +21 | 55 | Quarter-Finals | Group Stage | – | Arab Club Champions Cup | W[n 6] | AFC Champions League | RU | – | Caio Lucas
|
18 | Zlatko Dalić Joško Španjić * Zoran Mamić
| |||
| AFC Champions League | QF | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2017–18 | 1 | 1st | 22 | 16 | 5 | 1 | 65 | 23 | +42 | 53 | C | Quarter-Finals | Not held | – | AFC Champions League | QF |  Marcus Berg
|
35 | Zoran Mamić
| |||||
| AFC Champions League | R16 | |||||||||||||||||||||||
| 2018–19 | 1 | 4th | 26 | 14 | 4 | 8 | 45 | 35 | +10 | 46 | Round of 16 | Quarter-Finals | RU | Arab Club Champions Cup | R32 | AFC Champions League | GS | FIFA Club World Cup | RU | Caio Lucas
|
17 | Zoran Mamić Željko Sopić * Juan Garrido
| ||
| 2019–20[n 7] | 1 | 2nd | 19 | 11 | 4 | 4 | 46 | 21 | +25 | 37 | Final | Semi-Finals | – | – | AFC Champions League | GS | — |  Kodjo Laba
|
28 | Ivan Leko Ghazi Fahad * Pedro Emanuel
| ||||
| 2020–21 | 1 | 6th | 26 | 11 | 8 | 7 | 39 | 33 | +6 | 41 | Round of 16 | First Round | – | AFC Champions League | QS | Kodjo Laba
|
13 | Pedro Emanuel
| ||||||
| 2021–22 | 1 | 1st | 26 | 20 | 5 | 1 | 57 | 17 | +40 | 65 | Quarter-finals | C | — | Kodjo Laba
|
31 |  Serhii Rebrov
| ||||||||
| 2022–23 | 1 | 2nd | 26 | 16 | 6 | 4 | 67 | 31 | +36 | 54 | RU | RU | RU | Kodjo Laba |
31 | |||||||||
| 2023–24 | 1 | 3rd | 26 | 14 | 3 | 9 | 54 | 37 | +17 | 45 | Quarter-finals | RU | — | AFC Champions League | C | Soufiane Rahimi |
23 | Alfred Schreuder Hernán Crespo
| ||||||
Notes
- ^ Starting from the 2008-09 season or whats known as the Pro Era, UAE Federation Cup was replaced with UAE League Cup.
- ^ cancelled due to Gulf War.
- ^ cancelled due to Gulf War.
- ^ Al-Ain withdrew the tournament, Al-Rayyan replaced it.
- ^ bye through the Group Stage as the reigning champions
- ^ Al-Ain withdrew the tournament, Al-Wahda replaced it.
- ^ 2019–20 UAE football season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Arab Emirates.
References
edit- ^ "club Foundation3". alainclub.com. Archived from the original on 1 August 2007. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
- ^ "ناصر ضاعن: ملعب "دوار الساعة" شاهد على الانطلاقة". Al-Ittihad.
- ^ "أفكار محمد وهزاع بن زايد وراء القفزة النوعية للبنفسج". Al Bayan.
- ^ "ناصر ضاعن أول مواطن يقود تدريب العين". Al Bayan.
- ^ "نهائي الأحلام بين فرسـان الوحدة والعين الليلة بمديـنـة زايـد". AlEtihad.ae. 16 June 2005. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
- ^ "قصة زعامة الفريق البنفسجي". AlKhaleej.ae. Retrieved 22 June 2024.
External links
edit- Al Ain FC official website (in English and Arabic)
- UAE Football Stats at rsssf.com (in English)