2012–13 UAE Pro League

The UAE Pro League (known as Etisalat Pro League for sponsorship reasons) is the premier league in United Arab Emirates. It will be the 38th top-level football season in the UAE, and the fifth Professional season.

UAE Pro-League
Season2012–13
ChampionsAl Ain FC
RelegatedDibba Al-Fujairah
Ittihad Kalba
Champions LeagueAl-Ahli
Al-Jazira
Al-Ain
Baniyas
Gulf Champions LeagueAl-Shabab
Al-Nasr
Matches played90
Goals scored330 (3.67 per match)
Top goalscorerAsamoah Gyan (30 goals)
Highest attendance19,756 [Al-Jazira vs. Al-Ain]
Lowest attendance103 [Kalba vs. Dibba]
Average attendance2,468
← 2011–12
2013–14 →

It will be contested by 14 teams due to an expansion in the league system.[1]

Al Ain are the defending champions, having won the previous 2011–12 Pro League season.

On Thursday, 18 April 2013, Al Ain won their match against Dubai which guarantees them as winners of the 2012–13 Pro League.

They will receive their trophy on their last match against Al Nasr on Saturday, 25 May 2013.

Promotion

In June 2012 the UAE FA announced that the league would expand to 14 clubs The two teams that came in the bottom two of the previous campaign – Al Sharjah and Emirates Club – would enter a promotion/relegation series with the teams that came third and fourth in the second level – Al Dhafra and Al Shaab Sharjah.[2]

This two sides would join Ittihad Kalba and Dibba Al Fujairah who came in the top two in the second division.

Promotion/Relegation Play-offs
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Promotion or relegation
1 Al-Shaab 3 2 0 1 5 4 +1 6 Promotion to the 2012–13 UAE Pro-League
2 Al-Dhafra 3 2 0 1 8 4 +4 6
3 Al Sharjah 3 2 0 1 3 2 +1 6 Relegation to the 2012–13 UAE Second Division
4 Emirates Club 3 0 0 3 3 9 −6 0
Source: Full Standings
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.

Teams

Stadia and locations
Dubai
Ajman
Abu Dhabi
Al Ain
Sharjah
Ras al-Khaimah
Madinat Zayed
Kalba
Fujairah
Locations of teams in the 2012–13 UAE Pro-League
Team Home city Manager Stadium Capacity
Al Ahli Dubai Quique Flores Rashed Stadium 18,000
Al Dhafra Madinat Zayed Laurent Banide Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan Stadium 12,000
Al Jazira Abu Dhabi Luis Milla Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium 42,056
Al Ain Al Ain Cosmin Olăroiu Tahnoun bin Mohammed Stadium 15,000
Al Wahda Abu Dhabi Josef Hickersberger Al-Nahyan Stadium 12,000
Al Shaab Sharjah Sharjah Marius Șumudică Khalid Bin Mohammed Stadium 10,000
Al Shabab Dubai Marcos Paqueta Maktoum Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Stadium 12,000
Al Wasl Dubai Eid Baroot Zabeel Stadium 12,000
Al Nasr Dubai Walter Zenga Al-Maktoum Stadium 12,000
Ajman Ajman Abdul Alwab Abdulkadir Ajman Stadium 10,000
Dubai Dubai Rene Marsiglia Police Officers Club Stadium 6,500
Bani Yas Abu Dhabi Salem Al Orafi Bani Yas Stadium 9,570
Dibba Al Fujairah Fujairah Abdullah Misfir Fujairah Club Stadium 3,500
Ittihad Kalba Kalba Zé Mário Ittihad Kalba Club Stadium 3,000

Managerial changes

Managerial changes during the 2012–13 campaign.

Pre-season
Team Outgoing manager Manner of departure Replaced by
Al Wasl Diego Maradona Sacked[3] Bruno Metsu[4]
Al Wahda Josef Hickersberger Resigned[5] Branko Ivankovic[6]
Al Dhafra Dzemal Hadziabdic[7]
Al Sharjah Valeriu Tiţa Faouzi Benzarti[8]
Dubai Club Ayman Ramadi Rene Marsiglia[9]
Bani Yas Gabriel Calderón[10] Contract not renewed Jozef Chovanec[11]
Al Jazira Caio Junior[12] Contract not renewed Paulo Bonamigo[13]
Al Shabab Paulo Bonamigo[13] Resigned Marcos Paqueta

During season
Team Outgoing manager Manner of departure Replaced by
Ittihad Kalba Dragan Talajic Sacked[14] Lufti Benzarti
Al Wasl Bruno Metsu Illness[15] Gilles Morisseau &
Nasser Khamis
Dibba Al Fujairah Marcelo Ribeiro Cabo Sacked[16] Abdullah Misfir
Al Wasl Gilles Morisseau &
Nasser Khamis		 Temporary Mandate[17] Guy Lacombe
Ittihad Kalba Lufti Benzarti Sacked[18] Zé Mário
Al Shaab Sharjah Sérgio Alexandre Sacked[18] Marius Șumudică
Al Dhafra Dzemal Hadziabdic Sacked[18] Laurent Banide
Al Wasl Guy Lacombe Sacked[19] Eid Baroot
Al Jazira Paulo Bonamigo Sacked Luis Milla[20]
Al Wahda Branko Ivankovic Sacked[21] Josef Hickersberger
Baniyas Jozef Chovanec Became Technical Director[22] Salem Al Orafi

League table
Pos Team Pld W D L GF GA GD Pts Qualification or relegation
1 Al Ain (C) 26 20 2 4 74 26 +48 62 Qualification to the 2014 AFC Champions League Group Stage
2 Al-Ahli 26 15 6 5 62 33 +29 51
3 Al Jazira 26 13 8 5 56 37 +19 47
4 Baniyas 26 14 5 7 50 37 +13 47 Qualification to the 2014 AFC Champions League Second Qualifying Round
5 Al Shabab 26 13 3 10 48 39 +9 42 Qualification to the 2014 GCC Champions League
6 Al Nasr 26 11 6 9 51 40 +11 39
7 Al-Wahda 26 12 3 11 44 41 +3 39
8 Al Dhafra 26 9 9 8 37 46 −9 36
9 Al Wasl 26 8 8 10 41 45 −4 32
10 Ajman 26 8 6 12 48 58 −10 30
11 Dubai Club 26 6 9 11 32 53 −21 27
12 Al-Shaab 26 7 4 15 37 49 −12 25
13 Dibba Al Fujairah (R) 26 6 3 17 30 55 −25 21 Relegation to the 2013–14 UAE Second Division
14 Ittihad Kalba (R) 26 3 2 21 24 75 −51 11
Source: Full Standings
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champion; (R) Relegated.

Results
Home \ Away AJM ALI AIN DHA ITT JAZ NAS SHB SHA WAH WAS YAS DAF DUB
Ajman 1–2 1–4 0–3 6–1 2–4 2–1 3–1 2–2 4–2 0–2 3–3 3–3 2–1
Al-Ahli 3–0 0–3 1–1 3–0 0–2 2–2 2–0 5–1 2–0 4–0 0–0 1–0 1–1
Al Ain 4–0 3–6 7–0 6–0 1–0 2–1 2–1 2–1 2–1 5–0 2–2 0–1 3–0
Al Dhafra 1–1 2–1 0–3 1–0 2–1 1–0 3–3 1–1 1–2 2–1 1–3 2–3 1–1
Ittihad Kalba 0–3 1–3 1–3 2–1 1–3 2–1 0–4 0–2 0–6 2–2 1–2 1–2 1–3
Al Jazira 2–1 2–2 2–2 4–1 3–1 1–2 2–0 2–1 2–2 2–3 3–0 3–3 1–1
Al Nasr 1–1 2–3 0–2 1–2 6–1 3–3 2–1 2–3 4–1 2–2 2–1 3–1 4–1
Al-Shaab 2–1 1–3 1–0 2–2 2–1 2–3 1–1 0–3 1–2 0–0 1–3 5–3 2–3
Al Shabab 2–2 2–0 2–3 0–2 3–2 5–1 2–4 1–2 3–2 2–1 2–0 2–0 3–1
Al-Wahda 3–4 2–6 2–0 3–0 2–1 0–2 0–1 1–0 1–0 1–1 2–0 2–0 1–2
Al Wasl 4–2 2–2 1–2 1–1 3–1 0–0 0–1 3–2 2–1 4–1 0–1 2–3 3–1
Baniyas 5–0 1–4 0–3 2–2 2–0 1–3 3–1 4–2 1–0 1–1 3–1 2–0 5–0
Dibba Al Fujairah 1–4 1–0 1–5 0–2 2–3 0–4 1–3 0–1 1–2 0–1 2–1 1–2 0–1
Dubai Club 1–0 3–6 2–5 2–2 1–1 1–1 1–1 1–0 0–2 0–3 2–2 2–3 0–0
Updated to match(es) played on unknown. Source: Soccerway
Legend: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.

Season statistics

Top scorers
Rank Scorer Club Goals
1 Asamoah Gyan Al Ain 31
2 Grafite Al Ahli 24
3 Giuseppe Mascara Al Nasr 10
Emiliano Alfaro Al Wasl 9
5 Ricardo Oliveira Al Jazira 9
6 Bruno Correa Al Nasr 8
Papa Waigo Al-Wahda 8
Richard Porta Dubai Club 8
André Senghor Baniyas 8
Boris Kabi Ajman 8

References
  1. "UAE FA increases the number of professional clubs to 14". ufl.ae. 4 June 2012. Retrieved 4 June 2012.
  2. Amith Passela. "UAE Pro League to expand to 14 teams". The National. Retrieved 16 December 2012.
  3. "Maradona sacked as coach of Al Wasl". Gulf News. 10 July 2012. Retrieved 10 July 2012.
  4. "Bruno Metsu confirmed as Maradona's replacement at Al Wasl". The National. 17 July 2012. Retrieved 17 July 2012.
  5. "Al Wahda waste no time recruiting new faces". The National. 7 May 2012. Retrieved 7 May 2012.
  6. "Al Wahda line up Ivankovic to replace Hickersberger". The National. 1 May 2012. Retrieved 1 May 2012.
  7. "Football: Al Dhafra recruit for play-offs". The National. 31 July 2012. Retrieved 31 July 2012.
  8. "Pro League round-up: Nasr stand firm on Bresciano". The National. 29 July 2012. Retrieved 29 July 2012.
  9. "Dubai coach Marsiglia hails signing of former Al Wahda midfielder Magrao". The National. 20 July 2012. Retrieved 20 July 2012.
  10. "Another Pro League coach bites the dust". Gulf News. 30 May 2012. Retrieved 30 May 2012.
  11. "Bani Yas looking to build on last season". Gulf News. 14 July 2012. Retrieved 14 July 2012.
  12. "Scocco among key figures on the way out from UAE". The National. 31 May 2012. Retrieved 31 May 2012.
  13. "Bonamigo breaks Al Shabab deal to take over at Al Jazira". The National. 1 June 2012. Retrieved 1 June 2012.
  14. "Kalba sack manager Dragan Talajic after losing start to new season". The National. 8 October 2012. Retrieved 8 October 2012.
  15. "Al Wasl's Metsu has 'serious medical condition'". Gulf News. 16 October 2012. Retrieved 16 October 2012.
  16. "Al Shabab smart to retain Marcos Paqueta". The National. 24 October 2012. Retrieved 24 October 2012.
  17. "Al Wasl sign an 8 – month contract with Lacombe". Pro League Committee. 8 November 2012.
  18. "Al Shaab fire coach Sergio Alexandre after run of defeats". The National. 16 December 2012. Retrieved 16 December 2012.
  19. "Guy Lacombe dismissed as Al Wasl coach". The UAE National. 18 February 2013.
  20. "Al Jazira 4 Al Dhafra 1". The National. 21 February 2013. Archived from the original on 3 April 2013. Retrieved 22 February 2013.
  21. "Josef Hickersberger 'eager to start again' as Al Wahda coach". The National. 28 April 2013. Retrieved 28 April 2013.
  22. "GCC Championship semi-final: Time for Baniyas loyal Salem Al Orafi to shine". The National. 7 May 2013. Retrieved 7 May 2013.
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