2024–25 Al Ain FC season
2024–25 season | |
---|---|
President | Mohammed Bin Zayed |
Chairman | Hazza Bin Zayed |
Head coach | Hernán Crespo |
Stadium | Hazza Bin Zayed |
UAE Pro League | 6th |
President's Cup | Round of 16 |
League Cup | First round |
AFC Champions League Elite | League stage |
FIFA Intercontinental Cup | First round |
FIFA Club World Cup | Group stage |
Top goalscorer | League: Kodjo Laba (4) All: Soufiane Rahimi (9) |
The 2024–25 Al Ain Football Club season is the club's 57th in existence and their 50th consecutive season in the top-level football league in the UAE.
Season overview
Pre-season
On 27 June 2024, Al Ain announced they would be touring in Rabat, Morocco, with four friendly matches against Union de Touarga on 24 July, Kénitra on 1 August, Chabab Mohammédia on 5 August and Raja CA on 10 August.[1][2]
Management
Position | Name | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Coaching staff | ||||||
Head coach | Hernán Crespo | |||||
Assistant coaches | Juan Branda Nicolás Domínguez Ahmed Abdullah | |||||
Chief analyst | Carles Martínez | |||||
Analyst | Tiago Freire | |||||
Goalkeeping coaches | Gustavo Nepote | |||||
Fitness coach | Federico Martinetti | |||||
U-21 team head coach | Ismail Ahmed | |||||
Physiotherapist | Santiago Thompson Felipe Perseu Pianca Abdelnasser Aljohny | |||||
Club Doctor | Nikos Tzouroudis | |||||
Nutritionist | Ricardo Pinto | |||||
Scout | Daniele Di Napoli | |||||
Administration staff | ||||||
Team manager | Ahmed Al Shamsi | |||||
Front office | ||||||
Sporting Director | Rodrigo Mendes[3] |
Board of Directors
Office | Name |
---|---|
Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors of Al Ain SCC Chairman of the Executive Committee 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 |
Source: AlAinClub.ae
Players
First Team
N | Position | Nation | Player | Age | Since | Notes | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Goalkeepers | |||||||||||
1 | GK | Mohammed Abo Sandah | 29 | 2014 | |||||||
17 | GK | Khalid Eisa (VC) | 35 | 2013 | |||||||
36 | GK | Amer Al-Faresi | 19 | 2024 | U21 | ||||||
Defenders | |||||||||||
3 | DF | Kouame Autonne | 24 | 2021 | |||||||
15 | DF | Erik Jorgens | 23 | 2020 | |||||||
16 | DF | Khalid Al-Hashemi | 27 | 2023 | |||||||
46 | DF | Dramane Koumare | 19 | 2024 | |||||||
50 | DF | Manea Al Shamsi | 23 | 2021 | |||||||
66 | DF | Mansour Al Shamsi | 23 | 2020 | |||||||
— | DF | Khalid Butti | 33 | 2024 | |||||||
— | DF | Marlon Santos | 29 | 2024 | on loan from Shakhtar Donetsk | ||||||
Midfielders | |||||||||||
5 | MF | Park Youg-woo | 31 | 2023 | |||||||
6 | MF | Yahia Nader | 26 | 2018 | |||||||
8 | MF | Mohammed Abbas | 22 | 2021 | U21 | ||||||
10 | MF | Kaku | 29 | 2023 | |||||||
11 | MF | Bandar Al-Ahbabi (C) | 34 | 2016 | |||||||
13 | MF | Ahmed Barman | 30 | 2013 | |||||||
18 | MF | Khalid Al-Balochi | 25 | 2018 | |||||||
20 | MF | Matías Palacios | 22 | 2022 | |||||||
21 | MF | Soufiane Rahimi | 29 | 2021 | |||||||
26 | MF | Ahmed Al-Qatesh | 23 | 2021 | |||||||
30 | MF | Hazem Mohammad | 19 | 2023 | U19 | ||||||
70 | MF | Abdoul Karim Traoré | 19 | 2023 | U19 | ||||||
— | MF | El Mehdi El Moubarik | 23 | 2022 | |||||||
Forwards | |||||||||||
9 | FW | Kodjo Laba | 32 | 2019 | |||||||
77 | FW | Rilwanu Sarki | 20 | 2023 | U19 | ||||||
90 | FW | Eisa Khalfan | 21 | 2021 | U21 | ||||||
99 | FW | Josna Loulendo | 20 | 2023 | U21 | ||||||
— | FW | Mohamed Awadalla | 22 | 2020 | U21 |
New contracts
Date | Pos | No. | Player | Ref. | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
12 July 2024 | GK | 1 | Mohammed Abo Sandah | [7] | 2026 |
Transfers
In
No. | Position | Player | From | Fee | Date | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Summer | ||||||
— | MF | Mohammed Khalfan | Khor Fakkan | Loan return | 1 July 2024 | |
— | FW | Mohamed Awadalla U21 | Khor Fakkan | [8] | ||
— | DF | Rafael Pereira | Khor Fakkan | |||
— | MF | El Mehdi El Moubarik | Raja | [9] | ||
— | DF | Khalid Butti | Al Wahda | Free | 12 July 2024 | [10] |
Total | €0 million |
Out
No. | Pos. | Player | Transfer to | Fee | Date | Source |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Summer | ||||||
22 | MF | Falah Waleed | Dibba Al-Hisn | End of contract | 25 June 2024 | [11][12] |
4 | DF | Mohammed Shaker | Khor Fakkan | End of contract | 27 June 2024 | [11][13] |
44 | DF | Saeed Juma | End of contract | 1 July 2024 | [11] | |
27 | MF | Sultan Al-Shamsi | Khor Fakkan | End of contract | 1 July 2024 | [11][14] |
12 | GK | Sultan Al-Mantheri | Kalba | End of contract | 1 July 2024 | [11][15] |
— | MF | Mohammed Khalfan | Dibba Al-Hisn | End of contract | 3 July 2024 | [16] |
Loans in
No. | Pos | Player | From | Start date | End date | Ref. |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
— | DF | Marlon Santos | Shakhtar Donetsk | 3 July 2024 | End of season | [17] |
Pre-season and friendlies
On 27 June 2024, Al Ain announced they would be touring in Rabat, Morocco, with four friendly matches against Union de Touarga on 24 July, Kénitra on 1 August, Chabab Mohammédia on 5 August and Raja on 10 August.[1]
Win Draw Loss Fixtures
24 July 2024 1 | Union de Touarga | v | Al Ain | Rabat, Morocco |
5 August 2024 3 | Chabab Mohammédia | v | Al Ain | Rabat, Morocco |
10 August 2024 4 | Raja | v | Al Ain | Casablanca, Morocco |
Stadium: Stade Larbi Zaouli |
Competitions
Overview
Competition | First match | Last match | Starting round | Final position | Record | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win % | |||||
Pro-League | 24 August 2024 | TBD 2025 | Matchday 1 | TBD | 9 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 28 | 15 | +13 | 55.56 |
President's Cup | TBD | TBD | Round of 16 | TBD | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | +4 | 100.00 |
League Cup | 18 August 2024 | TBD | First round | TBD | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 3 | +3 | 100.00 |
AFC Champions League | 16 September 2024 | TBD | League phase | TBD | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 10 | 18 | −8 | 0.00 |
FIFA Intercontinental Cup | 22 September 2024 | TBD | First round | African-Asian-Pacific Cup Runners-up | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 6 | 5 | +1 | 50.00 |
FIFA Club World Cup | June 2025 | July 2025 | First round | TBD | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | +0 | — |
Total | 20 | 9 | 5 | 6 | 54 | 41 | +13 | 45.00 |
Last updated: 27 August 2024
Source: Competitions
Pro League
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
3 | Al Nasr | 10 | 6 | 1 | 3 | 24 | 18 | +6 | 19 |
4 | Al Wahda | 10 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 18 | 13 | +5 | 18[a] |
5 | Al Ain | 9 | 5 | 3 | 1 | 28 | 15 | +13 | 18[a] |
6 | Al Jazira | 10 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 23 | 16 | +7 | 17 |
7 | Kalba | 10 | 3 | 5 | 2 | 17 | 12 | +5 | 14 |
Rules for classification: [18] 1) points; 2) head-to-head goal difference; 3) head-to-head goals scored; 4) head-to-head away goals scored; 5) goal difference; 6) number of goals scored; 7) number of away goals scored; 8) head-to-head points; 9) fair play ranking 10) draw
Notes:
Results summary
Overall | Home | Away | |||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Source: Soccerway
Results by round
Matches
The league fixtures were announced on 6 July 2024.[19]
TBC 1 | Al Ain | v | Khor Fakkan | Al Ain |
TBC GMT+4 (UAE Time) | Report | Stadium: Hazza Bin Zayed |
TBC 2 | Al Bataeh | v | Al Ain | Sharjah |
TBC | Report | Stadium: Khalid bin Mohammed |
TBC 3 | Kalba | v | Al Ain | Kalba |
TBC | Report | Stadium: Ittihad Kalba |
TBC 4 | Al Ain | v | Al Wasl | Al Ain |
TBC | Report | Stadium: Hazza Bin Zayed |
TBC 5 | Al Ain | v | Al Wahda | Al Ain |
TBC | Report | Stadium: Hazza Bin Zayed |
TBC 6 | Dibba Al-Hisn | v | Al Ain | Dibba Al-Hisn |
TBC | Report | Stadium: Dibba |
TBC 7 | Al Ain | v | Shabab Al Ahli | Al Ain |
TBC | Report | Stadium: Hazza Bin Zayed |
TBC 9 | Al Ain | v | Baniyas | Al Ain |
TBC | Report | Stadium: Hazza Bin Zayed |
TBC 10 | Al Jazira | v | Al Ain | Abu Dhabi |
TBC | Report | Stadium: Mohammed bin Zayed |
TBC 11 | Al Ain | v | Sharjah | Al Ain |
TBC | Report | Stadium: Hazza Bin Zayed |
TBC 12 | Ajman | v | Al Ain | Ajman |
TBC | Report | Stadium: Rashid Bin Saeed |
TBC 13 | Al Ain | v | Al Nasr | Al Ain |
TBC | Report | Stadium: Hazza Bin Zayed |
UAE President's Cup
UAE League Cup
First round
First leg | Kalba | v | Al Ain | Kalba |
Report | Stadium: Ittihad Kalba |
Second leg | Al Ain | v | Kalba | Al Ain |
Report | Stadium: Hazza Bin Zayed |
AFC Champions League Elite
League phase
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Al-Hilal (Q) | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 20 | 6 | +14 | 16 | Advance to round of 16 |
2 | Al-Ahli (Q) | 6 | 5 | 1 | 0 | 14 | 5 | +9 | 16 | |
3 | Al-Nassr (Q) | 6 | 4 | 1 | 1 | 13 | 6 | +7 | 13 | |
4 | Al-Sadd (Q) | 6 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 8 | 4 | +4 | 12 | |
5 | Al Wasl (Q) | 6 | 3 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 6 | +2 | 11 | |
6 | Persepolis | 6 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 5 | 6 | −1 | 6 | |
7 | Al-Rayyan | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 6 | 9 | −3 | 5 | |
8 | Esteghlal | 6 | 1 | 2 | 3 | 5 | 8 | −3 | 5 | |
9 | Pakhtakor | 6 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 4 | −2 | 4 | |
10 | Al-Gharafa | 6 | 1 | 1 | 4 | 7 | 14 | −7 | 4 | |
11 | Al Ain | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 10 | 18 | −8 | 2 | |
12 | Al-Shorta | 6 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 4 | 16 | −12 | 2 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored; 4) number of matches won; 5) penalty shoot-out if only two teams remain tied and played each other on the final matchday 6) fair play ranking; 7) drawing of lots
(Q) Qualified for the phase indicated
Win Draw Loss Fixtures
16 September 2024 1 | Al Ain | 1–1 | Al-Sadd | Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain |
20:00 UTC+4 |
|
Report |
|
Attendance: 18,926 Referee: Sadullo Gulmurodi (Tajikistan) |
1 October 2024 2 | Al-Gharafa | 4–2 | Al Ain | Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor[note 1] |
19:00 UTC+3 | Report | Attendance: 3,878 Referee: Hiroyuki Kimura (Japan) |
21 October 2024 3 | Al Ain | 4–5 | Al-Hilal | Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain |
20:00 UTC+4 | Report |
|
Attendance: 24,126 Referee: Nazmi Nasaruddin (Malaysia) |
5 November 2024 4 | Al-Nassr | v | Al Ain | King Saud University Stadium, Riyadh |
21:00 UTC+3 |
25 November 2024 5 | Al Ain | v | Al-Ahli | Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain |
20:00 UTC+4 |
3 December 2024 6 | Pakhtakor | v | Al Ain | JAR Stadium, Tashkent[note 2] |
19:00 UTC+5 |
3 February 2025 7 | Al Ain | v | Al-Rayyan | Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain |
20:00 UTC+4 |
17 February 2025 8 | Al-Shorta | v | Al Ain | Karbala International Stadium, Karbala[note 3] |
19:00 UTC+3 |
FIFA Intercontinental Cup
Al Ain qualified for the tournament by winning the 2023–24 AFC Champions League.
First round
African–Asian–Pacific Cup play-off
22 September 2024 First round | Al Ain | 6–2 | Auckland City | Hazza bin Zayed Stadium, Al Ain |
20:00 GST | Report | Referee: Mustapha Ghorbal (Algeria) |
Second round
African–Asian–Pacific Cup
29 October 2024 Second round | Al Ahly | 3–0 | Al Ain | Cairo International Stadium, Cairo |
EGY | Report | Attendance: 52,000 Referee: Halil Umut Meler (Turkey) |
FIFA Club World Cup
Group stage
18 June 2025 Group | Al Ain | v | Juventus | Washington, D.C., United States |
21:00 EDT (UTC−4) | Stadium: Audi Field |
22 June 2025 Group | Manchester City | v | Al Ain | Atlanta, United States |
21:00 EDT (UTC−4) | Stadium: Mercedes-Benz Stadium |
26 June 2025 Group | Wydad AC | v | Al AIn | Washington, D.C., United States |
15:00 EDT (UTC−4) | Stadium: Audi Field |
Notes
- ^ Al-Gharafa played their home matches at Al Bayt Stadium, Al Khor, instead of their regular home stadium Thani bin Jassim Stadium, Al Rayyan.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Pakhtakor
was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
Al-Shorta
was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
References
- ^ a b Al Ain Football Club [@alainfcae_en] (27 June 2024). "Our Pre-Season Camp is Confirmed in preparations for the new season 2024-2025" (Tweet). Retrieved 4 July 2024 – via Twitter.
- ^ Al Ain Football Club [@alainfcae_en] (11 July 2024). "Check out the latest details of our camp in Rabat" (Tweet). Retrieved 12 July 2024 – via Twitter.
- ^ Al Ain Football Club [@alainfcae_en] (5 July 2024). "Al Ain Football Club have appointed Rodrigo Mendes as the Sporting Director" (Tweet). Retrieved 12 July 2024 – via Twitter.
- ^ "Team | ALAINFC". Archived from the original on 5 August 2021. Retrieved 6 August 2021.
- ^ "UAEFA; Players". Archived from the original on 6 February 2022. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
- ^ "UAEProLeague; Squad and Manager". Archived from the original on 6 February 2022. Retrieved 6 February 2022.
- ^ Al Ain Football Club [@alainfcae_en] (12 July 2024). "Al Ain FC renews goalkeeper Mohamed Bu Sanda's contract for two more years" (Tweet). Retrieved 12 July 2024 – via Twitter.
- ^ Al Ain Football Club [@alainfcae_en] (11 July 2024). "The return of our player Mohamed Awadallah after his loan spell with Khorfakkan" (Tweet). Retrieved 12 July 2024 – via Twitter.
- ^ Al Ain Football Club [@alainfcae_en] (2 July 2024). "Al Mahdi Mubarak.. One of the Moroccan Double Champions is Back to Al Ain" (Tweet). Retrieved 4 July 2024 – via Twitter.
- ^ Al Ain Football Club [@alainfcae_en] (12 July 2024). "Khalid Butti .. Ainawi" (Tweet). Retrieved 12 July 2024 – via Twitter.
- ^ a b c d e Al Ain Football Club [@alainfcae_en] (1 July 2024). "By the end of last month, their contracts ended" (Tweet). Retrieved 4 July 2024 – via Twitter.
- ^ Dibba AL Hisn FC [@DHCLUB1980] (25 June 2024). "يسعدنا أن نعلن عن أولى تعاقداتنا للفريق الأول لكرة القدم مع اللاعب فلاح وليد قادماً من نادي العين في صفقة انتقال حر" (Tweet). Retrieved 4 July 2024 – via Twitter.
- ^ Khor Fakkan Football Club [@khorfakkanfc] (27 June 2024). "محمد شاكر بقميص خورفكان ولمدة موسمين" (Tweet). Retrieved 4 July 2024 – via Twitter.
- ^ Khor Fakkan Football Club [@khorfakkanfc] (10 July 2024). "النسر ســلــطــان الشامسي بقميص خورفكان" (Tweet). Retrieved 12 July 2024 – via Twitter.
- ^ Kalba FC [@ittihadkalbafc] (1 July 2024). "نادي كلباء لكرة القدم يعلن عن تعاقده مع الحارس سلطان المنذري لمدة موسمين" (Tweet). Retrieved 4 July 2024 – via Twitter.
- ^ Dibba AL Hisn FC [@dhclubfc] (3 July 2024). "Welcome Mohammed Baroot" (Tweet). Retrieved 4 July 2024 – via Twitter.
- ^ Al Ain Football Club [@alainfcae_en] (3 July 2024). "The Champion of Asia.. Signs the Brazilian defender Marlon Santos" (Tweet). Retrieved 4 July 2024 – via Twitter.
- ^ "Article (15) P.50 of Arabian Gulf League Regulations" (PDF) (in Arabic). Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 August 2019. Retrieved 27 August 2019.
- ^ "ADNOC Pro League and ADIB Cup Draws Announced for 2024-2025 Season". UAE Pro League Committee. 6 July 2024. Retrieved 12 July 2024.
External links
- Al Ain FC official website (in English and Arabic)