2016–17 UAE Pro League


The 2016–17 UAE Pro League was the 42nd season of top-level football in the United Arab Emirates. Al-Ahli are the defending champions of this season's UAE pro league after securing their seventh title last season. Al-Jazira won its 2nd title on the 29th of April 2017 after defeating Hatta 5-0.

Stadia and locations

ClubHome cityStadiumCapacity
Al-AhliDubaiAl-Rashid Stadium15,000
Al-AinAl-AinHazza Bin Zayed Stadium25,000
Al-DhafraMadinat ZayedAl Dhafra Stadium
Al-JaziraAbu DhabiMohammad Bin Zayed Stadium
Al-NasrDubaiAl-Maktoum Stadium
Al-ShababDubaiMaktoum Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Stadium
SharjahSharjahSharjah Stadium
Al-WahdaAbu DhabiAl Nahyan Stadium
Al-WaslDubaiZabeel Stadium
BaniyasAbu DhabiBaniyas Stadium
Dibba Al-FujairahFujairahFujairah Club Stadium
EmiratesRas Al-KhaimahEmirates Club Stadium
HattaHattaHamdan Bin Rashid Stadium
KalbaKalbaIttihad Kalba Stadium

Personnel and kits

Note: Flags indicate national team as has been defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
TeamHead CoachAssistant CoachCaptainKit ManufacturerShirt Sponsor
Al-Ahli Cosmin Olaroiu Catalin Necula Ahmed KhalilNikeSkydive Dubai
Al-Ain Zoran Mamić Borimir PerkovicNikeFirst Gulf Bank
Al-Dhafra Mohammad Kwid Badreddine Al-IdrissiAdidas
Al-Jazira Henk ten Cate Jan Versleijen Ali KhasifNikeIPIC
Al-Nasr Dan Petrescu Emil Caras
Valeriu Bordeanu
AdidasDubai Silicon Oasis Authority
Emirates NBD
DP World
Al-Shabab Fred Rutten Saad Obaid
Patrick Greveraars
UmbroAl-Naboodah
Sharjah Giorgos DonisAdidasSAIF Zone
Al-Wahda Javier Aguirre Juan Erabrin Ismail MatarAdidasAl-Wahda Mall
Al-Wasl Rodolfo Arruabarrena Saleem Abdulrahman Waheed IsmailMacronSaif Belhasa Holding
Baniyas José Manuel Gomes Salem Al-Arfi Yousif JaberAdidasSaaed
Secure Engineering
Dibba Paulo Sergio Tarek Al-Sayeduhlsport
Emirates Theo Bucker Klaus Dieter
Nourredine bin Al-Hadi
Haidar Alo Aliuhlsport
Hatta Waleed Obaid Mohammad Al-AjmaniAdidas
Kalba Fabio Viviani Salem Al-QaddamiErrea

Foreign players

The number of foreign players is restricted to four per team, including a slot for a player from AFC countries. A team could use four foreign players on the field during each game including at least one player from the AFC country.
ClubPlayer 1Player 2Player 3AFC Player
Al-Ahli Everton Ribeiro Asamoah Gyan Makhete Diop
Al-Ain Caio Danilo Asprilla Nasser Al-Shamrani Lee Myung-Joo
Al-Dhafra Issam El Adoua Adil Hermach Khalid Al-Hajri
Al-Jazira Aílton Leonardo Mbark Boussoufa Park Jong-woo
Al-Nasr Wanderley Jires Kembo Ekoko Abdel Barrada Joan Oumari
Al-Shabab Tomas De Vincenti Luvannor Nana Poku Azizbek Haydarov
Sharjah Digão Adrian Mierzejewski Gelmin Rivas Chikashi Masuda
Al-Wahda Sebastian Tagliabue Jorge Valdivia Balázs Dzsudzsák Rim Chang-Woo
Al-Wasl Fábio Lima Ronaldo Mendes Serginho Caio
Baniyas Harry Novillo Jean-Philippe Mendy Ezekiel Henty Mark Milligan
Dibba Bruno Moraes Derley Driss Fettouhi Yaseen Al-Bakhit
Emirates Mourad Batna Osman Sow Hocine Ragued Ahmad Ibrahim
Hatta Samuel Rafael Silva Adrian Ropotan Nikolai Topor-Stanley
Kalba Bakare Kone Ciel Modibo Maïga Salam Shaker

Transfers

Managerial changes

TeamOutgoing managerDate of vacancyManner of departureIncoming managerDate of appointment
Al-Shabab Caio Junior8 May 2016End of ContractPre-season Fred Rutten11 May 2016
Sharjah Abdulaziz Al-Anbari13 May 2016End of ContractPre-season Giorgos Donis27 July 2016
Al-Wasl Gabriel Calderon25 May 2016SackedPre-season Rodolfo Arruabarrena6 June 2016
Baniyas Abdullah Mesfer5 June 2016Mutual ConsentPre-season Pablo Repetto
Dibba Theo Bucker22 June 2016Left to EmiratesPre-season Paulo Sergio29 June 2016
Emirates Paulo Comelli31 May 2016Mutual ConsentPre-season Theo Bucker22 June 2016
Al-Sharjah Paulo Bonamigo27 July 2016SackedPre-season Giorgos Donis27 July 2016
Kalba Mourad Okbi28 Aug 2016Mutual ConsentPre-season Fabio Viviani28 Aug 2016
Baniyas Pablo Repetto22 October 2016Sacked12th José Manuel Gomes23 October 2016
Al-Nasr Ivan Jovanović31 October 2016Sacked8th Dan Petrescu31 October 2016
Sharjah Giorgos Donis1 January 2017Mutual Consent10th José Peseiro2 January 2017

League table

Results

Statistics

Top scorers

RankPlayerClubGoals
1 Ali MabkhoutAl Jazira33
2 Fábio LimaAl Wasl25
3 Makhete DiopAl-Ahli21
4 Sebastián TagliabuéAl-Wahda19
5 Caio Canedo CorrêaAl-Wasl14
6 Sebastián SáezEmirates13
7 Ahmed KhalilAl-Ahli12

Source: