2008–09 Saudi Professional League

Saudi Professional League
Season 2008–09
Champions Al-Ittihad
Relegated Al-Watani
Abha
← 2007–08

The Saudi Professional League is the top level league in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.

Al-Hilal are the defending champions and also hold the most number of titles, with 11.

Qualification and Prize money

The Top three of the league and the winner of Champions Cup qualifies to the AFC Asian Champions League.

The Top six qualify to Champions Cup.

Prize money:

Members clubs

Club Coach Nationality City Stadium Capacity 2007-2008 season Notes
Abha Abdulqader Yomer Morocco Abha Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Stadium 20,000 The 2nd In 1st Division
Al-Ahli Stoycho Mladenov Bulgaria Jeddah Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium 24,000 8th Gulf Club Champions Cup Qualifier
Al Hazm Luiz Ribeiro Pinto Neto Brazil Ar Rass Al Hazm Club Stadium 11,000 7th Arab Champions League Qualifier
Al-Hilal Georges Leekens Belgium Riyadh King Fahd Stadium 69,000 Champions AFC Champions League 2009 Qualifier
Al-Ittifaq Ioan Andone Romania Dammam Prince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium 30,000 4th AFC Champions League 2009 Qualifier
Al-Ittihad Gabriel Calderón Argentina Jeddah Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium 24,000 2nd AFC Champions League 2009 Qualifier
Al-Nasr Edgardo Bauza Argentina Riyadh King Fahd Stadium 69,000 5th Gulf Club Champions Cup Qualifier
Al Raed Mohamed Aldo Tunisia Buraydah King Abdullah Sport City 35,000 The 1st In 1st Division
Al-Shabab Enzo Trossero Argentina Riyadh King Fahd Stadium 69,000 3rd AFC Champions League 2009 Qualifier
Al-Wahda Theo Bucker Germany Mecca King Abdul Aziz Stadium 28,550 6th Arab Champions League Qualifier
Al-Watani Moussa Saib Algeria Tabuk Khalid bin Abdul Aziz Stadium 20,000 9th
Najran SC Lotfy Albenzarte Tunisia Najran Al Akhdoud Club Stadium 10,000 10th

Managerial changes

Team Outgoing manager Manner of departure Replaced by Date
Al-Nasr Brazil Edgar Sacked [1] Argentina Edgardo Bauza January 2009
Al-Hilal Romania Cosmin Olaroiu Sacked [2] Romania Catalin Necula (caretaker) March 2009
Al-Hilal Romania Catalin Necula Necula was temporary replacement [3] Belgium Georges Leekens April 2009
Al-Ahli Bulgaria Stoycho Mladenov Sacked at end of the season [4][5] Argentina Gustavo Alfaro April 2009
Al-Hilal Belgium Georges Leekens Sacked after 1 month [6] Belgium Eric Gerets May 2009

League table

Pos
 Team
 Pld
 W
 D
 L
 GF
 GA
 GD
 Pts
Qualification or relegation
1 Al-Ittihad (C) 22 17 4 1 57 21 +36 55 2010 AFC Champions League Group Stage
2 Al-Hilal 22 15 5 2 41 9 +32 50
3 Al-Ahli 22 11 7 4 33 20 +13 40
4 Al-Shabab 22 10 5 7 37 29 +8 35
5 Al-Nassr 22 10 4 8 24 22 +2 34
6 Ettifaq 22 7 8 7 23 20 +3 29
7 Al-Wahda 22 7 5 10 33 39 −6 26
8 Al Hazm 22 6 7 9 25 31 −6 25
9 Najran 22 6 3 13 22 42 −20 21
10 Al-Raed 22 6 1 15 28 43 −15 19
11 Abha (R) 22 4 7 11 19 40 −21 19
12 Al-Watani (R) 22 2 6 14 22 48 −26 12

Source:
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored
(C) = Champion; (R) = Relegated; (P) = Promoted; (E) = Eliminated; (O) = Play-off winner; (A) = Advances to a further round.
Only applicable when the season is not finished:
(Q) = Qualified to the phase of tournament indicated; (TQ) = Qualified to tournament, but not yet to the particular phase indicated; (RQ) = Qualified to the relegation tournament indicated; (DQ) = Disqualified from tournament.

Saudi Professional League
2008-09 Winners
Al-Ittihad
8th Title

Fixtures and results

Home \ Away[1] AlITT HIL AHISHBNASETTWATWAHNAJRAEABHHZM
Al-Ittihad 0–0 1–2 2–1 1–0 3–0 7–2 2–1 3–2 5–1 3–0 3–0
Al-Hilal 1–2 0–0 2–0 2–1 2–0 0–0 0–0 7–0 2–0 4–1 3–0
Al-Ahli 1–2 0–1 2–1 2–1 1–1 2–0 0–0 2–0 3–2 2–1 1–0
Al-Shabab 0–4 1–1 3–2 2–1 1–0 2–2 4–2 2–1 1–4 5–0 2–0
Al-Nassr 2–2 0–2 2–1 0–0 1–0 1–0 3–1 1–0 1–0 0–1 3–1
Ettifaq 1–1 0–2 0–0 2–1 1–1 3–0 4–0 1–1 1–1 3–1 0–0
Al-Watani 1–2 1–3 2–2 0–2 1–2 0–1 0–2 3–1 3–1 0–0 3–3
Al-Wahda 1–3 0–1 0–2 1–1 1–2 1–0 4–0 2–1 3–1 4–1 2–1
Najran 1–4 2–1 1–4 0–2 1–0 0–2 2–0 2–2 2–1 1–1 2–1
Al-Raed 0–2 0–2 2–3 0–4 0–1 1–2 3–2 6–3 0–1 3–1 1–0
Abha 1–2 0–3 0–0 2–1 2–2 1–0 2–2 2–2 1–0 0–1 0–0
Al Hazm 3–3 1–2 1–1 1–1 1–0 1–1 3–0 3–1 2–1 1–0 2–1

Source: Goalzz.com
1 ^ The home team is listed in the left-hand column.
Colours: Blue = home team win; Yellow = draw; Red = away team win.
For coming matches, an a indicates there is an article about the match.

Top goalscorers

Source: goalzz.com

12 goals
10 goals
9 goals

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://www.the-afc.com/eng/articles/viewArticle.jsp_168493833.html Edgardo Bauza takes over as Al-Nasr Coach
  2. ↑ http://www.the-afc.com/eng/articles/viewArticle.jsp_168527995.html Olaroiu abruptly dismissed in bizarre circumstances
  3. ↑ http://www.the-afc.com/eng/articles/viewArticle.jsp_168624529.html Leekens takes over at Al Hilal
  4. ↑ http://www.the-afc.com/eng/articles/viewArticle.jsp_168690337.html Sweeping changes as Al Ahli eye ACL
  5. ↑ http://www.the-afc.com/eng/articles/viewArticle.jsp_168692596.html Alfaro is new Ahli coach
  6. ↑ http://www.the-afc.com/eng/articles/viewArticle.jsp_168690574.html Hilal boot out Leekens

External links