2015–16 UAE Pro League
Nowadays, 2015–16 UAE Pro League has become a relevant and interesting topic for a wide spectrum of individuals and communities. From its impact on society to its influence on popular culture, 2015–16 UAE Pro League has managed to capture the attention of people of different ages and backgrounds. This article seeks to explore the various facets of 2015–16 UAE Pro League, analyzing its meaning, its implications and its relevance in today's world. Through a multidisciplinary approach, the aim is to offer a holistic vision of 2015–16 UAE Pro League, inviting the reader to reflect and critically analyze this topic so present in our reality.
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| Season | 2015–16 |
|---|---|
| Champions | Al-Ahli (7th title) |
| Relegated | Fujairah Al-Shaab |
| 2017 AFC Champions League | Al-Ahli Al-Jazira Al-Ain Al-Wahda |
| 2017 GCC Champions League | Al-Wasl Al-Dhafra |
| Matches played | 182 |
| Goals scored | 573 (3.15 per match) |
| Average goals/game | 3.15 |
| Top goalscorer | Sebastián Tagliabué (25 goals) |
| Biggest home win | Al-Ahli 8-1 Fujairah (19 August 2015) |
| Biggest away win | Dibba Al Fujairah 0-4 Al-Wahda (20 August 2015) Dibba Al Fujairah 0-4 Al-Dhafra (23 April 2016) |
| Highest scoring | Al-Shaab 3-6 Fujairah (22 January 2016) |
| Longest winning run | 8 games Al-Ahli |
| Longest unbeaten run | 16 games Al-Ahli |
| Longest winless run | 16 games Al-Shaab |
| Longest losing run | 8 games Emirates |
| Highest attendance | Al-Ain vs. Al-Wahda (18,126) |
| Lowest attendance | Dibba Al Fujairah vs. Al-Shaab (168) |
| Average attendance | 2,557 |
← 2014–15 2016–17 → | |
The 2015–16 UAE Pro League (also known as Arabian Gulf League for sponsorship reasons) was the 41st top-level football season in the United Arab Emirates. Fourteen teams participated with Al-Ain as the defending champions after securing the championship last season for the twelfth time. Al-Ahli won its 7th title on 29 April despite being held to a 2–2 draw at home.
Teams
Stadia and locations
| Team | Stadium | Town | Capacity | Manager |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Al-Ahli | Al-Rashid Stadium | Dubai | 8,844 |  Cosmin Olăroiu
|
| Al-Ain | Hazza Bin Zayed Stadium | Al Ain | 22,717 |  Zlatko Dalić
|
| Al-Dhafra | Al Dhafra Stadium | Madinat Zayed | 5,000 |  Mohammad Kwid
|
| Al-Jazira | Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium | Abu Dhabi | 42,056 |  Henk ten Cate
|
| Al-Nasr | Al-Maktoum Stadium | Dubai | 10,750 |  Ivan Jovanović
|
| Al-Shaab | Khalid Bin Mohammed Stadium | Sharjah | 5,000 |  Stefano Cusin
|
| Al-Shabab | Maktoum Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Stadium | Dubai | 8,011 |  Caio Júnior
|
| Al-Wahda | Al Nahyan Stadium | Abu Dhabi | 11,456 |  Javier Aguirre
|
| Al-Wasl | Zabeel Stadium | Dubai | 8,439 |  Gabriel Calderón
|
| Baniyas | Baniyas Stadium | Abu Dhabi | 8,954 |  Abdullah Mesfer
|
| Dibba Al Fujairah | Fujairah Club Stadium | Fujairah | 10,645 |  Theo Bücker
|
| Emirates | Emirates Club Stadium | Ras al-Khaimah | 5,127 | Paulo Comelli
|
| Fujairah | Fujairah Club Stadium | Fujairah | 10,645 |  Ivan Hašek
|
| Sharjah | Sharjah Stadium | Sharjah | 11,073 | Abdulaziz Al-Anbari
|
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.
- Players name in bold indicates the player is registered during the mid-season transfer window.
- Players in italics were out of squad or left club within the season, after pre-season transfer window, or in the mid-season transfer window, and at least had one appearance.
^1 Luis Jiménez has Palestinian citizenship and was counted as Asian player.
^2 Célio Santos has East Timorese citizenship and was counted as Asian player.
^3 Caio Canedo has East Timorese citizenship and was counted as Asian player.
^4 Wanderley has Indonesian citizenship and was counted as Asian player.
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Al-Ahli (C) | 26 | 21 | 3 | 2 | 60 | 20 | +40 | 66 | Qualification to the 2017 AFC Champions League group stage |
| 2 | Al-Ain | 26 | 18 | 3 | 5 | 53 | 24 | +29 | 57 | |
| 3 | Al-Wahda | 26 | 13 | 4 | 9 | 45 | 28 | +17 | 43 | Qualification to the 2017 AFC Champions League play-off round and the 2016–17 Arab Club Championship Group Stage |
| 4 | Al-Nasr | 26 | 11 | 8 | 7 | 47 | 36 | +11 | 41 | |
| 5 | Al-Shabab | 26 | 11 | 7 | 8 | 34 | 27 | +7 | 40 | |
| 6 | Al-Wasl | 26 | 11 | 6 | 9 | 42 | 36 | +6 | 39 | Qualification to the 2017 GCC Champions League |
| 7 | Al-Jazira | 26 | 11 | 4 | 11 | 51 | 50 | +1 | 37 | Qualification to the 2017 AFC Champions League group stage |
| 8 | Al-Dhafra | 26 | 9 | 7 | 10 | 37 | 39 | −2 | 34 | Qualification to the 2017 GCC Champions League |
| 9 | Baniyas | 26 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 41 | 47 | −6 | 33 | |
| 10 | Dibba Al Fujairah | 26 | 8 | 5 | 13 | 32 | 46 | −14 | 29 | |
| 11 | Sharjah | 26 | 7 | 7 | 12 | 32 | 40 | −8 | 28 | |
| 12 | Emirates | 26 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 34 | 47 | −13 | 27 | |
| 13 | Fujairah (R) | 26 | 7 | 5 | 14 | 43 | 62 | −19 | 26 | Relegation to the UAE Division One |
| 14 | Al-Shaab (R) | 26 | 1 | 4 | 21 | 22 | 71 | −49 | 7 |
Rules for classification: 1) points; 2) goal difference; 3) number of goals scored.
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated
Statistics
Top scorers
- As of matches played 8 May 2016
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals | Penalty Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sebastián Tagliabué
|
Al-Wahda | 25 | 1 |
| 2 | Ali Mabkhout
|
Al-Jazira | 23 | 5 |
| 3 | Fábio Lima
|
Al-Wasl | 20 | 1 |
| 4 | Wanderley
|
Sharjah | 15 | 2 |
| 5 | Joaquín Larrivey
|
Baniyas | 15 | 1 |
| 6 |  Patrick Friday Eze
|
Fujairah | 14 | 0 |
| 7 |  Makhete Diop
|
Al-Dhafra | 13 | 3 |
| 8 | Moussa Sow
|
Al-Ahli | 13 | 2 |
| 9 |  Ishak Belfodil
|
Baniyas | 11 | 1 |
| 10 | Nilmar
|
Al-Nasr | 11 | 0 |
Source: Soccerway
Fair Play Ranking
- As of matches played 8 May 2016
| Pos | Team | Yellow Cards | Red Cards | Points |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Al-Ain | 41 | 2 | 46 |
| 2 | Al-Ahli | 60 | 2 | 64 |
| 3 | Al-Nasr | 57 | 5 | 69 |
| 4 | Dibba Al Fujairah | 51 | 7 | 69 |
| 5 | Sharjah | 59 | 5 | 71 |
| 6 | Al-Dhafra | 64 | 4 | 75 |
| 7 | Emirates | 65 | 5 | 76 |
| 8 | Al-Shaab | 62 | 6 | 77 |
| 9 | Fujairah | 69 | 4 | 79 |
| 10 | Al-Shabab | 69 | 5 | 80 |
| 11 | Baniyas | 71 | 5 | 83 |
| 12 | Al-Jazira | 72 | 5 | 84 |
| 13 | Al-Wasl | 62 | 10 | 84 |
| 14 | Al-Wahda | 82 | 5 | 94 |
The team with the lowest number of points will be ranked top.