List of Al Ain FC seasons

Last updated July 24, 2025

Al Ain Football Club is an association football club based in Al Ain, Abu Dhabi, that competes in UAE Pro League, the top-division football league in United Arab Emirates. Founded in 1968 by players from Al Ain, members of a Bahraini group of exchange students and the Sudanese community working in the United Arab Emirates.^[1] Al Ain is one of only three clubs never to have been relegated from the top level of Emirati football since 1975–76 season, the others being Al Nasr and Al Wasl.

Key

Pos. = Position
Div. = Division
C = Champion
RU = Final (Runner-up)
SF = Semi-finals
QF = Quarter-finals
R16/R32 = Round of 16, round of 32, etc.
R1/R2 = First round, second round, etc.
GS = Group stage
PO = Play-off
QS = Qualifying Stage
LS = League stage
W = Withdrew

Champions	Runners-up	3rd Place	Advanced to next round but the cup continued in next season

Seasons

Pre-Football League era

Season	Div.	Pos.	Cup		Manager
1969–70^{[n 1]}	Abu Dhabi Championship		Abu Dhabi Ruler Cup	Not held	Nasser Dhaen^[2]^[3]^[4]
1970–71	Abu Dhabi Championship		Abu Dhabi Ruler Cup	RU	Nasser Dhaen^[2]^[3]^[4]
1971–72	Abu Dhabi Championship	Not completed	Abu Dhabi Ruler Cup	RU	Abdelaziz Hammami
1972–73	Abu Dhabi Championship		Abu Dhabi Ruler Cup		Abdelaziz Hammami
1973–74	Abu Dhabi Championship	1st	Abu Dhabi Ruler Cup	Not held	Ahmed Alyan
1974–75^{[n 2]}	Abu Dhabi Championship	1st	UAE President's Cup	R16^[5]	Ahmed Alyan

Notes

↑ from 1969 to 1974, Al Ain competed in the championship and Cup of the Abu Dhabi region organised by Abu Dhabi Football Association.
↑ Played as Categorization League and organised by UAEFA, included four clubs from Abu Dhabi region, Al Ain, Al Emirates qualified to 1975–76 UAE Football League, Al Jazira, Abu Dhabi to 1975–76 First Division League.

Football League and Pro League era

Season	Div.	Pos.	Pl.	W	D	L	GS	GA	GD	P	President's Cup	Federation Cup / League Cup ^{[n 1]}	Super Cup	GCC		ACCC		Asia		Other competitions		Top scorer		Manager
1975–76	1	2nd	16	10	4	2	33	15	+18	24	Not completed	Not held						–		–				Ahmed Alyan
1976–77	1	1st	3	2	1	0	6	3	+3	5	Quarter-finals											Mohieddine Habita^[6]		Humaid Dhib
1977–78	1	2nd	24	15	4	5	–			34	Cancelled													Humaid Dhib
1978–79	1	3rd	20	–						27	RU													Ahmed Alyan
1979–80	1	8th	18	3	6	9	28	40	−12	12	Semi-Finals													Abdelmajid Chetali
1980–81	1	1st	18	10	4	4	24	22	+2	24	RU											Ahmed Abdullah		Abdelmajid Chetali Ahmed Nagah*
1981–82	1	2nd	18	–						21	Quarter-finals	Not held				–								Ahmed Nagah
1982–83	1	5th	18	6	7	5	21	21	0	19	Quarter-finals	Not held		–		Not held				Joint League	C			Nelsinho Rosa
1983–84	1	1st	18	12	3	3	35	18	+17	27	Semi-Finals	Not held		–		–				–		Ahmed Abdullah		Nelsinho Rosa
1984–85	1	8th	–								Quarter-finals	Group Stage	Not held	Gulf Club Champions Cup	GS					Joint League	4th			Nelsinho Rosa Miljan Miljanić
1985–86	1	9th	18	4	2	12	27	47	−20	14	Semi-Finals	RU		–						–				Nelsinho Rosa Miljan Miljanić
1986–87	1	3rd	20	11	3	6	32	23	+9	25	Semi-Finals	Not held												Jair Picerni João Francisco
1987–88	1	5th	22	9	6	7	26	24	+2	33	Round of 16													João Francisco
1988–89	1	5th	22	8	9	5	29	21	+8	25	Quarter-finals	C												Zé Mario
1989–90	1	7th	26	9	9	8	36	26	+10	27	RU	Not held	–	Not held		Not held								Zé Mario
1990–91 ^{[n 2]}	1	8th	13	5	5	3	15	10	+5	15	Semi-Finals	Not held	Not held	–		cancelled^{[n 3]}								Mahieddine Khalef
1991–92	1	7th	30	13	8	9	42	35	+7	34	Round of 16	Not held	Not held			–								Mahieddine Khalef
1992–93	1	1st	22	15	5	2	54	13	+41	35	Round of 16	Group Stage	–									Saif Sultan		Yusri Abdul Ghani Amarildo
1993–94	1	2nd	18	12	5	1	31	10	+21	29	RU	RU	RU											Amarildo
1994–95	1	2nd	18	7	9	2	26	15	+11	23	RU	–	1st	Gulf Club Champions Cup	5th									Amarildo Shaker Abdel-Fattah
1995–96	1	3rd	18	6	7	5	17	11	+6	25	Round of 16	Not held	4th	–				Asian Cup Winners' Cup	R2					Ángel Marcos
1996–97	1	5th	28	10	11	7	40	31	+9	41	Round of 16		Not held					–						Lori Sandri Yusri Abdul Ghani Cabralzinho
1997–98	1	1st	32	17	9	6	49	29	+20	61	Semi-Finals							–				Salem Johar		Cabralzinho Shaker Abdel-Fattah
1998–99	1	2nd	33	16	9	8	58	36	+22	57	C							Asian Club Championship	3rd			Seydou Traoré	15	Nelo Vingada Ilie Balaci
1999–2000	1	1st	22	13	7	2	48	25	+23	47	Round of 16	Group Stage						Asian Cup Winners' Cup	R1			Majid Al Owais	15	Ilie Balaci
2000–01	1	4th	22	10	4	8	33	27	+6	34	C	Group Stage		Gulf Club Champions Cup	C			Asian Club Championship	R2			Juma Mossi	15	Oscar Fulloné Mrad Mahjoub Ahmed Abdullah * Anghel Iordănescu
2001–02	1	1st	22	14	5	3	44	23	+21	47	Semi-Finals	Group Stage	RU	–		Arab Club Champions Cup	W^{[n 4]}	Asian Cup Winners' Cup	QF			Joël Tiéhi	19	Džemal Hadžiabdić
2002–03	1	1st	22	14	6	2	51	20	+31	48	Quarter-finals	Not held	C	–		–		AFC Champions League	C			Boubacar Sanogo	24	Bruno Metsu
2003–04	1	1st	16	11	3	2	34	17	+17	36	Semi-Finals	Not held	Not held	Not held				AFC Champions League	bye GS ^{[n 5]}			Rodrigo Mendes	19	Bruno Metsu
2004–05	1	2nd	26	18	3	5	54	26	+28	57	C	C		–
																		AFC Champions League	QF			Edílson	22	Alain Perrin Mohammad El Mansi * Milan Máčala
																		AFC Champions League	QF			Edílson	22	Alain Perrin Mohammad El Mansi * Milan Máčala
2005–06	1	4th	22	13	2	7	42	23	+19	41	C	C
																		AFC Champions League	RU			Nenad Jestrović	14	Milan Máčala Mohammad El Mansi *
																		AFC Champions League	QF			Nenad Jestrović	14	Milan Máčala Mohammad El Mansi *
2006–07	1	9th	22	7	7	8	22	26	−4	28	RU	Group Stage
																		AFC Champions League	QF			Nenad Jestrović	9	Anghel Iordănescu Tiny Ruys * Walter Zenga
																		AFC Champions League	GS			Nenad Jestrović	9	Anghel Iordănescu Tiny Ruys * Walter Zenga
2007–08	1	6th	22	9	5	8	41	36	+5	32	Round of 16	Not held						–				Ousman Jallow	11	Tite Winfried Schäfer
2008–09	1	3rd	22	12	7	3	40	20	+20	43	C	C	–	Not held				–				André Dias	23	Winfried Schäfer
2009–10	1	3rd	22	14	3	5	57	29	+28	45	Round of 16	Semi-Finals	C	–				AFC Champions League	GS			José Sand	33	Winfried Schäfer Rachid Benmahmoud * Toninho Cerezo Abdulhameed Al Mistaki *
2010–11	1	10th	22	6	7	9	33	35	−2	25	Round of 16	RU	–					AFC Champions League	GS			José Sand Omar Abdulrahman	11	Abdulhameed Al Mistaki * Ahmed Abdullah * Alexandre Gallo
2011–12	1	1st	22	17	4	1	52	16	+36	55	Quarter-Finals	Group Stage	–					–				Asamoah Gyan	27	Cosmin Olăroiu
2012–13	1	1st	26	20	2	4	74	26	+48	62	Semi-Finals	Group Stage	C					AFC Champions League	GS			Asamoah Gyan	32	Cosmin Olăroiu
2013–14	1	6th	26	12	7	7	52	33	+19	43	C	Group Stage	RU					AFC Champions League	QF			Asamoah Gyan	45	Jorge Fossati Ahmed Abdullah * Quique Flores Zlatko Dalić
2014–15	1	1st	26	18	6	2	62	19	+43	60	Quarter-Finals	Group Stage	RU
																		AFC Champions League	SF			Asamoah Gyan	24	Zlatko Dalić
																		AFC Champions League	R16			Asamoah Gyan	24
2015–16	1	2nd	26	18	3	5	53	24	+29	57	RU	Group Stage	C	Cancelled				AFC Champions League	QF	Emirati-Moroccan Super Cup	C	Dyanfres Douglas	18
2016–17	1	4th	26	17	4	5	58	37	+21	55	Quarter-Finals	Group Stage	–			Arab Club Champions Cup	W^{[n 6]}	AFC Champions League	RU	–		Caio Lucas	18	Zlatko Dalić Joško Španjić * Zoran Mamić
2016–17	1	4th	26	17	4	5	58	37	+21	55	Quarter-Finals	Group Stage				Arab Club Champions Cup	W^{[n 6]}	AFC Champions League	QF			Caio Lucas	18	Zlatko Dalić Joško Španjić * Zoran Mamić
2017–18	1	1st	22	16	5	1	65	23	+42	53	C	Quarter-Finals		Not held		–		AFC Champions League	QF			Marcus Berg	35	Zoran Mamić
2017–18	1	1st	22	16	5	1	65	23	+42	53	C	Quarter-Finals				–		AFC Champions League	R16			Marcus Berg	35	Zoran Mamić
2018–19	1	4th	26	14	4	8	45	35	+10	46	Round of 16	Quarter-Finals	RU			Arab Club Champions Cup	R32	AFC Champions League	GS	FIFA Club World Cup	RU	Caio Lucas	17	Zoran Mamić Željko Sopić * Juan Garrido
2019–20 ^{[n 7]}	1	2nd	19	11	4	4	46	21	+25	37	Final	Semi-Finals	–			—		AFC Champions League	GS	—		Kodjo Laba	28	Ivan Leko Ghazi Fahad * Pedro Emanuel
2020–21	1	6th	26	11	8	7	39	33	+6	41	Round of 16	First Round	–					AFC Champions League	QS			Kodjo Laba	13	Pedro Emanuel
2021–22	1	1st	26	20	5	1	57	17	+40	65	Quarter-finals	C	–					—				Kodjo Laba	31	Serhii Rebrov
2022–23	1	2nd	26	16	6	4	67	31	+36	54	RU	RU	RU					—				Kodjo Laba	31	Serhii Rebrov
2023–24	1	3rd	26	14	3	9	54	37	+17	45	Quarter-finals	RU	—					AFC Champions League	C			Soufiane Rahimi	23	Alfred Schreuder Hernán Crespo
2024–25	1	5th	26	12	8	9	56	32	+24	44	Quarter-finals	Quarter-finals	—					AFC Champions League	LS	FIFA Intercontinental Cup	R2	Kodjo Fo-Doh Laba	20	Hernán Crespo Leonardo Jardim Vladimir Ivić
2024–25	1	5th	26	12	8	9	56	32	+24	44	Quarter-finals	Quarter-finals	—					AFC Champions League	LS	FIFA Club World Cup	GS	Kodjo Fo-Doh Laba	20	Hernán Crespo Leonardo Jardim Vladimir Ivić

Notes

↑ Starting from the 2008-09 season or whats known as the Pro Era, UAE Federation Cup was replaced with UAE League Cup.
↑ cancelled due to Gulf War.
↑ cancelled due to Gulf War.
↑ Al-Ain withdrew the tournament, Al-Rayyan replaced it.
↑ bye through the Group Stage as the reigning champions
↑ Al-Ain withdrew the tournament, Al-Wahda replaced it.
↑ 2019–20 UAE football season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Arab Emirates.

References

↑ "club Foundation3". alainclub.com. Archived from the original on 1 August 2007. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
↑ "ناصر ضاعن: ملعب "دوار الساعة" شاهد على الانطلاقة". Al-Ittihad.
↑ "أفكار محمد وهزاع بن زايد وراء القفزة النوعية للبنفسج". Al Bayan.
↑ "ناصر ضاعن أول مواطن يقود تدريب العين". Al Bayan.
↑ "نهائي الأحلام بين فرسـان الوحدة والعين الليلة بمديـنـة زايـد". AlEtihad.ae. 16 June 2005. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
↑ "قصة زعامة الفريق البنفسجي". AlKhaleej.ae. Retrieved 22 June 2024.

External links

Al Ain FC official website (in English and Arabic)
UAE Football Stats at rsssf.com (in English)

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[2] rom 1969 to 1974, Al Ain competed in the championship and Cup of the Abu Dhabi region organised by Abu Dhabi Football Association.

[6] Played as Categorization League and organised by UAEFA, included four clubs from Abu Dhabi region, Al Ain, Al Emirates qualified to 1975–76 UAE Football League, Al Jazira, Abu Dhabi to 1975–76 First Division League.

[8] Starting from the 2008-09 season or whats known as the Pro Era, UAE Federation Cup was replaced with UAE League Cup.

[10] ue to Gulf War.

[11] ue to Gulf War.

[12] Al-Ain withdrew the tournament, Al-Rayyan replaced it.

[13] ye through the Group Stage as the reigning champions

[14] Al-Ain withdrew the tournament, Al-Wahda replaced it.

[15] 2019–20 UAE football season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Arab Emirates.

[club_Foundation3-1] "club Foundation3". alainclub.com. Archived from the original on 1 August 2007. Retrieved 23 June 2014.

[3] "ناصر ضاعن: ملعب "دوار الساعة" شاهد على الانطلاقة". Al-Ittihad.

[أفكار_محمد_وهزاع_بن_زايد_وراء_القفزة_النوعية_للبنفسج-4] "أفكار محمد وهزاع بن زايد وراء القفزة النوعية للبنفسج". Al Bayan.

[5] "ناصر ضاعن أول مواطن يقود تدريب العين". Al Bayan.

[Pcup_1974–75-7] "نهائي الأحلام بين فرسـان الوحدة والعين الليلة بمديـنـة زايـد". AlEtihad.ae. 16 June 2005. Retrieved 30 June 2024.

[9] "قصة زعامة الفريق البنفسجي". AlKhaleej.ae. Retrieved 22 June 2024.

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v t e Al Ain Sports and Cultural Club
History Academy Players Managers Presidents Seasons International Statistics Current season
Home stadiums	Hazza bin Zayed Stadium (2014–present) Tahnoun bin Mohammed Stadium (1987–2014) Khalifa bin Zayed Stadium (1971–1987)
Training ground	Tahnoun bin Mohammed Stadium Khalifa bin Zayed Stadium
Rivalries	Al Wahda Shabab Al Ahli
Other sports	Basketball Handball Volleyball Athletics Swimming Jiu-Jitsu (Men's) Jiu-Jitsu (Women's) Superleague Formula (defunct)
Category Commons

v t e Al Ain FC seasons
Foundation and early years	1968–69 1969–70 1970–71 1971–72 1972–73 1973–74 1974–75
UAE Football League	1975–76 1976–77 1977–78 1978–79 1979–80 1980–81 1981–82 1982–83 1983–84 1984–85 1985–86 1986–87 1987–88 1988–89 1989–90 1990–91 1991–92 1992–93 1993–94 1994–95 1995–96 1996–97 1997–98 1998–99 1999–2000 2000–01 2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 2005–06 2006–07 2007–08
UAE Pro League	2008–09 2009–10 2010–11 2011–12 2012–13 2013–14 2014–15 2015–16 2016–17 2017–18 2018–19 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22 2022–23 2023–24 2024–25