# 2008–09 UAE Pro League

The 2008–09 UAE Pro League season was the 34th edition of top level football in the United Arab Emirates and started on 19 September 2008 until 24 May 2009.
Al-Ahli clinched the championship on the last day of the season, one of the most exciting campaigns for a number of years and also qualified for the 2009 edition of the FIFA Club World Cup as the host representative.
Al-Shabab were defending champions from the 2007–08 campaign.
Emirates and Hatta were relegated from the previous season. Ajman and Al-Khaleej were promoted from the second level.
The winners of the league qualified for the 2009 edition of the FIFA Club World Cup as the host representative.

## Clubs

| Club | Coach | City | Stadium | 2007–2008 season | Notes |
| Al-Shabab | Toninho Cerezo | Dubai | Al Maktoum Stadium | UAE League Champions | AFC Champions League 2009 Qualifier |
| Al-Jazira | Abel Braga | Abu Dhabi | Al Jazira Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium | 2nd in UAE League | AFC Champions League 2009 Qualifier |
| Al-Ahli | Ivan Hašek | Dubai | Rashed Stadium | 3rd in UAE League | AFC Champions League 2009 Qualifier |
| Al-Sharjah | Youssef Al Zawawi | Sharjah | Sharjah Stadium | 4th in UAE League | AFC Champions League 2009 Qualifier |
| Al-Shaab | Luka Peruzović | Sharjah | Khalid Bin Mohammed Stadium | 5th in UAE League | 2008–09 Arab Champions League Qualifier - Later Withdrew |
| Al-Ain | Winfried Schäfer | Al Ain | Sheikh Khalifa International Stadium | 6th in UAE League |
| Al-Wasl | Miroslav Beránek | Dubai | Zabeel Stadium | 7th in UAE League |
| Al-Wahda | Ahmad Abdulhaleem | Abu Dhabi | Al-Nahyan Stadium | 8th in UAE League |
| Al-Nasr | Luka Bonačić | Dubai | Al-Maktoum Stadium | 9th in UAE League |
| Al-Dhafra | Mohammad Kwid | Dhafra | Al Dhafra Stadium | 10th in UAE League |
| Ajman | Abdul Wahab Abdul Qader | Ajman | Ajman Stadium | Promoted |
| Al-Khaleej | Sammir Juwaili | Khor Fakkan | Al Baladi Stadium | Promoted |

## Managerial changes

| Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure | Replaced by |
| Al-Wasl | Miroslav Beranek | Sacked | Hélio dos Anjos |
| Al-Wahda | Ahmad Abdulhaleem | Sacked | Josef Hickersberger |
| Al-Dhafra | Mohammad Kwid | Resigned | Eid Baroot |
| Al-Sharjah | Youssef Al Zawawi | Resigned after 11 games | Toni Oliveira |
| Al-Wasl | Hélio dos Anjos | Sacked | Jaroslav Horák |
| Ajman | Abdul Wahab Abdul Qader | Sacked | |
| Al-Sharjah | Toni Oliveira | Sacked after 'poor results' | Abdul Wahab Abdul Qader |
| Al-Ahli | Ivan Hašek | Quit after winning championship | Ioan Andone |

## Foreign players

| Club | Player 1 | Player 2 | Player 3 | Player 4 | Former players |
| Ajman | Ali Samereh | Javad Kazemian | Abdelhaq Ait Laarif | Mohamed Berrabeh | |
| Al-Ahli | Baré | Clederson | Osvaldo | Milad Meydavoudi | Jorge Artigas Hosny Abd Rabo |
| Al-Ain | André Dias | Jorge Valdivia | Soufiane Alloudi | André Senghor | |
| Al-Dhafra | Toufik Zerara | Mohamed Kader | | | Mehdi Rajabzadeh Rasoul Khatibi |
| Al-Jazira | Fernando Baiano | Márcio Rozário | Rafael Sóbis | Mohammed Ali Karim | Mamadou Diallo |
| Al-Khaleej | Mourad Rafal | Rabii Houbri | Abass Lawal | Anis Boujelbene | |
| Al-Nasr | Claudinho | Mehrzad Madanchi | Mohammad Nosrati | Reza Enayati | Endurance Idahor Mohammed Salem Al-Enazi |
| Al-Shaab | Godwin Attram | Merouane Zemmama | | | |
| Al-Shabab | Marcos Assunção | Renato Abreu | Mehrdad Oladi | Musawengosi Mguni | Mohamed Kallon |
| Al-Sharjah | Anderson Barbosa | Jean | Roberto Lopes | Hussein Alaa Hussein | |
| Al-Wahda | Pinga | Ali Salah Hashim | Amin Erbati | Matar Coly | Abdulla Al-Dakeel Alecsandro Karim Aouadhi |
| Al-Wasl | Alexandre Oliveira | Reiner Ferreira | Iman Mobali | Fabio Firmani | Rogerinho Zeka Goore |

## Standings

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | Al-Ahli (C) | 22 | 17 | 4 | 1 | 54 | 25 | +29 | 55 | 2009 Club World Cup and 2010 AFC Champions League Group Stage |
| 2 | Al Jazira | 22 | 17 | 3 | 2 | 57 | 17 | +40 | 54 | 2010 AFC Champions League Group Stage |
| 3 | Al Ain | 22 | 12 | 7 | 3 | 40 | 20 | +20 | 43 | 2010 AFC Champions League Group Stage |
| 4 | Al-Wahda | 22 | 10 | 4 | 8 | 40 | 39 | +1 | 34 | 2010 AFC Champions League Qualifying play-off |
| 5 | Al Shabab | 22 | 8 | 4 | 10 | 33 | 37 | −4 | 28 | 2009–10 Gulf Club Champions Cup |
| 6 | Al Nasr | 22 | 6 | 8 | 8 | 37 | 40 | −3 | 26 | |
| 7 | Al Wasl | 22 | 7 | 5 | 10 | 38 | 45 | −7 | 26 | 2009–10 Gulf Club Champions Cup |
| 8 | Al-Dhafra | 22 | 5 | 9 | 8 | 32 | 32 | 0 | 24 | |
| 9 | Ajman | 22 | 7 | 3 | 12 | 21 | 39 | −18 | 24 | |
| 10 | Al Sharjah | 22 | 6 | 4 | 12 | 31 | 45 | −14 | 22 | |
| 11 | Al-Shaab (R) | 22 | 5 | 3 | 14 | 23 | 37 | −14 | 18 | Relegation to 2009–10 UAE League Division 1 |
| 12 | Al Khaleej Club (R) | 22 | 4 | 2 | 16 | 21 | 51 | −30 | 14 | Relegation to 2009–10 UAE League Division 1 |
* ↑ Since Al-Ain also won the 2008–09 UAE President's Cup, the fourth-placed team of the league also qualified for the 2010 AFC Champions League.
* UAE League 2008–09 winners
* Al-Ahli 5th title

## Top goalscorers

Source: goalzz.com

### 25 goals

* Fernando Baiano (Al Jazira)

### 13 goals

* Mohamed Omer (Al-Nasr) (also UFL Top Scorer)
* Mohamed Kader (Dhafra)

### 12 goals

* Anderson Barbosa (Sharjah)
* Godwin Attram (Al-Shaab)
* Pinga (Al Wahda)

### 11 goals

* Baré (Al-Ahli)

### 9 goals

* Faisal Khalil (Al-Ahli)
* Alexandre Oliveira (Al Wasl)
* Mehrzad Madanchi (Al-Nasr)
* Jorge Valdivia (Al Ain)