2016–17 Saudi Professional League


The 2016–17 Saudi Professional League was the 41st season of Saudi Professional League, the top Saudi professional league for association football clubs, since its inception in 1976. The season started on 11 August 2016 and concluded on 4 May 2017.
Al-Hilal won their fourteenth league title, and first since the 2010–11 season, with two matches to spare following a 2–1 win over Al-Shabab on 20 April. The defending champions were Al-Ahli who finished as runners-up.
Al-Ettifaq and Al-Batin entered as the two promoted teams from the 2015–16 Saudi First Division.

Teams

The league comprises 14 teams, 11 from the 2015–16 campaign, as well as two teams promoted from the 2015–16 First Division and the relegation play-off winners.
On the final day of the season Al-Mojzel won the First Division title and their first-ever promotion to the top flight after a 3–2 win against Al-Jeel. Al-Ettifaq were also promoted after they finished in 2nd place, it will be their first participation in the Pro League since the 2013–14 season. The two promoted teams replaced Najran and Hajer. Al-Raed were relegation play-off winners.
On 3 August 2016, Al-Mojzel were stripped of their tile and were instead relegated to the Second Division due to a match fixing scandal. The SAFF decided to promote Al-Batin instead.

Stadiums and locations



TeamHome cityStadiumCapacity
Al-AhliJeddahKing Abdullah Sports City
Al-BatinHafar Al-BatinAl-Batin Club Stadium
Al-EttifaqDammamPrince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium
Al-FaisalyHarmahKing Salman Sport City Stadium
Al-FatehAl-HasaPrince Abdullah bin Jalawi Stadium
Al-HilalRiyadhKing Fahd International Stadium
Al-IttihadJeddahKing Abdullah Sports City
Al-KhaleejSaihatPrince Saud bin Jalawi Stadium
Al-NassrRiyadhKing Fahd International Stadium
Al-QadisiyahKhobarPrince Saud bin Jalawi Stadium
Al-RaedBuraidahKing Abdullah Sport City Stadium
Al-ShababRiyadhKing Fahd International Stadium
Al-TaawounBuraidahKing Abdullah Sport City Stadium
Al-WehdaMakkahKing Abdul Aziz Stadium

;Notes

Personnel and kits

Managerial changes

TeamOutgoing managerDate of vacancyManner of departureIncoming managerDate of appointment
Al-Faisaly Liviu Ciobotariu17 May 2016SackedPre-season Hélio dos Anjos23 May 2016
Al-Hilal Giorgos Donis18 May 2016SackedPre-season Abdullatif Al-Hussaini 18 May 2016
Al-Fateh Nacif Beyaoui29 May 2016End of contractPre-season Ricardo Sá Pinto29 May 2016
Al-Taawoun José Gomes29 May 2016Signed for Al-AhliPre-season Darije Kalezić2 June 2016
Al-Ahli Christian Gross30 May 2016End of contractPre-season José Gomes31 May 2016
Al-Khaleej Jalal Qaderi30 May 2016End of contractPre-season Patrick De Wilde9 June 2016
Al-Nassr Raúl Caneda21 June 2016SackedPre-season Zoran Mamić21 June 2016
Al-Hilal Abdullatif Al-Hussaini12 June 2016Interim period endedPre-season Gustavo Matosas12 June 2016
Al-Raed Aleksandar Ilić16 June 2016End of contractPre-season Nacif Beyaoui12 June 2016
Al-Shabab Fathi Al-Jabal22 June 2016ResignedPre-season Sami Al-Jaber22 June 2016
Al-Ittihad Victor Pițurcă28 July 2016ResignedPre-season José Sierra28 July 2016
Al-Khaleej Patrick De Wilde30 August 2016Mutual consent12th Jalal Qaderi30 August 2016
Al-Hilal Gustavo Matosas22 September 2016Sacked3rd Ciprian Panait 22 September 2016
Al-Fateh Ricardo Sá Pinto23 September 2016Mutual consent14th Fathi Al-Jabal11 October 2016
Al-Ahli José Gomes30 September 2016Sacked5th Christian Gross3 October 2016
Al-Hilal Ciprian Panait15 October 2016Interim period ended2nd Ramón Díaz15 October 2016
Al-Taawoun Darije Kalezić16 October 2016Sacked11th Constantin Gâlcă18 October 2016
Al-Qadisiyah Hamad Al-Dossari29 October 2016Resigned13th Riadh Belkhir 29 October 2016
Al-Ettifaq Djamel Belkacem29 October 2016Sacked7th Eelco Schattorie 29 October 2016
Al-Batin Adel Abdelrahman6 November 2016Resigned9th Khalid Al Koroni6 November 2016
Al-Qadisiyah Riadh Belkhir9 November 2016Interim period ended13th Hélio dos Anjos9 November 2016
Al-Faisaly Hélio dos Anjos9 November 2016Signed for Al-Qadisiyah10th Fahd Elouarga 9 November 2016
Al-Ettifaq Eelco Schattorie10 November 2016Interim period ended6th Juan Garrido10 November 2016
Al-Faisaly Fahd Elouarga19 November 2016Interim period ended9th Tomislav Ivković19 November 2016
Al-Wehda Kheïreddine Madoui9 December 2016Sacked11th Badreldin Hamed 9 December 2016
Al-Wehda Badreldin Hamed15 December 2016Interim period ended13th Adel Abdelrahman15 December 2016
Al-Nassr Zoran Mamić28 January 2017Resigned4th Patrice Carteron31 January 2017
Al-Ettifaq Juan Garrido18 February 2017Mutual consent8th Eelco Schattorie18 February 2017
Al-Faisaly Tomislav Ivković19 February 2017Sacked11th Giovanni Solinas20 February 2017
Al-Taawoun Constantin Gâlcă20 March 2017Resigned5th José Gomes21 March 2017
Al-Qadisiyah Hélio dos Anjos22 April 2017Sacked12th Bandar Basreh 22 April 2017

Foreign players

The number of foreign players is limited to 4 per team, and should not be a goalkeeper.
ClubPlayer 1Player 2Player 3Player 4
Al-Ahli Mohamed Abdel-Shafy Giannis Fetfatzidis Saad Abdul-Amir Omar Al Somah
Al-Batin Jhonnattann Jorge Santos Tarabai William Alves
Al-Ettifaq Mohamed Koffi Aminou Bouba Juanmi Callejón Michael Eneramo
Al-Faisaly Igor Rossi Luisinho Martin Maloča Mircea Axente
Al-Fateh Sandro Manoel Ukra Abdelkader Oueslati Lamjed Chehoudi
Al-Hilal Carlos Eduardo Léo Bonatini Omar Kharbin Nicolás Milesi
Al-Ittihad Carlos Villanueva Mahmoud Kahraba Fahad Al Ansari Ahmed Akaïchi
Al-Khaleej Jandson Boubacar Fofana Ismaël Diakité Adama François
Al-Nassr Bruno Uvini Ivan Tomečak Marin Tomasov Víctor Ayala
Al-Qadisiyah Bismark Élton Ahmed Al-Dhefiri Patrick Eze
Al-Raed Adriano Alves Daniel Amora Wander Ismaël Bangoura
Al-Shabab Djamel Benlamri Mohamed Benyettou Heberty Saif Al Hashan
Al-Taawoun Mounir El Hamdaoui Ricardo Machado Lucian Sânmărtean Jehad Al-Hussain
Al-Wehda Ahmed Magdy Sherif Hazem Torric Jebrin Adolfo Lima

Results

League table

Positions by round

The following table lists the positions of teams after each week of matches. In order to preserve the chronological evolution, any postponed matches are not included to the round at which they were originally scheduled, but added to the full round they were played immediately afterwards. If a club from the Saudi Professional League wins the King Cup, they will qualify for the AFC Champions League, unless they have already qualified for it through their league position. In this case, an additional AFC Champions League group stage berth will be given to the 3rd placed team, and the AFC Champions League play-off round spot will be given to 4th.

Results table

Season progress

Relegation play-offs

which finished 12th will face Najran, the 3rd-placed 2016–17 Saudi First Division side for a two-legged play-off. Al-Batin beat Najran 3–2 on aggregate.

First leg

Second leg

Statistics

Top scorers

RankPlayerClubGoals
1 Omar Al SomahAl-Ahli24
2 Ismaël BangouraAl-Raed18
3 KahrabaAl-Ittihad16
3 Mukhtar FallatahAl-Wehda16
5 Carlos EduardoAl-Hilal12
5 Léo BonatiniAl-Hilal12
5 JandsonAl-Khaleej12
5 Jorge SantosAl-Batin12
9 Fahad Al-MuwalladAl-Ittihad11
10 Mohamed BenyettouAl-Shabab10

Top assists

RankPlayerClubAssists
1 Carlos VillanuevaAl-Ittihad11
2 Sultan Al-SawadiAl-Raed8
3 Abdurahman Al-ObaidAl-Qadisiyah6
3 Ahmed AkaïchiAl-Ittihad6
3 Giannis FetfatzidisAl-Ahli6
3 LuisinhoAl-Faisaly6
3 Yahya Al-ShehriAl-Nassr6
8 Adnan FallatahAl-Ittihad5
8 Carlos EduardoAl-Hilal5
8 Fahad Al-MuwalladAl-Ittihad5
8 Ivan TomečakAl-Nassr5
8 Jehad Al-HussainAl-Taawoun5
8 Patrick EzeAl-Qadisiyah5

Hat-tricks

4 Player scored four goals

Clean sheets

RankPlayerClubClean sheets
1 Abdullah Al-MayoufAl-Hilal13
2 Fahad Al-ShammariAl-Taawoun7
2 Waleed AbdullahAl-Nassr7
4 Mazyad FreehAl-Batin6
5 Hussain Shae'anAl-Nassr5
6 Ahmed Al-RehailiAl-Ahli4
6 Mustafa MalayekahAl-Faisaly4

Attendances

By round

Source:

By team

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