2020–21 Saudi Pro League
The 2020–21 Saudi Professional League was the 45th edition of the
On 29 March, the
On 23 May,
Teams
Sixteen teams will compete in the league – the top thirteen teams from the previous season and the three teams promoted from the MS League.
Teams who were promoted to the Pro League
The first club to be promoted was
The second club to be promoted was
The third and final club to be promoted was
Teams who were relegated to the MS League
The first club to be relegated was
On 4 September 2020,
On 9 September 2020,
Stadiums
- Note: Table lists in alphabetical order.
Team | Location | Stadium | Capacity |
---|---|---|---|
Abha | Abha | Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Stadium
|
20,000[16] |
Al-Ahli | Jeddah | King Abdullah Sports City | 62,345 |
Al-Ain
|
Al Bahah | King Saud Sport City Stadium (Al Bahah) | 10,000[17] |
Al-Batin
|
Hafar al-Batin | Al-Batin Club Stadium | 6,000[18] |
Al-Ettifaq
|
Dammam | Prince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium | 35,000[19] |
Al-Faisaly
|
Harmah | Al Majma'ah Sports City [1] | 7,000 |
Al-Fateh
|
Al-Hasa | Prince Abdullah bin Jalawi Stadium | 26,000[20][21] |
Al-Hilal | Riyadh | King Fahd International Stadium [2]
|
62,685 |
Al-Ittihad
|
Jeddah | King Abdullah Sports City | 62,345 |
Al-Nassr
|
Riyadh | King Saud University Stadium
|
25,000 |
Al-Qadsiah
|
Khobar | Prince Saud bin Jalawi Stadium
|
15,000[22] |
Al-Raed
|
Buraidah | King Abdullah Sport City Stadium
|
25,000 |
Al-Shabab
|
Riyadh | King Fahd International Stadium [3] | 62,685 |
Al-Taawoun
|
Buraidah | King Abdullah Sport City Stadium | 25,000 |
Al-Wehda
|
Mecca | King Abdul Aziz Stadium
|
38,000 |
Damac
|
Khamis Mushait | Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Stadium [4] | 20,000 |
1: ^ Al-Faisaly play their home games in Al Majma'ah.
2:
Personnel and kits
Team | Manager | Captain | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
---|---|---|---|---|
Abha | Abderrazek Chebbi | Karim Aouadhi | Offside | Yelo, Vveyon, Mezaj Maghribi1, Saudi German Hospital1, ARASCO2 |
Al-Ahli | Laurențiu Reghecampf | Yasser Al-Mosailem | Xtep | MG Cars , Almsakin Palace, Boga Super Foods2, Saudi German Hospital2
|
Al-Ain | Pablo Machín | Saeed Al-Qarni | Puma | Gento, Ugine1 |
Al-Batin | Aleksandar Veselinović | Mazyad Freeh | Skillano | Traof, AlNadeg1, Yelo1, ARASCO2, Maroom Medical Center2 |
Al-Ettifaq | Khaled Al-Atwi | Raïs M'Bolhi | Jako | Al Mattar, Mystery, Kammelna1, Innosoft2, Thouq2, Saudi German Hospital3 |
Al-Faisaly | Péricles Chamusca | Igor Rossi
|
adidas | ALDREES, Gree Electric, Yelo1, Roco2, ARASCO2 |
Al-Fateh | Yannick Ferrera | Mohammed Al-Fuhaid | Offside | Kia Motors , Fuschia, Al Kifah Holding1, Almoosa Hospital1, ARASCO2, B-Care2
|
Al-Hilal | José Morais | Salman Al-Faraj | Mouj | EMAAR, Jahez, Tawuniya1, Sayyar2, Shawarmer2 |
Al-Ittihad | Fábio Carille | Karim El Ahmadi | Tamim | B-IT Fitness1, Fakeeh2, Yelo2 |
Al-Nassr | Mano Menezes | Yahya Al-Shehri | Victory | Etihad Airways, Almsakin Palace, Nejree1, Richy2, Naqi Water2 |
Al-Qadsiah | Yousef Al Mannai | Naif Hazazi | Puma | MG Cars , Almana Group of Hospital, Ghodran Group1
|
Al-Raed | Besnik Hasi | Hussain Al-Showaish
|
Challenge | Yelo, Address Cafe1, ARASCO2, B-Care2 |
Al-Shabab | Carlos Inarejos | Éver Banega | Xtep | Arkitainer, Aqdar, Bussma, Half Million, The Chefz, Nice One, Saudi German Hospital, Marvel Home1, Sanabel Alsalam1, Tact1, F6or Faris2, QAID2, 3days3, Azom3, HealthZone3, The Real Burger3, Shawarma Classic3, Veloce3 |
Al-Taawoun | Nestor El Maestro | Ibrahim Al-Zubaidi | Erreà | Fuchs , Nice One, Al Odhaib1, ARASCO2
|
Al-Wehda | Giorgos Donis
|
Waleed Bakshween | Tamim | Lebs.com, Al Ghazal, QAID2 |
Damac | Krešimir Režić | Farouk Chafaï | Skillano | Abu Zaid, Bin Thaliba1, Saudi German Hospital1, Bnoon2, Fazzah2, Superano3 |
- 1 On the back of the strip.
- 2 On the right sleeve of the strip.
- 3 On the shorts.
Managerial changes
Team | Outgoing manager | Manner of departure |
Date of vacancy | Position in table | Incoming manager | Date of appointment |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Al-Wehda
|
Essa Al-Mehyani (caretaker) | End of caretaker spell | 9 September 2020 | Pre-season | Ivo Vieira | 10 September 2020[23] |
Al-Taawoun
|
Abdullah Asiri (caretaker) | 16 September 2020 | Patrice Carteron | 16 September 2020[24] | ||
Al-Ain | Al Habib Ben Ramadan | End of contract | 20 September 2020 | Bruno Baltazar | 2 October 2020[25] | |
Bruno Baltazar | Resigned | 12 October 2020[26] | Michael Skibbe | 12 October 2020[26] | ||
Al-Nassr
|
Rui Vitória | Mutual consent | 27 December 2020[27] | 15th | Alen Horvat | 27 December 2020[28] |
Damac | Noureddine Zekri | 4 January 2021[29] | 16th | Krešimir Režić | 12 January 2021[30] | |
Al-Shabab
|
Pedro Caixinha | Sacked | 5 January 2021[31] | 3rd | Carlos Inarejos | 5 January 2021[31] |
Al-Ain | Michael Skibbe | 28 January 2021[32] | 16th | Pablo Machín | 31 January 2021[33] | |
Al-Wehda
|
Ivo Vieira | 2 February 2021[34] | 10th | Mahmoud Al-Hadid | 2 February 2021[35] | |
Al-Hilal | Răzvan Lucescu | Mutual consent | 15 February 2021[36] | 3rd | Rogério Micale | 15 February 2021 |
Al-Taawoun
|
Patrice Carteron | 11 March 2021[37] | 4th | Nestor El Maestro | 13 March 2021[38] | |
Al-Batin
|
José Garrido | Sacked | 20 March 2021[39] | 13th | Aleksandar Veselinović | 24 March 2021[40] |
Al-Wehda
|
Mahmoud Al-Hadid | 21 March 2021[41] | 14th | Giorgos Donis
|
23 March 2021[42] | |
Al-Ahli | Vladan Milojević | Mutual consent | 24 March 2021[43] | 7th | Laurențiu Reghecampf | 31 March 2021[44] |
Al-Nassr
|
Alen Horvat | Sacked | 9 April 2021[45] | 5th | Mano Menezes | 9 April 2021[46] |
Al-Hilal | Rogério Micale | 2 May 2021[47] | 1st | José Morais | 2 May 2021[47] |
Foreign players
The policy of foreign players remained unchanged. Clubs can register a total of seven foreign players over the course of the season.[48]
Players name in bold indicates the player is registered during the mid-season transfer window.
League table
Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | Al-Hilal (C) | 30 | 18 | 7 | 5 | 60 | 27 | +33 | 61 | Qualification for AFC Champions League group stage |
2 | Al-Shabab | 30 | 17 | 6 | 7 | 68 | 43 | +25 | 57 | |
3 | Al-Ittihad[a]
|
30 | 15 | 11 | 4 | 45 | 29 | +16 | 56 | |
4 | Al-Taawoun | 30 | 13 | 8 | 9 | 42 | 30 | +12 | 47[b] | Qualification for AFC Champions League play-off round |
5 | Al-Ettifaq
|
30 | 14 | 5 | 11 | 50 | 48 | +2 | 47[b] | |
6 | Al-Nassr | 30 | 13 | 7 | 10 | 53 | 40 | +13 | 46 | |
7 | Al-Fateh | 30 | 12 | 6 | 12 | 55 | 55 | 0 | 42 | |
8 | Al-Ahli | 30 | 11 | 6 | 13 | 44 | 56 | −12 | 39 | |
9 | Al-Faisaly | 30 | 9 | 9 | 12 | 42 | 47 | −5 | 36[c] | Qualification for the Champions League group stage[d] |
10 | Al-Raed | 30 | 10 | 6 | 14 | 44 | 47 | −3 | 36[c] | |
11 | Damac | 30 | 9 | 9 | 12 | 43 | 48 | −5 | 36[c] | |
12 | Al-Batin | 30 | 9 | 9 | 12 | 43 | 55 | −12 | 36[c] | |
13 | Abha | 30 | 10 | 6 | 14 | 42 | 50 | −8 | 36[c] | |
14 | Al-Qadsiah (R) | 30 | 8 | 11 | 11 | 41 | 47 | −6 | 35 | Relegation to MS League
|
15 | Al-Wehda (R)
|
30 | 9 | 5 | 16 | 40 | 60 | −20 | 32 | |
16 | Al-Ain (R) | 30 | 5 | 5 | 20 | 34 | 64 | −30 | 20 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points; 2) Head-to-head points; 3) Head-to-head goal difference; 4) Total goal difference; 5) Total goals scored; 6) Fair-play points (Note: Head-to-head record is used only after all the matches between the teams in question have been played).[50]
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated
Notes:
- Al-Ittihad cannot qualify for Asian Football Confederation competitions as they did not obtain an AFC license.[49]
- ^ a b Positions determined by head-to-head points: Al-Taawoun 4 pts; Al-Ettifaq 1 pt.
- ^ a b c d e Positions determined by head-to-head points: Al-Faisaly: 16 pts; Al-Raed: 15 pts; Damac: 13 pts; Al-Batin: 12 pts; Abha: 3 pts.
- Al-Faisaly qualified for the Champions League group stage as 2020–21 King Cupwinners.
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 afterward. If a club from the Saudi Professional League wins the