2019–20 Saudi Pro League
The 2019–20 Saudi Professional League was the 44th edition of the Saudi Professional League, the top Saudi professional league for association football clubs, since its establishment in 1976.
The season started on 22 August 2019 and concluded on 9 September 2020.
| Season | 2019–20 |
|---|---|
| Dates | 22 August 2019 – 9 September 2020 |
| Champions | Al-Hilal (16th title) |
| Relegated | Al-Fayha Al-Hazem Al-Adalah |
| Champions League | Al-Hilal Al-Nassr Al-Ahli |
| Matches played | 240 |
| Goals scored | 690 (2.88 per match) |
| Top goalscorer | Abderrazak Hamdallah (29 goals) |
| Best goalkeeper | Brad Jones (12 clean sheets) |
| Biggest home win | Al-Hilal 7–0 Al-Adalah (30 December 2019) |
| Biggest away win | Al-Hazem 0–6 Al-Ettifaq (15 September 2019) |
| Highest scoring | Al-Adalah 3–5 Al-Fateh (18 October 2019) |
| Longest winning run | Al-Hilal (6 matches) |
| Longest unbeaten run | Al-Hilal (17 matches) |
| Longest winless run | Al-Adalah (17 matches) |
| Longest losing run | Damac (6 matches) |
| Highest attendance | 43,783 Al-Ittihad 1–3 Al-Hilal (21 September 2019) |
| Lowest attendance | 0 (7 March 2020 and onwards due to COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia) |
| Total attendance | 1,399,104 |
| Average attendance | 8,479 |
← 2018–19 2020–21 → All statistics correct as of 9 September 2020. | |
Al-Nassr were the defending champions. The league was contested by the top 13 teams from the 2018–19 season as well as Abha, Damac, and Al-Adalah, who joined as the three promoted clubs from the 2018–19 Prince Mohammad bin Salman League. They replace Ohod, Al-Batin and Al-Qadsiah who were relegated to the 2019–20 Prince Mohammad bin Salman League.
On 7 March 2020, the Ministry of Sports announced that all matches would be played behind closed doors until further notice. On 14 March 2020, the Ministry suspended all sports competitions indefinitely due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia. On 11 June 2020, the Ministry of Sports announced the resumption of sports activities with training starting on 21 June and games starting after 4 August 2020 and played behind closed doors. On 1 July 2020, the schedule for the remaining matches was released. It was announced that the league would resume on 4 August 2020 and end on 9 September 2020.
On 29 August 2020, Al-Hilal won the league for a record 16th time with two matches remaining, after defeating Al-Hazem 4–1. Al-Adalah were the first team to be relegated following a 1–1 home draw with Al-Raed on 29 August 2020. On 4 September 2020, Al-Hazem were relegated following a 1–0 defeat away to Al-Shabab. Al-Fayha were the third and final team to be relegated following a 1–0 defeat away to Al-Taawoun in the final matchday.
Changes
On June 9, 2019, the Saudi FF announced that the number of foreign players was reduced from 8 players to 7 players. In addition, they announced that clubs could no longer sign players on amateurs contracts and that the squad size will be increased to 30 players. On 20 August 2019, the Saudi FF announced that relegation play-off between the 13th placed team of the Pro League and the 4th placed team of the MS League was cancelled.
Teams
Sixteen teams will compete in the league – the top twelve teams from the previous season, the play-off winner and the three teams promoted from the MS League.
Teams who were promoted to the Pro League
The first team to be promoted was Abha, following their 2–2 draw away to Al-Nojoom on 30 April 2019. Abha will play in the top flight of Saudi football after a ten-year absence. Despite losing to Al-Qaisumah, they were crowned champions on 11 May 2019 due to Damac's 1–1 draw with Al-Ain.
The second team to be promoted was Damac, in spite of their 1–0 defeat away to Al-Tai, on 5 May 2019. Damac will play in the top flight of Saudi football for the first time since 1982 when both the Pro League and First Division were merged into one league.
The third and final team to be promoted was Al-Adalah, who were promoted on the final matchday following their 2–0 win at home against Damac on 15 May 2019. Al-Adalah will play in the top flight of Saudi football for the first time in history.
Teams who were relegated to the MS League
The first team to be relegated was Ohod, ending a 2-year stay in the Pro League following a 3–1 home defeat to Al-Fayha on 12 April 2019.
The second team to be relegated was Al-Batin, ending a 3-year stay in the Pro League following a 1–0 home defeat to an already relegated Ohod side on 11 May 2019.
The third and final team to be relegated was Al-Qadsiah, who were relegated on the final matchday following a 2–2 home draw with Al-Hazem. Al-Qadsiah were relegated after 4 consecutive seasons in the Pro League.
Stadiums
- Note: Table lists in alphabetical order.
| Team | Location | Stadium | Capacity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Abha | Abha | Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz Stadium | 20,000 |
| Al-Adalah | Al-Hasa | Prince Abdullah bin Jalawi Stadium | 26,000 |
| Al-Ahli | Jeddah | King Abdullah Sports City | 62,345 |
| Al-Ettifaq | Dammam | Prince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium | 35,000 |
| Al-Faisaly | Harmah | Al Majma'ah Sports City [1] | 7,000 |
| Al-Fateh | Al-Hasa | Prince Abdullah bin Jalawi Stadium | 26,000 |
| Al-Fayha | Al Majma'ah | Al Majma'ah Sports City | 7,000 |
| Al-Hazem | Ar Rass | Al-Hazem Club Stadium | 8,000 |
| Al-Hilal | Riyadh | King Saud University Stadium | 25,000 |
| Al-Ittihad | Jeddah | King Abdullah Sports City | 62,345 |
| Al-Nassr | Riyadh | King Fahd International Stadium [2] | 62,685 |
| 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: ^ Al-Nassr and Al-Shabab also use Prince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium (22,500 seats) as a home stadium.
3: ^ Damac play their home games in Abha.
Personnel and kits
| Team | Manager | Captain | Kit manufacturer | Shirt sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Abha |  Abderrazek Chebbi | Karim Aouadhi | Offside | Al Wefaq, Saudi German Hospital1, Areekat Aldeera1 |
| Al-Adalah |  Giovanni Solinas |  Carolus Andria | Offside | Al-Ghadeer Group, Hussein Al-Ali Hospital, Al Wefaq1 |
| Al-Ahli |  Vladan Milojević |  Hussein Abdulghani | S Team | Saudia, MG Cars, Oud Milano1, Boga Super Foods2 |
| Al-Ettifaq | Khaled Al-Atwi |  Raïs M'Bolhi | Jako | Al Mattar, Dose Cafe, Kammelna1, Innosoft2, Eithar2, Twareat Medical Center3 |
| Al-Faisaly |  Péricles Chamusca | Igor Rossi | adidas | ALDREES, Gree Electric, Al Wefaq1, Shmagh Albassam1, Roco2 |
| Al-Fateh |  Yannick Ferrera | Mohammed Al-Fuhaid | Offside | Kia Motors, Fuchsia Bakery, Al Kifah Holding1, Almoosa Hospital1 |
| Al-Fayha | Yousef Al-Ghadeer | Sami Al-Khaibari | Skillano | The Fourth Triangle |
| Al-Hazem | André Gaspar | Alemão | S Team | Cabrito, RAKAA Holding1, Alreef Alfarance2 |
| Al-Hilal |  Răzvan Lucescu | Salman Al-Faraj | S Team | EMAAR, Jahez, Tawuniya1, Flyin.com2, Sayyar2 |
| Al-Ittihad | Fábio Carille |  Karim El Ahmadi | S Team | FAW Group, Ibrahim Al Qurashi1, Al Wefaq2 |
| Al-Nassr |  Rui Vitória | Omar Hawsawi | Victory | Etihad Airways, Nejree1, Richy2, Wssel2, Naqi Water3 |
| Al-Raed |  Besnik Hasi | Hussain Al-Showaish | Erreà | Al Wefaq, My Pure Water1 |
| Al-Shabab | Pedro Caixinha | Mohammed Salem | Xtep | Eastgate, Walem, Daffah1 |
| Al-Taawoun | Abdullah Asiri | Talal Al-Absi | Offside | Al Maghrabi, Al Wefaq1, Alnadeg1, Desert One2 |
| Al-Wehda | Essa Al-Mehyani | Waleed Bakshween | Tattweer | Herfy, Lebs.com, Makkah Chamber of Commerce, Saudi Al Qaid Company2, Ara Water3, Erwaa3 |
| Damac | Noureddine Zekri | Farouk Chafaï | Skillano | Abu Zaid, Al Msakin Palace, Bin Thaliba1, Zain Cupcake3 |
- 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-Adalah | Redha Al-Janbe | End of caretaker spell | 16 May 2019 | Pre-season | Skander Kasri | 31 May 2019 |
| Al-Ettifaq | Hélder | 17 May 2019 | Khaled Al-Atwi | 17 June 2019 | ||
| Al-Wehda |  Juan Brown | 17 May 2019 |  Mario Cvitanović | 2 July 2019 | ||
| Al-Fayha | Noureddine Zekri | End of contract | 17 May 2019 | Jorge Simão | 8 June 2019 | |
| Al-Shabab | Marius Șumudică | Mutual consent | 19 May 2019 | Jorge Almirón | 24 June 2019 | |
| Al-Taawoun | Pedro Emanuel | 19 May 2019 | Paulo Sérgio | 21 May 2019 | ||
| Al-Ahli | Yousef Anbar | End of caretaker spell | 21 May 2019 | Branko Ivanković | 18 June 2019 | |
| Al-Hilal | Péricles Chamusca | End of contract | 21 May 2019 | Răzvan Lucescu | 30 Jun 2019 | |
| Al-Ahli | Branko Ivanković | Sacked | 16 September 2019 | 9th |  Christian Gross | 16 October 2019 |
| Al-Wehda | Mario Cvitanović | Mutual consent | 16 September 2019 | 12th |  José Daniel Carreño | 16 September 2019 |
| Damac | Mohammed Kouki | Sacked | 5 October 2019 | 15th | Noureddine Zekri | 5 October 2019 |
| Al-Fateh | Fathi Al-Jabal | Mutual consent | 14 October 2019 | 16th | Yannick Ferrera | 14 October 2019 |
| Al-Ittihad |  José Luis Sierra | Sacked | 19 October 2019 | 8th |  Henk ten Cate | 4 November 2019 |
| Al-Adalah | Skander Kasri | Mutual consent | 4 November 2019 | 14th | Nacif Beyaoui | 5 November 2019 |
| Al-Shabab | Jorge Almirón | Sacked | 4 December 2019 | 7th |  Luis García | 12 December 2019 |
| Al-Taawoun | Paulo Sérgio | Mutual Consent | 29 December 2019 | 6th | Vítor Campelos | 15 January 2020 |
| Al-Hazem | Daniel Isăilă | Sacked | 31 January 2020 | 13th | André | 31 January 2020 |
| Al-Ittihad | Henk ten Cate | 11 February 2020 | 12th | Fábio Carille | 17 February 2020 | |
| Al-Ahli | Christian Gross | 17 February 2020 | 3rd | Vladan Milojević | 28 February 2020 | |
| Al-Adalah | Nacif Beyaoui | Resigned | 13 June 2020 | 16th | Giovanni Solinas | 25 June 2020 |
| Al-Shabab | Luis García | End of contract | 18 July 2020 | 8th | Pedro Caixinha | 20 July 2020 |
| Al-Wehda | José Daniel Carreño | Mutual consent | 19 August 2020 | 5th | Essa Al-Mehyani (caretaker) | 19 August 2020 |
| Al-Fayha | Jorge Simão | Sacked | 27 August 2020 | 13th | Yousef Al-Ghadeer | 27 August 2020 |
| Al-Taawoun | Vítor Campelos | Sacked | 30 August 2020 | 10th | Abdullah Asiri (caretaker) | 6 September 2020 |
Foreign players
On June 9, 2019, the Saudi FF announced that the number of foreign players was reduced from 8 players to 7 players.
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 | 22 | 6 | 2 | 74 | 26 | +48 | 72 | Qualification for AFC Champions League group stage |
| 2 | Al-Nassr | 30 | 19 | 7 | 4 | 60 | 26 | +34 | 64 | |
| 3 | Al-Ahli | 30 | 15 | 5 | 10 | 49 | 36 | +13 | 50 | |
| 4 | Al-Wehda | 30 | 16 | 1 | 13 | 45 | 40 | +5 | 49 | Qualification for AFC Champions League play-off round |
| 5 | Al-Faisaly | 30 | 14 | 6 | 10 | 41 | 36 | +5 | 48 | |
| 6 | Al-Raed | 30 | 13 | 7 | 10 | 41 | 50 | −9 | 46 | |
| 7 | Al-Shabab | 30 | 12 | 7 | 11 | 38 | 37 | +1 | 43 | |
| 8 | Al-Ettifaq | 30 | 13 | 3 | 14 | 46 | 38 | +8 | 42 | |
| 9 | Abha | 30 | 11 | 5 | 14 | 41 | 52 | −11 | 38 | |
| 10 | Damac | 30 | 9 | 8 | 13 | 37 | 52 | −15 | 35 | |
| 11 | Al-Ittihad | 30 | 9 | 8 | 13 | 42 | 41 | +1 | 35 | |
| 12 | Al-Taawoun | 30 | 10 | 5 | 15 | 33 | 40 | −7 | 35 | |
| 13 | Al-Fateh | 30 | 8 | 9 | 13 | 42 | 49 | −7 | 33 | |
| 14 | Al-Fayha (R) | 30 | 8 | 8 | 14 | 34 | 44 | −10 | 32 | Relegation to Prince Mohammad bin Salman League |
| 15 | Al-Hazem (R) | 30 | 7 | 6 | 17 | 40 | 61 | −21 | 27 | |
| 16 | Al-Adalah (R) | 30 | 4 | 9 | 17 | 27 | 62 | −35 | 21 |
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).
(C) Champions; (R) Relegated
Notes:
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 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.
| Leader | |
| 2021 AFC Champions League group stage | |
| 2021 AFC Champions League play-off round | |
| Relegation to 2020–21 MS League |
Results
Season statistics
- As of 9 September 2020
Scoring
Top scorers
| Rank | Player | Club | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Abderrazak Hamdallah | Al-Nassr | 29 |
| 2 |  Bafétimbi Gomis | Al-Hilal | 27 |
| 3 |  Omar Al Somah | Al-Ahli | 19 |
| 4 | Youssouf Niakaté | Al-Wehda | 16 |
| 5 | Romarinho | Al-Ittihad | 15 |
| 6 |  Carlos Strandberg | Al-Hazem | 13 |
| Emilio Zelaya | Damac | ||
| 8 | Carlos Eduardo | Al-Hilal | 12 |
 Mitchell te Vrede | Al-Fateh | ||
| 10 | Giuliano | Al-Nassr | 11 |
| Saad Bguir | Abha | ||
| Cristian Guanca | Al-Shabab |
Hat-tricks
| Player | For | Against | Result | Date | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ronnie Fernández | Al-Fayha | Al-Ittihad | 4–1 (H) | 19 December 2019 | |
| Abderrazak Hamdallah | Al-Nassr | Al-Fayha | 4–1 (A) | 28 December 2019 | |
| Bafétimbi Gomis | Al-Hilal | Al-Adalah | 7–0 (H) | 30 December 2019 | |
| Abderrazak Hamdallah | Al-Nassr | Al-Shabab | 4–2 (A) | 14 February 2020 | |
| Abderrazak Hamdallah | Al-Nassr | Al-Taawoun | 4–1 (A) | 20 August 2020 | |
| Bafétimbi Gomis | Al-Hilal | Al-Hazem | 4–1 (H) | 29 August 2020 |
Clean sheets
| Rank | Player | Club | Clean sheets |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Brad Jones | Al-Nassr | 12 |
| 2 | Farouk Ben Mustapha | Al-Shabab | 10 |
| 3 | Abdullah Al-Mayouf | Al-Hilal | 9 |
| Moustapha Zeghba | Al-Wehda/Damac | ||
| 5 | Mustafa Malayekah | Al-Faisaly | 8 |
| Raïs M'Bolhi | Al-Ettifaq | ||
| 7 | Azzedine Doukha | Al-Raed | 6 |
| Cássio | Al-Taawoun | ||
| 9 | Abdullah Al-Jadaani | Al-Wehda | 5 |
| 10 | Mohammed Al-Owais | Al-Ahli | 4 |
| Habib Al-Wotayan | Al-Fateh | ||
| Malik Asselah | Al-Hazem |
Discipline
Player
- Most yellow cards: 12
Alberto Botía (Al-Wehda)
Khaleem Hyland (Al-Faisaly)
- Most red cards: 3
Mohammed Al-Saiari (Al-Wehda/Al-Faisaly)- Karam Barnawi (Abha)
Club
- Most yellow cards: 75
- Al-Wehda
- Most red cards: 7
- Al-Shabab
Attendances
By round
| Round | Total | GP. | Avg. Per Game |
|---|---|---|---|
| Round 1 | 82,409 | 8 | 10,301 |
| Round 2 | 67,420 | 8 | 8,428 |
| Round 3 | 66,994 | 8 | 8,374 |
| Round 4 | 114,245 | 8 | 14,281 |
| Round 5 | 83,713 | 8 | 10,464 |
| Round 6 | 73,691 | 8 | 9,211 |
| Round 7 | 64,943 | 8 | 8,118 |
| Round 8 | 61,136 | 8 | 7,642 |
| Round 9 | 80,904 | 8 | 10,113 |
| Round 10 | 63,207 | 8 | 7,901 |
| Round 11 | 60,629 | 8 | 7,579 |
| Round 12 | 29,098 | 8 | 3,637 |
| Round 13 | 38,511 | 8 | 4,814 |
| Round 14 | 68,427 | 8 | 8,553 |
| Round 15 | 72,370 | 8 | 9,046 |
| Round 16 | 68,354 | 8 | 8,544 |
| Round 17 | 53,456 | 8 | 6,682 |
| Round 18 | 66,577 | 8 | 8,322 |
| Round 19 | 64,639 | 8 | 8,080 |
| Round 20 | 87,907 | 8 | 10,988 |
| Round 21 | 30,474 | 5 | 6,095 |
| Round 22 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Round 23 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Round 24 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Round 25 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Round 26 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Round 27 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Round 28 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Round 29 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Round 30 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Total | 1,399,104 | 165 | 8,479 |