Today's Edition
ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)
Al Ain have completed one of the most dominant seasons in UAE football history by retaining the ADNOC Pro League title with games to spare and becoming the first team in the professional era to go unbeaten through 24 league matches.
The club's 15th league crown was confirmed after an emphatic 5-0 victory over Sharjah on Wednesday, extending Al Ain's unbeaten run in the competition to 31 matches and underlining their status as Abu Dhabi's leading football force.
The triumph was widely viewed inside the club as the result of a long-term strategy overseen by Sheikh Sultan bin Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, chairman of Al Ain Football Company, with close supervision from Mohammed Al Mahmoud, who led the rebuilding of the first-team squad over the past three seasons.
Rather than pursuing expensive signings, Al Ain focused on recruiting young players with long-term potential and targeting key positions. The policy brought in several emerging talents, including Moroccan trio Hussein Rahimi, Yahya Ben Khaliq and Nassim Chadli, alongside defensive reinforcements Adis Jasic and Marcel Ratnik.
The foundations for the title success were laid during preparations for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup in the United States. Although Al Ain suffered heavy defeats against Manchester City and Juventus, they recovered to beat Wydad Casablanca and finish third in their group.
During the tournament in Washington, Al Mahmoud held extensive meetings with players and staff, insisting the club's rebuilding process would deliver success despite criticism surrounding the new-look squad.
"This team will be crowned league champions," he said at the time, backing the club's strategy of renewal and youth development. Al Ain continued their preparations with training camps in Morocco and Spain, where they produced encouraging results in a series of friendlies, including victories against Elche and Granada, as well as a draw with Asian champions Al Ahli Saudi.
The club also strengthened its football structure away from the pitch, bringing in Vladimir Ivic to replace Hernan Crespo who had led them to the Asian Champions League title, the only team to win the continental title twice when they added to their inaugural title in 2003.
The transition period at the club coincided with a poor display in the Asian tournament with the format changing. Yet, there were no such issues on the domestic front as they constructed a remarkable league campaign built on consistency, balance and resilience.
Al Ain combined the division's most reliable defence with one of its most efficient attacks, while repeatedly showing the ability to decide matches in the second half.
They lost out at the final stage of the knockout-style ADIB Cup to Al Wahda last week, but their unbeaten march through the season confirmed their superiority over the rest of the league.
This latest piece of well-deserved silverware underlines their status as the dominant force of UAE football again.
Numbers tell the story
The stats behind Al Ain's title-winning season further highlighted the scale of their dominance. After 25 matches, Al Ain had recorded 19 wins and five draws to collect 62 points, opening a commanding lead at the top of the table while remaining unbeaten throughout the campaign.
The team scored 48 goals and conceded only 18, producing a goal difference of +30. They also kept 11 clean sheets, reflecting the defensive stability that became one of the hallmarks of their season.
Al Ain showed particular strength in controlling matches once ahead, winning 84% of games in which they scored first. Their ability to finish strongly was equally decisive, with 60% of their goals arriving in the second half.
Statistically, the side ranked among the league's most efficient teams in possession and attacking play, registering a passing accuracy of 84.9% and maintaining a strong presence in the opposition half.
The attacking threat was spread across the squad rather than relying on one player, with Kodjo Laba, Palacios and Kaku all playing influential roles in the title run.
Perhaps most importantly, Al Ain maintained their level across the entire season without any significant dip in form; consistency that ultimately separated them from their rivals and drove them to a historic unbeaten title triumph.
