The 2012–13 Saudi Professional League (known as the Zain Professional League for sponsorship reasons) was the 37th season of the Saudi Pro League, the top Saudi professional league for association football clubs, since its establishment in 1976. The season began on 2 August 2012 and ended on 27 April 2013. Al-Shabab were the defending champions. The league was contested by the 12 teams from the 2011–12 season as well as Al-Shoulla and Al-Wehda, who joined as the promoted clubs from the 2011–12 First Division. They replace Al-Ansar and Al-Qadsiah who were relegated to the 2012–13 First Division.
On 14 April, Al-Fateh won their first league title, with two games to spare, following a 1–0 home win over Al-Ahli. Al-Fateh became the seventh club to win the Pro League. This is considered by many to be one of the greatest shocks in Saudi football history, especially considering that Al-Fateh were promoted to the Pro League for the first time only four years earlier.
Al-Wehda were the first team to be relegated following a 2–1 home defeat to Al-Faisaly on 29 March. Hajer became the second and final team to be relegated following a 2–1 defeat away to Al-Shabab on the final matchday.
Teams Fourteen teams competed in the league – the twelve teams from the previous season and the two teams promoted from the First Division. The promoted teams were Al-Shoulla (returning after an absence of eight seasons) and Al-Wehda (returning after a season's absence). They replaced Al-Qadsiah (ending their three-year top-flight spell) and Al-Ansar (who were relegated after one season in the top flight).
Stadiums and locations
Note: Table lists in alphabetical order. Team Location Stadium Capacity Al-Ahli Jeddah Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal StadiumKing Abdul Aziz Stadium Al-Ettifaq Dammam Prince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium Al-Faisaly Harmah Prince Salman Sport City Stadium Al-Fateh Al-Hasa Prince Abdullah bin Jalawi Stadium Al-Hilal Riyadh King Fahd International StadiumPrince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium Al-Ittihad Jeddah Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal StadiumKing Abdul Aziz Stadium Al-Nassr Riyadh King Fahd International StadiumPrince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium Al-Raed Buraidah King Abdullah Sport City Stadium Al-Shabab Riyadh King Fahd International StadiumPrince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium Al-Shoulla Al-Kharj Al-Shoulla Club Stadium Al-Taawoun Buraidah King Abdullah Sport City Stadium Al-Wehda Mecca King Abdul Aziz Stadium Hajer Al-Hasa Prince Abdullah bin Jalawi Stadium Najran Najran Al Akhdoud Club Stadium
Personnel and kits Team Manager Captain Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor 1 On the back of the strip. 2 On the right sleeve of the strip.
Managerial changes TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyPosition in tableIncoming managerDate of appointment Al-Ettifaq Branko Ivanković Sacked 29 April 2012 Pre-season Sameer Hilal (caretaker) 29 April 2012 Al-Faisaly Zlatko Dalić End of contract 30 April 2012 Marc Brys 2 June 2012 Al-Taawoun Khalid Kamal (caretaker)End of caretaker period 30 April 2012 Gjoko Hadžievski 6 May 2012 Al-Ettifaq Sameer Hilal (caretaker) 1 May 2012 Ammar Souayah 1 May 2012 Najran Gjoko Hadžievski Signed by Al-Taawoun 6 May 2012 Miodrag Ješić 31 May 2012 Al-Hilal Ivan Hašek Sacked 11 May 2012 Antoine Kombouaré 28 June 2012 Al-Ettifaq Ammar Souayah End of contract 30 May 2012 Alain Geiger 7 June 2012 Al-Wehda Bashir Abdel Samad Resigned 30 August 201214th Badr Hawsawi (caretaker) 30 August 2012 Al-Nassr Francisco Maturana Sacked 2 September 20126th Alejandro Dutra (caretaker) 2 September 2012 Al-Nassr Alejandro Dutra (caretaker)End of caretaker period 15 September 20126th José Daniel Carreño 15 September 2012 Al-Wehda Badr Hawsawi (caretaker) 18 September 201214th Wajdi Essid 18 September 2012 Al-Ettifaq Alain GeigerSacked 19 September 201210th Maciej Skorża 19 September 2012 Hajer Ednaldo Patricio 29 September 201211th Luiz Neto (caretaker) 29 September 2012 Hajer Luiz Neto (caretaker) End of caretaker period 4 October 201212th Tarek Yehia 4 October 2012 Al-Shoulla Mohamed SalahSacked 31 December 201213th Ahmad Al-Ajlani 1 January 2013 Najran Miodrag Ješić 2 January 20138th Khemais Labidi 6 January 2013 Al-Wehda Wajdi Essid 27 January 201314th Khalil Obaid 27 January 2013 Al-Hilal Antoine Kombouaré 31 January 20132nd Zlatko Dalić 31 January 2013 Al-Raed Ammar Souayah Resigned 1 February 20139th Vlatko Kostov 2 February 2013 Al-Taawoun Gjoko HadžievskiSacked 21 February 201311th Taoufik Rouabah 25 February 2013 Al-Ittihad Raúl Caneda 23 February 20137th Beñat San José 23 February 2013 Al-Ahli Karel Jarolím 28 February 20135th Aleksandar Ilić 28 February 2013 Najran Khemais Labidi 1 March 20139th Alhassan Al-Yami (caretaker) 1 March 2013 Najran Alhassan Al-Yami (caretaker) End of caretaker period 6 March 20138th Gjoko Hadžievski 6 March 2013
Foreign players The number of foreign players is restricted to four per team, including a slot for a player from AFC countries.
Players name in bold indicates the player is registered during the mid-season transfer window. Club Player 1 Player 2 Player 3 AFC player Former players Al-Ahli Bruno César Victor Simões Jairo Palomino Amad Al-Hosni Diego Morales Al-Ettifaq Carlos Santos Prince Tagoe Ahmed Kano Cássio Júnior Xuxa Al-Faisaly Christophe Grondin Naby Soumah Yaseen Al-Bakhit Ismail Al-Ajmi Al-Fateh Élton Arábia Doris Fuakumputu Kemekho Cissokho Shadi Abu Hash'hash Al-Hilal Ozéia Wesley Gustavo Bolívar Yoo Byung-soo Adil Hermach Kader Mangane Al-Ittihad Bill Modeste M'bami György Sándor Anas Sharbini Diego Souza Faouzi Abdelghani Al-Nassr Rafael Bastos Hosny Abd Rabo Angelos Charisteas Mohamed Husain Damián Manso Jaime Ayoví Shavkat Mullajanov Al-Raed Xuxa Yves Diba Ilunga Issam Erraki Abdul Salam Al-Mukhaini Al-Shabab Sebastián Tagliabúe Fernando Menegazzo Marcelo Camacho Kwak Tae-hwi Mario Benítez Server Djeparov Al-Shoulla Lassana Fané Mamadou Kondo Hassan Taïr Abdulla Baba Fatadi Philip Boampong Al-Taawoun Dario Jertec Thierno Bah Waheed Oseni Abdul Aziz Al-Muqbali Hadj Bouguèche Mohammad Al-Basha Dejan Rusič Al-Wehda Thiago Gomes Vinícius Reche Pa-Modou Kah Ahmad Sharbini Sékou Doumbia Mohamed Ahmed Bashir Hajer Ahmed Bakri Ayman Abdel-Aziz Oussou Konan Anicet Abdelatif Bahdari Moustapha Moctar Belbi Godwin Attram Hazem Jawdat Najran Farid Cheklam Hamza Al-Dardour Jehad Al-Hussain Wael Ayan Anas Sharbini has Jordanian citizenship and was counted as an Asian player. Ahmad Sharbini has Jordanian citizenship and was counted as an Asian player.
League table
Results
Season statistics
Scoring
Top scorers Rank Player Club Goals1 Sebastián TagliabuéAl-Shabab192 WesleyAl-Hilal17 Doris FuakumputuAl-Fateh4 Yasser Al-QahtaniAl-Hilal135 Victor SimõesAl-Ahli12 Hassan TaïrAl-Shoulla7 Élton ArábiaAl-Fateh118 Yves Diba IlungaAl-Raed10 Hamza Al-DardourNajran Mohammad Al-SahlawiAl-Nassr Nasser Al-ShamraniAl-Shabab Yoo Byung-sooAl-Hilal
Hat-tricks Player For Against Result Date Ref Sebastián Tagliabué Al-Shabab Al-Faisaly 3–1 (A) Wesley Al-Hilal Najran 6–0 (A) Yasser Al-Qahtani Al-Hilal Al-Raed 6–0 (H) Victor Simões Al-Ahli Al-Shoulla 3–1 (A) Zamil Al-Sulim Al-Ettifaq Hajer 3–2 (A)
Notes (H) – Home team(A) – Away team
Clean sheets RankPlayerClubClean sheets1 Abdullah Al-EneziAl-Nassr7 Khaled NaseerAl-Shoulla3 Abdullah Al-OwaishirAl-Fateh6 Abdullah Al-SudairyAl-Hilal5 Mabrouk ZaidAl-Ittihad56 Fahad Al-ThunayanAl-Taawoun4 Fayz Al-SabiayAl-Ettifaq Mohammad SharifiAl-Fateh Mustafa MalayekahHajer
Discipline
Player Most yellow cards: 8 Lassana Fané (Al-Shoulla) Abdelatif Bahdari (Hajer) Majed Ali (Najran)
Most red cards: 1 22 players
Club Most yellow cards: 60 Hajer
Most red cards: 4 Al-Nassr
Attendances
By team
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Awards On 7 February 2014, it was announced that both Al-Riyadiya Awards and Arriyadiyah Awards for Sports Excellence would be merged and known as the Arriyadiyah Awards for Sports Excellence. The Arriyadiyah Awards for Sports Excellence were awarded for the seventh time since its inception in 2007. The awards were sponsored by Saudi newspaper Arriyadiyah and Saudi sports network Al-Riyadiya. The awards were presented on 16 February 2014.
Award Winner Club Player of the Season Élton Arábia Hamdan Al-Hamdan Ahmed Otaif Al-FatehAl-FatehAl-Shabab Young Player of the Season Fahad Al-Muwallad Mustafa Bassas Ayman Ftayni Al-IttihadAl-AhliAl-Nassr Golden Boot Sebastián Tagliabué Al-Shabab
References