The 2011–12 Saudi Professional League (known as the Zain Professional League for sponsorship reasons) was the 36th season of the Saudi Professional League, the top Saudi professional league for association football clubs, since its establishment in 1976. The season began on 9 September 2011, and ended on 18 April 2012. Al-Hilal were the defending champions. The league was contested by the 12 teams from the 2010–11 season as well as Al-Ansar and Hajer, who joined as the promoted clubs from the 2010–11 First Division. They replace Al-Hazem and Al-Wehda who were relegated to the 2011–12 First Division.
On 14 April, Al-Shabab won their sixth league title on the final matchday after a 1–1 draw away to runners-up Al-Ahli. Al-Shabab ended the season without a single defeat becoming the second team to ever do so in a 26-game league season and the third team overall.
Al-Ansar were the first team to be relegated following a 1–0 home defeat against Al-Raed on 31 March. Al-Qadsiah became the second and final team to be relegated following a 3–2 defeat away to Al-Nassr on 13 April.
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-Ansar (returning after an absence of six years) and Hajer (returning after an absence of twelve years). They replaced Al-Hazem (ending their six-year top-flight spell) and Al-Wehda (ending their eight-year top-flight spell).
Stadiums and locations
Note: Table lists in alphabetical order. Team Location Stadium Capacity Al-Ahli Jeddah Prince Abdullah Al-Faisal Stadium Al-Ansar Medina Prince Mohammed bin 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 Stadium Al-Nassr Riyadh King Fahd International StadiumPrince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium Al-Qadsiah Khobar Prince Saud bin Jalawi Stadium Al-Raed Buraidah King Abdullah Sport City Stadium Al-Shabab Riyadh King Fahd International StadiumPrince Faisal bin Fahd Stadium Al-Taawoun Buraidah King Abdullah Sport City 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 (caretaker) 1 On the back of the strip.
Managerial changes TeamOutgoing managerManner of departureDate of vacancyPosition in tableIncoming managerDate of appointment Al-Ansar Djamel Belkacem End of contract 18 May 2011 Pre-season Blaž Slišković 30 May 2011 Al-Nassr Dragan Skočić Sacked 26 May 2011 Eurico Gomes (caretaker) 26 May 2011 Al-Qadsiah Dimitar DimitrovEnd of contract 1 June 2011 Mariano Barreto 12 June 2011 Hajer Zuhair Al-Louati 1 June 2011 Ednaldo Patricio 27 June 2011 Najran José Rachão 1 June 2011 Gjoko Hadžievski 1 July 2011 Al-Shabab Enzo Trossero 12 June 2011 Michel Preud'homme 14 June 2011 Al-Hilal Gabriel Calderón Sacked 18 June 2011 Thomas Doll 20 July 2011 Al-Ahli Aleksandar IlićEnd of contract 30 June 2011 Karel Jarolím 5 August 2011 Al-Ettifaq Youssef Zouaoui 30 June 2011 Branko Ivanković 22 July 2011 Al-Nassr Eurico Gomes (caretaker) End of caretaker period 30 June 2011 Gustavo Costas 18 July 2011 Al-Raed Eurico GomesSacked 17 October 201113th Hafez Al-Hoarbi (caretaker) 17 October 2011 Al-Ansar Blaž Slišković 26 October 201114th Ayoub Ghulam (caretaker) 26 October 2011 Al-Raed Hafez Al-Hoarbi (caretaker)End of caretaker period 28 October 201113th Ammar Souayah 28 October 2011 Al-Ansar Ayoub Ghulam (caretaker) 10 November 201114th Jalel Kadri 10 November 2011 Al-Ittihad Dimitri DavidovićSacked 28 November 20115th Abdullah Ghurab (caretaker) 28 November 2011 Al-Nassr Gustavo Costas 30 November 20116th Ali Komaikh (caretaker) 30 November 2011 Al-Nassr Ali Komaikh (caretaker)End of caretaker period 4 December 20116th Francisco Maturana 4 December 2011 Al-Ittihad Abdullah Ghurab (caretaker) 16 December 20116th Matjaž Kek 16 December 2011 Al-Taawoun Florin Motroc Resigned 29 December 201113th Srećko Juričić 30 December 2011 Al-Taawoun Srećko JuričićSacked 20 January 201212th Grigore Sichitiu 20 January 2012 Al-Hilal Thomas Doll 22 January 20124th Ivan Hašek 22 January 2012 Al-Ittihad Matjaž Kek 8 February 20126th Abdullah Ghurab (caretaker) 8 February 2012 Al-Ittihad Abdullah Ghurab (caretaker) End of caretaker period 27 February 20127th Raúl Caneda 27 February 2012 Al-Taawoun Grigore Sichitiu Sacked 2 April 201212th Khalid Kamal (caretaker) 2 April 2012
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 Marcelo Camacho Victor Simões Jairo Palomino Amad Al-Hosni Al-Ansar Sadick Adams Diakite Lamine Radhouane Ben Ouanès Mohammad Istanbuli Tatá Mohammad Muneer Despot Višković Nenad Injac Al-Ettifaq Sebastián Tagliabúe Bruno Lazaroni Carlos Santos Hassan Mudhafar Al-Gheilani Lee Won-young Al-Faisaly Dario Jertec Leon Benko Amer Deeb Wael Ayan Asim Šehić Pero Pejić Al-Fateh Élton Arábia Doris Fuakumputu Kemekho Cissokho Shadi Abu Hash'hash Al-Hilal Adil Hermach Youssef El-Arabi Christian Wilhelmsson Yoo Byung-soo Achille Emaná Al-Ittihad Fabrice Ondama Hosny Abd Rabo Faouzi Abdelghani Abdullah Omar Abdelmalek Ziaya Wendel Fahad Al Enezi Paulo Jorge Al-Nassr Hadj Bouguèche Vinícius Reche Wagner Querino Kim Byung-suk Antar Yahia Juan Mercier Juan Pablo Pino Daré Nibombé Al-Qadsiah Saïd Bouchouk Zoran Baldovaliev Uche Agba Abdulwahab Al-Safi Hadj Bouguèche William Kwabena Tiero Al-Raed Leandrinho Yves Diba Ilunga Issam Erraki Abdul Salam Al-Mukhaini Reinaldo Al-Shabab Fernando Menegazzo Marcelo Tavares Wendel Server Djeparov Ibrahim Yattara Al-Taawoun Migen Memelli Vianney Mabidé Salaheddine Aqqal Yaseen Al-Bakhit Šakir Redžepi Abdelrazaq Al-Hussain Hajer Rico Moustapha Moctar Belbi Hazem Jawdat Abdelatif Bahdari Rafael Barbosa Franklin Ayodele Najran Farid Cheklam Ramzi Bourakba Reda Benhadj Djillali Jehad Al-Hussain Zoran Baldovaliev Dušan Đokić
League table
Results
Season statistics
Scoring
Top scorers Rank Player Club Goals1 Victor SimõesAl-Ahli21 Nasser Al-ShamraniAl-Shabab3 Amad Al-HosniAl-Ahli15 Mohammad Al-SahlawiAl-Nassr5 Hadj BouguècheAl-Qadsiah / Al-Nassr12 Youssef El-ArabiAl-Hilal Bader Al-KharashiAl-Faisaly8 Yousef Al-SalemAl-Ettifaq119 Doris FuakumputuAl-Fateh1010 Sebastián TagliabuéAl-Ettifaq9 WendelAl-Ittihad / Al-Shabab Hamdan Al-HamdanAl-Fateh Taisir Al-JassimAl-Ahli Jehad Al-HussainNajran
Hat-tricks Player For Against Result Date Ref Hadj Bouguèche Al-Qadsiah Al-Fateh 6–1 (A) Victor Simões Al-Ahli Al-Taawoun 4–2 (H) Youssef El-Arabi Al-Hilal Al-Qadsiah 5–4 (A) Wendel Al-Ittihad Al-Qadsiah 8–0 (A) Victor Simões Al-Ahli Al-Ansar 5–1 (H) Nasser Al-Shamrani Al-Shabab Al-Ansar 3–0 (H)
Notes (H) – Home team(A) – Away team
Clean sheets RankPlayerClubCleansheets1 Waleed AbdullahAl-Shabab13 Yasser Al-MosailemAl-Ahli3 Fayz Al-SabiayAl-Ettifaq114 Khalid SharahiliAl-Hilal75 Hassan Al-OtaibiAl-Hilal66 Mohammed Al-KhojaliAl-Raed5 Mohammad SharifiAl-Fateh8 Abdullah Al-EneziAl-Nassr4 Ali Al-MazyadiAl-Ittihad Mustafa MalayekahHajer
Discipline
Player Most yellow cards: 10 Mishaal Al-Saeed (Al-Ittihad)
Most red cards: 2 Bandar Musaad (Najran) Abdoh Hakami (Al-Raed)
Club Most yellow cards: 69 Al-Ittihad
Most red cards: 6 Al-Ahli
Attendances
By team
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Awards
Arriyadiyah Awards for Sports Excellence After a partnership of five years, it was announced that Mobily would no longer sponsor the award. The Arriyadiyah Awards for Sports Excellence were awarded for the sixth time since its inception in 2007. The awards were sponsored by Saudi newspaper Arriyadiyah and Saudi marketing company RPM. The awards were presented on 16 December 2012.
Award Winner Club Player of the Season Taisir Al-Jassim Nasser Al-Shamrani Amad Al-Hosni Al-AhliAl-ShababAl-Ahli Young Player of the Season Yasser Al-Fahmi Abdulellah Al-Nassar Ayman Fadel Al-AhliAl-NassrAl-Ittihad Golden Boot Victor Simões Nasser Al-Shamrani Al-AhliAl-Shabab
Al-Riyadiya Awards The Al-Riyadiya Awards were awarded for the third time since its inception in 2010. The awards were presented on 13 May 2012.
Best Goalkeeper: Waleed Abdullah (Al-Shabab) Best defender: Osama Al-Muwallad (Al-Ittihad) Best Midfielder: Taisir Al-Jassim (Al-Ahli) Best attacker: Nasser Al-Shamrani (Al-Shabab) Player of the Year: Nasser Al-Shamrani (Al-Shabab) Young Player of the Year: Salem Al-Dawsari (Al-Hilal)
References
External links Saudi Arabia Football Federation Saudi League Statistics