Al Ain’s league season earns a busy night at the awards

Al Ain were certain to claim the Golden Ball before Monday’s awards ceremony began, but the identity of the winner still mattered. The final shortlist contained Matias Palacios, Kodjo Laba and Soufiane Rahimi, three players recognised for their work in the same title winning side. Palacios received the award at Emirates Palace Mandarin Oriental, giving the evening’s principal individual honour to a player whose influence is not captured by the goalscoring list alone.

He had plenty of company among the winners. Khalid Eissa took the Golden Glove, Vladimir Ivic received the Leader Award for best coach and Abdulkarim Trawri won the Golden Boy prize for the best under 23 player. Rahimi collected the Fans’ Player of the Year award. Together, they accounted for five of the six categories decided by voting, a broad reflection of the team’s strength across the season.

The remaining voting award went to Al Wasl’s Sergio Pereira for Best Goal. It was a reminder that an evening dominated by the champions still recognised performances elsewhere, just as the statistics awards did. Al Nasr’s Abdoulaye Toure was honoured as the ADIB Cup’s leading scorer, while Al Jazira’s Ali Al Maamari received the Silver Shoe after scoring seventeen goals in the under 23 league.

Laba’s contribution to Al Ain’s championship was recognised with the Golden Shoe for his 25 league goals. His finishing supplied a clear measure of the attack’s productivity. Palacios’ Golden Ball complemented that achievement, drawing attention to the wider work involved in building and sustaining the moves that led towards goal. The two awards can be read together without requiring one role to be valued at the expense of the other.

The Dream Team made Al Ain’s presence even more visible. Seven of its eleven selections came from their championship side: Eissa, Rami Rabiea, Palacios, Trawri, Kaku, Rahimi and Laba. Recognition reached the defence, midfield and attack rather than gathering around a single player. It was consistent with a league season in which the team repeatedly found enough at both ends to avoid defeat.

Al Ain completed all 26 league matches unbeaten and finished with 68 points. That is the strongest evidence behind the awards, requiring the side to maintain its performance through different opponents and circumstances. A vote can express a preference among outstanding candidates; the league record describes what those players and their coach achieved together over the full campaign.

It was not a season in which every trophy came their way. Al Wahda won the ADIB Cup final against Al Ain after a goalless match and a penalty shootout. The league champions therefore had a significant disappointment alongside their success. Keeping that result in view does not diminish the championship. It gives a more complete account of the season being celebrated, including the final that ended without another trophy.

Ivic’s coaching award recognised the work of organising the group that produced that sustained league run. Eissa’s award acknowledged the goalkeeper behind it, while the attacking prizes highlighted several different contributors ahead of him. The distribution offers a more useful picture than reducing the title to a simple combination of a creator and a scorer. The season required enough of the team to remain effective for the strengths of its leading players to count.

Trawri’s place among the winners and in the Dream Team also gives the club a result to build on. Recognition in the under 23 category identifies a player who has already contributed to the senior side, rather than one whose case rests only on potential. The next challenge is continuity: maintaining a meaningful role as the expectations around the team rise after a championship.

The club also received the Fan Attendance Award, while Al Nasr took the Club Licensing and Professionalism Award. Those categories bring attention to parts of the competition that extend beyond the match itself. Support in the stands and the work involved in running a professional club do not determine a result on their own, but they are part of the environment in which a league season is delivered.

The ceremony included a further announcement with an international audience in mind: Andres Iniesta was introduced as the UAE Pro League’s global ambassador. The competition also launched an official song performed in four languages. Those initiatives accompanied the recognition of the players and clubs, with the league looking to build its profile as another campaign approaches.

There is little time between the celebration and the next test. The new Pro League season begins on Friday, August 14, four days after the ceremony, and Al Ain start their defence against Bani Yas during the opening round. Monday acknowledged an exceptional league campaign. The coming matches will ask the champions to begin the work again, with the awards behind them and every opponent given another opportunity to measure itself against the standard they set.