No champions as AGL opts to cancel UAE football season

The UAE Football Association has backed and justified its decision to cancel all major competitions for the 2019-2020 season after a majority of the clubs had voted in its favour on Friday.

The 14 clubs involved in the Arabian Gulf League (AGL) - the country's top tier of competition - on Thursday voted 8-6 in favour of cancelling all competitions wherein there would be neither new champions nor the relegation of the last two teams.

With just seven rounds of the AGL remaining, Shabab Al Ahli Dubai were at the top of the standings with 43 points after 19 matches, followed by Al Ain (37 points), Al Jazira (36), Al Wahda (35) and defending champions Sharjah (35) to complete the top five.

During Thursday's vote involving the 14 clubs, six voted in favour of deciding on new champions, while the remaining eight favoured a status quo and cancellation of all competitions that automatically paved the way for the season to conclude with no new champions or relegation.

"The clubs have voted in favour of cancelling all footballing activities and we stand by this decision. The Arabian Gulf League stands cancelled, and as such there will be no champion for the 2019-2020 season, and neither will there be a relegation for the last two teams in the standings," Abdullah Nasser Al Junaibi, Chairman, UAE Pro League (UAE PLC) told Gulf News, late on Thursday.

"The AGL also issued a statement that reiterated that "in light of the general assembly's decision, the UAE Pro League board of directors has decided not to complete the 2019-2020 season" leading to the abandoning of AGL.