Statistics from the first round of the ADNOC Pro League for football have revealed a sharp decline in performance and a clear drop in numbers from many star players who were key pillars for their teams in previous seasons. This scenario reflects a gap between their past achievements and current reality. Leading the list of those who have regressed are Sardar Azmoun, Sofiane Rahimi, Fabio Lima, Mehdi Kaïdi, and Youcef Belaïli, whose levels fell short of expectations compared to last season. This was directly impacted by injuries and a lack of technical productivity, making the continuation of some players' careers a burden on club budgets. The most prominent example of this decline is Sardar Azmoun, who managed only one goal in 46 minutes without providing a single assist. His goal drought continued at Bani Yas, where Youcef Belaïli, last season's top scorer with 14 goals, failed to score more than three goals this season, despite eight shots on goal in 1,089 minutes, while 'Al-Samawi' struggles to avoid relegation. The stats of 'Al-Ain' striker Sofiane Rahimi were also affected: after 11 goals last season, he scored only one goal in 246 minutes.
