The 2019–20 Aberdeen F.C. season was Aberdeen's 107th season in the top flight of Scottish football and the seventh in the Scottish Premiership.[1] Aberdeen also competed in the League Cup, the Scottish Cup, and in qualifying for the 2019–20 UEFA Europa League.[2]
| 2019–20 season | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Chairman | Stewart Milne (until 16 Dec) Dave Cormack (from 16 Dec) | ||
| Manager | Derek McInnes | ||
| Ground | Pittodrie Stadium | ||
| Scottish Premiership | 4th | ||
| Scottish Cup | Semi-finals | ||
| Scottish League Cup | Quarter-final | ||
| UEFA Europa League | Third qualifying round | ||
| Top goalscorer | League: Sam Cosgrove (11) All: Sam Cosgrove (23) | ||
| Highest home attendance | League: 16,410 vs Hearts 4 August 2019 Cup: 15,246 vs Rijeka Europa League 15 August 2019 | ||
| Lowest home attendance | League:12,325 vs Hamilton Academical 14 December 2019 Cup: 9,430 vs Kilmarnock Scottish Cup 8 February 2020 | ||
| Average home league attendance | 13,796 | ||
On 13 March 2020, the Scottish football season was suspended with immediate effect due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[3] On 18 May 2020, the SPFL declared the end of the season determining on an average points per game with the Dons finishing in fourth place.[4]
Summary
June
The club at the end of May confirmed youngsters David Craddock, Morgan Brown and Ryan Harrington were released along with Greg Halford, whilst Greg Stewart, Dominic Ball, James Wilson and Max Lowe returned to their parent clubs. Graeme Shinnie and Mark Reynolds signed pre-contracts with Derby County and Dundee United respectively.[5]
On 4 June, Wales International Ryan Hedges signed a three-year deal on a pre-contract joining from Barnsley officially on 1 July, and Ash Taylor signed a two-year deal as he returns to Pittodrie after two years at Northampton Town.[6] The following day, Curtis Main signed a two-year deal joining from Motherwell.[7] On 13 June, Sam Roscoe joined Ayr United.[8] On 17 June, Luc Bollan joined the development squad from Dundee United.[9]
On 18 June, the Europa League First Qualifying Round draw was made and the Dons were drawn to play against Finnish side RoPS.[10] The following day, Craig Bryson signed a two-year deal on a pre-contract and will join on 30 June from Derby County. Also, Michael Ruth joined from Queens Park and with the Dons paying Compensation, he joined up with the development squad.[11] On 21 June, the Premiership fixtures were released with the Dons starting at home to Hearts.[12]
On 22 June, Jon Gallagher joined the club on an initial six-month loan from MLS side Atlanta United.[13] On 24 June, after contacting him in January, Gary Mackay-Steven signed for New York City.[14] On 25 June, Greg Leigh signed a season-long loan from Dutch side NAC Breda with the option of a future deal.[15] Young goalkeeper Archie Mair joined Norwich City with the Dons receiving compensation for the player,[16] and the club signed up Sam Jackson from Dundee who joined the development squad on a one-year deal.[17]
July
On 3 July, after spending last season on loan, James Wilson signed a two-year deal.[18] He later that day played in a 2–0 friendly win against Peterhead with Sam Cosgrove and Shay Logan scoring the goals.[19] On 5 July, youngster David Dangana joined Stranraer on a season-long loan.[20] On 8 July, after signing a new one-year deal in May,[21] Frank Ross joined Ayr United on loan until January.[22]
Before the first European tie with RoPS Rovaniemi, goalkeeper Joe Lewis was named as the new club captain after the departure of Graeme Shinnie to Derby County.[23] On the day of the match, manager Derek McInnes and assistant head coach Tony Docherty signed a new two-year deal to 2022.[24] The Dons won the first leg 2–1 and despite dominating the match, they conceded a stoppage-time goal, keeping the tie in the balance.[25]
On 14 July, Funso Ojo signed a three-year deal joining from Scunthorpe United for a fee believed to be £125,000.[26] He was originally set to join Hibernian, but manager McInnes convinced him to join Aberdeen.[27] The Dons then played RoPS Rovaniemi in Finland, and in a very nervy match, they won 2–1 to set up a tie with Georgia side Chikhura Sachkhere.[28] Subsequently, the opening match of the season with Hearts was rearranged to 4 August.[29]
August
After drawing 1–1 in the first leg,[30] the Dons thrashed Chikhura Sachkhere 5–0 at Pittodrie[31] to set up a tie with Rijeka[32] who they met in 2015 and won 5–2 on aggregate.[33] Due to the Dons qualifying for the next round, the League match with St Mirren and the League Cup match with Dundee were pushed back 24 hours to the Sundays.[34] Before the away match with Rijeka, Zak Vyner joined the club on an initial season-long loan from Bristol City.[35] The Dons also resisted a transfer request from defender Scott McKenna and bids for him from Queens Park Rangers and Nottingham Forest and Bristol City.[36] Aberdeen lost the away leg to Rijeka 2–0, with reports Dons fans were treated badly with lead to an investigation by UEFA.[37]
On 14 August, goalkeeper Danny Rogers moved to Greenock Morton on a season-long loan deal.[38] Aberdeen were knocked out of the Europa League with a 2–0 defeat to Rijeka, ending 4–0 on aggregate. It was the sixth year in a row they had failed to get past the third qualifying round.[39] Aberdeen needed extra time to beat Dundee in the League Cup to set up a quarter-final tie away to Hearts.[40]
On 29 August 2019, defender Scott McKenna was ruled out for a month with a hamstring injury[41] sustained in the 0–0 draw against Kilmarnock.[42] Also, Stevie May left the Dons and signed for St Johnstone for a second time.[43] Young defender Miko Virtanen joined Arbroath on a season-long loan.[44]
September
For the September Internationals, Ryan Hedges was called up for Wales, Michael Devlin for Scotland, with also Lewis Ferguson for Scotland Under 21s respectively. Niall McGinn played for Northern Ireland in a 2–0 defeat to Germany.[45] Connor McLennan came off the bench and scored two goals for Scotland Under 21s against Croatia Under 21s.[46] On 12 September, winger Scott Wright injured his knee in training and "may miss the rest of the season".[47]
After the 1–1 home draw with St Johnstone, Craig Bryson and Funso Ojo were added to the injury list, adding to the clubs "injury crisis".[48] Despite this, the Dons won their next match at Livingston. But a few days later, the Dons were knocked out of the League Cup, missing all 3 penalties against Hearts in the Quarter finals.[49] The Dons ended the month with a "humiliating" 5–0 defeat to Rangers at Ibrox.[50]
October
For the October Internationals, Michael Devlin was again called up for Scotland[51] whilst also Niall McGinn for Northern Ireland.[52] Aberdeen drew their next game 1–1 at home to Hibernian but had both Curtis Main and Lewis Ferguson sent off for straight red card offences.[53] Devlin played in both games for Scotland against Russia and San Marino.[54] McGinn came on against Czech Republic with his appearance now ranking him in the Top 20 for Northern Ireland.[55] Lewis Ferguson and Connor McLennan both played for Scotland Under 21s against Lithuania.[56] Dean Campbell and Ethan Ross both played for Scotland Under 19s in a 1–0 win against Germany.[57]
The Dons returned to action with a 3–0 win against Motherwell at Fir Park despite criticism from fans for starting 6 defenders.[58] They then suffered a 4–0 home defeat to Celtic with all 4 goals coming in the first half which left McInnes "embarrassed" by the manner of the defeat.[59] To end the month, they bounced back with a 1–0 win away to Hamilton.[60]
On 31 October, Sir Alex Ferguson opened Aberdeen's new training facilities and football academy Cormack Park, saying it was "up there with the best" he has seen. It cost the club £12 million which includes a training pavilion, groundsman's accommodation, three training pitches, two floodlit 3G surfaces and two grass parks, as well as outdoor and indoor space for community-based sporting and recreational activities.[61] McInnes also said Aberdeen finally have a training facility 'to be proud of'.[62]
November
The Dons began November with a comfortable 3–0 home win against a makeshift Kilmarnock side.[63] Aberdeen then moved up to third in the table with a 3–1 win at Ross County.[64] During the International break, chairman Stewart Milne announced he would be stepping down,[65] to be replaced by Dave Cormack. The club also announced a "strategic partnership" with Major League Soccer side Atlanta United FC.[66]
Andrew Considine joined the 500-club at Aberdeen[67] after captaining the side in a feisty 1–1 draw at St Johnstone, where the home side ended the match with nine men.[68] Shortly after the match, Aberdeen were drawn against Dumbarton in the Scottish Cup.[69] They ended the month with a 2–1 win against St Mirren with Joe Lewis saving a late penalty.[70]
December
Aberdeen came from 2 goals down in their next match to earn a 2–2 home draw against Rangers.[71] They then slumped to a 3–0 defeat to Hibernian at Easter Road with McInnes saying they had "gifted" them the goals.[72] On 13 December, midfielder Dean Campbell signed an extended contract until 2023.[73] The following day, a Cosgrove goal was enough to beat Hamilton Accies.[74] On 16 December, Dave Cormack officially took over as chairman from Stewart Milne.[75]
Cosgrove scored his twentieth goal of the season and was harshly sent off in their next match at Celtic Park with the Dons losing 2–1.[76] Manager McInnes claimed Celtic defender Kristoffer Ajer "laughed and winked" at Cosgrove as he was sent off, saying they would "100% appeal the decision".[77] They were dealt with "a real blow" after the match as Greg Leigh and Craig Bryson were officially ruled out for two months with separate injuries.[78] They also lost the appeal for Cosgrove's red card and he was suspended for two matches.[79]
Aberdeen ended the year with a 2–1 home win against Livingston,[80] which followed with a hard-fought 1–1 away draw at Tynecastle against bottom of the table, ten-man Hearts.[81] Defender Zak Vyner injured his shoulder and was later recalled from his loan spell by his parent club.[82]
January
On 3 January, Under 18s captain Ethan Ross joined Dunfermline Athletic on loan until the end of the season.[83][84] On 7 January, Dylan McGeouch signed from English club Sunderland on a permanent deal until 2022.[85] On 9 January, Jon Gallagher extended his loan deal until the end of the season.[86] During their training camp in Dubai,[87] the Dons lost a friendly to Jordanian side Al-Wehdat.[88]
On 18 January, the Dons scraped past Dumbarton with a late Cosgrove penalty to make the fifth round of the Scottish Cup.[89] On 21 January, Mark Gallagher joined from Ross County for a nominal fee. He joined with the development squad.[90] After initially signing a pre-contract on 15 January,[91] Matty Kennedy joined permanently on 24 January from St Johnstone[92] on a fee believed to be £70,000.[93] Aberdeen were then booed off away to St Mirren in a 0–0 draw with fans voicing their anger towards the manager.[94]
On transfer deadline day, defender Zak Vyner returned to his parent club Bristol City six months early after being ruled out with a shoulder injury and forward James Wilson was allowed to leave on a free to Salford City.[95] Aberdeen signed Venezuelan international Ronald Hernández on a four-and-a-half year deal from Norwegian club Stabæk. He became the club's first ever Venezuelan player when he made his debut. Irish midfielder Stephen Gleeson had his contract cancelled after struggling with knee injuries.[96]
February
The Dons began February by putting in a superb defensive display against Rangers at Ibrox ending an eight-game home winning streak for them with a 0–0 draw.[97] However, the goalless run continued with a home defeat to St Johnstone[98] and another 0–0 draw in the Scottish Cup against Kilmarnock,[99] making it their longest run without a goal since 1973.[100] The run ended in the next match at Hamilton Accies with a 3–1 win and all goals coming from open play.[101] Even with a "battling" performance in the following match, they lost at home to Celtic, their eighth consecutive home defeat to the Champions.[102]
On 19 February, the team showed "sheer guts and tenacity" in their Scottish Cup fifth round replay against Kilmarnock after coming from behind twice to win in extra time.[103] The win set them up with a tie away to St Mirren in the quarter-finals with a Saturday evening kick off of 7:20pm.[104] They continued their 2020 win-less league home run against Ross County, partly due to Dean Campbell being sent off after half-an-hour due to two bookable offences when leading the match 1–0.[105] They ended the month by defeating St Mirren in the Scottish Cup with goals from Lewis Ferguson and a late penalty from Sam Cosgrove to face Celtic in the semi-finals on 12 April.[106] Unfortunately however, defender Scott McKenna was likely to be ruled out until the end of the season with a torn hamstring.[107]
March
On 4 March, they came back from two goals down to earn a draw at Kilmarnock to preserve the eight-year unbeaten record there but slipped further behind Motherwell in the table.[108] The Dons then ended their win-less home run by beating Hibernian with the away side finishing with ten men.[109]
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, all games were suspended until further notice.[110] with all club activities shut down until at least 22 March.[111] This led to manager McInnes telling the players to "stay in their own houses" and "to avoid gyms, cinemas, concerts and restaurants".[112] Chairman Dave Cormack released a statement stating the club would lose "£5million in outgoings with no expected income until perhaps July."[113]
April
Chairman Dave Cormack's investment group pledged £2Million and confirmed players and staff were deferred between 10% and 30% in wages for four months.[114] McInnes said it would be "common sense" to crown Celtic champions if the season could not be completed due to the virus.[115] On 9 April, the Scottish football season was further suspended until at least 10 June.[116]
May
On 6 May, Under 18s captain Connor Barron signed a new two-year contract.[117] On 18 May, following on from the season being brought to an end by the SPFL, chairman Dave Cormack said the club faced the "daunting prospect" of a further £1Million in losses.[118]
June 2020
On 11 June, Lewis Ferguson was named as the SFWA Young Player of the Year by the Football Writers' Association.[119] On 13 June, Andrew Considine was named club Player of the Year for a third time and he also won the Players' Player of the Year. Lewis Ferguson won the Goal of the Season award for his strike against St Mirren, Dean Campbell won Young Player of the Year and Michael Ruth won Development Player of the Year.[120]
September 2020
The Semi-final Scottish Cup tie with Celtic was rearranged for 1 November, with the match live on Premier Sports.[121] The Dons were beaten 2–0.[122]
Results & fixtures
Win Draw Loss Postponed
Pre-season
| 29 June 2018[123] Friendly | Connah's Quay Nomads | 0–0 | Aberdeen | Fota Island Resort, Cork, Ireland |
| 14:00 BST | AFC Report Nomads Report | Attendance: ~100 (70 Dons fans) Referee: Anthony Buttimer |
| 3 July 2019[123] Friendly | Peterhead | 0–2 | Aberdeen | Balmoor Stadium |
| 19:45 BST | AFC Report | Cosgrove  35'Logan 70' | Attendance: 2,042 Referee: Graham Beaton |
| 6 July 2019[124] Friendly | Inverness Caledonian Thistle | 1–1 | Aberdeen | Borough Briggs |
| 15:00 BST | McKay 70' | AFC Report | Main 62' (pen) | Attendance: 2,149 Referee: Alan Muir |
Scottish Premiership
| 4 August 2019[12][29] 1 | Aberdeen | 3–2 | Heart of Midlothian | Pittodrie Stadium |
| 15:00 BST | Cosgrove 13', 80' Hedges 85' | Report | Naismith 68' Walker 76' | Attendance: 16,410 Referee: Don Robertson |
| 11 August 2019[125] 2 | St Mirren | 1–0 | Aberdeen | The Simple Digital Arena |
| 15:00 BST | Durmus 13' Mullen  89' | Report | Vyner 61' Ojo 78' | Attendance: 6,199 Referee: Steven McLean |
| 24 August 2019 3 | Kilmarnock | 0–0 | Aberdeen | Rugby Park |
| 15:00 BST | El Makrini 29' Burke 61'Bruce 89' | Report | Ferguson 61' | Attendance: 5,250 Referee: Alan Muir |
| 31 August 2019 4 | Aberdeen | 3–0 | Ross County | Pittodrie Stadium |
| 15:00 BST | Leigh 34' Cosgrove 37' (pen)Hedges 50'Ojo 51'Considine 73' | Report | Stewart 27' | Attendance: 13,006 Referee: Nick Walsh |
| 14 September 2019 5 | Aberdeen | 1–1 | St Johnstone | Pittodrie Stadium |
| 15:00 BST | Hedges 28' | Report | O'Halloran 43' Gordon 52'Ralston 77' | Attendance: 13,272 Referee: Steven McLean |
| 21 September 2019 6 | Livingston | 0–2 | Aberdeen | Almondvale Stadium |
| 15:00 BST | Jacobs 52' Devlin 90+2' | Report | Considine 29' Cosgrove 90+3' (pen) | Attendance: 2,803 Referee: Nick Walsh |
| 28 September 2019 7 | Rangers | 5–0 | Aberdeen | Ibrox Stadium |
| 15:00 BST | Tavernier 20' (pen.), 71' (pen.) Stewart 40'Morelos 50'Defoe 80' | Report | McGinn 30' Cosgrove 82'Devlin 86' | Attendance: 49,992 Referee: Bobby Madden |
| 5 October 2019 8 | Aberdeen | 1–1 | Hibernian | Pittodrie Stadium |
| 15:00 BST | Cosgrove 40' 86' Main  55'Ferguson 90+4' | Report | Hallberg 40' Porteous 48' | Attendance: 13,880 Referee: Don Robertson |
| 19 October 2019 9 | Motherwell | 0–3 | Aberdeen | Fir Park |
| 15:00 BST | Grimshaw 90+3' | Report | Cosgrove 15' McGinn 53'Vyner 60' 72'McKenna 90+3' | Attendance: 5,640 Referee: Euan Anderson |
| 27 October 2019 10 | Aberdeen | 0–4 | Celtic | Pittodrie Stadium |
| 12:15 BST | Considine 28' | Report | Édouard 10' Frimpong 15'Forrest 37'Elyounoussi 45' | Attendance: 15,079 Referee: John Beaton |
| Note: Game televised on BT Sport | ||||
| 30 October 2019 11 | Hamilton Academical | 0–1 | Aberdeen | Fountain of Youth Stadium |
| 19:45 GMT | Cunningham 62' | Report | Ferguson 14' Campbell 52' | Attendance: 1,687 Referee: Willie Collum |
| 2 November 2019 12 | Aberdeen | 3–0 | Kilmarnock | Pittodrie Stadium |
| 15:00 GMT | Main 10' Cosgrove 27'Devlin 56'Vyner 60'McKenna 81' | Report | Dicker 76' | Attendance: 13,131 Referee: Kevin Clancy |
| 9 November 2019 13 | Ross County | 1–3 | Aberdeen | Global Energy Stadium |
| 15:00 GMT | Mullin 5' (pen.) Morris 22'Fontaine 84' | Report | McGinn 10' Hedges 52'Ferguson 64'Considine 70' | Attendance: 6,510 Referee: Alan Newlands |
| 24 November 2019 14 | St Johnstone | 1–1 | Aberdeen | McDiarmid Park |
| 15:00 | Holt 43' Duffy 45'Kennedy 71'Davidson 74'Hendry 78'Wotherspoon 90' | Report | Cosgrove 21' Logan 39'Bryson 76' | Attendance: 3,917 Referee: Kevin Clancy |
| Note: Game televised on Sky Sports Football | ||||
| 30 November 2019 15 | Aberdeen | 2–1 | St Mirren | Pittodrie Stadium |
| 15:00 GMT | Cosgrove 6' McGinn 56'Lewis 83' | Report | Obika 23' | Attendance: 12,829 Referee: Steven McLean |
| 4 December 2019 16 | Aberdeen | 2–2 | Rangers | Pittodrie Stadium |
| 19:45 GMT | Logan 13' Cosgrove 33'Gallagher 39'Considine 48' | Report | Arfield 18', 83' Jack 30'Goldson 66' | Attendance: 14,790 Referee: John Beaton |
| Note: Game televised on Sky Sports Football | ||||
| 7 December 2019 17 | Hibernian | 3–0 | Aberdeen | Easter Road |
| 15:00 GMT | Boyle 52', 68' Kamberi 74' | Report | Hedges 43' Ferguson 70' | Attendance: 16,767 Referee: Colin Steven |
| 14 December 2019 18 | Aberdeen | 1–0 | Hamilton Academical | Pittodrie Stadium |
| 15:00 GMT | Cosgrove 53' | Report | Stubbs 85' | Attendance: 12,325 Referee: William Collum |
| 21 December 2019 19 | Celtic | 2–1 | Aberdeen | Celtic Park |
| 15:00 GMT | Jullien 7' Christie 39'Édouard 66'Frimpong 90' | Report | Cosgrove 35' 69' Considine 90+4' | Attendance: 59,131 Referee: Euan Anderson |
| 26 December 2019 20 | Aberdeen | 2–1 | Livingston | Pittodrie Stadium |
| 15:00 GMT | McLennan 13' Taylor 85'Bruce Anderson 81' | Report | Dykes 86' | Attendance: 14,518 Referee: Bobby Madden |
| 29 December 2019 21 | Heart of Midlothian | 1–1 | Aberdeen | Tynecastle Park |
| 14:00 GMT[126] | Meshino 30' 49' Clare 68'Dikamona 89' | Report | Ferguson 31' Ojo 55'Taylor 65'McGinn 68' | Attendance: 17,788 Referee: Alan Muir |
| 22 January 2020 22 | Aberdeen | 0–1 | Motherwell | Pittodrie Stadium |
| 19:45 GMT | Cosgrove 75' | Report | Long 21' Donnelly 37' 45+1'Carroll 71' | Attendance: 12,365 Referee: Willie Collum |
| 26 January 2020 23 | St Mirren | 0–0 | Aberdeen | The Simple Digital Arena |
| 12:30 GMT | MacPherson 25' | Report | Attendance: 5,302 Referee: Don Robertson | |
| Note: Game televised on Sky Sports Football | ||||
| 1 February 2020 24 | Rangers | 0–0 | Aberdeen | Ibrox Stadium |
| 15:00 GMT | Barišić 16' Goldson 61'Arfield 68' | Report | Ferguson 26' McGeouch 56'McKenna 72'Lewis 76' | Attendance: 50,012 Referee: Andrew Dallas |
| 5 February 2020 25 | Aberdeen | 0–1 | St Johnstone | Pittodrie Stadium |
| 19:45 GMT | McGeouch 62' Ferguson 90+3' | Report | McCann 6' 76' Ralston 60' | Attendance: 12,552 Referee: Kevin Clancy |
| 11 February 2020 26 | Hamilton Academical | 1–3 | Aberdeen | Fountain of Youth Stadium |
| 19:45 GMT | Ogkmpoe 84' | Report | Main 15' McGinn 23'McLennan 45+4'Considine 51' | Attendance: 1,218 Referee: Greg Aitken |
| Note: Game televised on Sky Sports Football | ||||
| 16 February 2020 27 | Aberdeen | 1–2 | Celtic | Pittodrie Stadium |
| 12:00 GMT | Taylor 27' 45+1' McLennan 39' | Report | McGregor 10' Griffiths 45'Ajer 81'Bitton 86' | Attendance: 14,135 Referee: Andrew Dallas |
| Note: Game televised on Sky Sports Football | ||||
| 22 February 2020 28 | Aberdeen | 1–2 | Ross County | Pittodrie Stadium |
| 15:00 GMT | Main 28' Campbell 18'  32' | Report | Morris 21' Mckay 43', 88' | Attendance: 14,860 Referee: Gavin Duncan |
| 4 March 2020 29 | Kilmarnock | 2–2 | Aberdeen | Rugby Park |
| 19:45 GMT | Brophy 17' (pen.) Kiltie 23' | Report | McGinn 38' McLennan 50' | Attendance: 4,217 Referee: Alan Newlands |
| 7 March 2020 30 | Aberdeen | 3–1 | Hibernian | Pittodrie Stadium |
| 15:00 GMT | Jackson 64' (o.g.) Considine 66'Main 82' | Report | Doidge 39' Whittaker 40' 55'Hallberg 65'McGinn 87' | Attendance: 14,388 Referee: John Beaton |
| 13 March 2020 31[N 1] | Motherwell | Cancelled | Aberdeen | Fir Park |
| 19:45 GMT |
| 21 March 2020 32[N 1] | Livingston | Cancelled | Aberdeen | Almondvale Stadium |
| 15:00 GMT |
| 3 April 2020 33[N 1] | Aberdeen | Cancelled | Heart of Midlothian | Pittodrie Stadium |
| 19:45 BST |
UEFA Europa League
Aberdeen qualified for the First qualifying round after finishing in fourth place in the 2018–19 Scottish Premiership.
Qualifying phase
RoPS Rovaniemi| 11 July 2019 1st Leg | Aberdeen  | 2–1 | RoPS Rovaniemi | Aberdeen, Scotland |
| 19:45 BST | McGinn 36' Cosgrove 40' 48' | BBC Report UEFA Report AFC Report | Llamas 19' Katz 25'Sissoko 73'Jäntti 90+3' | Stadium: Pittodrie Stadium Attendance: 14,377 Referee: Kaspar Sjöberg (Sweden) |
Aberdeen| 18 July 2019 2nd Leg | RoPS Rovaniemi | 1–2 (2–4 agg.) | Aberdeen | Rovaniemi, Finland |
| 19:00 EEST (17:00 BST) | Kada 2' Kokko 30' | BBC Report UEFA Report AFC Report | Cosgrove 26' (pen) Campbell 75'Logan 88'Ferguson 90+4' | Stadium: Rovaniemen keskuskenttä Attendance: 1,992 Referee: Umit Ozturk (Turkey) |
| Note: Game televised on Premier Sports | ||||
Aberdeen| 25 July 2019 1st Leg | Chikhura Sachkhere  | 1–1 | Aberdeen | Tbilisi, Georgia |
| 20:45 GET (17:45 BST)[127] | Lekvtadze 9' Ergemlidze 21'Koripadze 41' (pen)Maisashvili 67' | BBC Report UEFA Report AFC Report | Taylor 14' Ojo 22'Cosgrove 68' (pen) | Stadium: Boris Paichadze Dinamo Arena[N 2] Attendance: 3,218 Referee: Horatiu Fesnic (Romania) |
| Note: Game televised on Premier Sports | ||||
Chikhura Sachkhere| 1 August 2019 2nd Leg | Aberdeen | 5–0 (6–1 agg.) | Chikhura Sachkhere | Aberdeen, Scotland |
| 19:45 BST | Cosgrove 9' 20' 80' Leigh 58'Wright 64' | BBC Report UEFA Report AFC Report | Maisashvili 26' Mamasakhlisi 48' | Stadium: Pittodrie Stadium Attendance: 15,167 Referee: Rade Obrenović (Slovenia) |
Aberdeen| 8 August 2019 1st Leg | Rijeka  | 2–0 | Aberdeen | Rijeka, Croatia |
| 20:00 CEST (19:00 BST) | Čolak 62' (pen.) Murić 87' | BBC Report AFC Report UEFA Report | Stadium: Stadion Rujevica Attendance: 6,452 Referee: Ricardo de Burgos Bengoetxea (Spain) | |
| Note: Game televised on Premier Sports | ||||
Rijeka| 15 August 2019 2nd Leg | Aberdeen | 0–2 (0–4 agg.) | Rijeka | Aberdeen, Scotland |
| 19:45 BST | BBC Report AFC Report UEFA Report | Lončar 10' Čolak 32' | Stadium: Pittodrie Stadium Attendance: 15,246 Referee: Harald Lechner (Austria) |
Scottish Cup
| 18 January 2020 Fourth round | Aberdeen | 1–0 | Dumbarton | Pittodrie Stadium |
| 15:00 GMT | Cosgrove 86' (pen) | Report | Brennan 87' | Attendance: 10,010 Referee: Gavin Duncan |
| 8 February 2020 Fifth round | Aberdeen | 0–0 | Kilmarnock | Pittodrie Stadium |
| 15:01 GMT | Campbell 41' | Report | Broadfoot 30' Power 81'McKenzie 90' | Attendance: 9,430 Referee: Nick Walsh |
| 19 February 2020 Fifth round replay | Kilmarnock | 3–4 (a.e.t.) | Aberdeen | Rugby Park |
| 19:45 GMT | El Makrini 43' Burke 64'Brophy 98'Kabamba 116' | Report | Considine 81' 88' Kennedy 91'Cosgrove 119' (pen.)Johnson 120+1' (o.g.) | Attendance: 5,658 Referee: Nick Walsh |
| 29 February 2020 Quarter-final | St Mirren | 0–2 | Aberdeen | The Simple Digital Arena |
| 19:20 GMT | Ferguson 7' Cosgrove 90' (pen.) | Attendance: 4,479 Referee: Don Robertson | ||
| Note: Game televised on BBC Scotland | ||||
| 12 April 2020 Semi-final[N 3] | Celtic | P–P | Aberdeen | Hampden Park |
| 15:00 GMT |
| 1 November 2020 Semi-final | Celtic | 2–0 | Aberdeen | Hampden Park |
| 14:30 GMT | Christie 18' Elyounoussi 23' | Report | Attendance: 0 Referee: Don Robertson | |
| Note: Live on Premier Sports | ||||
Scottish League Cup
| 18 August 2019[125] Second round | Dundee | 1–2 (a.e.t.) | Aberdeen | Dens Park |
| 15:00 BST | Johnson 43' (pen.) | BBC Report | Considine 90+1' Cosgrove 103' | Attendance: 5,740 Referee: William Collum |
| 25 September 2019[128] Quarter-final | Hearts | 2–2 (3–0 p) | Aberdeen | Tynecastle Stadium |
| 19:45 BST | MacLean 22' Halkett 90' | Report | Cosgrove 12' (pen.), 31' (pen.) | Attendance: 12,866 Referee: Kevin Clancy |
| Penalties | ||||
Whelan  Smith Keena |  Cosgrove McGinn Anderson | |||
Scottish Challenge Cup
| 6 August 2019 Round 1 | Brora Rangers | 6–0 | Aberdeen Colts | Dudgeon Park |
| 19:45 | Nicolson 11' Davidson 46'Wagenaar 64'Gillespie 71'Macleod 75'Williamson 90+1' | Report | Attendance: 150 Referee: Harry Bruce |
Squad statistics
Appearances
| No. | Pos | Player | Premiership | Europa League | League Cup | Scottish Cup | Total | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | |||||||
| 1 | GK |  Joe Lewis (c)[a] | 30 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 43 | 0 | ||||
| 2 | DF | Shay Logan | 23+3 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 3+1 | 0 | 38 | 0 | ||||
| 3 | DF | Greg Leigh[b] | 18 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 24 | 2 | ||||
| 4 | DF | Andrew Considine[a] | 25+2 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 40 | 6 | ||||
| 5 | DF | Scott McKenna | 24 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 35 | 1 | ||||
| 6 | DF | Michael Devlin | 11+3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1+2 | 0 | 19 | 0 | ||||
| 7 | MF | Craig Bryson | 5+3 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 12 | 0 | ||||
| 8 | DF |  Ronald Hernández | 1+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||||
| 9 | FW | Curtis Main[b] | 12+6 | 4 | 0+3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2+2 | 0 | 25 | 4 | ||||
| 10 | MF |  Niall McGinn[b] | 22+6 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 1+1 | 0 | 4+1 | 0 | 41 | 7 | ||||
| 11 | MF |  Ryan Hedges[a] | 14+8 | 4 | 6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 32 | 4 | ||||
| 14 | DF | Ash Taylor[a] | 14 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 20 | 1 | ||||
| 15 | FW | Scott Wright[a] | 2+1 | 0 | 1+3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 1 | ||||
| 16 | FW | Sam Cosgrove[a] | 22+3 | 11 | 6 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 3+2 | 3 | 38 | 23 | ||||
| 17 | MF | Dylan McGeouch | 6+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 9 | 0 | ||||
| 18 | FW | Connor McLennan[b] | 9+9 | 3 | 0+1 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 2+2 | 0 | 25 | 3 | ||||
| 19 | MF | Lewis Ferguson[a] | 28 | 1 | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 38 | 3 | ||||
| 20 | GK |  Tomáš Černý | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| 21 | MF |  Jon Gallagher | 11+11 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 31 | 1 | ||||
| 22 | MF |  Funso Ojo | 16 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 24 | 0 | ||||
| 23 | FW | Matty Kennedy[a] | 7+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 12 | 1 | ||||
| 24 | MF | Dean Campbell | 6+9 | 0 | 1+4 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 2+2 | 0 | 26 | 0 | ||||
| 25 | FW | Bruce Anderson | 1+10 | 1 | 0+1 | 0 | 0+1 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 15 | 1 | ||||
| 27 | MF | Seb Ross | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| 32 | DF | Jack MacKenzie | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| 42 | MF | Connor Barron | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| 44 | DF | Calvin Ramsay | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| Players who left the club during the season | ||||||||||||||||
| 8 | MF | Stephen Gleeson | 0+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||||
| 17 | FW | Stevie May | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| 23 | MF | Ethan Ross | 1+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | ||||
| 26 | DF | Miko Virtanen | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| 28[c] | FW | James Wilson | 7+4 | 0 | 0+3 | 0 | 1+1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | ||||
| 33 | DF | Zak Vyner | 15+1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0+2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 18 | 1 | ||||
| Players signed during the 2020–21 season[N 4] | ||||||||||||||||
| 3 | DF | Tommie Hoban[a] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||||
| 32 | FW | Ryan Edmondson | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| 40 | MF | Ross McCrorie[a] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||||
| 43 | GK | Gary Woods | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | ||||
| 50 | FW | Marley Watkins[a] | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | ||||
Goalscorers
| Ranking | Nation | Number | Name | Scottish Premiership | Europa League | League Cup | Scottish Cup | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | | 16 | Sam Cosgrove | 11 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 23 |
| 2 | | 10 | Niall McGinn | 6 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
| 3 | | 4 | Andrew Considine | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 6 |
| 4 | | 9 | Curtis Main | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| | 11 | Ryan Hedges | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 | |
| 6 | | 18 | Connor McLennan | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| | 19 | Lewis Ferguson | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | |
| 8 | | 3 | Greg Leigh | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| 9 | | 5 | Scott McKenna | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| | 14 | Ash Taylor | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| | 15 | Scott Wright | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| | 21 | Jon Gallagher | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| | 23 | Matty Kennedy | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| | 25 | Bruce Anderson | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| | 33 | Zak Vyner | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Own goals | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |||
| TOTALS | 40 | 10 | 4 | 7 | 61 | |||
Disciplinary record
| Number | Nation | Position | Name | Premiership | Europa League | League Cup | Scottish Cup | Total | |||||
| | | | | | | | | | | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | | GK | Joe Lewis | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 2 | | DF | Shay Logan | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| 4 | | DF | Andrew Considine | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| 5 | | DF | Scott McKenna | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 6 | | DF | Michael Devlin | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 7 | | MF | Craig Bryson | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 9 | | FW | Curtis Main | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| 10 | | MF | Niall McGinn | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 11 | | DF | Ryan Hedges | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 14 | | DF | Ash Taylor | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| 16 | | FW | Sam Cosgrove | 4 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 9 | 1 |
| 17 | | MF | Dylan McGeouch | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 18 | | MF | Connor McLennan | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 19 | | MF | Lewis Ferguson | 8 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1[a] | 0 | 9[a] | 1 |
| 22 | | MF | Funso Ojo | 4 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 |
| 23 | | FW | Matty Kennedy | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 24 | | MF | Dean Campbell | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 |
| 33 | | DF | Zak Vyner | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| TOTALS | 44 | 4 | 11 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 5[a] | 0 | 66[a] | 5 | |||
Team statistics
League table
| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | PPG | Qualification or relegation[a] |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | Rangers | 29 | 21 | 4 | 4 | 64 | 19 | +45 | 67 | 2.31 | Qualification for the Europa League second qualifying round[b] |
| 3 | Motherwell | 30 | 14 | 4 | 12 | 41 | 38 | +3 | 46 | 1.53 | Qualification for the Europa League first qualifying round |
| 4 | Aberdeen | 30 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 40 | 36 | +4 | 45 | 1.50 | |
| 5 | Livingston | 30 | 10 | 9 | 11 | 41 | 39 | +2 | 39 | 1.30 | |
| 6 | St Johnstone | 29 | 8 | 12 | 9 | 28 | 46 | −18 | 36 | 1.24 |
Rules for classification: 1) Points per game; 2) Goal difference; 3) Goals scored; 4) Head-to-head points; 5) Head-to-Head goal difference; 6) Play-off (only if deciding champion, UEFA competitions qualification, second stage group allocation or relegation).[131]
Notes:
Results by round
Transfers
Players out
| Dates | Pos | Nat | Player | To | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 27 May 2019 | DF | | Greg Halford | Released[5] | |
| 27 May 2019 | GK | | David Craddock | Released[5] | |
| 27 May 2019 | FW | | Morgan Brown | Released[5] | |
| 13 June 2019 | DF | | Sam Roscoe | Ayr United | Free[8] |
| 24 June 2019 | MF | | Gary Mackay-Steven |  New York City | Free[14] |
| 25 June 2019 | GK | | Archie Mair | Norwich City | Compensation[16] |
| 1 July 2019 | MF | | Graeme Shinnie | Derby County | Free[132] |
| 1 July 2019 | DF | | Mark Reynolds | Dundee United | Free[133] |
| 8 July 2019 | DF | | Ryan Harrington | The New Saints | Free[5][134] |
| 29 August 2019 | FW | | Stevie May | St Johnstone | Free[43] |
| 31 January 2020 | FW | | James Wilson | Salford City | Free[95] |
| 31 January 2020 | MF | | Stephen Gleeson | Solihull Moors | Free[96] |
Loans out
| Date | Pos | Nat | Name | To | Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 5 July 2019 | FW |  | David Dangana | Stranraer | Season Loan[22] |
| 8 July 2019 | MF | | Frank Ross | Ayr United | Six-month Loan[22] |
| 24 July 2019 | DF | | Chris Antoniazzi | Cove Rangers | Six-month Loan[135] |
| 14 August 2019 | GK | | Danny Rogers | Greenock Morton | Season Loan[38] |
| 3 January 2020 | MF | | Ethan Ross | Dunfermline Athletic | Six-month Loan[83] |
| 18 February 2020 | DF | | Luc Bollan | Peterhead | End of Season Loan[136] |