Al-Arabi Sports Club
Encyclopedia
Al-Arabi Sports Club also known as Al-Arabi Al-Qatari, is a Qatar
i professional sports club fielding teams in a number of sports, most notably football (soccer)
. The club based in Doha
, Qatar
. Their stadium is called Grand Hamad Stadium
. Al-Arabi Doha is known by its nickname, the Dream Team or فريق الأحلام or "The Red Devils." Al-Arabi Doha are known for having the second biggest fan base in Qatar after rivalsAl Rayyan. Al-Arabi Doha are the second most successful club on a local level after Al Sadd
.
Al-Arabi is known for having one of the largest fan bases in all of Qatar, as well as other Gulf states, and is well-known overseas. Their popularity outside of the Middle East was bolstered after the signing of Argentine star Gabriel Batistuta
in 2003.
The club first competed in the Qatari League in 1982. It came in 14th place in International Federation of Football History & Statistics
's 1901-2000 Asian Club of the Century, the highest in Qatar.
Al-Tahrir
and Richard Owebukeri who were the top scorers in the league at one point. Perhaps the most significant player was Mubarak Mustafa
, who is still considered one of the best Qatari footballers in history. The team, impressing many with its versatile squad, took the Qatari league by storm, winning it 5 times out of 10. Not satisfied merely with local success, the team achieved runners-up position in the AFC Champions League
in 1995. Al-Arabi subsequently came in 14th place Asian Club of the Century, finally reaching it's peak.
and the increase of competitiveness from local clubs. In the 2002 season, Al Arabi finished in 7th place, the lowest position since its debut in the Qatar Stars League. The arrival of Gabriel Batistuta
in 2003 saw a glimpse of hope for Al-Arabi as they finished significantly higher in the league than the last 2 previous seasons, however they ended up finished 9th in the league at the end of the 2007 season, a new low. They have not won any domestic competitions except for the Sheikh Jassim Cup, and have had very limited success in international competitions.
Al Arabi always regarded themselves as the club of Qatar’s working class, in contrast with the supposedly more upper-class support base of Al Sadd. At the present time, the fan bases of both are almost similar and are supported by all social classes. Being the fans of the most successful Qatari side, Al Sadd supporters have much to brag about; big scores against their arch-rivals in recent years increased the white and black supremacy over this derby.
Bold indicates a win.
Out:
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
i professional sports club fielding teams in a number of sports, most notably football (soccer)
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
. The club based in Doha
Doha
Doha is the capital city of the state of Qatar. Located on the Persian Gulf, it had a population of 998,651 in 2008, and is also one of the municipalities of Qatar...
, Qatar
Qatar
Qatar , also known as the State of Qatar or locally Dawlat Qaṭar, is a sovereign Arab state, located in the Middle East, occupying the small Qatar Peninsula on the northeasterly coast of the much larger Arabian Peninsula. Its sole land border is with Saudi Arabia to the south, with the rest of its...
. Their stadium is called Grand Hamad Stadium
Grand Hamad Stadium
Grand Hamad Stadium, also known as the Al-Arabi Sports Club, is a multi-purpose stadium in Doha, Qatar. It is currently used mostly for football matches. The football team Al-Arabi SC play there. The stadium holds 15,000 people...
. Al-Arabi Doha is known by its nickname, the Dream Team or فريق الأحلام or "The Red Devils." Al-Arabi Doha are known for having the second biggest fan base in Qatar after rivalsAl Rayyan. Al-Arabi Doha are the second most successful club on a local level after Al Sadd
Al-Sadd
Sadd Sports Club known as Al-Sadd Club is a Qatari sports club, best known for its football team of the Qatar National First Division, from the city of Doha. The club goes with the Nickname "Al-Zaeem", which translates to "The Boss", and was founded by four students on the October 21, 1969 in...
.
History
The club was founded in 1952 under the name "Al-Tahrir", making them the second oldest team in Qatar. In 1957, the club merged with Al-Wehda, a club founded which was founded on that year and was led by Mohamed Ansari, after playing a friendly. They merged under the name of Al-Wehda. Al-Wehda did not play out Qatar or host any foreign clubs due to lack of financial possibilities for the club. In 1972, the club integrated under their current name, Al Arabi.Al-Arabi is known for having one of the largest fan bases in all of Qatar, as well as other Gulf states, and is well-known overseas. Their popularity outside of the Middle East was bolstered after the signing of Argentine star Gabriel Batistuta
Gabriel Batistuta
Gabriel Omar Batistuta , nicknamed Batigol, is a former professional footballer. The prolific Argentine striker played most of his club football at Fiorentina in Italy, and he is the tenth top scorer of all-time in the Italian Serie A league, with 184 goals in 318 matches...
in 2003.
The club first competed in the Qatari League in 1982. It came in 14th place in International Federation of Football History & Statistics
International Federation of Football History & Statistics
The International Federation of Football History & Statistics is an organization that chronicles the history and records of Association football. It was founded on 27 March 1984 at Leipzig by Dr. Alfredo Pöge with the blessings of general secretary of the FIFA at the time, Dr. Helmut Käser...
's 1901-2000 Asian Club of the Century, the highest in Qatar.
Founders
Al-Wehda- Ahmed Ali Ansari
- Sultan Abdullah Al-Jaber
- Ahmad Yousef Saie
- Mohammad Ali Ansari
- Mullah Mohammed Abdulrahman
- Sultan Said Ali
- Faraj Said
Al-Tahrir
- Mubarak Mohammed Othman
- Abdullah Mohammed Al Othman
- Mohammed Saleh Al Hitmi
- Salem Bakhit Ghurery
- Khalifa Al Hitmi
Golden Era (1990's)
The 90's marked the start of a continuous chain of succession for Al-Arabi. The dream team had come to fruition with the likes of Marco AntônioMarco Antônio
Marco Antônio, real name Marco Antônio Feliciano, was an association footballer. He played left-back with Fluminense Football Club and the Brazilian national team...
and Richard Owebukeri who were the top scorers in the league at one point. Perhaps the most significant player was Mubarak Mustafa
Mubarak Mustafa
Mubarak Mustafa is a former Qatari football player and current Director of football for Al-Arabi. He is known for his numerous achievements with Qatari club Al-Arabi and extraordinary playing ability, as well as being the former captain of the Qatar national team.He is seen as one of the most...
, who is still considered one of the best Qatari footballers in history. The team, impressing many with its versatile squad, took the Qatari league by storm, winning it 5 times out of 10. Not satisfied merely with local success, the team achieved runners-up position in the AFC Champions League
AFC Champions League
The AFC Champions League is the premier Asian club football competition hosted annually by Asian Football Confederation . The tournament is contested among the top thirty-two clubs from the top 10 Asian leagues, two of which must qualify through the playoffs...
in 1995. Al-Arabi subsequently came in 14th place Asian Club of the Century, finally reaching it's peak.
Falling short of greatness (2000's)
The new century saw a significant slump in Al-Arabi's performance. Factors which impacted this may include the departure of Mubarak MustafaMubarak Mustafa
Mubarak Mustafa is a former Qatari football player and current Director of football for Al-Arabi. He is known for his numerous achievements with Qatari club Al-Arabi and extraordinary playing ability, as well as being the former captain of the Qatar national team.He is seen as one of the most...
and the increase of competitiveness from local clubs. In the 2002 season, Al Arabi finished in 7th place, the lowest position since its debut in the Qatar Stars League. The arrival of Gabriel Batistuta
Gabriel Batistuta
Gabriel Omar Batistuta , nicknamed Batigol, is a former professional footballer. The prolific Argentine striker played most of his club football at Fiorentina in Italy, and he is the tenth top scorer of all-time in the Italian Serie A league, with 184 goals in 318 matches...
in 2003 saw a glimpse of hope for Al-Arabi as they finished significantly higher in the league than the last 2 previous seasons, however they ended up finished 9th in the league at the end of the 2007 season, a new low. They have not won any domestic competitions except for the Sheikh Jassim Cup, and have had very limited success in international competitions.
Stadium
The team play their matches in the state-of-the-art Grand Hamad Stadium Stadium, whose capacity adds up to 18,000 including VIP stands. Such a capacity reflects the demand expected from the Qatari population. The location of the stadium is in Doha.Al Sadd
This is the clash of Qatar’s two most successful teams; Al Sadd and Al Arabi. For some fans, winning this derby is more noteworthy than winning the league itself. Qatar’s derby is an important component of the country's culture, which celebrates football every time the two teams face each other.Al Arabi always regarded themselves as the club of Qatar’s working class, in contrast with the supposedly more upper-class support base of Al Sadd. At the present time, the fan bases of both are almost similar and are supported by all social classes. Being the fans of the most successful Qatari side, Al Sadd supporters have much to brag about; big scores against their arch-rivals in recent years increased the white and black supremacy over this derby.
Emir cup finals
- Emir cup final 1982: Al Arabi 1-0 Al Sadd
- Emir cup final 1986: Al Sadd'Al Sadd 3-2 Al Arabi
League matches
- 1995/1996 season: Al Arabi 0-0 Al Sadd (Al Arabi crowned champions)
- 2001/2002 season: Al Sadd 6-2 Al Arabi
- 2003/2004 season: Al Sadd 7-0 Al Arabi
- 2009/2010 season: Al Sadd 3-3 AlArabi
Bold indicates a win.
First team
Reserve team
- As of October 08, 2011.
Notable players
Summer Transfers 2011
In:Out:
Current technical staff
Managerial history
Present and past managers of Al-Arabi (incomplete):| Period | Manager |
|---|---|
| 1992–93 |  Colin AddisonColin Addison Colin Addison is an English former professional footballer and manager.Addison has managed a wide variety of clubs in the UK, as well as in countries such as Spain, South Africa, Kuwait and Qatar. Notably he was the player-manager of Hereford United during their famous 1971-72 FA Cup run, which... |
| 1996–98 |  Džemaludin MušovićDžemaludin Mušovic Džemaludin Mušović is the Bosnian football manager and the former Bosnia and Herzegovina national football team manager. He managed the national team from 1998 to 1999. He has been the manager of Qatar national football team from 2004 to 2007.-External links:*... |
| 2000 |  Luis SantibáñezLuis Santibañez Luis Alberto Santibáñez Díaz was a retired football manager from Chile. As a team coach he won the Chilean title four times, once with Unión San Felipe and three times with Unión Española .He served as manager of the Chile national football team between 1977 and 1982, which included qualification... |
| 2000-2001 |  Adnan DirjalAdnan Dirjal Adnan Dirjal is an Iraqi former footballer and national team coach, one of Iraq's most prominent national team captains.-Club career:... |
| 2003 |  Carlos Roberto Pereira da SilvaCarlos Roberto Pereira Da Silva Carlos Roberto Pereira da Silva is a Brazilian football coach.-Education:He studied an intensive football course at Cologne University, Germany in 1982. He holds a degree in physical education from the Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro .-Coaching career:*Madureira F.C... |
| Nov 2003 – Jun 05 |  Wolfgang SidkaWolfgang Sidka Wolfgang Sidka is an association football manager. He led SV Werder Bremen to victory in the UEFA Intertoto Cup in 1998. He was head coach of the Iraq national football team, having signed on August 9, 2010 and was sacked on August 2, 2011.-Manager:-References:... |
| May 2005 – May 06 |  Ilie BalaciIlie Balaci Ilie Balaci is a retired Romanian football midfielder.He was born in Bistreţ, Dolj County and debuted in Divizia A with FC Universitatea Craiova in 1973. He played 12 seasons for Universitatea, winning the league titles in 1980 and 1981. The team also won the Romanian Cup in 1977, 1978, 1981 and... |
| Jul 2006 – Oct 06 |  Henri MichelHenri Michel -External links:... |
| Oct 2006 – Feb 07 |  Abdullah Saad |
| Feb 2007 – Mar 08 |  José RomãoJosé Romão José Pratas Romão , is a Portuguese football coach and former defender.He played for C.D. Beja, Vitória S.C., A.D. Fafe, Penafiel, G.D. Riopele, G.C. Alcobaça and Vizela.He coached Vizela, Penafiel, G.D... |
| Mar 2008 – Apr 08 | Adilson Fernandes |
| Jul 2008 – Dec 08 | Zé Mario Zé Mario José Mário de Almeida Barros, is a Brazilian football manager. He formerly coached the Al-Arabi Sports Club in Qatar.-Career:... |
| Dec 2008 – Jul 10 | Uli Stielike Uli Stielike Ulrich "Uli" Stielike is a German football manager and former player.-Club career:Stielike was a West Germany youth international for hometown club SpVgg Ketsch when he got signed by UEFA Cup runner-up Borussia Mönchengladbach in 1973, first coming to action as a full back for the then two times... |
| Jul 2010 – Jun 11 | Péricles Chamusca Pericles Chamusca Péricles Raimundo Oliveira Chamusca, or simply known as Péricles Chamusca is a Brazilian football manager. He is currently coaching Al-Jaish in the Qatar Stars League.-Coaching career:... |
| Jun 2011 – present | Paulo Silas Paulo Silas Paulo Silas do Prado Pereira, best known as Silas is a former Brazilian football player and is currently manager of the Qatari club Al-Arabi.-Career:... |
Management
Achievements
- Qatari League: 7
1983, 1985, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1996, 1997
- Emir of Qatar CupEmir of Qatar CupEmir of Qatar Cup is a tournament played every season by 16 first and second division teams. The most successful is Al Sadd who won the tournament 13 times...
: 8
1978, 1979, 1980, 1983, 1984, 1989, 1990, 1993
- Qatar Crown Prince CupQatar Crown Prince CupThe Qatar Crown Prince Cup is a cup tournament in men's football. It is played by the top-4 teams of the Qatar National First Division after each season.-Previous winners:*1995 : Al Rayyan Club 1-0 Al-Arabi*1996 : Al Rayyan Club 2-0 Al-Wakra...
: 1
1997
- Qatar Sheikh Jassem Cup: 6
1980, 1982, 1994, 2008, 2010
2010 Sheikh Jassem Cup
The 2010 Sheikh Jassem Cup is the 32nd edition of the league cup competition for football teams from Qatar.Umm-Salal are the defending champions.- Round One Groups :14 clubs were drawn into 4 groups of 4 or 5 teams...
, 2011
2011 Sheikh Jassem Cup
The 2011 Sheikh Jassem Cup will be the 33rd edition of the league cup competition for football teams from Qatar.Al-Arabi are the defending champions.- Round One Groups :18 clubs from the Qatar Stars League and Qatari 2nd Division were drawn into 4 groups...
Performance in AFC competitions
- Asian Club Championship: 5 appearances
-
- 1987: Group Stage
- 1993: Qualifying – 1st round
- 1995: Runners-up to
Thai Farmers Bank FCThai Farmers Bank FCThai Farmers Bank Football Club is a defunct Thai football club from Kasikorn Bank . They have won two AFC Champions League in 1994 and 1995.... - 1996: Group Stage
- 1999: First Round
- Asian Cup Winners CupAsian Cup Winners CupThe Asian Cup Winners' Cup was an association football competition run by the Asian Football Confederation . The competition was started in 1991 as a tournament for all the domestic cup winners from countries affiliated to the AFC...
: 2 appearances
-
- 1990/91Asian Cup Winners Cup 1991The 1990–91 Asian Cup Winners' Cup was the first edition of the continental football competition for cup winners of member nations of the AFC. Persepolis of Iran were duly crowned champions after defeating Muharraq of Bahrian 1:0 over two legs in the final....
: Second Round - 1993/94: Semi-Final
- 1990/91
- AFC Champions LeagueAFC Champions LeagueThe AFC Champions League is the premier Asian club football competition hosted annually by Asian Football Confederation . The tournament is contested among the top thirty-two clubs from the top 10 Asian leagues, two of which must qualify through the playoffs...
: 1 appearance
-
- 2012:
Performance in UAFA competitions
- Gulf Club Champions CupGulf Club Champions CupThe GCC Champions League , formerly known as the Arabian Gulf Cup for Clubs , is an annually organized football league tournament for club of the Arab states...
: 7 appearances
-
- 1986: Runners-up to
Al-HilalAl-HilalAl-Hilal Saudi Football Club , also known simply as Al-Hilal, is a Saudi Arabian sports club based in the country's capital of Riyadh and best known for its professional football team, known as Al-Hilal Saudi Football Club... - 20022002 Gulf Club Champions CupThe Gulf Club Champions Cup is a football league tournament for the Arab Countries around the Persian Gulf, it's a tournament for clubs.The 2002 edition was the 19th time that it was organised and was won by Saudi Arabian side Al-Ahli for the second time.-Results:...
: Group Stage - 20062006 Gulf Club Champions CupThe Persian Gulf Club Champions Cup is a football league tournament for the Arab Countries around the Persian Gulf, it's a tournament for clubs.The 2006 edition was the 22nd time that it was organised and was won by Sauid side Al-Ittifaq for the third time....
: Group Stage - 20112011 GCC Champions LeagueThe GCC Champions League , was an annually organized football league tournament for club of the Arab states of the Persian Gulf.The 2011 edition was the 26th time that it has been organized....
: Quarter-Finals
- 1986: Runners-up to
- Ittihad Cup: 2
1990, 1997
Other sports
Besides football, the club has teams for swimmingSwimming (sport)
Swimming is a sport governed by the Fédération Internationale de Natation .-History: Competitive swimming in Europe began around 1800 BCE, mostly in the form of the freestyle. In 1873 Steve Bowyer introduced the trudgen to Western swimming competitions, after copying the front crawl used by Native...
, handball
Team handball
Handball is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each pass a ball to throw it into the goal of the other team...
, tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
, athletics, volleyball
Volleyball
Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules.The complete rules are extensive...
, and basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
.
FIVB Club World Championship
Al-Arabi's volleyball team automatically qualified for the 2009, 2010, and 2011 edition of the FIVB Club World Championship as Qatar were the hosts and selected Al-Arabi to participate in the tournament and represent Qatar. They have never advanced past the group stage in all three of their appearances.Volleyball Squad
Squad for 2011 FIVB Men's Club World Championship2011 FIVB Men's Club World Championship
The 2011 FIVB Men's Club World Championship was the 7th edition of the event. It was held in Doha, Qatar from October 8 to 14, 2011.-Qualification:-Pools composition:-Pool standing procedure:1. Match points2. Numbers of matches won3. Sets ratio4...
(As of October 08, 2011):
- Head coach:
Mohammed Adel Sennoun
Number Name Nationality Height Spike Block 2 Jiri Popelka 2.04 3.47 3.35 3 Saeed Salem (captain Captain (sports)In team sports, a captain is a title given to a member of the team. The title is frequently honorary, but in some cases the captain may have significant responsibility for strategy and teamwork while the game is in progress on the field...
)1.87 N/A N/A 4 Ribeiro Renan (libero) 1.94 N/A N/A 6 Christian Pampel Christian PampelChristian Pampel is a volleyball player from Germany.- Career :Christian Pampel started his career in Hochstetten in 1995. After three years in the Volleyball-boarding school Frankfurt he went to the first division club VfB Friedrichshafenin 1999, won his first championship 2000 and made it to the...1.98 3.60 3.40 7 Mohammad Khuzaie 1.92 N/A N/A 8 Davide Saitta 1.88 N/A N/A 9 Gianluca Saraceni 1.98 3.64 N/A 10 Omar Hashim 1.96 N/A N/A 11 Lukasz Kadziewicz Lukasz KadziewiczŁukasz Kadziewicz , is a volleyball player from Poland. He competed at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens and in the Volleyball World League in 2001, 2003, 2004, 2005 and 2007...2.06 3.60 3.35 12 Tije Vlam 2.07 3.47 3.30 14 Saoud Abdulaziz 1.85 N/A N/A 18 Saed Al Hitmi 1.86 3.35 3.25