Al Ahli FC has won 7 league titles, a record of 10 UAE's President Cup titles, 5 UAE super Cup titles, 5 UAE League Cup titles and 1 Emirati-Moroccan Super Cup, earning a total of 41 titles, making them the second most successful team in UAE. In the latest ranking by the IFFHS, Shabab Al Ahli is the 7th best club in Asia and ranked 110th in the world.
Al Ahli club was established in 1970 when two local football teams Al Wehdah and Al Shabab (est. 1958) joined together for a training camp in Egypt but decided to merge as one single club under first club president H.E. Nasser Abdulla Hussain Lootah. Four years later another local team Al Najah joined to form Al Ahli Club.
Al Ahli translates to "domestic or national" in Arabic. The club won three UAE Arabian Gulf League titles in the 1970s and won its fourth in 2006, fifth in 2009, sixth in 2014 and seventh in 2016.
1973–1980: The golden age and aftermath decline
Mohammed Shehta in the middle, the first manager for Al Ahli Club in early 70s.
It took Al Ahli only four years after its establishment to win the UAE Arabian Gulf League twice consecutively in 1974-75 and 1975-76 then again in 1979-80 for the third time, which allowed them to permanently keep the league trophy. The victorious team, led by coach Mohamed Shehta and featuring players such as Hassan Nazari and Hassan Roshan. The team also won three President Cup titles during that period. Drawing hometown fans, Al Ahli has been and continues to be one of the most popular sports teams in the UAE. However, the club went into decline for few decades, the result of which saw the club relegated to the second division (1995–96) in a dramatic way, when Al Ahli played against neighbour rival Al Shabab, Al Ahli needed just one point from the match to stay in the first division. Al Ahli has lost the match and Al Shabab has won the league title. The same year, Al Ahli won the President Cup title. After a period of decline, Al Ahli went back on top under the new leadership of SheikhHamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Deputy Ruler of Dubai, winning its fourth league title in 2006 and the following years, Al Ahli continued to be a successful club in the UAE by winning 6 President Cups. The early 2000s saw Iranian legend Ali Karimi play multiple seasons for Al Ahli, finishing as league top scorer in 2003-04 and being named Asian footballer of the year 2004.[3]
The club began to rise again and in 2010 with Abdullah Al Naboodah, the squad was gradually re-built, with the likes of Fabio Cannavaro and Grafite and Ricardo Quaresma joined the Emirati homegrown talents Ahmed Khalil and Ismael Al Hammadi. In 2012, Al Ahli won the UAE President's Cup and the Arabian Gulf Cup. The arrival of the Romanian football manager Cosmin Olaroiu in 2013, set the stage for a highly successful 2013–14 season. Al Ahli performed strongly in the league and assured its 6th title with a record for the highest ever points total for a league season (62). In addition, the club won the Arabian Gulf Cup, 2 Arabian Gulf Super Cups (2013–14, 2014–15) and in the following year they reached 2015 AFC Champions League Final which they narrowly lost to the Chinese team Guangzhou Evergrande 1–0 on aggregate. Al Ahli homegrown forward Ahmed Khalil named the UAE's sole recipient of the prestigious Asian Footballer of the Year award in 2015. In 2016, they again won their 7th domestic league title with two matches to play.[5]
2017 Merge
In 2017 the clubs Dubai CSC and Al Shabab joined with Al-Ahli FC to form Shabab Al Ahli FC. The merge was seen as a controversial move as it meant combining the success of rival club Al Shabab with Al Ahli and it also meant missing the AFC Champions League for the first three years of its existence since it requires a club to exist for three years to obtain an AFC licence. However, the team would quickly experience success as they would win the League Cup and President's Cup in 2019.[6][7]
Crest and nickname
1970–2006
2006–2017
2017–Present
The original Al Ahli logo reflected a falcon on top of football and the words "Al Ahli Club" written horizontally. After rebranding themselves to Red Knights in 2006, the logo changed to a horse head shape with the letters "AC" (Al Ahli Club) on top. The new logo represents strength and high spirits also it goes along with the new nickname Red Knights instead of the old nickname the Red Devils.
A new logo was created after the merge between Dubai CSC and Al Shabab that made Shabab Al-Ahli.
Shabab Al Ahli rivalry with Al Ain is gaining popularity as the two clubs alternated as champions in the 70s and more after 2010, and currently, both teams are considered among the top teams in the UAE. The match usually creates a lively atmosphere. Al Nasr and Al Wasl are also neighbouring rivals competing for who is the best team in Dubai
The club is also known as Al Ahli Castle because of its involvement in other professional sports. The club competes in basketball, volleyball, handball, track sport, table tennis and track cycling. Al Ahli is also known for its involvement in cultural activities and community services. Al Ahli Drama club established in 1981, to promote Emirati arts and theatrical plays focusing on UAE tradition, heritage and current events.
Relationship with La Liga
In 2016 Al Ahli became the first foreign club to sign a partnership agreement with La Liga that is the first of its kind for both the renowned professional Spanish league and the Arabian Gulf League leaders. The signing of the agreement, which was staged at La Liga's headquarters, marks the beginning of a linkup in which La Liga's experience will be used to support Dubai's leading club in its development especially a training program from youth coaches in Spain will be applied. The club's junior sides will gain invitations to leading tournaments there, providing the opportunity to gain valuable experience playing top-class opposition.[8]
^ ab"Al Ahli Sports Club". www.alahliclub.ae. Retrieved 2016-05-01.
^"Shabab Al Ahli beat Al Wahda 3-1 in extra-time to win fourth Arabian Gulf Cup". Sport 360. Retrieved 23 March 2019.
^"Shabab Al Ahli crowned President's Cup champions". gulftoday. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
^"Al Ahli football club sign ground-breaking agreement with Spain's La Liga through 2018 | The National". www.thenational.ae. Retrieved 2016-05-01.
^ONLY Al-Ahli since rebranding championships are counted
External links
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Al-Ahli Dubai.
Official website
Soccerway Profile
February 07, 2023
shabab, ahli, club, this, article, about, united, arab, emirati, football, team, other, uses, ahly, disambiguation, shabab, ahli, club, arabic, نادي, شباب, الأهلي, emirati, professional, association, football, club, based, dubai, that, currently, plays, adnoc,. This article is about the United Arab Emirati football team For other uses see Al Ahly disambiguation Shabab Al Ahli Club Arabic نادي شباب الأهلي is a Emirati professional association football club based in Dubai that currently plays in the UAE ADNOC Pro League Al Ahli is one of the most successful clubs in the UAE Shabab Al Ahliنادي شباب الأهليNickname s الفرسان و الزعيم العالميFounded1958 65 years ago 1958 as Al Ahli GroundRashid Stadium DubaiCapacity10 000OwnerHamdan Al MaktoumChairmanAhmed Al MaktoumManagerLeonardo JardimLeagueUAE Pro League2021 22UAE Pro League 5thWebsiteClub websiteHome coloursAway coloursCurrent seasonAl Ahli FC has won 7 league titles a record of 10 UAE s President Cup titles 5 UAE super Cup titles 5 UAE League Cup titles and 1 Emirati Moroccan Super Cup earning a total of 41 titles making them the second most successful team in UAE In the latest ranking by the IFFHS Shabab Al Ahli is the 7th best club in Asia and ranked 110th in the world In 2017 the Dubai CSC and Al Shabab merged within Al Ahli FC making Shabab Al Ahli FC 1 2 Contents 1 History 1 1 Establishment 1 2 1973 1980 The golden age and aftermath decline 1 3 2009 FIFA Club World Cup 1 4 Bouncing Back 1 5 2017 Merge 2 Crest and nickname 3 Grounds 4 Rivalries 5 Active departments 6 Relationship with La Liga 7 Pro League record 8 Club officials 9 Current squad 9 1 Unregistered players 9 2 Out on loan 10 Shabab Al Ahli from Board Of Directors 10 1 Board members 10 2 Shabab Al Ahli Football Company Board Directors 10 3 Board Members 11 Honours 11 1 Domestic Competitions 11 2 Continental competitions 11 3 Friendly competitions 12 References 13 External linksHistory EditEstablishment Edit Al Ahli club was established in 1970 when two local football teams Al Wehdah and Al Shabab est 1958 joined together for a training camp in Egypt but decided to merge as one single club under first club president H E Nasser Abdulla Hussain Lootah Four years later another local team Al Najah joined to form Al Ahli Club Al Ahli translates to domestic or national in Arabic The club won three UAE Arabian Gulf League titles in the 1970s and won its fourth in 2006 fifth in 2009 sixth in 2014 and seventh in 2016 1973 1980 The golden age and aftermath decline Edit Mohammed Shehta in the middle the first manager for Al Ahli Club in early 70s It took Al Ahli only four years after its establishment to win the UAE Arabian Gulf League twice consecutively in 1974 75 and 1975 76 then again in 1979 80 for the third time which allowed them to permanently keep the league trophy The victorious team led by coach Mohamed Shehta and featuring players such as Hassan Nazari and Hassan Roshan The team also won three President Cup titles during that period Drawing hometown fans Al Ahli has been and continues to be one of the most popular sports teams in the UAE However the club went into decline for few decades the result of which saw the club relegated to the second division 1995 96 in a dramatic way when Al Ahli played against neighbour rival Al Shabab Al Ahli needed just one point from the match to stay in the first division Al Ahli has lost the match and Al Shabab has won the league title The same year Al Ahli won the President Cup title After a period of decline Al Ahli went back on top under the new leadership of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum the Deputy Ruler of Dubai winning its fourth league title in 2006 and the following years Al Ahli continued to be a successful club in the UAE by winning 6 President Cups The early 2000s saw Iranian legend Ali Karimi play multiple seasons for Al Ahli finishing as league top scorer in 2003 04 and being named Asian footballer of the year 2004 3 2009 FIFA Club World Cup Edit Al Ahli as 2008 09 UAE Pro League champions and as Abu Dhabi was hosting the event qualified for the 2009 FIFA Club World Cup which was held in December 2009 They lost 0 2 to Auckland City in their only game in the competition 4 Bouncing Back Edit The club began to rise again and in 2010 with Abdullah Al Naboodah the squad was gradually re built with the likes of Fabio Cannavaro and Grafite and Ricardo Quaresma joined the Emirati homegrown talents Ahmed Khalil and Ismael Al Hammadi In 2012 Al Ahli won the UAE President s Cup and the Arabian Gulf Cup The arrival of the Romanian football manager Cosmin Olaroiu in 2013 set the stage for a highly successful 2013 14 season Al Ahli performed strongly in the league and assured its 6th title with a record for the highest ever points total for a league season 62 In addition the club won the Arabian Gulf Cup 2 Arabian Gulf Super Cups 2013 14 2014 15 and in the following year they reached 2015 AFC Champions League Final which they narrowly lost to the Chinese team Guangzhou Evergrande 1 0 on aggregate Al Ahli homegrown forward Ahmed Khalil named the UAE s sole recipient of the prestigious Asian Footballer of the Year award in 2015 In 2016 they again won their 7th domestic league title with two matches to play 5 2017 Merge Edit In 2017 the clubs Dubai CSC and Al Shabab joined with Al Ahli FC to form Shabab Al Ahli FC The merge was seen as a controversial move as it meant combining the success of rival club Al Shabab with Al Ahli and it also meant missing the AFC Champions League for the first three years of its existence since it requires a club to exist for three years to obtain an AFC licence However the team would quickly experience success as they would win the League Cup and President s Cup in 2019 6 7 Crest and nickname Edit 1970 2006 2006 2017 2017 PresentThe original Al Ahli logo reflected a falcon on top of football and the words Al Ahli Club written horizontally After rebranding themselves to Red Knights in 2006 the logo changed to a horse head shape with the letters AC Al Ahli Club on top The new logo represents strength and high spirits also it goes along with the new nickname Red Knights instead of the old nickname the Red Devils A new logo was created after the merge between Dubai CSC and Al Shabab that made Shabab Al Ahli Grounds EditRashid Stadium is a multi purpose stadium in Dubai United Arab Emirates that was named after Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum It is currently used mostly for football amp Rugby matches The stadium holds 12 000 people It was built in 1948 It is the home ground of Shabab Al Ahli 5 Shabab Al Ahli also has Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum Stadium and Al Aweer Stadium as a second and third home ground for the club after merging with Al Shabab and Dubai in 2017 Rivalries EditShabab Al Ahli rivalry with Al Ain is gaining popularity as the two clubs alternated as champions in the 70s and more after 2010 and currently both teams are considered among the top teams in the UAE The match usually creates a lively atmosphere Al Nasr and Al Wasl are also neighbouring rivals competing for who is the best team in DubaiActive departments EditFor the basketball team see Shabab Al Ahli Basket This section does not cite any sources Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources Unsourced material may be challenged and removed December 2020 Learn how and when to remove this template message The club is also known as Al Ahli Castle because of its involvement in other professional sports The club competes in basketball volleyball handball track sport table tennis and track cycling Al Ahli is also known for its involvement in cultural activities and community services Al Ahli Drama club established in 1981 to promote Emirati arts and theatrical plays focusing on UAE tradition heritage and current events Relationship with La Liga EditIn 2016 Al Ahli became the first foreign club to sign a partnership agreement with La Liga that is the first of its kind for both the renowned professional Spanish league and the Arabian Gulf League leaders The signing of the agreement which was staged at La Liga s headquarters marks the beginning of a linkup in which La Liga s experience will be used to support Dubai s leading club in its development especially a training program from youth coaches in Spain will be applied The club s junior sides will gain invitations to leading tournaments there providing the opportunity to gain valuable experience playing top class opposition 8 Pro League record EditSeason Lvl Tms Pos President s Cup League Cup2017 18 1 12 5th Semi Finals Semi Finals2018 19 1 14 2nd Champions Champions2019 20a 1 14 1st Quarter Finals Runner ups2020 21 1 14 3rd Champions Champions2021 22 1 14 5th Quarter Finals Runner upsNotes 2019 20 UAE football season was cancelled due to the COVID 19 pandemic in the United Arab Emirates Key Pos Position Tms Number of teams Lvl LeagueClub officials EditPosition StaffManager Leonardo JardimAssistant Manager Hassan AlabdoliFirst Team Coach Sergi RosaGoalkeeper Coach Christopher Guilhem De SalesFitness Trainer Marco VagoTherapist Maharzad Kaneani Kristijan NadnikPhysioterapist Mohamed Salah EldinMasseur Vasile ClofuSpecialist Director Tomislav CeroveckiTeam Manager Mohamed Ahmed IbrahimManager Khaled Alkaabi Ahmed Ali ShahCurrent squad EditAs of UAE Pro League No Position Player Nation1 GK Jamal Al Hosani United Arab Emirates2 DF Salmeen Khamis United Arab Emirates4 DF Mohammed Marzooq United Arab Emirates5 DF Walid Abbas United Arab Emirates6 MF Azizjon Ganiev Uzbekistan7 MF Ahmad Nourollahi Iran8 DF Hamdan Al Kamali United Arab Emirates9 DF Abdulaziz Haikal United Arab Emirates10 MF Federico Cartabia Argentina11 MF Harib Abdalla U21 United Arab Emirates12 GK Hassan Hamza United Arab Emirates13 DF Renan Brazil15 MF Abdullah Al Naqbi United Arab Emirates16 MF Marwan Fahad United Arab Emirates17 FW Omar Khribin on loan from Al Wahda Syria18 MF Abdulaziz Mohammed U21 United Arab Emirates19 MF Khaled Al Asbahi U21 Yemen20 DF Yousif Jaber United Arab Emirates21 MF Saoud Abdulrazaq United Arab Emirates22 GK Sulaiman Al Hosani U21 United Arab Emirates23 DF Sultan Fayez United Arab Emirates24 MF Sultan Ali U21 United Arab Emirates26 MF Eid Khamis United Arab Emirates27 MF Khalid Mubarak United Arab Emirates30 MF Mohammed Jumaa United Arab Emirates35 MF Hamdan Humaid U21 United Arab Emirates37 DF Ahmed Abdulla United Arab Emirates39 MF Gustavo U21 Brazil44 DF Abdulrahman Adel U21 United Arab Emirates45 DF Muhammad Atiq U21 United Arab Emirates55 GK Majed Naser United Arab Emirates57 MF Yuri Cesar Brazil61 DF Bader Nassr U21 United Arab Emirates64 DF Jason Denayer Belgium67 MF Mahamud Karimu U21 Ghana68 MF Amer Khalifa U21 United Arab Emirates70 FW Yahya Al Ghassani United Arab Emirates77 FW Guilherme Bala Brazil92 MF Caio Eduardo U21 United Arab Emirates96 GK Rayed Reda United Arab Emirates98 FW Cheickna Doumbia U21 Mali99 FW Igor Jesus BrazilUnregistered players Edit No Position Player Nation29 DF Omar Ahmed Salem United Arab Emirates88 DF Bogdan Planic Serbia DF Ismael Khaled United Arab Emirates FW Abdalla Abdulrahman United Arab EmiratesOut on loan Edit No Position Player Nation25 MF Ahmed Jshak on loan to Ittihad Kalba Comoros60 DF Hamdan Nasser on loan to Al Bataeh United Arab Emirates50 DF Saeed Suleiman on loan to Ajman United Arab Emirates90 DF Kayque Campos on loan to Al Bataeh Brazil DF Sebil Saleh on loan to Dibba Al Fujairah United Arab Emirates MF Leandro Spadacio on loan to Ittihad Kalba Brazil FW Mehdi Ghayedi on loan to Esteghlal Iran FW Moussa Kone on loan to Al Arabi MaliShabab Al Ahli from Board Of Directors EditSheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum President Sheikh Maktoum Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum Vice President Sheikh Ahmed Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum Chairman Sheikh Mansour Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum Deputy ChairmanBoard members Edit Khalifa Sulaiman Sami Al Qamzi Mohammed Al Gergawi Essam Al Humaidan Mohammed Ahmed Al Marri Hisham Abdullah Al Qassem Abdullah Mohammed Al Basti Ahmed Mohammed bin HumaidanShabab Al Ahli Football Company Board Directors Edit Sheikh Mansour Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum Chairman Sami Al Qamzi Deputy ChairmanBoard Members Edit Abdul Majeed Hussain Ibrahim Abdul Malik Khalid Buhumaid Jamal Al Mehairi Ali Al Habsi Saeed RashidHonours Edit28 Official 9 Championships Domestic Competitions Edit UAE Pro League 7Champions 1974 75 1975 76 1979 80 2005 06 2008 09 2013 14 2015 16 dd UAE President s Cup 10 Record Champions 1974 75 1976 77 1987 88 1995 96 2001 02 2003 04 2007 08 2012 13 2018 19 2020 21 dd UAE League Cup 5 Record Champions 2011 12 2013 14 2016 17 2018 19 2020 21 dd UAE Super Cup 5Champions 2009 2013 2014 2016 2020 dd Continental competitions Edit AFC Champions League Runners up 1 2015 dd Friendly competitions Edit Emirati Moroccan Friendship Super Cup Winners 1 2016 dd See Al Shabab SC and Dubai CSC for respective club championships References Edit محمــد بن راشد يأمر بدمج الشبـاب ودبي مع الأهلي في كيان واحد البيان in Arabic 17 May 2017 Retrieved 4 September 2017 Al Shabab Al Ahli and Dubai Club merge gulfnews com Retrieved 2019 06 01 The 10 greatest foreign players to grace UAE football part II 5 1 The National 11 November 2015 Retrieved 2019 06 01 Al Ahli 0 2 Auckland City ESPN 2009 12 09 Retrieved 2009 12 15 a b Al Ahli Sports Club www alahliclub ae Retrieved 2016 05 01 Shabab Al Ahli beat Al Wahda 3 1 in extra time to win fourth Arabian Gulf Cup Sport 360 Retrieved 23 March 2019 Shabab Al Ahli crowned President s Cup champions gulftoday Retrieved 22 April 2019 Al Ahli football club sign ground breaking agreement with Spain s La Liga through 2018 The National www thenational ae Retrieved 2016 05 01 ONLY Al Ahli since rebranding championships are countedExternal links Edit Wikimedia Commons has media related to Al Ahli Dubai Official website Soccerway Profile Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Shabab Al Ahli Club amp oldid 1135414506, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
