Shabab Al Ahli Club facts for kids
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| Full name | Shabab Al Ahli | ||
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| Nickname(s) | Al Fursan Al Humur (The Red Knights) | ||
| Founded | 1958 | ||
| Ground | Rashid Stadium, Dubai | ||
| Capacity | 12,052 | ||
| Owner | Hamdan Al Maktoum | ||
| Chairman | Ahmed Al Maktoum | ||
| Head coach | Paulo Sousa | ||
| League | UAE Pro League | ||
| 2023–24 | 2nd | ||
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Shabab Al Ahli Club is a professional football team from Dubai, United Arab Emirates. They play in the UAE Pro League, which is the top football league in the UAE. The club is known as one of the most successful teams in the country.
Shabab Al Ahli has won many important titles. They have won the league 8 times and the UAE President's Cup a record 10 times. They also have 6 UAE Super Cup titles and 5 ADIB Cup titles. In total, they have won 31 major trophies, making them the second most successful team in the UAE and the most successful in Dubai. The International Federation of Football History & Statistics (IFFHS) ranks them as the 7th best club in Asia and 110th in the world.
In 2017, two other Dubai clubs, Dubai CSC and Al Shabab, joined with Al Ahli FC to form the new club, Shabab Al Ahli FC.
Contents
Club History: How Shabab Al Ahli Started
The Beginning of Al Ahli Club
The Al Ahli club was first created in 1970. Two local football teams, Al Wehdah and Al Shabab (which started in 1958), decided to join together. This happened after they went to a training camp in Egypt. They formed one club under their first president, H.E. Nasser Abdulla Hussain Lootah. Four years later, another local team called Al Najah also joined them. This completed the formation of Al Ahli Club.
The name "Al Ahli" means "domestic" or "national" in Arabic. The club quickly became successful. They won three UAE Arabian Gulf League titles in the 1970s. Later, they won more titles in 2006, 2009, 2014, 2016, and 2023.
Early Success and Challenges (1973–1980)
Just four years after it began, Al Ahli won the UAE Arabian Gulf League twice in a row, in 1974-75 and 1975-76. They won it a third time in 1979-80, which meant they got to keep the league trophy forever! This successful team was led by coach Mohamed Shehta. Famous players like Hassan Nazari and Hassan Roshan were part of this team. They also won three President's Cup titles during this time. Al Ahli has always been one of the most popular sports teams in the UAE.
However, the club faced some tough times for a few decades. They even dropped to the second division in 1995–96. This happened in a dramatic match against their rival, Al Shabab. Al Ahli only needed one point to stay in the first division but lost the game. That same year, Al Shabab won the league title. Despite this, Al Ahli still managed to win the President's Cup that year.
The club started to get back on top under the new leadership of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. They won their fourth league title in 2006. In the years that followed, Al Ahli continued to be very successful, winning 6 more President's Cups. In the early 2000s, the famous Iranian player Ali Karimi played for Al Ahli. He was the league's top scorer in 2003-04 and was named Asian footballer of the year in 2004.
Playing in the FIFA Club World Cup (2009)
Because Al Ahli won the 2008–09 UAE Pro-League, they got to play in the 2009 FIFA Club World Cup. This big tournament was held in Abu Dhabi in December 2009. Al Ahli played one game in the competition but lost 0–2 to Auckland City.
Rising to the Top Again
The club truly started to shine again around 2010. With Abdullah Al Naboodah leading, the team slowly got stronger. Famous international players like Fabio Cannavaro, Grafite, and Ricardo Quaresma joined talented local players such as Ahmed Khalil and Ismael Al Hammadi. In 2012, Al Ahli won the UAE President's Cup and the Arabian Gulf Cup.
When Romanian football manager Cosmin Olaroiu arrived in 2013, it set the stage for an amazing 2013–14 season. Al Ahli played incredibly well in the league and won their 6th title. They even set a record for the most points ever in a league season (62). They also won the Arabian Gulf Cup and two Arabian Gulf Super Cups (2013–14, 2014–15). The next year, they reached the 2015 AFC Champions League Final. They lost narrowly to the Chinese team Guangzhou Evergrande by a total score of 1–0 over two games. In 2015, Al Ahli's own forward, Ahmed Khalil, won the prestigious Asian Footballer of the Year award. In 2016, they won their 7th domestic league title with two matches still left to play.
The Big Merger in 2017
In 2017, a big change happened. The clubs Dubai CSC and Al Shabab joined with Al-Ahli FC to create the new club, Shabab Al Ahli FC. This merger was a big deal because it brought together the success of rival clubs. It also meant the new club couldn't play in the AFC Champions League for the first three years. This is because a club needs to exist for three years to get an AFC license. However, the new team quickly found success. They won the League Cup and President's Cup in 2019.
Team Logo and Nickname
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2017–Present
The first logo for Al Ahli had a falcon on top of a football with the words "Al Ahli Club." In 2006, the club changed its nickname to "Red Knights." The logo also changed to a horse head shape with the letters "AC" (for Al Ahli Club) on top. This new logo shows strength and high spirits, matching their new nickname.
After the merger in 2017 with Dubai CSC and Al Shabab, a new logo was created for Shabab Al-Ahli.
Home Stadiums
Rashid Stadium is the main home ground for Shabab Al-Ahli. It is a stadium in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, named after Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum. It is mostly used for football and Rugby games. The stadium can hold 12,000 people and was built in 1948.
After the merger in 2017, Shabab Al Ahli also uses Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum Stadium and Al Aweer Stadium as second and third home grounds.
Team Rivalries
Shabab Al Ahli has a growing rivalry with Al Ain. These two clubs often competed for championships in the 1970s and even more so after 2010. Today, both teams are seen as top teams in the UAE. Matches between them are usually very exciting.
Al Nasr and Al Wasl are also local rivals. They are all based in Dubai and compete to be known as the best team in the city.
Other Sports at the Club
Shabab Al Ahli is also known as Al Ahli Castle because it has many other professional sports teams. The club has teams in basketball, volleyball, handball, track sports, table tennis, and track cycling.
The club also takes part in cultural activities and helps the community. The Al Ahli Drama club started in 1981. It helps promote Emirati arts and plays that focus on UAE traditions, heritage, and current events. The club's beach soccer team won the UAE championship in 2021.
Partnership with La Liga
In 2016, Al Ahli made history by becoming the first non-Spanish club to sign a partnership agreement with La Liga. La Liga is Spain's top football league. This agreement means La Liga will share its experience to help Shabab Al Ahli grow. This includes training programs for youth coaches from Spain. Also, the club's younger teams will get invitations to big tournaments in Spain. This gives them a chance to play against top teams and gain valuable experience.
Club Honours
Shabab Al Ahli has won 30 Official Championships!
Local Competitions
- UAE Pro League: 8 times
- Champions: 1974–75, 1975–76, 1979–80, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2013–14, 2015–16, 2022–23
- UAE President's Cup: 10 times (A record!)
- Champions: 1974–75, 1976–77, 1987–88, 1995–96, 2001–02, 2003–04, 2007–08, 2012–13, 2018–19, 2020–21
- UAE League Cup: 5 times (A record!)
- Champions: 2011–12, 2013–14, 2016–17, 2018–19, 2020–21
- UAE Super Cup: 6 times (A record!)
- Champions: 2009, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2020, 2023
Regional Competitions
- Qatar–UAE Super Shield: 1 time (A record!)
- Champions: 2023–24
- Emirati-Moroccan Super Cup: 1 time
- Champions: 2016
Continental Competitions
- AFC Champions League
- Runners-up (1): 2015
- See: Al Shabab SC and Dubai CSC, for their past club championships.
Images for kids
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Mohammed Shehta in the middle, the first manager for Al Ahli Club in early 70s.
