Al-Arabi SC (Qatar) facts for kids
 |
|||
| Full name | Al-Arabi Sports Club (Arabic: النادي العربي الرياضي) |
||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Fareeg Al-Ahlam (The Dream Team) Century Club in Qatar |
||
| Short name | ARB | ||
| Founded | 1 April 1952 | ||
| Ground | Al Thumama Stadium | ||
| Capacity | 44,400 | ||
| President | Sheikh Tamim Bin Fahad Al Thani | ||
| Head coach | Anthony Hudson | ||
| League | Qatar Stars League | ||
| 2023–24 | Qatar Stars League, 5th of 12 | ||
|
|
|||
| Al Arabi's active sections | ||
|---|---|---|
 Football |
 Basketball |
 Handball |
_pictogram.svg){kind=small} Volleyball |
 Futsal |
Reserves |
Al-Arabi Sports Club (Arabic: النادي العربي الرياضي) is a famous Qatari sports club. It is located in Doha, the capital city of Qatar. The club was started in 1952.
The most well-known team at Al-Arabi is its football team. They play in the Qatar Stars League, which is the top football league in Qatar. The team's home stadium is Al Thumama Stadium, which can hold 44,400 fans. They have played there since 2023.
Al-Arabi first won a major trophy in 1978, the Emir of Qatar Cup. They had a very successful time in the 1980s and 1990s. During these two decades, they won 17 big trophies. This included seven league titles and eight Emir of Qatar Cups.
The team's main colours are red shirts and shorts with red socks. Their logo has a ceremonial falcon. Al-Arabi is known for having the biggest fan base in Qatar. A survey showed that 41% of Qatari football fans support Al-Arabi. They are the second most successful club in Qatar, after Al-Sadd. People call them "The Dream Team" or "The Red Devils".
Contents
History of Al-Arabi Sports Club
How Al-Arabi Started (1952–1990)
The club began in 1952 and was first called "Al-Tahrir". This makes it the second oldest football team in Qatar. In 1957, Al-Tahrir joined with another club called Al-Wehda. They decided to use the name Al-Wehda for a while.
In 1972, the club changed its name to its current one, Al-Arabi. The first president of the club was Ahmed Ali Ahmed Al-Ansari. Al-Arabi became very popular in Qatar and other nearby countries. Their fame grew even more when famous Argentine player Gabriel Batistuta joined in 2003.
The Golden Era (1990–2000)
The 1990s were a fantastic time for Al-Arabi. The team was often called "The Dream Team." They had amazing players like Mubarak Mustafa, who is one of Qatar's best footballers ever. The team was very strong and won the Qatari league five times in ten years.
They also did well in international games. In 1995, they finished second in the AFC Champions League. This is a big competition for clubs in Asia. They also won their first Heir Apparent Cup in 1997.
A Period of Challenges (2000–2011)
After the year 2000, Al-Arabi's performance became less strong. This might have been because some key players, like Mubarak Mustafa, left the team. Other local clubs also became much stronger. In 2002, Al-Arabi finished 7th in the league, which was their lowest spot at that time.
When Gabriel Batistuta joined in 2003, there was some hope. The team did better for a short time. However, they later finished 9th in 2007, which was a new low. They did not win any major trophies in Qatar during this period. They also lost a game to Al-Sadd by a score of 7-0, which was their biggest loss ever.
Recent Times (2011–Present)
The start of the 2011–12 season looked promising for Al-Arabi. They won their first trophy in 13 years, the 2011 Sheikh Jassim Cup. But then, they had many bad results in the league. This led to their coach being replaced.
They also played in the 2012 AFC Champions League. Unfortunately, they were the first team to be knocked out. They lost every game in the group stage. After this, the club's director of football, Mubarak Mustafa, left. The club's budget was also reduced.
Al-Arabi Fans Club
The Al-Arabi Fans Club was started on October 21, 2015. Its goal is to help fans come up with new ways to support all of the club's sports teams. On the day the fan club was created, the club gave the number 1 jersey to the fans. This was a special way to show how important the fans are to the club. The club has the largest fan base in Qatar.
Stadium
The club's main stadium used to be Grand Hamad Stadium. It is also known as the Al-Arabi Sports Club Stadium. This stadium can hold 13,000 people. It was used for many different sports during the 2006 Asian Games.
The Iraq national football team and the Qatar national football team also played some of their games there. However, in 2023, the Al-Arabi team moved to Al Thumama Stadium. This new stadium is much bigger, with a capacity of 44,400 seats.
Rivalries
Al-Rayyan Rivalry
Al-Rayyan and Al-Arabi are known for having the most passionate fans in Qatar. Because of this, their matches are called the "Fans Derby." It's a very exciting game for supporters of both teams.
Head-to-head (1994-2017)
| Head-to-head | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Competition | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | ||
| Qatar Stars League | 49 | 11 | 17 | 21 | 63 | 88 | −25 | ||
| Sheikh Jassem Cup | 4 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 8 | 2 | +6 | ||
| Emir Cup | 6 | 2 | 1 | 3 | 9 | 10 | −1 | ||
| Crown Prince Cup | 7 | 1 | 1 | 5 | 6 | 16 | −10 | ||
| Reserve League | 5 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 12 | 15 | −3 | ||
| Qatar Stars Cup | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | −2 | ||
| Total | 72 | 18 | 21 | 33 | 98 | 133 | −35 | ||
Al-Sadd Rivalry
The games between Al-Arabi and Al-Sadd are the biggest matches of the season. These two teams are the most successful in Qatar. For some fans, winning this derby is even more important than winning the league! This rivalry is a big part of Qatar's sports culture.
Al-Arabi was once seen as the club for working-class people. Al-Sadd was thought to be for people from higher social classes. Over time, these differences between the fan groups became less important.
Head-to-head (1996-2017)
| Head-to-head | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Competition | P | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | ||
| Qatar Stars League | 49 | 13 | 12 | 24 | 54 | 91 | −37 | ||
| Sheikh Jassem Cup | 6 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 8 | 13 | −5 | ||
| Emir Cup | 11 | 3 | 2 | 6 | 11 | 17 | −6 | ||
| Crown Prince Cup | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 0 | ||
| Reserve League | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 11 | 11 | 0 | ||
| Qatar Stars Cup | 4 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 8 | 12 | −4 | ||
| Total | 78 | 21 | 18 | 39 | 95 | 147 | −52 | ||
Shirt Sponsors and Manufacturers
| Period | Kit manufacture | Shirt main sponsor | Shirt sub sponsor |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000–2001 |  Grand Sport |
Doha Bank |
None |
| 2001–2002 |  Adidas |
None | |
| 2002–2003" | None | ||
| 2003–2004 |  Erreà |
None | |
| 2004–2005" | Grand Sport |
None | None |
| 2005–2006 | None | None | |
| 2006–2007 | Adidas |
Doha Bank |
None |
| 2007–2008 |  Burrda Sport |
None | None |
| 2008–2009 | None | None | |
| 2009–2010 | QPM | Salman & brother & Al Rayan Bank | |
| 2010–2011 | Salman & brother | ||
| 2011–2012 | Adidas |
||
| 2012–2013 | None | ||
| 2013–2017 | None | None | |
| 2017–2018 | Burrda Sport |
None | None |
| 2018–2019 | Puma |
None | None |
| 2019-2021 |
Doha Bank |
Sharq Insurance & Dreama |
|
| 2021 – 2022 |
Sharq Insurance & Dreama & Snoonu |
||
| 2022 – 2023 |
Snoonu |
||
| 2023 – Present | Adidas |
Doha Bank |
None |
Honours and Achievements
International Titles
- Asian Club Championship
- Runners-up (1): 1994–95 (Finished second in Asia!)
Regional Titles
- Qatar–UAE Super Cup
- Winners (1): 2023–24
Domestic Titles (in Qatar)
- Qatar Stars League (Top League)
- Champions (7): 1982–83, 1984–85, 1990–91, 1992–93, 1993–94, 1995–96, 1996–97
- Emir of Qatar Cup
- Champions (9): 1977–78, 1978–79, 1979–80, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1988–89, 1989–90, 1992–93, 2022–23
- Qatar Crown Prince Cup
- Champions (1): 1997
- Qatar FA Cup
- Champions (1) : 2021–22
- Qatar Sheikh Jassem Cup
- Champions (6): 1980, 1982, 1994, 2008, 2010, 2011
League Performance Over Time
Al-Arabi in International Competitions
Asian Football Competitions
- Asian Club Championship: 5 times
- 1995: Runners-up (finished second)
- Asian Cup Winners' Cup: 2 times
- 1993–94: Semi-final (reached the top 4)
- AFC Champions League: 2 times
- 2012: Group stage
- 2023: 2nd Qualifying Round
Gulf Club Champions Cup (AGCFF)
- Gulf Club Champions Cup: 11 times
- 1986: Runners-up (finished second)
- 1993: 3rd place
Arab Football Competitions (UAFA)
- Arab Cup Winners' Cup: 2 times
- Arab Club Champions Cup: 2 times
- 1992: Runners-up (finished second)
Players
Current Squad
|
|
Players on Loan
These players are still part of Al-Arabi but are playing for other teams for a while.
|
|
Club Staff
These are some of the people who help run the club and coach the teams. Last updated: April 2019.
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Position | Staff |
|---|---|
| President | Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad bin Jaber Al-Thani |
| general secretary | Talal Al-Kuwari |
| Director General | Faleh Al Hader |
Last updated: 8 October 2011
Source: Board of Directors
Images for kids
-
Al-Arabi SC logo
-
Football pictogram
-
Basketball pictogram
-
Handball pictogram
-
Volleyball pictogram
-
Futsal pictogram
-
Trophy
-
Note
See also
In Spanish: Al-Arabi SC (Catar) para niños
