Al-Arabi SC (Qatar) facts for kids
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| Full name | Al-Arabi Sports Club (Arabic: النادي العربي الرياضي) |
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| Nickname(s) | Fareeg Al-Ahlam (The Dream Team) Century Club in Qatar |
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| Short name | ARB | ||
| Founded | 1 April 1952 | ||
| Ground | Al Thumama Stadium | ||
| Capacity | 44,400 | ||
| President | Sheikh Tamim Bin Fahad Al Thani | ||
| Head coach | Pablo Amo | ||
| League | Qatar Stars League | ||
| 2024–25 | Qatar Stars League, 9th of 12 | ||
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| Al Arabi's active sections | ||
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 Football |
 Basketball |
 Handball |
_pictogram.svg){kind=small} Volleyball |
 Futsal |
Reserves |
Al-Arabi Sports Club (Arabic: النادي العربي الرياضي) is a famous sports club from Doha, the capital city of Qatar. It was started in 1952. The most well-known part of the club is its football team. This team plays in the top league in Qatar, called the Qatar Stars League.
Al-Arabi's home stadium is the Al Thumama Stadium. It can hold 44,400 fans. The team has played there since 2023. Al-Arabi first became very successful in 1978. They won the Emir of Qatar Cup. They then won many more titles in the 1980s and 1990s. This was their best time, winning 17 major trophies.
The club has won seven league titles in Qatar. They also won the Emir of Qatar Cup eight times. They have one Qatar Crown Prince Cup and six Qatar Sheikh Jassem Cups. In April 2023, they won their first international trophy, the Qatar X UAE Super Cup. They beat Sharjah FC in that match.
Al-Arabi's main uniform colors are red shirts and shorts with red socks. Their club badge has changed over time. The current badge shows a falcon. Fans call Al-Arabi the "Dream Team," "The Red Devils," and "Century Club." They have the biggest fan base in Qatar. A survey by the AFC showed that 41% of Qatari fans support Al-Arabi. They are the second most successful club in Qatar, after Al-Sadd.
Contents
Club History: From Early Days to Glory
How Al-Arabi Started (1952–1990)
The club began in 1952 as "Al-Tahrir." This makes them the second oldest team in Qatar. In 1957, Al-Tahrir joined with another club called Al-Wehda. They decided to use the name Al-Wehda. Back then, the club did not have much money. They could not play outside Qatar or host foreign teams.
In 1972, the club changed its name to Al-Arabi. Ahmed Ali Ahmed Al-Ansari was the first president. Al-Arabi became very popular in Qatar and other Gulf countries. Their success and famous players made them known worldwide. In 2003, the famous Argentine player Gabriel Batistuta joined. This made their popularity even bigger.
The International Federation of Football History & Statistics ranked Al-Arabi. They were 14th in the poll for the best Asian Club of the Century (1901–2000).
Founding Members
Many people helped start the club.
- From Al-Wehda:
* Ahmed Ali Ahmed Al-Ansari * Sultan Abdullah Al-Jaber * Ahmad Yousef Saie * Mohammad Ali Ahmed Al-Ansari * Mullah Mohammed Abdulrahman * Sultan Said Ali * Faraj Said
- From Al-Tahrir:
* Mubarak Mohammed Al Othman Al Khulaifi * Abdullah Mohammed Al Othman Al Khulaifi * Mohammed Saleh Al Hitmi * Salem Bakhit Ghurery * Khalifa Al Hitmi * Hitmi Bin Ahmed Al-Hitmi
The Golden Era (1990–2000)
The 1990s were a fantastic time for Al-Arabi. The team was known as the "Dream Team." Players like Marco Antônio and Richard Owebukeri were top scorers. Mubarak Mustafa was also a key player. Many people think he 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 internationally. In 1995, they were runners-up in the AFC Champions League. They won their first Heir Apparent cup in 1997.
Tough Times (2000–2011)
The new century brought a difficult period for Al-Arabi. Key players like Mubarak Mustafa left. Other local clubs also became stronger. In 2002, Al-Arabi finished 7th in the league. This was their lowest position since they started playing in the Qatar Stars League.
When Gabriel Batistuta joined in 2003, there was some hope. The team finished higher in the league. However, by the end of the 2007 season, they finished 9th. This was a new low for the club. They did not win any major trophies during this time. They also had their biggest loss ever against Al-Sadd, losing 7–0. This led to their coach, Cabralzinho, being fired.
In 2006, there was a change in leadership. Sheikh Faisal bin Mubarak became the new president.
Recent Challenges (2011–Present)
The start of the 2011–12 season looked promising. Al-Arabi won their first trophy in 13 years. They beat Umm Salal SC in the final of the 2011 Sheikh Jassem Cup. But then, they had many bad results in the league. Their coach, Paulo Silas, was let go.
They also played in the 2012 AFC Champions League. They were the first team to be knocked out. During this time, the club changed coaches three times in three months. They became the first Qatari team since 2007 to lose every group stage match. Because of this, the club's football director, Mubarak Mustafa, left. The club president, Dr. Abdullah al-Mal, also retired from sports. Hitme bin Ali Al-Hitmi took over as president. The club's budget was also reduced.
Al-Arabi also missed out on qualifying for the AFC Champions League for the 2023-24 season. This was a big disappointment.
Al-Arabi Fans Club
The Al-Arabi Fans Club started on October 21, 2015. Its goal is to find new ways for fans to support the club's teams. On that day, the club gave the number 1 jersey to the fans. This showed how important the fans are to the club. Captain Masoud Zeraei gave up his jersey number for this. Al-Arabi has the largest fan base in Qatar. The fans club also helps unite supporters. The "Fans Derby" against Al-Rayyan is always a big event.
Home Stadium
The main stadium for Al-Arabi is Al Thumama Stadium. Before 2023, their home was Grand Hamad Stadium. Grand Hamad Stadium is also known as the Al-Arabi Sports Club Stadium. It can hold 13,000 people. This stadium was used for many sports during the 2006 Asian Games. The Iraq national football team and Qatar national football team also played some of their games there. In 2023, Al-Arabi moved to Al Thumama Stadium because it is much bigger, with a capacity of 44,400.
Big Rivalries
Al-Rayyan
Al-Rayyan and Al-Arabi have the most passionate fans in Qatar. Their matches are called the "Fans Derby." This derby is a big cultural event. People from all over Qatar watch the game, even if they don't support either team.
Match History (1994-2017)
| Head-to-head | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Competition | Played | Wins | Draws | Losses | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | ||
| 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
Matches between Al-Arabi and Al-Sadd are the biggest games 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 derby is a key part of Qatar's culture.
Al-Arabi was once seen as the club for working-class people. Al-Sadd was thought to be for upper-class supporters. However, this difference between their fan bases has become less important over time.
Memorable Matches
Bold means Al-Arabi won.
Season  |
Result | Competition  |
Notes  |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1981–82 | 0–1 | Emir Cup | |
| 1985–86 | 1–0 | Emir Cup | |
| 1992–93 | 2–0 | Emir Cup | |
| 1995–96 | 0–0 | Qatar Stars League | Al Arabi crowned champions. |
| 2009–10 | 3–3 | Qatar Stars League | Al Sadd came back from 3–0 down to deny Al Arabi an ACL spot. |
Match History (1996-2017)
| Head-to-head | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Competition | Played | Wins | Draws | Losses | Goals For | Goals Against | Goal Difference | ||
| 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 | ||
Team Sponsors and Kit Makers
| 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 |
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| 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 |
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| 2021 – 2022 |
Sharq Insurance & Dreama & Snoonu |
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| 2022 – 2023 |
Snoonu |
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| 2023 – Present | Adidas |
Doha Bank |
Snoonu |
Al Khaleej Takaful
Club Achievements
International Titles
- Asian Club Championship
- Runners-up (1): 1994–95
Regional Titles
- Qatar–UAE Super Cup
- Winners (1): 2023–24
Local Titles in Qatar
- Qatar Stars 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
Playing in Asian Competitions
Al-Arabi has played in several competitions organized by the AFC.
- Asian Club Championship: 5 times
- 1987: Reached the Group stage (Top 8 teams)
- 1993: Played in the Qualifying – 1st round
- 1995: Finished as Runners-up
- 1996: Reached the Group stage (Top 8 teams)
- 1999: Played in the First Round
- Asian Cup Winners' Cup: 2 times
- 1990–91: Reached the Second Round
- 1993–94: Reached the Semi-final
- AFC Champions League Elite: 2 times
- 2012: Played in the Group stage
- 2023: Played in the 2nd Qualifying Round
Playing in Gulf Competitions
Al-Arabi has also competed in tournaments for clubs in the Gulf region.
- Gulf Club Champions Cup: 11 times
- 1983: Played in the Group stage
- 1986: Finished as Runners-up
- 1993: Finished 3rd
- 1995: Finished 3rd
- 1996: Finished 6th
- 1998: Finished 5th
- 1999: Finished 4th
- 2002: Played in the Group stage
- 2006: Played in the Group stage
- 2011: Reached the Quarter-finals
- 2015: Played in the Group stage
Playing in Arab Competitions
The club has also taken part in competitions for Arab football clubs.
- Arab Cup Winners' Cup: 2 times
- 1991: Played in the Group stage
- 1995: Played in the Group stage
- Arab Club Champions Cup: 2 times
- 1987: Played in the Group stage
- 1992: Finished as Runners-up
Current Players
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Club Staff
Coaching and Admin Teams
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Club Leaders
Club Presidents
Meqbel bin Ali Al-Hitmi (1972–76)- Abdulrahman Al Jaber Muftah (1976–78)
- Sultan Khaled Al-Suwaidi (1978–88)
- Dr. Abdullah Yusuf Al-Mal (1988–00)
- Sheikh Jassim bin Fahad bin Jassim Al-Thani (2000–01)
- Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad bin Jaber Al-Thani (2001–02)
- Sheikh Falah bin Jassim Al-Thani (2002–06)
- Sheikh Faisal bin Mubarak Al-Thani (2006–09)
- Dr. Abdullah Yusuf Al-Mal (2009–12)
- Hitmi bin Ali Al-Hitmi (2012–2016)
- Sheikh Khalifa bin Hamad bin Jaber Al-Thani (2016–2020)
- Sheikh Tamim bin Fahad bin Jaber Al-Thani (2020–)
See also
In Spanish: Al-Arabi SC (Catar) para niños
