Al-Talaba SC facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Al-Talaba

Full name	Al-Talaba Sports Club
Nickname(s)	Al-Aneeq (The Elegant)
Founded	17 December 1969; 55 years ago (1969-12-17) (as Jami'at Baghdad)
Ground	Al-Madina Stadium (league) Al-Talaba Stadium (cup)
Ground Capacity	32,000 (league) 10,000 (cup)
President	Salah Hadi Al-Fatlawi
Coach	Basim Qasim
League	Iraq Stars League
2023–24	Iraq Stars League, 8th of 20
Home colours Away colours

Al-Talaba Sports Club (which means 'Students Sports Club' in Arabic) is a professional sports club from Baghdad, Iraq. Their football team plays in the Iraq Stars League, which is the top football league in Iraq.

The club started in 1969. It was first called Al-Jamiea, but later became known as Al-Talaba in 1978. Their main stadium is Al-Talaba Stadium.

Al-Talaba is one of Iraq's most successful teams. They have won the league title five times, with their most recent win in the 2001–02 season. They have also won two FA Cups, one Super Cup, and three Umm al-Ma'arik Championships. In international competitions, they finished fourth in the 1986 Asian Club Championship and second in the 1995 Asian Cup Winners' Cup.

The club used to be owned by the National Union of Iraqi Students. Since 1993, it has been connected to the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research. The minister is the club's honorary president.

Club History

Early Days (1961–1978)

In 1961, the University of Baghdad created a football team. It was called Montakhab Jami'at Baghdad (University of Baghdad Select XI). This team played in a second-tier league in Baghdad. Their first game was on February 22, 1961, where they lost 2–1.

On December 17, 1969, the team officially became Jami'at Baghdad and joined the Iraq Football Association (IFA) league system. In their first season (1970–71), they won the second-tier league and moved up to the top division. However, they were relegated back down in the 1971–72 season.

Later, the team changed its name to Al-Jamiea Sports Club. In the 1974–75 season, they earned promotion to the top division again. In their first season in the top league (1975–76), they finished eighth. The next season (1976–77), Al-Jamiea finished as runners-up, just behind Al-Zawra'a.

Becoming Al-Talaba (1978–1980)

On December 27, 1977, a new club called Al-Talaba Sports Club was formed. It was under the same organization as Al-Jamiea. In 1978, the Ministry of Youth and Sports decided to combine the two clubs. The new combined club took the name Al-Talaba and kept Al-Jamiea's spot in the top division.

In their first season as Al-Talaba (1978–79), the team finished third in the league. This was an improvement from the previous season. Two Al-Talaba players, Hussein Saeed and Haris Mohammed, were among the top goalscorers. In 1979, Al-Talaba represented Iraq in a university sports event in Mexico, finishing 17th.

In the 1979–80 season, Al-Talaba finished third again. They reached the FA Cup final for the first time but lost to Al-Jaish in a penalty shootout.

Golden Years (1980–1986)

Under the famous coach Ammo Baba, Al-Talaba won their first league title in the 1980–81 season. They tied on points with Al-Shorta but won the title because they had more wins. Hussein Saeed was the league's top scorer with eleven goals.

Al-Talaba won the league again in the 1981–82 season, led by Jamal Salih. They finished two points ahead of Al-Tayaran. In the 1982–83 season, they finished second, just one point behind Salahaddin FC. Hussein Saeed was the top scorer that season with 17 goals.

In 1984, Al-Talaba won their first international club competition, the Stafford Challenge Cup, in India. In the 1985–86 season, Al-Talaba surprised everyone by winning their third league title. They finished two points ahead of the strong team Al-Rasheed. A key moment was their 1–0 win against Al-Rasheed on December 27, 1985, with a penalty goal from Hussein Saeed. Al-Talaba also played in the 1986 Asian Club Championship but finished last in the final round.

Ups and Downs (1986–1992)

After their golden years, Al-Talaba faced some challenges. They finished sixth in the 1986–87 league and eighth in the 1987–88 season due to many coaching changes.

In the 1988–89 season, Al-Talaba improved under coach Jamal Ali. They reached the league final but lost to their rivals, Al-Rasheed, in a penalty shootout. The 1989–90 season was Hussein Saeed's last with Al-Talaba before he retired. The team finished sixth. In the 1990–91 season, with their first foreign coach, Eddie Firmani, they finished second.

In the 1991–92 season, Al-Talaba finished fourth. They also took part in the first Umm al-Ma'arik Championship, a special tournament for top teams. They finished third in that competition.

Stability and Asian Success (1992–2001)

The 1992–93 season was very long, with clubs playing 69 matches. Al-Talaba, coached by Ayoub Odisho, finished at the top of the league with 110 points, scoring 130 goals. They also won their first Umm al-Ma'arik Championship by beating Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya in the final. They almost won a "treble" (three major trophies) but lost the FA Cup final to Al-Zawra'a.

In the 1993–94 season, Al-Talaba finished third in the league. They won their second Umm al-Ma'arik Championship by defeating Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya again. However, they lost to Al-Zawra'a in the FA Cup final once more.

In the 1995–96 season, Al-Talaba won their third Umm al-Ma'arik Championship. They also represented Iraq in the 1995 Asian Cup Winners' Cup. They had a great run, reaching the final. They were supposed to play against teams from Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, but those teams withdrew due to political reasons. In the final, Al-Talaba lost 2–1 to Bellmare Hiratsuka from Japan.

In the 1998–99 season, Al-Talaba finished second in the league, just one point behind Al-Zawra'a. They also reached the FA Cup final but lost to Al-Zawra'a again. In the 1998–99 Asian Cup Winners' Cup, they reached the semi-finals but finished fourth.

Thair Ahmed Era (2001–2007)

After eight years without a league title, Thair Ahmed led Al-Talaba to win the 2001–02 championship. They earned 91 points from 29 wins. They also won their first-ever Iraq FA Cup that season, beating Al-Shorta in the final. Additionally, they won the 2001 Baghdad Day Cup and the 2002 Super Cup. This was a very successful period for the club.

In the 2002–03 season, the league was cancelled due to war. However, Al-Talaba managed to win the FA Cup again, defeating Al-Mina'a and then Al-Shorta in the final.

In 2003–04, many matches were postponed or cancelled due to the 2003 invasion of Iraq. Al-Talaba participated in the 2003–04 Arab Champions League, reaching the group stage. In the 2004–05 season, Al-Talaba finished third in the Iraqi Premier League. They also won the 2005 Damascus International Championship.

In November 2006, the club's president, Hadeeb Majhoul, was kidnapped and sadly found dead. The team's player, Alaa Kadhim, became the new interim president and later won the club elections. He retired from playing in 2007 to focus on leading the club.

Recent History (2007–Present)

The period from 2007 to 2013 was a bit unstable for Al-Talaba. They faced financial difficulties and had many changes in management.

In the 2009–10 season, under coach Radhi Shenaishil, Al-Talaba had a strong performance. They finished second in their group and reached the league final, but lost to Duhok SC.

In the 2010–11 season, Al-Talaba had one of their toughest seasons, finishing close to relegation. They also played in the 2011 AFC Cup but were knocked out in the group stage. The 2012–13 season was also challenging, as they again narrowly avoided relegation.

From 2013 onwards, Al-Talaba has been working to regain its top form. In June 2015, Ayoub Odisho returned as coach. The team also signed Younis Mahmoud, a famous Iraqi national team captain. In the 2015–16 season, they finished third in the league. In the 2016–17 FA Cup, they reached the quarter-finals but had to withdraw due to player protests over unpaid wages.

Stadiums

In the 1980s, a stadium for 8,000 fans was built in Baghdad for Al-Talaba's home games. Today, Al-Talaba trains at the University of Baghdad Stadium.

In 2014, there were plans to build a new sports city for Al-Talaba. It would include a main football stadium for 16,000 people, tennis courts, basketball courts, and a swimming pool. The project was estimated to cost $84 million and was supposed to be finished by 2017. However, due to financial problems in Iraq, the project was stopped after only the design phase.

Rivalries

Al-Talaba is one of the four "Popular Teams" in Baghdad. The other three are Al-Zawra'a, Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya, and Al-Shorta. These four teams have strong rivalries with each other. Al-Talaba's biggest rivals are Al-Zawra'a and Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya because they have often competed for the league championship over the years.

Statistics

Recent Seasons

Here's how the club has performed in recent years:

As of 14 July  2024 (2024 -07-14)^[update]. Rank = Rank in the league; P = Played; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points; Cup = Iraq FA Cup.
in = Still in competition; — = Not attended; 1R = 1st round; 2R = 2nd round; 3R = 3rd round; R16 = Round of sixteen; QF = Quarterfinals; SF = Semifinals.

¹ The league was not completed and was cancelled.
² Al-Talaba had not yet been eliminated from the cup but it was abandoned midway through.

In International Competitions

As of 10 May  2011 (2011 -05-10)^[update]:

Current Squad

First-Team Players

No. Position Player 1 GK Fahad Talib 2 DF Ghaith Maaroufi FGN 3 DF Karrar Amer 4 DF Saad Natiq 5 DF Ngweni Ndassi FGN 6 MF Zaid Ismail 7 MF Shareef Abdul-Kadhim 9 FW Nihad Mohammed 10 MF Louai Al-Ani 11 DF Karrar Saad 12 GK Mohammed Hassan 14 MF Karrar Mohammed 15 DF Hussein Ammar

No. Position Player 17 FW Austin Amutu FGN 18 FW Ronald Ngah FGN 19 MF Mahdi Kamel 22 GK Yassin Karim 27 FW Simon Msuva FGN 30 MF Ahmed Suhail 32 DF Hassan Ashour 35 MF Ali Mahdi 44 DF Hamza Al-Rimi ARB 77 MF Habib Oueslati FGN 88 MF Humam Tariq 95 FW Hussein Abdullah GK Sajjad Mohammed

Team Captains

Years	Position	Captain
−1976	Midfielder	Abdul-Wahab Abdul-Qadir
1976–1977	Defender	Jalal Salih
1977–1981	Goalkeeper	Muthanna Hameed
1981–1987	Midfielder	Jamal Ali
1987–1990	Forward	Hussein Saeed
1990–1995	Midfielder	Ali Hussein Shihab
1995–1997	Defender	Karim Salman
1997–2000	Forward	Alaa Kadhim
2000–2003	Midfielder	Habib Jafar
2003–2007	Forward	Alaa Kadhim
2007–2008	Defender	Ahmed Abdul-Majeed
2008–2009	Defender	Bassim Abbas
2009–2010	Midfielder	Gaith Abdul-Ghani
2010–2011	Midfielder	Abdul-Wahab Abu Al-Hail
2011–2012	Defender	Majeed Hameed
2012–2014	Goalkeeper	Ali Mutashar
2014–2015	Midfielder	Osama Ali
2015	Midfielder	Salih Sadir
2015–2016	Forward	Younis Mahmoud
2016–2017	Defender	Mahdi Kareem
2017	Forward	Yassir Abdul-Mohsen
2017–2018	Goalkeeper	Noor Sabri
2018	Goalkeeper	Ali Abdul-Hasan
2018–	Defender	Salam Shaker

Club Staff

Current Coaching Team

Managerial History

Dates Name 1969–1974 Thamir Muhsin 1974–1978 Jamal Salih 1978–1979 Abdul-Wahab Abdul-Qadir 1979–1980 Khalaf Hassan 1980–1981 Ammo Baba 1981–1982 Jamal Salih 1982–1984 Akram Salman 1984–1986 Yahya Alwan 1986 Ahmed Subhi Yahya Alwan 1986–1987 Jamal Salih 1987–1988 Yousif Abdul-Ameer 1988–1990 Jamal Ali 1990 Eddie Firmani 1990–1992 Yahya Alwan 1992–1993 Ayoub Odisho 1993 Hussein Saeed 1993–1995 Ayoub Odisho 1995 Nazar Ashraf 1995–1996 Jamal Ali 1996 Ayoub Odisho 1996–1997 Nazar Ashraf 1997–1998 Nazar Ashraf Ammo Baba 1998–1999 Ammo Baba Akram Salman 1999 Abdelilah Mohammed Ammo Baba

Dates Name Ref 1999–2000 Amer Jameel 2000 Nazar Ashraf Mohammed Tabra 2000–2001 Anwar Jassim 2001 Nazar Ashraf 2001–2007 Thair Ahmed 2007 Habib Jafar 2007–2008 Karim Saddam 2008 Nabil Zaki Karim Salman 2008–2009 Abdul Ghani Shahad 2009–2010 Radhi Shenaishil 2010–2011 Yahya Alwan 2011 Thair Ahmed 2011–2012 Jamal Ali 2012 Khalaf Hassan Karim Salman 2012–2013 Nazar Ashraf 2013 Nabil Zaki 2013–2015 Abdul-Wahab Abu Al-Hail 2015 Salih Radhi 2015–2017 Ayoub Odisho

Dates Name Ref 2017 Mudhafar Jabbar Habib Jafar 2017–2018 Tita Valeriu 2018 Essam Hamad 2018–2019 Yahya Alwan 2019 Thair Ahmed Fawzi Abdul-Sada/Mahdi Kadhim Ali Hadi Thair Jassam 2019–2021 Ahmed Khalef 2021 Fareed Majeed, Ibrahim Abd Nader 2021 Hasan Ahmad 2021 Thair Jassam 2021–2022 Qahtan Chathir

Current Board Members

Recent Presidents

Honours

National Titles

•      record
• ^S shared record

Regional Titles

Friendly Tournament Wins

See Also

In Spanish: Al-Talaba Sport Club para niños

• List of football clubs in Iraq