kids encyclopedia robot

Al-Talaba SC facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Quick facts for kids
Al-Talaba
Al-Talaba SC logo.svg
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

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:

Season League Rank P W D L F A GD Pts Cup
2000–01 Iraqi Elite League 4 30 17 9 4 43 22 21 60
2001–02 Iraqi Elite League 1 38 29 4 5 89 18 71 91 Won
2002–03(1) Iraqi First Division League 24 19 2 3 56 15 41 59 Won
2003–04(1) Iraqi Premier League 2 2 0 0 5 1 4 6
2004–05 Iraqi Premier League Third place 23 11 7 5 32 17 15 40
2005–06 Iraqi Premier League 2 – Group 4 16 9 4 3 29 11 18 31
2006–07 Iraqi Premier League Fourth place 15 5 6 4 11 11 0 21
2007–08 Iraqi Premier League 3 – Group 2 30 10 13 7 29 24 5 43
2008–09 Iraqi Premier League 3 – Group 2 24 14 5 5 32 15 17 47
2009–10 Iraqi Premier League Runners-up 43 23 13 7 53 25 28 82
2010–11 Iraqi Elite League 8 – Group B 26 9 11 6 33 25 8 38
2011–12 Iraqi Elite League 4 38 19 11 8 45 29 16 68
2012–13 Iraqi Elite League 14 34 9 8 17 35 47 −12 35 R16(2)
2013–14 Iraqi Premier League 8 22 9 4 9 28 30 −2 31
2014–15 Iraqi Premier League 5 – Group 2 16 4 5 7 18 18 0 17
2015–16 Iraqi Premier League 3 24 10 9 5 28 20 8 39
2016–17 Iraqi Premier League 7 36 14 12 10 51 38 13 54 QF
2017–18 Iraqi Premier League 14 38 11 10 17 43 59 –16 43
2018–19 Iraqi Premier League 13 38 10 14 14 47 52 –5 44 SF
2019–20(1) Iraqi Premier League 6 2 2 2 11 10 R32(2)
2020–21 Iraqi Premier League 17 38 8 15 15 36 47 –11 39 R32
2021–22 Iraqi Premier League 3 38 20 9 9 54 33 +21 69 R32
2022–23 Iraqi Premier League 4 38 19 9 10 52 39 +13 66 QF
2023–24 Iraq Stars League 8 38 13 14 11 40 38 +2 53 R16

As of 14 July  2024 (2024 -07-14). 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):

Competition Record
Games Wins Draws Losses Win %
AFC Champions League &&&&&&&&&&&&&&09.&&&&&09 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04 &&&&&&&&&&&&&044.44000044.44
Asian Cup Winners' Cup &&&&&&&&&&&&&018.&&&&&018 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&08.&&&&&08 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&05.&&&&&05 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&05.&&&&&05 &&&&&&&&&&&&&044.44000044.44
AFC Cup &&&&&&&&&&&&&&06.&&&&&06 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&02.&&&&&02 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&03.&&&&&03 &&&&&&&&&&&&&016.67000016.67
Arab Champions League &&&&&&&&&&&&&018.&&&&&018 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&07.&&&&&07 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04 &&&&&&&&&&&&&&07.&&&&&07 &&&&&&&&&&&&&038.89000038.89
Total &&&&&&&&&&&&&051.&&&&&051 &&&&&&&&&&&&&020.&&&&&020 &&&&&&&&&&&&&012.&&&&&012 &&&&&&&&&&&&&019.&&&&&019 &&&&&&&&&&&&&039.22000039.22

Current Squad

First-Team Players

No. Position Player
1 Iraq GK Fahad Talib
2 Tunisia DF Ghaith Maaroufi FGN
3 Iraq DF Karrar Amer
4 Iraq DF Saad Natiq Captain
5 Cameroon DF Ngweni Ndassi FGN
6 Iraq MF Zaid Ismail
7 Iraq MF Shareef Abdul-Kadhim
9 Iraq FW Nihad Mohammed
10 Iraq MF Louai Al-Ani
11 Iraq DF Karrar Saad
12 Iraq GK Mohammed Hassan
14 Iraq MF Karrar Mohammed
15 Iraq DF Hussein Ammar
No. Position Player
17 Nigeria FW Austin Amutu FGN
18 Cameroon FW Ronald Ngah FGN
19 Iraq MF Mahdi Kamel
22 Iraq GK Yassin Karim
27 Tanzania FW Simon Msuva FGN
30 Iraq MF Ahmed Suhail
32 Iraq DF Hassan Ashour
35 Iraq MF Ali Mahdi
44 Yemen DF Hamza Al-Rimi ARB
77 Tunisia MF Habib Oueslati FGN
88 Iraq MF Humam Tariq
95 Iraq FW Hussein Abdullah
Iraq GK Sajjad Mohammed

Team Captains

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

Club Staff

Current Coaching Team

Position Staff
Head coach Basim Qasim
Assistant coach Haidar Mohammad
Assistant coach Ahmed Basim Qasim
Goalkeeping coach Hisham Khamis
Fitness coach Nusair Abdul-Amir

Managerial History

 
Dates Name
1969–1974 Iraq Thamir Muhsin
1974–1978 Iraq Jamal Salih
1978–1979 Iraq Abdul-Wahab Abdul-Qadir
1979–1980 Iraq Khalaf Hassan
1980–1981 Iraq Ammo Baba
1981–1982 Iraq Jamal Salih
1982–1984 Iraq Akram Salman
1984–1986 Iraq Yahya Alwan
1986 Iraq Ahmed Subhi
Iraq Yahya Alwan
1986–1987 Iraq Jamal Salih
1987–1988 Iraq Yousif Abdul-Ameer
1988–1990 Iraq Jamal Ali
1990 Italy Eddie Firmani
1990–1992 Iraq Yahya Alwan
1992–1993 Iraq Ayoub Odisho
1993 Iraq Hussein Saeed
1993–1995 Iraq Ayoub Odisho
1995 Iraq Nazar Ashraf
1995–1996 Iraq Jamal Ali
1996 Iraq Ayoub Odisho
1996–1997 Iraq Nazar Ashraf
1997–1998 Iraq Nazar Ashraf Iraq Ammo Baba
1998–1999 Iraq Ammo Baba Iraq Akram Salman
1999 Iraq Abdelilah Mohammed
Iraq Ammo Baba
 
Dates Name Ref
1999–2000 Iraq Amer Jameel
2000 Iraq Nazar Ashraf
Iraq Mohammed Tabra
2000–2001 Iraq Anwar Jassim
2001 Iraq Nazar Ashraf
2001–2007 Iraq Thair Ahmed
2007 Iraq Habib Jafar
2007–2008 Iraq Karim Saddam
2008 Iraq Nabil Zaki
Iraq Karim Salman
2008–2009 Iraq Abdul Ghani Shahad
2009–2010 Iraq Radhi Shenaishil
2010–2011 Iraq Yahya Alwan
2011 Iraq Thair Ahmed
2011–2012 Iraq Jamal Ali
2012 Iraq Khalaf Hassan
Iraq Karim Salman
2012–2013 Iraq Nazar Ashraf
2013 Iraq Nabil Zaki
2013–2015 Iraq Abdul-Wahab Abu Al-Hail
2015 Iraq Salih Radhi
2015–2017 Iraq Ayoub Odisho
 
Dates Name Ref
2017 Iraq Mudhafar Jabbar
Iraq Habib Jafar
2017–2018 Romania Tita Valeriu
2018 Iraq Essam Hamad
2018–2019 Iraq Yahya Alwan
2019 Iraq Thair Ahmed
Iraq Fawzi Abdul-Sada/Mahdi Kadhim
Iraq Ali Hadi
Iraq Thair Jassam
2019–2021 Iraq Ahmed Khalef
2021 Iraq Fareed Majeed, Ibrahim Abd Nader
2021 Iraq Hasan Ahmad
2021 Iraq Thair Jassam
2021–2022 Iraq Qahtan Chathir

Current Board Members

Office Name
President Alaa Kadhim
Vice-president Mohammed Al-Hashimi
Secretary Khalid Hadi
Members of the administrative board Mahdi Kadhim
Abdul Ghafour Abd al-Hafith
Khuloud Abdul Wahab
Abdul Jaleel Salih

Recent Presidents

Years Name Elections Notes
1990s–2000s Omar Sabaawi
–2004 Abdul-Salam Al-Guood
2004–2006 Hadeeb Majhoul 2004
2006–2008 Alaa Kadhim
2008– Alaa Kadhim 2008, 2012, 2018

Honours

National Titles

Competition Titles Seasons
Iraq Stars League 5 1980–81, 1981–82, 1985–86, 1992–93, 2001–02
Iraq FA Cup 2 2001–02, 2002–03
Umm al-Ma'arik Championship 3s 1992–93, 1993–94, 1995–96
Iraqi Super Cup 1 2002
  •      record
  • S shared record

Regional Titles

Competition Titles Seasons
Iraq Central FA Second Division 1 1970–71

Friendly Tournament Wins

Competition Titles Seasons
Baghdad Day Cup 2 2001, 2002
Damascus International Championship 1 2005
Stafford Challenge Cup 1 1984

See Also

Kids robot.svg In Spanish: Al-Talaba Sport Club para niños

  • List of football clubs in Iraq
kids search engine
Al-Talaba SC Facts for Kids. Kiddle Encyclopedia.