Al-Ahli Dubai F.C.
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| Full name | Al Ahli Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Fursan (Knights) | ||
| Founded | 1970 | ||
| Ground |
Rashed Stadium Dubai, United Arab Emirates | ||
| Capacity | 9,415 | ||
| Owner | Hamdan Al Maktoum | ||
| Chairman | Abdullah Saeed | ||
| Manager | Cosmin Olăroiu | ||
| League | UAE Pro-League | ||
| 2014–15 | UAE Pro-League, 7th | ||
| Website | Club home page | ||
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Al Ahli Club (Arabic: النادي الأهلي) is a United Arab Emirates professional association football club based in Dubai. The club is abbreviated as A.C..
Al Ahli is one of the most successful clubs in the UAE. Al Ahli, literally translating to "national" in Arabic, was established in 1970, when three local teams joined together to form the club. The club won three UAE Arabian Gulf League titles in the 1970s and won its fourth in 2006, fifth in 2009 and sixth in 2014.
History
Establishment
The club was established in 1970, when two local football teams Al Wehdah and Al Shabab (est. 1962) joined together, and then four years later another local team Al Najah joined to form Al Ahli Club.
Crest and Nickname
The original Al Ahli logo reflected a falcon on top of football and the words "Al Ahli Club" written horizontally. After rebranding themselves to Red Knights in 2006, the logo changed to a horse head shape with the letters A C (Al Ahli Club) on top. The new logo represents strength and high spirits also it goes along with the new nickname Red Knights instead of the old nickname the Red Devils.
1973–1980: The golden age
It took Al Ahli only four years after its establishment to win the UAE Arabian Gulf League twice consecutively in 1975 and 1976 then again in 1980. Drawing home-town fans, Al Ahli has been and continues to be one of the most popular sports teams in the UAE. However,Al Ahli club have suffered a lot in the last decades,and they went back to the second division when they played against Al shabab which alahli was willing just for a point from the match to stay in the 1 division. Al ahli has lost the match and Al Shabab has won the league. After a period of decline, Al Ahli went back on top winning its fourth league title in 2006 but throughout these years, Al Ahli continued to be a successful club in the UAE by winning 6 Emir Cups.
Al Ahli Castle
They are also known as Al Ahli Castle because of its involvement in other professional sports. The club competes in basketball, volleyball, handball, track sport, table tennis and track cycling. Al Ahli is also known for its involvement in cultural activities and community services. Al Ahli Drama club established in 1981, to promote Emirati plays focusing on UAE tradition, heritage and current events.
2009 FIFA Club World Cup
Al-Ahli, as 2008–09 UAE Pro-League champions and as Abu Dhabi was hosting the event, qualified for the 2009 FIFA Club World Cup which was held in December 2009. They lost 0–2 to Auckland City in their only game in the competition.[1]
Players
As of UAE Arabian Gulf League:
Managerial history
Željko Markov
Nándor Hidegkuti (1983–85)
Mansour Pourheidari (1985–93)
Egon Coordes (1993–94)
Celso Roth (1994)
Mohamed Abul Ezz (1995–97)- Ljupko Petrović (1998–99)
Srećko Juričić (2002–03)
Ilie Balaci (2003–05)- Winfried Schäfer (March 6, 2005 – Feb 19, 2007)
Alain Michel (2006–07)
Yousef Zawawi (2007)
Ivan Hašek (July 1, 2007–09)- Ioan Andone (June 8, 2009 – Nov 2, 2009)
- Noureddine Abidi (2009–10)
Henk Ten Cate (Feb 6, 2010 – March 11, 2010)
David O'Leary (July 4, 2010 – April 22, 2011)- Ivan Hašek (June 26, 2011 – Nov 8, 2011)
Quique Flores (Nov 8, 2011 – June 11, 2013)- Cosmin Olăroiu (July 7, 2013– )
Al Ahli Club Board Directors
- Abdulla Saeed Al Naboodah – Chairman
- Hammed Abdullah – Deputy Chairman
- Ahmad Khalifa Hammad – CEO
Board Members
- Mohammed Abdulrahman Al Banna
- Osama Qarqash
- Adel Zarooni
- Mohammed Al Hamadi
- Ahmad Al Kamali
- Obaid Saeed Obaid
Al Ahli Football Company
- Abdulla Saeed Al Naboodah – Chairman
- Sayef Bin Mrkhan – Deputy Chairman
- Ahmad Khalifa Hammad – CEO
Board Members
- Tareq Ahmed Baqer
- Mohammed Mattar Ghareb
- Mansoor Lootah
Honours
19 Official Championships
Domestic
League
Cup
Contential
- Runner-up: (1) 2015
References
- ↑ "Al Ahli 0 – 2 Auckland City". ESPN. 2009-12-09. Retrieved 2009-12-15.
External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Al-Ahli Dubai. |