Shabab Al Ahli Club

Emirati professional football club

This article is about the United Arab Emirati football team. For other uses, see Al-Ahly (disambiguation).

Football club

Shabab Al Ahli
نادي شباب الأهلي

Full name| Shabab Al Ahli
Nickname(s)| Al Fursan Al Humur (The Red Knights)
Founded| 1958; 66 years ago (1958)
(as Al Shabab)
Ground| Rashid Stadium, Dubai
Capacity| 20,000
Owner| Hamdan Al Maktoum
Chairman| Ahmed Al Maktoum
Head coach| Marko Nikolić
League| UAE Pro League
2022–23| UAE Pro League, 1st (Champions)
Website| Club website

Home colours

Away colours

|

Current season

Shabab Al Ahli Club (Arabic: نادي شباب الأهلي, romanized: nādī šabāb al-ʿahlī, lit. 'National Youth Club') is a Emirati professional association football club based in Dubai, that currently plays in the UAE ADNOC Pro League. Al-Ahli is one of the most successful clubs in the UAE.

Al Ahli FC has won 8 league titles, a record of 10 UAE's President Cup titles, 6 UAE super Cup titles, 5 ADIB cup titles, 1 Emirati-Moroccan Super Cup, and 1 combined league. Earining a total of 31 titles, making them the second most successful team in UAE. And the most successful team in Dubai. In the latest ranking by the IFFHS, Shabab Al Ahli is the 7th best club in Asia and ranked 110th in the world.

In 2017, the Dubai CSC and Al Shabab merged within Al Ahli FC making Shabab Al Ahli FC.[1][2]

## History[edit]

### Establishment[edit]

Al Ahli club was established in 1970 when two local football teams Al Wehdah and Al Shabab (est. 1958) joined together for a training camp in Egypt but decided to merge as one single club under first club president H.E. Nasser Abdulla Hussain Lootah. Four years later another local team Al Najah joined to form Al Ahli Club.

Al Ahli translates to "domestic or national" in Arabic. The club won three UAE Arabian Gulf League titles in the 1970s and won its fourth in 2006, fifth in 2009, sixth in 2014, seventh in 2016 and eighth in 2023

### 1973–1980: The golden age and aftermath decline[edit]

Mohammed Shehta in the middle, the first manager for Al Ahli Club in early 70s.

It took Al Ahli only four years after its establishment to win the UAE Arabian Gulf League twice consecutively in 1974-75 and 1975-76 then again in 1979-80 for the third time, which allowed them to permanently keep the league trophy. The victorious team, led by coach Mohamed Shehta and featuring players such as Hassan Nazari and Hassan Roshan. The team also won three President Cup titles during that period. Drawing hometown fans, Al Ahli has been and continues to be one of the most popular sports teams in the UAE. However, the club went into decline for few decades, the result of which saw the club relegated to the second division (1995–96) in a dramatic way, when Al Ahli played against neighbour rival Al Shabab, Al Ahli needed just one point from the match to stay in the first division. Al Ahli has lost the match and Al Shabab has won the league title. The same year, Al Ahli won the President Cup title. After a period of decline, Al Ahli went back on top under the new leadership of Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Deputy Ruler of Dubai, winning its fourth league title in 2006 and the following years, Al Ahli continued to be a successful club in the UAE by winning 6 President Cups. The early 2000s saw Iranian legend Ali Karimi play multiple seasons for Al Ahli, finishing as league top scorer in 2003-04 and being named Asian footballer of the year 2004.[3]

### 2009 FIFA Club World Cup[edit]

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.[4]

### Bouncing Back[edit]

The club began to rise again and in 2010 with Abdullah Al Naboodah, the squad was gradually re-built, with the likes of Fabio Cannavaro and Grafite and Ricardo Quaresma joined the Emirati homegrown talents Ahmed Khalil and Ismael Al Hammadi. In 2012, Al Ahli won the UAE President's Cup and the Arabian Gulf Cup. The arrival of the Romanian football manager Cosmin Olaroiu in 2013, set the stage for a highly successful 2013–14 season. Al Ahli performed strongly in the league and assured its 6th title with a record for the highest ever points total for a league season (62). In addition, the club won the Arabian Gulf Cup, 2 Arabian Gulf Super Cups (2013–14, 2014–15) and in the following year they reached 2015 AFC Champions League Final which they narrowly lost to the Chinese team Guangzhou Evergrande 1–0 on aggregate. Al Ahli homegrown forward Ahmed Khalil named the UAE's sole recipient of the prestigious Asian Footballer of the Year award in 2015. In 2016, they again won their 7th domestic league title with two matches to play.[5]

### 2017 Merge[edit]

In 2017 the clubs Dubai CSC and Al Shabab joined with Al-Ahli FC to form Shabab Al Ahli FC. The merge was seen as a controversial move as it meant combining the success of rival club Al Shabab with Al Ahli and it also meant missing the AFC Champions League for the first three years of its existence since it requires a club to exist for three years to obtain an AFC licence. However, the team would quickly experience success as they would win the League Cup and President's Cup in 2019.[6][7]

## Crest and nickname[edit]

* 2017–Present

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 "AC" (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.

A new logo was created after the merge between Dubai CSC and Al Shabab that made Shabab Al-Ahli.

## Grounds[edit]

Rashid Stadium is a multi-purpose stadium in Dubai, United Arab Emirates that was named after Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed Al Maktoum. It is currently used mostly for football & Rugby matches. The stadium holds 12,000 people. It was built in 1948. It is the home ground of Shabab Al-Ahli.[5] Shabab Al Ahli also has Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum Stadium and Al Aweer Stadium as a second and third home ground for the club after merging with Al Shabab and Dubai in 2017.

## Rivalries[edit]

Shabab Al Ahli rivalry with Al Ain is gaining popularity as the two clubs alternated as champions in the 70s and more after 2010, and currently, both teams are considered among the top teams in the UAE. The match usually creates a lively atmosphere. Al Nasr and Al Wasl are also neighbouring rivals competing for who is the best team in Dubai

## Active departments[edit]

For the basketball team, see Shabab Al Ahli Basketball.

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|

The club is 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 arts and theatrical plays focusing on UAE tradition, heritage and current events.[citation needed] The club's beach soccer team were UAE champions in 2021.[8]

## Relationship with La Liga[edit]

In 2016, Al Ahli became the first foreign club to sign a partnership agreement with La Liga, the first of its kind. The signing of the agreement, staged at La Liga's headquarters in Madrid, marks the beginning of a linkup in which La Liga's experience will be used to support Dubai's leading club in its development, especially via a training program from youth coaches in Spain will be applied. The club's junior sides will gain invitations to leading tournaments there, providing the opportunity to gain valuable experience playing top-class opposition.[9]

## Pro-League record[edit]

Season  | Lvl.  | Tms.  | Pos.  | President's Cup | League Cup

|
|
|
|
|

2017–18 | 1 | 12  | 5th  | Semi-Finals  | Semi-Finals
2018–19 | 1  | 14  | 2nd | Champions  | Champions
2019–20a | 1  | 14  | 1st | Quarter-Finals  | Runner-ups
2020–21 | 1  | 14  | 3rd | Champions  | Champions
2021–22 | 1  | 14  | 5th  | Quarter-Finals  | Runner-ups
2022–23 | 1  | 14  | 1st | Quarter-Finals  | Quarter-Finals

Notes^ 2019–20 UAE football season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Arab Emirates.

Key

* Pos. = Position
* Tms. = Number of teams
* Lvl. = League

## Club officials[edit]

Position  | Staff

|

Head Coach |  Marko Nikolić
Assistant Coach |  Hassan Al Abdouli
First Team Coach |  Habibullah Khamis
Goalkeeper Coach |  Yahya Sahib
Fitness Trainer |  Islam Sulaiman
Therapist |  Najib Abdullah
Saeed Abdul Ghanee
Physioterapist |  Irfan Mahbout
Masseur |  Mahmood Hussein
Specialist Director |  Mansoor Najr
Team Manager |  Mohamed Ahmed-Ibrahim
Manager |  Khaled Alkaabi
Ahmed Ali-Shah

## Current squad[edit]

As of UAE Pro-League: [10]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

| No. | Pos. | Nation  | Player

|
|
|

1  | GK |  UAE | Jamal Al-Hosani
2  | DF |  UAE | Salmeen Khamis
4  | DF |  UAE | Mohammed Marzooq
5  | DF |  UAE | Walid Abbas
6  | MF |  UZB | Azizjon Ganiev
7  | MF |  UAE | Harib Abdalla U21
8  | DF |  UAE | Marwan Fahad
9  | FW |  ISR | Mu'nas Dabbur
10  | MF |  UAE | Federico Cartabia
11  | MF |  UAE | Yahya Al-Ghassani
12  | GK |  UAE | Hassan Hamza
13  | DF |  BRA | Renan
15  | MF |  UAE | Abdullah Al-Naqbi
17  | DF |  SRB | Bogdan Planić
18  | MF |  UAE | Hamdan Humaid U21
19  | FW |  BRA | Mateusão U21
20  | DF |  UAE | Yousif Jaber
21  | MF |  UAE | Tareq Ahmed
| No. | Pos. | Nation  | Player

|
|
|

23  | DF |  UAE | Abdulaziz Haikal
26  | MF |  UAE | Eid Khamis
27  | MF |  UAE | Khalid Mubarak
30  | MF |  UAE | Mohammed Jumaa
32  | DF |  UAE | Hamad Al-Qayodhi U21
37  | DF |  UAE | Ahmed Jamil
40  | MF |  SRB | Luka Milivojević
44  | GK |  UAE | Adel Fadaaq (on loan from Hatta)
50  | DF |  UAE | Saeed Suleiman
55  | GK |  UAE | Majed Naser
57  | FW |  UAE | Yuri César
61  | DF |  UAE | Bader Nasser
66  | MF |  IRN | Saeid Ezatolahi
77  | FW |  UAE | Guilherme Bala
98  | FW |  MLI | Cheickna Doumbia U21
99  | FW |  UAE | Igor Jesus

### Unregistered players[edit]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

| No. | Pos. | Nation  | Player

|
|
|

22  | GK |  MAR | Hamza Jlid U21
45  | DF |  UAE | Muhammad Atiq U21
| No. | Pos. | Nation  | Player

|
|
|

-- | MF |  YEM | Adel Al Chadli

### Out on loan[edit]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

| No. | Pos. | Nation  | Player

|
|
|

3  | DF |  BRA | Kayque Campos (on loan to Hatta)
14  | DF |  UAE | Sultan Al-Zaabi (on loan to Al-Wahda)
16  | FW |  IRN | Mehdi Ghayedi (on loan to Ittihad Kalba)
24  | MF |  UAE | Sultan Ali U21 (on loan to Hatta)
| No. | Pos. | Nation  | Player

|
|
|

39  | MF |  BRA | Gustavo (on loan to Ittihad Kalba)
-- | GK |  UAE | Rayed Reda (on loan to Al Dhafra)
-- | FW |  UAE | Sultan Adil U21 (on loan to Ittihad Kalba)
-- | MF |  YEM | Khaled Al-Asbahi (on loan to Hatta)

## Shabab Al Ahli from Board Of Directors[edit]

* Sheikh Hamdan Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum – President
* Sheikh Maktoum Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum – Vice President
* Sheikh Ahmed Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum – Chairman
* Sheikh Mansour Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum – Deputy Chairman

### Board members[edit]

* Khalifa Sulaiman
* Sami Al-Qamzi
* Mohammed Al Gergawi
* Essam Al Humaidan
* Mohammed Ahmed Al-Marri
* Hisham Abdullah Al Qassem
* Abdullah Mohammed Al Basti
* Ahmed Mohammed bin Humaidan

### Shabab Al Ahli Football Company Board Directors[edit]

* Sheikh Mansour Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum - Chairman
* Sami Al Qamzi - Deputy Chairman

### Board Members[edit]

* Abdul Majeed Hussain
* Ibrahim Abdul-Malik
* Khalid Buhumaid
* Jamal Al Mehairi
* Ali Al-Habsi
* Saeed Rashid

## Honours[edit]

30 Official[11] Championships

### Domestic Competitions[edit]

* UAE Pro League: 8
* Champions: 1974–75, 1975–76, 1979–80, 2005–06, 2008–09, 2013–14, 2015–16, 2022–23
* UAE President's Cup: 10 (Record)
* Champions: 1974–75, 1976–77, 1987–88, 1995–96, 2001–02, 2003–04, 2007–08, 2012–13, 2018–19, 2020–21
* UAE League Cup: 5 (Record)
* Champions: 2011–12, 2013–14, 2016–17, 2018–19, 2020–21
* UAE Super Cup: 6 (Record)
* Champions: 2009, 2013, 2014, 2016, 2020, 2023

### Continental competitions[edit]

* AFC Champions League
* Runners-up (1): 2015

* See: Al Shabab SC and Dubai CSC, for respective club championships.

## See also[edit]

* List of football clubs in the United Arab Emirates

## References[edit]

1. ^ "محمــد بن راشد يأمر بدمج الشبـاب ودبي مع الأهلي في كيان واحد". البيان (in Arabic). 17 May 2017. Retrieved 4 September 2017.
2. ^ "Al Shabab, Al Ahli and Dubai Club merge". gulfnews.com. Retrieved 2019-06-01.
3. ^ "The 10 greatest foreign players to grace UAE football part II — 5-1". The National. 11 November 2015. Retrieved 2019-06-01.
4. ^ "Al Ahli 0 – 2 Auckland City". ESPN. 2009-12-09. Retrieved 2009-12-15.
5. ^ a b "Al Ahli Sports Club". www.alahliclub.ae. Retrieved 2016-05-01.
6. ^ "Shabab Al Ahli beat Al Wahda 3-1 in extra-time to win fourth Arabian Gulf Cup". Sport 360. Retrieved 23 March 2019.
7. ^ "Shabab Al Ahli crowned President's Cup champions". gulftoday. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
8. ^ "Shabab Al Ahli win 2021 UAE Beach Soccer League!". Beach Soccer Worldwide. 7 May 2021. Retrieved 3 January 2024.
9. ^ "Al Ahli football club sign ground-breaking agreement with Spain's La Liga through 2018 | The National". www.thenational.ae. Retrieved 2016-05-01.
10. ^ https://www.shababalahli.ae/first-team/
11. ^ ONLY Al-Ahli since rebranding championships are counted

## External links[edit]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Al-Ahli Dubai.

* Official website
* Soccerway Profile

* v
* t
* e

Shabab Al Ahli Dubai Sports Club

General|

* History
* Players

Home stadiums|

* Rashid Stadium
* Maktoum bin Rashid Al Maktoum Stadium
* Al Awir Stadium

Other departments|

* Basketball

* Category
* Commons

* v
* t
* e

Shabab Al Ahli Club - current squad

* 1 J. Al-Hosani
* 2 S. Khamis
* 4 Marzooq
* 5 W. Abbas
* 6 Ganiev
* 7 Harib .A
* 8 M. Fahad
* 9 Dabbur
* 10 Cartabia
* 11 Al-Ghassani
* 12 H. Hamza
* 13 Renan V.
* 15 Al-Naqbi
* 17 Planić
* 18 H. Humaid
* 19 Mateusão
* 20 Y. Jaber
* 21 T. Ahmed
* 23 Haikal
* 26 E. Khamis
* 27 K. Mubarak
* 30 M. Jumaa
* 32 Al-Qayodhi
* 33 Wade
* 37 Jamil
* 40 Milivojević
* 44 A. Fadaaq
* 50 S. Suleiman
* 55 M. Naser
* 57 Yuri C.
* 61 B. Nasser
* 77 G. Bala
* 98 Doumbia
* 99 Igor Jesus
* Manager: Nikolić

* v
* t
* e

Football teams in UAE

UAE Pro League|

* Ajman
* Al Ain
* Al Bataeh
* Al Jazira
* Al Nasr
* Al Wahda
* Al Wasl
* Baniyas
* Emirates
* Hatta
* Kalba
* Khor Fakkan
* Shabab Al Ahli
* Sharjah

UAE First Division League|

* Al Arabi
* Al Dhafra
* Al Dhaid
* Al Hamriyah
* Al Jazirah Al Hamra
* Al Rams
* Al Taawon
* Al Urooba
* Dubai City
* Dibba Al Fujairah
* Dibba Al Hisn
* Fujairah
* Gulf
* Gulf United
* Masafi
* Masfout
* United

UAE Second Division League|

* Al Dhahra
* Al Hilal
* Al Ittifaq
* Al Mooj
* Al Nujoom
* Baynounah
* Elite Falcons
* Fleetwood United
* Fursan Hispania
* HPC
* Laval
* Regional
* Royal
* United Sport

UAE Third Division League|

* Al Gharbia
* Al Rimal
* Al Wathba
* Atletico Arabia
* D-Gardens
* Green Herons
* Inter City
* Liwa
* Madenat
* Sport Support
* Sporting
* Sporty
* TFA

Other clubs|

* Al Madam
* Falaj Al Mualla
* Mleiha
* Ras Al Khaimah

Defunct clubs|

* Al Dar
* Al Falah
* Al-Hazem
* Al-Quwwat Al-Musallaha
* Al Shaab
* Al Shabab
* Dubai
* Quattro
* Zamalek

*[No.]: Number
*[Pos.]: Position
*[GK]: Goalkeeper
*[DF]: Defender
*[MF]: Midfielder
*[FW]: Forward
*[v]: View this template
*[t]: Discuss this template
*[e]: Edit this template