Al-Ahli Saudi Football Club (Arabic: النادي الأهلي السعودي, romanized: an-nādī al-ʿahlī as-saʿūdī, lit. 'Saudi National Club'), commonly known as Al-Ahli, is a Saudi professional football club based in Jeddah. It competes in the Saudi Pro League, the top tier of Saudi football. Al-Ahli has won 31 official championships.
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| Full name | Al-Ahli Saudi Football Club | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname(s) | Al-Malaki (The Royals) Ma'aqil Al-Aswad (Stronghold of Lions) Al-Raqi (The Classy Ones) | |||
| Founded | 17 March 1937 (As Al-Thaghar) | |||
| Ground | King Abdullah Sports City | |||
| Capacity | 62,345 | |||
| Owner | Public Investment Fund (75%) Al-Ahli Non-Profit Foundation (25%)[1] | |||
| Chairman | Khalid Al Ghamdi | |||
| Manager | Matthias Jaissle | |||
| League | Saudi Pro League | |||
| 2023–24 | Pro League, 3rd of 18 | |||
| Website | en | |||
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| Al-Ahli active departments | ||
|---|---|---|
 Football (men's) |
Football (women's) |
 Basketball (men's) |
Since its founding in 1937, the club has been known as one of the most successful clubs in Saudi Arabia. Domestically, Al-Ahli has won three Saudi Professional Leagues, and also holds the record of 13 Kings Cups, six Crown Prince Cups, one General League Shield, and one Super Cup. In international club football, they have won a record equal of 3 GCC Champions League and 1 Arab Club Championship. Al-Ahli was the first Saudi club to win the league and the King's Cup in the same season, and has done so twice - in 1978 and 2016.
Al-Ahli was one of the four founding members of the Saudi Pro League and had never been relegated from the top flight until the 2021–22 season. The other three are Al-Hilal, Al-Ittihad, and Al-Nassr.[2] Al-Ahli hold the record for the longest unbeaten run in the league with their 51-match unbeaten streak from 2014 to 2016.
Al-Ahli's home games are played at King Abdullah Sports City, also known as the shining jewel Stadium. The stadium, which is shared with long-lasting city rivals Al-Ittihad, is the second-largest stadium in Saudi Arabia, with a total capacity of approximately 63,000.
History
editFounded in 1937 by four young men, the Al-Ahli Club is located in the heart of Jeddah, and serves as a sports beacon. It's strategically located on Jeddahs largest street, Prince Mohammed bin Abdul Aziz Street. The idea of Al-Ahli was conceived by students in Al-Falah school. Al-Falah is the oldest school in the city of Jeddah.
Prince Khalid bin Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, chairman of the Honorary Members and Honorary Members of the club throughout its history, became a manager of the club while it was headed by Abdul Aziz Al Anqari. This was a historic day in Al Ahli Saudi FC's history, especially for Al Ahlawy, Al-Ahli's ultras. This was considered an honor, and happened shortly after the coach's unique achievement in the same year, 2008. He achieved four foreign championships with the handball team that won the Asian Club League Handball Championship.
The former Brazilian coach, Telê Santana coached Al-Ahli from 1983 to 1985 and won two titles, the League in 1984 and the King Cup in 1983. Al-Ahli has played in eighteen King Cup finals. They've won thirteen of them and came runners up five times.
From 2014 to 2016, under the management of Swiss coach Christian Gross, the team won four titles with him. 2014–15 Saudi Crown Prince Cup, 2015–16 Saudi Professional League and 2016 King Cup. Al-Ahli has won every major competition in which it has competed, with the exception of the AFC Champions League (in this competition they have lost two finals, in 1985–86 Asian Club Championship and 2012 AFC Champions League. They were also the first Saudi Club to play in the Asian Final. Al Ahli is one of the big four clubs in Saudi Arabia along with Al Hilal, Al Nassr, and their local rivals Al Ittihad.
Shield of Sports Excellence and the title of ambassador of the homeland
editIn 2009, the club celebrated 75 years of historical achievements. On 3 July 2009, the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz received the heads and members of the honor of the club and its board of directors, on the occasion of Al-Ahli winning four International titles in 2008. The club was awarded the highest honor; it was presented with the shield of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques for sports excellence, and the title "Ambassador of the Homeland".
Honours
editDomestic
edit- Saudi Professional League (level 1):[3]
- Saudi First Division (level 2):
- Champion: 2022–23
- King Cup:[4]
- Saudi Super Cup:
- Winners: 2016
- Crown Prince Cup:[4]
- Saudi Federation Cup:[4]
- Winners (3): 2001, 2002, 2007
- Runners-up: 1976, 1989, 1991, 1997, 2003, 2006
- General League Shield
- Winners: 1968–69
- Saudi Founder's Cup:[4]
- Runners-up: 1999–2000
- Domestic Treble
- Winners: 2016
- Double
- Winners: 1970, 1978, 2007
International
edit- AFC Champions League:[4] 1990,1980,1974
- Arab Champions League:[4]
- Winners: 2002–03
- Gulf Club Champions Cup:[4]
- International Friendship Football Tournament[5][6]
- Winners: 2001, 2002
- Runners-up: 1997, 1999
Kits and crest
editKit suppliers and shirt sponsors
edit| Period | Kit manufacturer | Shirt main sponsor |
|---|---|---|
| 2001–2002 | Le Coq Sportif | |
| 2002–2003 | Diadora | |
| 2003–2006 | Le Coq Sportif | |
| 2006–2008 | Umbro | Al-Jawal |
| 2008–2009 | STC | |
| 2009–2012 | Adidas | |
| 2012–2014 | Umbro | |
| 2014–2015 | Qatar Airways | |
| 2015–2017 | Puma | |
| 2017–2019 | Umbro | Saudia |
| 2019–2020 | S-Team | |
| 2020–2023 | Xtep | |
| 2023– | Adidas | SIRC / Kayanee / Red Sea Global [note 1] / Neoleap / Urpay |
Players
edit- As of 30 August 2024[7]
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Other players under contract
editNote: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Out on loan
editNote: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
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Records
editAsian record
editOverview
edit- As of 30 April 2021
| Competition | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Asian Club Championship / AFC Champions League | 103 | 46 | 27 | 30 | 165 | 127 |
| Asian Cup Winners' Cup | 4 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 9 | 3 |
| TOTAL | 107 | 49 | 27 | 31 | 174 | 130 |
Record by country
edit| Country | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Win% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 4 | −1 | 50.00 | |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 100.00 | |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 100.00 | |
| 24 | 11 | 5 | 8 | 38 | 33 | +5 | 45.83 | |
| 6 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 14 | 5 | +9 | 83.33 | |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | +1 | 100.00 | |
| 20 | 6 | 8 | 6 | 31 | 23 | +8 | 30.00 | |
| 5 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 5 | 7 | −2 | 40.00 | |
| 4 | 0 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 8 | −6 | 0.00 | |
| 7 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 2 | +10 | 71.43 | |
| 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | +1 | 100.00 | |
| 23 | 9 | 10 | 4 | 44 | 33 | +11 | 39.13 | |
| 12 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 19 | 13 | +6 | 50.00 |
Matches
editNotes
edit- QR: Qualifying round
- 1Q: First qualifying round
- 2Q: Second qualifying round
- 3Q: Third qualifying round
- PO: Play-off round
- A ^ After extra time.
Top scorers in Asian competitions
edit| Player | Country | Goals | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Omar Al Somah | 24 | |
| 2 | Victor Simões | 14 | |
| 3 | Taisir Al-Jassim | 9 | |
| 4 | Amad Al-Hosni | 8 | |
| Muhannad Assiri | |||
| 6 | Abdulrahim Jaizawi | 6 | |
| 7 | Alessandro Cambalhota | 5 | |
| Mustafa Bassas | |||
| Abdulfattah Asiri |
Recent seasons
editSeason Div. Pos. Pl. W D L GS GA GD P KC CPC PFC ARCL CL GCC Saudi Super Cup Top scorer Manager 2000–01 SPL 1 22 15 6 1 50 19 31+ 51 – Quarter-finals Winners Semi-finals – – – Ibrahim Al-Suwayyed
12 Luka Peruzović
2001–02 SPL 4 22 12 4 6 39 26 13+ 40 – Winners Winners – – Winners – 11 2002–03 SPL 2 22 15 2 5 54 23 31+ 47 – Runners-up Runners-up Winners 3rd Qualifying Round – – Mohammed Barakat
10 Ilija Lukić
2003–04 SPL 4 22 10 8 4 31 21 10+ 38 – Runner-up Group stage Group stage – – – Rojero Pereira
11 Pierre Lechantre
2004–05 SPL 5 22 10 8 4 41 21 20+ 34 – Round 16 Semi-finals Semi-finals Quarter-finals – – 13 2005–06 SPL 4 22 9 9 4 45 23 22+ 36 – Runners-up Runners-up – – – – Abdelhaq Ait Laarif
8 2006–07 SPL 5 22 7 8 7 29 33 −4 29 – Winners Winners Semi-finals – – – 20 2007–08 SPL 8 22 7 5 10 30 31 −1 26 Quarter-finals Semi-finals Semi-finals – Group stage – – 14 2008–09 SPL 3 22 11 7 4 33 20 +13 40 Quarter-finals Round 16 Group stage – – Winner – 10 Stoycho Mladenov
2009–10 ZPL 6 22 7 7 8 28 29 −1 28 Quarter-finals Runners-up Semi-finals – Group stage – – 13 Gustavo Alfaro
2010–11 ZPL 6 26 11 4 11 48 41 +7 37 Winners Quarter-final Runners-up – – – – 20 Trond Sollied
2011–12 ZPL 2 26 19 5 2 60 22 +38 62 Winners Semi-final Winners – Runners-up – – 27 Karel Jarolím
2012–13 ZPL 5 26 12 8 6 51 33 +18 44 Semi-finals Quarter-finals Winners – Quarter-finals – – 17 2013–14 ALJ 3 26 12 9 5 48 24 +24 45 Runners-up Quarter-finals Runners-up – – – – 9 Vítor Pereira
2014–15 ALJ 2 26 17 9 0 59 22 +37 60 Round 16 Winners – Round 16 – – Omar Al Somah
31 Christian Gross
2015–16 ALJ 1 26 19 6 1 55 21 +34 63 Winners Runners-up – – Group stages – – 34 2016–17 ALJ 2 26 17 4 5 57 30 +27 55 Runners-up Semi-finals – – Quarter-finals – Winners 40 2017–18 SPL 2 26 16 7 3 59 26 +33 55 Semi-finals – – – Round of 16 – – 13 Serhii Rebrov
2018–19 SPL 4 30 17 4 9 68 41 +27 55 Round of 16 – – Semi-finals Round of 16 – – 27 Jorge Fossati
Player of the year
edit| Year | Winner |
|---|---|
| 2009–10 | |
| 2010–11 | |
| 2011–12 | |
| 2012–13 | |
| 2013–14 | |
| 2014–15 | |
| 2015–16 | |
| 2016–17 | |
| 2017-18 | |
| 2018-19 | |
| 2019-20 | |
| 2020-21 | |
| 2021-22 | |
| 2022-23 |
Staff and management
editTechnical staff
edit| Position | Nat. | Name |
|---|---|---|
| Manager | Matthias Jaissle | |
| Assistant managers |
|
Engin Yanova |
| Goalkeeper coach | Alexander Bade | |
| Chief analyst | Mohamed Abdelfattah | |
| Video analyst | Steffen Konrad | |
| Match analysts |
|
Maximilian Fischer
Daniel Nesbitt |
| Director of football | Naif Qadi | |
| Technical director | Jan van Winckel |
Source:[8]
Board members
edit| Office | Name |
|---|---|
| President | Khalid Al Ghamdi |
| Vice-president | Khalid Al Hendi |
| Chief Executive Officer | Ron Gourlay |
| Director of Other Sports | Khalid Al Shafei |
| Director of Legal Affairs | Mohammed bin Laden |
| Commercial Director | Abdulaziz Al Anqari |
| Investment Officer | Ayman Al Rashed |
| Board Member | Osama Shaker |
| Board Member | Muhannad Al Blahid |
Source:[9]
Presidents
edit| No | Name | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1937 | 1940 | |
| 2 | 1950 | 1952 | |
| 3 | 1952 | 1954 | |
| 4 | 1955 | 1955 | |
| 5 | 1956 | 1956 | |
| 6 | 1957 | 1957 | |
| 7 | 1958 | 1958 | |
| 8 | 1959 | 1960 | |
| 9 | 1961 | 1961 | |
| 10 | 1962 | 1962 | |
| 11 | 1963 | 1963 | |
| 12 | 1964 | 1964 | |
| 13 | 1965 | 1969 | |
| 14 | 1970 | 1972 | |
| 15 | 1973 | 1974 | |
| 16 | 1975 | 1975 | |
| 17 | 1976 | 1980 | |
| 18 | 1981 | 1981 | |
| 19 | 1982 | 1984 | |
| 20 | 1985 | 1986 | |
| 21 | 1987 | 1987 | |
| 22 | 1988 | 1994 | |
| 23 | 1994 | 1995 | |
| 24 | 1995 | 1996 | |
| 25 | 1996 | 1997 | |
| 26 | 1997 | 1998 | |
| 27 | 1998 | 1998 | |
| 28 | 1999 | 2003 | |
| 29 | 2004 | 2005 | |
| 30 | 2005 | 2005 | |
| 31 | 2005 | 2007 | |
| 32 | 2007 | 2007 | |
| 33 | 2007 | 2008 | |
| 34 | 2008 | 2009 | |
| 35 | 2009 | 2015 | |
| 36 | 2015 | 2016 | |
| 37 | 2016 | 2017 | |
| 38 | 2017 | 2017 | |
| 39 | 2017 | 2018 | |
| 40 | 2018 | 2018 | |
| 41 | 2019 | 2019 | |
| 42 | 2019 | 2020 | |
| 43 | 2020 | 2021 | |
| 44 | 2021 | 2022 | |
| 45 | 2022 | 2023 | |
| 46 | 2023 |
Managers
editMohammed Amin Hilmi (1937–39), (1950–51)
Mr. Michael (1967)
Hassan Sadaqa (1970–xx)
Eckhard Krautzun (1988–89)
Luka Peruzović (12 Oct 2000 – 11 Apr 2002)
Laurențiu Reghecampf (31 Mar 2021 – 31 May 2021)
Besnik Hasi (6 Jun 2021 – 4 Mar 2022)
Pitso Mosimane (25 Sep 2022 – 15 June 2023)
Handball
editCurrent Squad
See also
editReferences
edit- ^ "Saudi Arabia's PIF takes over Al-Ittihad, Al-Nassr, Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli". BBC Sport. 5 June 2023. Archived from the original on 6 June 2023. Retrieved 6 June 2023.
- ^ "Al-Ahli relegated for the first time in history". Saudigazette. 28 June 2022. Archived from the original on 28 June 2022. Retrieved 27 June 2022.
- ^ Al-Ahli Saudi FC Official Account (18 November 2022). "Official Documentation of Al-Ahli's Championships". X Social media platform. (previously known as Twitter). Archived from the original on 9 April 2024. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
- ^ a b c d e f g "List of Cup Winners -". Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation. Archived from the original on 3 August 2022. Retrieved 2 February 2023.
- ^ "The tweet of the official Al-Ahli club account via Twitter, in which the number of Saudi professional league and the date of each season was mentioned". Twitter (in Arabic). 18 November 2022. Archived from the original on 15 March 2023. Retrieved 25 December 2022.
- ^ "List of Cup Winners - International Friendship Tournament". RSSSF. Archived from the original on 25 December 2022. Retrieved 25 December 2022.
- ^ "الفريق الأول" [First team]. Al Ahli Saudi FC. Archived from the original on 21 September 2017. Retrieved 21 July 2023.
- ^ "الصربي فلادان ميلويفيتش مدرباً للفريق الأول لكرة القدم". Archived from the original on 7 September 2020. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
- ^ "مجلس إدارة النادي #الأهلي الذي تمت تزكيته من الجمعية العمومية". Archived from the original on 9 August 2020. Retrieved 25 June 2020.
- ^ owned by Public Investment Fund