Al-Arabi Sports Club (Arabic: النادي العربي الرياضي) is a Qatarisports club based in the capital city Doha. Founded in 1952, one team of the club is the football team that competes in the Qatar Stars League. The club's home ground is the 44,400-seat Al Thumama Stadium, in Qatar where they have played since 2023.
Al-Arabi had their first major success in 1978, winning the Emir of Qatar Cup, followed by various titles during the 1980s and 1990s. The club enjoyed their greatest period of success in those two decades, winning 17 major trophies. Domestically, Al-Arabi have won seven league titles, eight Emir of Qatar Cups, one Qatar Crown Prince Cup and six Qatar Sheikh Jassem Cups. Whilst they have also won the Qatar X UAE Super cup April 2023. This is their first International success. They have faced Sharjah FC and won.
Al-Arabi's regular kit colours are red shirts and shorts with red socks. The club's crest has been changed several times in attempts to re-brand the club and modernise its image. The current crest, featuring a ceremonial falcon, is a modification of the one introduced in the early 1950s. I
History
Foundation (1952–1972)
The club was founded in 1952 under the name "Shabab Al-Sharq" which was changed to "Al-Tahrir" in 1956. The next year, the club merged with Al-Wehda, a club founded in the same year, under the name of Al-Wehda. Al-Wehda did not play outside of Qatar nor host any foreign clubs due to its limited budget.
In 1972, the club rebranded under the name, Al-Arabi.
Al-Arabi had one of the largest fan bases in Qatar, as well as in other Gulf states. The club's popularity outside the Middle East was bolstered by their achievements and national team players. In 2003, the club signed Argentine striker Gabriel Batistuta.
Emergence (1972–1980s)
The club established itself as one of the leading teams in Qatari football during the 1970s. Arabi finished as runners-up in the 1975–76 Emir Cup and went on to win the Emir Cup three consecutive times. The club defeated Al-Wakrah in the 1977–78 and 1978–79 finals, before overcoming Al-Khor in the 1979–80 final.
The club continued its rise throughout the 1980s, emerging as one of Qatar's dominant football clubs. The squad featured several players who were a part of the Qatar national football team as well, including Ali Zaid, Ibrahim Khalfan, and Man'a Al-Barshi. During the decade, the club won the Qatari League title twice, in 1982–83 and 1984–85. Al-Arabi also once again lifted the Emir Cup in 1982–83 and 1983–84, and later claimed back-to-back titles in 1988–89 and 1989–90. In addition, the club won the Sheikh Jassim Cup in 1980 and again in 1982.
Golden era (1990s)
The Al-Arabi squad photographed in 1993
The 1990s was a successful period for Al-Arabi SC. During this decade, Al-Arabi assembled a squad featuring foreign players Marquinho Carioca and Richard Owebuker.[citation needed]
The early 2000s marked a period of decline for Al-Arabi SC, as the club experienced a significant drop in performance following the departure of key players, and increased competition from domestic rivals. In the 2001–02 season, Al-Arabi finished seventh, their lowest league position since joining the Qatar Stars League.
The signing of Gabriel Batistuta in 2003 briefly raised expectations, as the club finished higher than in the two previous seasons. However, Al-Arabi continued to struggle and ended the 2006–07 season in ninth place, setting a new low in the club's league history. The team failed to secure any domestic titles during this period and achieved limited success in international competitions. That season also included the club's heaviest-ever defeat, a 7–0 loss to Al-Sadd, which led to the dismissal of head coach Cabralzinho.
In 2006, following widespread criticism of club president Sheikh Falah bin Jassim, an administrative change took place, and Sheikh Faisal bin Mubarak was elected as the new president.[citation needed]
Crisis (2011–present)
Al Arabi headquarters in 2015
The beginning of the 2011–12 season initially looked bright for Al-Arabi, with the club winning its first domestic silverware in 13 years after defeating Umm Salal SC in the final of the 2011 Sheikh Jassem Cup. However, a string of bad results in the league resulted in the sacking of their coach, Paulo Silas.
They also qualified for the 2012 AFC Champions League, in which they were the first team to be eliminated. During this period, the club had appointed three coaches in a span of three months. They became the first team since 2007 to lose every match of the group stage, as well as the first Qatari team to witness such failure.
As a result, the club's director of football, Mubarak Mustafa, announced his departure from the club. Furthermore, club president Abdullah al-Mal announced his retirement from sports. He was replaced by Hitme bin Ali Al-Hitmi. The fiscal budget of the club was reduced from 15 million riyals to 9million riyals.
Al-Arabi Fans Club
The Al-Arabi Fans Club was established on 21 October 2015.
Grand Hamad Stadium (Arabic: استاد حمد الكبير), with a capacity of 13,000 people, was the club's initial home stadium. In 2023 the team moved to Al Thumama Stadium due to its larger capacity of 44,400.
Al-Arabi's clashes with Al-Sadd are considered the season's biggest as they are contested by Qatar's two most successful teams. [citation needed] The derby is an important component of the country's culture.
Al-Arabi always regarded itself as the club of Qatar's working class, in contrast to the more upper-class support base of Al-Sadd. The class divide between the two fanbases eventually diminished.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
12"Emir Cup final winner's list". alkass.com. Archived from the original on 27 September 2013. Retrieved 19 September 2017.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
