Al-Rayyan Sports Club () is a Qatari multi-sports club fielding teams in a number of sports such as

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly ...

futsal Futsal is a football-based game played on a hard court smaller than a football pitch, and mainly indoors. It has similarities to five-a-side football and indoor football. Futsal is played between two teams of five players each, one of whom is ...

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

volleyball Volleyball is a team sport in which two teams of six players are separated by a net. Each team tries to score points by grounding a ball on the other team's court under organized rules. It has been a part of the official program of the Sum ...

handball Handball (also known as team handball, European handball or Olympic handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of throwing it into the ...

athletics Athletics may refer to: Sports * Sport of athletics, a collection of sporting events that involve competitive running, jumping, throwing, and walking ** Track and field, a sub-category of the above sport * Athletics (physical culture), competi ...

table tennis Table tennis, also known as ping-pong and whiff-whaff, is a sport in which two or four players hit a lightweight ball, also known as the ping-pong ball, back and forth across a table using small solid rackets. It takes place on a hard table div ...

, and

swimming Swimming is the self-propulsion of a person through water, or other liquid, usually for recreation, sport, exercise, or survival. Locomotion is achieved through coordinated movement of the limbs and the body to achieve hydrodynamic thrust that r ...

. It is based at the

Ahmed bin Ali Stadium Ahmad bin Ali Stadium (), popularly known as the Al-Rayyan Stadium, is an association football stadium located in the district of Rawdat Al Jahhaniya, Qatar, around northwest from the centre of Al Rayyan. It is currently used mostly for footba ...

Umm Al Afaei Umm Al Afaei ( ar, ام الافاعي) is a rural district in Qatar, located in the municipality of Al Rayyan. The districts of Umm Leghab and Lehsiniya in Al-Shahaniya Municipality are nearby to the west. Etymology In Arabic Arabic ( ...

in the city of

Al Rayyan Al Rayyan (; also spelled as ''Ar Rayyan'') is the third-largest municipality in the state of Qatar. Its primary settlement is the city of the same name, which occupies the entire eastern section and largely surrounds Metropolitan Doha and funct ...

. The club was founded in 1967 after merging the old Rayyan team with ''Nusoor Club''. The official team colours are red and black. They have won numerous titles in all sports, including two Asian championships in basketball, the Arab championship in handball, futsal domestic titles, table tennis, and volleyball, as well as numerous GCC basketball, handball, and volleyball championships. Both the basketball and handball teams have qualified for the world championships. However, the football team gets the most attention from the club officials, media, and fans.

History

1967–1973: Founding

Al Rayyan's history goes back to the mid-1960s when it was known as ''Old Al Rayyan''. Old Al Rayyan, though an amateur football team, competed in matches arranged throughout the whole country, not being limited to the city in which it was based. Their headquarters was in a two-bedroom house, and they played their matches on a football field in a school based in the New Rayyan area. The club relied on donations from the fans during this period. In 1967, Al Rayyan began as a combination of two groups called " new Al Rayyan’sons and old al-Rayyan’son". In 1967, Al-Rayyan started its factory. From 1967 until now, Al-Rayyan has won many trophies not only in soccer even in the rest of the games such as handball, basketball and volleyball. The people who contributed to build Al Rayyan knew that this team would not be a regular team, but it will also represent the culture of the city of Al Rayyan outside of Qatar. In 2008, the club established magazine called SOUT AL RAYYAN (The Voice of Al Rayyan) which is the first magazine that cares about Al Rayyan news, and it is the only team's magazine in Qatar. They applied to be a member club of the

Qatar Football Association The Qatar Football Association ( ar, الاتحاد القطري لكرة القدم, al-Ittiḥād al-Qaṭariyy li-Kurat al-Qadam) is the governing body of football in Qatar. President Sheikh Hamad Bin Khalifa Bin Ahmed Al-Thani is currently ...

, but were rejected with the QFA proposing that they merge with Al Nusoor, a local sports club also based in Al Rayyan. In 1967, after an announcement by the Al Rayyan Sports Committee that Old Al Rayyan would merge with Al Nusoor, Al Rayyan SC was officially founded. A new headquarters was established to accommodate increased size demands as a result of the merger. The first head coach of Al Rayyan was Ashour Salem, a Sudanese national, who, besides working as a local physical education coach, trained the first team and youth team. In the early years, the club branched out to other sports, notably basketball and handball. As a result of donations from the club supporters, Al Rayyan was able to establish their home grounds in

Doha Stadium Doha Stadium ( he, אצטדיון דוחא, ''Etztadion Doḥa''; ar, ستاد دوحة) is the current home of Bnei Sakhnin. History Located in the Israeli city of Sakhnin, Doha Stadium was built with public funds largely from the State of Is ...

, the largest stadium in Qatar at that time.

1973–1988: Early history

The club had success in the

Qatar Stars League The Qatar Stars League ( ar, دوري نجوم قطر), or the QSL, also called QNB Stars League for sponsorship reasons, is the top level football league in Qatar football league system. Contested by 12 teams, it operates on a system of promoti ...

within the first decade of its formation, with the club participating in their first official season in 1972–73. In the 1974–75, after a mass brawl between the fans and players of Al Rayyan and Al Sadd, the QFA relegated Al Rayyan, who were in 2nd place at the time, to the second division. They won back promotion the following season and achieved their first league title 1976. In the 1977 season, the QFA annulled the results of Al Rayyan due to actions which took place in a match against Al Arabi. The perpetrator, who was an Al Arabi player by the name of Yassin Mustafa, was banned permanently from all league matches whereas the two clubs were warned. In 1983, under the leadership of Mohammed Bin Hammam Al Abdulla, a new club headquarters and home stadium were constructed. They won the league with a negative goal difference in 1983–84, making them one of the only 6 teams in the world and the only Qatari team in history to achieve this feat.

1988–2000: Relegation and return to glory

In the 1987–88 season, much to the surprise of critics and fans, they got relegated for the first time in league history. The relegation was preceded by a 0–1 loss to Al Sadd, as Hassan Jowhar scored a header goal which would prove to be the final nail in the coffin of Al Rayyan. They won back promotion to the premier league in their first season in the second division. They would go on to win the league in 1990, the same season they were promoted back to the first division, beating out rivals Al Sadd. They won an additional league title in 1995.

2000–2013: League title drought

They inaugurated their home ground,

, in 2003 during the reign of Sheikh Mishaal Al Thani. The first match held on the grounds was the 2003 Emir Cup finals. The club has not experienced much league success as of late, with the last successful league campaign being in 1994–95; however they finished third in the 2010–11 season under

Paulo Autuori Paulo Autuori de Mello (born 25 August 1956), known as Paulo Autuori, is a Brazilian football executive and manager who is the current manager of Atlético Nacional. Early life A football fan since early childhood and a futsal player, Paulo Aut ...

. Nonetheless, they faced great success in the Emir's Cup and Heir Apparent Cup winning eight cups in total in 14 years.

2014–: Return to success

In 2014–15 the club won the

Qatargas League The Qatari Second Division ( ar, دوري الدرجة الثانية القطري), QSD or Second Division League, also was known as Qatargas League due to sponsorship reasons, is the second tier of football league competition in Qatar. Contested ...

and returned to

. On 28 November 2015, Al-Rayyan Broke the record of most consecutive league matches won to 11. On 5 March 2016, after 21 years Al-Rayyan won the league once again, and became the first ever team to win both leagues in two years.

Supporters

Al-Rayyan one of the most popular clubs in Qatar and supported throughout the entire

Gulf region The Persian Gulf ( fa, خلیج فارس, translit=xalij-e fârs, lit=Gulf of Fars, ), sometimes called the ( ar, اَلْخَلِيْجُ ٱلْعَرَبِيُّ, Al-Khalīj al-ˁArabī), is a mediterranean sea in Western Asia. The body ...

, as well as other parts of the world due to their high-profile signings. In 2010, they had the highest attendance in the

. The fan club won the QFA-sanctioned award of "best fans" in the 2008/09 season, and shared the award with

Al Sadd Al Sadd Sports Club ( ar, نادي السد الرياضي, lit=Dam Sports Club) is a Qatari sports club based in the Al Sadd (Qatar), Al Sadd district of the city of Doha. It is best known for its association football team, whic ...

in the 2012/13 season.

Honours

**Champions (8): 1975–76, 1977–78, 1981–82, 1983–84, 1985–86, 1989–90, 1994–95, 2015–16 *

Emir of Qatar Cup Emir of Qatar Cup ( ar, كأس أمير قطر), also known as the Emir Cup, but changed to Amir Cup starting in 2019, is an association football tournament played every season by 18 first and second division teams. The most successful is Al Sad ...

**Champions (6): 1998–99, 2003–04, 2005–06,

2010 File:2010 Events Collage New.png, From top left, clockwise: The 2010 Chile earthquake was one of the strongest recorded in history; The Eruption of Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland disrupts air travel in Europe; A scene from the opening ceremony of ...

2011 File:2011 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: a protester partaking in Occupy Wall Street heralds the beginning of the Occupy movement; protests against Libyan dictator Muammar Gaddafi, who was killed that October; a young man celebrates ...

2013 File:2013 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: Edward Snowden becomes internationally famous for leaking classified NSA wiretapping information; Typhoon Haiyan kills over 6,000 in the Philippines and Southeast Asia; The Dhaka garment fa ...

Qatar Crown Prince Cup The Qatar Cup is a tournament in men's football. It is played by the top 4 teams of the Qatar Stars League The Qatar Stars League ( ar, دوري نجوم قطر), or the QSL, also called QNB Stars League for sponsorship reasons, is the top l ...

**Champions (4):

1995 File:1995 Events Collage V2.png, From left, clockwise: O.J. Simpson is acquitted of the murders of Nicole Brown Simpson and Ronald Goldman from the year prior in "The Trial of the Century" in the United States; The Great Hanshin earthquake str ...

1996 File:1996 Events Collage.png, From left, clockwise: A bomb explodes at Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, set off by a radical anti-abortionist; The center fuel tank explodes on TWA Flight 800, causing the plane to crash and killing everyone o ...

, 2001,

2012 File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...

* Qatar Super Cup/Shiekh Jassem Cup **Champions (5): 1992, 2000,

, 2018

Continental record

Stadium

Ahmed bin Ali Stadium (), popularly known as the Al-Rayyan Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium in Al-Rayyan,

Qatar Qatar (, ; ar, قطر, Qaṭar ; local vernacular pronunciation: ), officially the State of Qatar,) is a country in Western Asia. It occupies the Qatar Peninsula on the northeastern coast of the Arabian Peninsula in the Middle East; it sh ...

which serves as the home stadium for Al Rayyan's football section. It will be used as a venue for the

2022 FIFA World Cup The 2022 FIFA World Cup is an international football tournament contested by the men's national teams of FIFA's member associations. The 22nd FIFA World Cup is taking place in Qatar from 20 November to 18 December 2022; it is the first Wor ...

Players

''As of

:''

Out on loan

Technical staff

Last update: February 2022.

First team

Notable players

''This list includes players whom have made significant contributions to their national team and to the club. At least 90 caps for the club or 100 caps for their national team is needed to be considered for inclusion.''

Managerial history

Present and past managers of Al-Rayyan from 1967 (incomplete): * Salem Ashour (1967–??), (1973–??)¹ * Saleh Youssef (ca. 1976)² * Powell (1976–??)³ * Abdul Moneim Al Haj (1981–83) * Eid Mubarak (1984) *

Vavá Edvaldo Izidio Neto (12 November 1934 – 19 January 2002), commonly known as Vavá, was a Brazilian footballer who is widely considered one of the best strikers of his generation. His nickname was "Peito de Aço" (Steel Chest). He played as a ...

(1984–85) * Wayne Jones (1985) * Eid Mubarak (1985) *

Colin Dobson Colin Dobson (born 9 May 1940) is an English former professional footballer who played as an inside-forward. He has also had a long career in coaching and has coached domestic and national teams in Arabia. He began his career with Sheffield ...

(1985–87) *

(ca. 1989) *

Alan Dicks Alan Dicks (born 29 August 1934) is an English retired footballer and football manager. He managed Bristol City for thirteen years and managed clubs in four countries on three continents. Born in London, he signed for Chelsea at the age of 17 ...

(1989–90) * Abdul Moneim Al Haj (1990) *

René Simões René Rodrigues Simões (born December 17, 1952) is a Brazilian retired professional football manager. Coaching career Born in Rio de Janeiro, he guided Jamaica national team to the World Cup in France in 1998. This was Jamaica's first, and ...

(1 July 1990–91) * Luis Alberto (1991–92) *

(1992 – 30 June 1993) * Cabralzinho (1993–94) *

Jørgen E. Larsen Jørgen Erik Larsen (25 July 1945 – 7 February 2020) was a Danish football coach and player. He spent most of his playing career at Herfølge Boldklub, playing 197 games for the club. In 1978, he was named sports director of Herfølge Boldkl ...

(1 July 1994 – 30 June 1995) * Evaristo de Macedo (1995) *

Benny Johansen Benny Johansen (born 18 March 1949) is a Danish former football player and manager. He won the Danish championship twice as a player for B 1903 and once as a manager of FC Copenhagen. He played one game for the Denmark national under-21 footba ...

(1 July 1995–96) * Eid Mubarak (1996–97) *

Antoni Piechniczek Antoni Krzysztof Piechniczek (born 3 May 1942) is a Polish former football player and manager. From 2007 to 2011 he was a Polish senator. Playing career Piechniczek was born in Chorzów. He played for clubs such as Naprzód Lipiny, Legia W ...

(1997) *

Zdzisław Podedworny Zdzisław Podedworny (born 13 April 1941 in Żabińce) is a Polish football coach. Career Coaching career He managed Górnik Zabrze, Olimpia Poznań, GKS Katowice, Ruch Chorzów, Espérance de Tunis, Polonia Warsaw Polonia Warsaw ( pl, Pol ...

(1997–98) * Allan Jones (1998) *

Roald Poulsen Roald Poulsen (born 28 November 1950) is a Danish association football manager, who most prominently won the 1989 Danish championship with Odense BK and managed the Zambia national football team. Poulsen started his coaching career with amateu ...

(1998–99) *

(1 July 1999 – 30 June 2000) * Dutra (2000) *

Paulo Campos Paulo C. Campos (July 27, 1921 – June 2, 2007) was a Filipino physician and educator noted for his promotion of wider community health care and his achievements in the field of nuclear medicine for which he was dubbed as ''"The Father of Nucle ...

(2000) * Santos (2000–01) * Paulo Henrique (2001–02) * Amarildo (2002) * Jean Castaneda (2002–04) * Bosse Nilsson (2004) *

(1 July 2004 – 30 June 2005) * Ron van den Berg (2005) *

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(26 June 2005 – 15 Nov 2005) * Hassan Hormatallah (Nov 2005–05) * Ladislas Lozano (2005–06) * Rabah Madjer (2006 – 30 June 2006) *

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(2006–07) *

(2 May 2007 – 17 May 2009) *

Marcos Paquetá Marcos César Dias de Castro (born 27 August 1958), known as Marcos Paquetá, is a former Brazilian footballer who played as a central midfielder and a current manager. Career Born in Rio de Janeiro but raised in the Paquetá Island, he starte ...

(1 July 2009 – 30 June 2010) *

(21 Nov 2009 – 30 June 2011) *

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(Sept 6, 2011 – 3 Nov 2013) * Rastko Stojkovic (2013) * Manuel Jiménez (4 Nov 2013 – 20 May 2015) *

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(20 May 2015 – 3 October 2016) *

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(26 September 2016 – 30 June 2018) * Rodolfo Arruabarrena (5 July 2018 – 8 October 2018) *

Bülent Uygun Bülent Uygun (born 1 August 1971) is a Turkish football manager and former player. He played as an attacking midfielder after starting his career as a striker, and was the captain of Fenerbahçe. His nickname is ''The Soldier''. Playing career ...

(10 October 2018 – 5 March 2019 ) * Gilson (6 March 2019 – 30 June 2019) *

(28 May 2019 – 11 December 2020) * Fábio César (10 December 2020 – 18 December 2020) *

Laurent Blanc Laurent Robert Blanc (born 19 November 1965) is a French professional football manager and former player who played as a centre-back, and is currently the manager of Ligue 1 club Lyon. He has the nickname ''Le Président'', which was given to hi ...

(19 December 2020 – 13 February 2022) *

Nicolás Córdova Nicolas Andrés Córdova San Cristóbal (, born 9 February 1979) is a Chilean football manager and former footballer. He is the manager of Al-Rayyan. Playing career Córdova began his career in Colo-Colo of Chile in the top flight. He played fr ...

(13 February 2022 – Present)

Administrative managers

* Ashraf Mehdi (1984–85) * Saad Abu El Dahab (1985–) ;Notes *1. Non-professional coach; worked as local physical education teacher. *2. First professional coach. *3. First non-Arab coach.

Al-Rayyan in Asia

They participated in the

AFC Champions League The AFC Champions League (abbreviated as ACL) is an annual continental club football competition organised by the Asian Football Confederation, and contested by Asia's top-division football clubs. It is the most prestigious club competition ...

in 2005, 2007, 2011, 2012 and 2013.

References

External links

Official website

Al Rayyan Club at QFA
{{Qatari League Rayyan Association football clubs established in 1967 Multi-sport clubs in Qatar Sport in Al Rayyan 1967 establishments in Qatar