Al Sadd SC

Al Sadd Sports Club (Arabic: نادي السد الرياضي) is a Qatari sports club based in the Al Sadd district of the city of Doha. It is best known for its association football team, which competes in the top level of Qatari football, the Qatar Stars League. Locally, it is known primarily by the nickname "Al Zaeem", which translates to "The Boss". It is known as the best team in Qatar and is the only Qatari team that has won the AFC Champions League in Asia. In addition to football, the club has teams for handball, basketball, volleyball, table tennis, and athletics.[1] It is the most successful sports club in the country, and holds a national record of 57 official football championships.[2]

Al Sadd SC
Full nameAl Sadd Sports Club
Nickname(s)Al Zaeem (The Boss)
Al Dheeb (The Wolf)
Malik Al Qulub (King of Hearts)
Short nameSADD
Founded21 October 1969 (1969-10-21)
GroundJassim bin Hamad Stadium
Capacity12,946
ChairmanMohammed bin Khalifa Al Thani
ManagerBruno Pinheiro
LeagueQatar Stars League
2022–23Qatar Stars League, 3rd
WebsiteClub website

The origin of Al Sadd's conception began with Al-Attiyah family members who excelled in football, but did not wish to join any of the existing football clubs. After consulting with the minister of Youth and Sports, the Al-Attiyah family decided to make a profound Qatari team called Al Sadd. Namely, his excellency Ali Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah, founded the club on 21 October 1969 in Qatar's capital city, Doha.

In the 1989 season, they became the first Arab club side to triumph in the Asian Club Championship by defeating Al Rasheed of Iraq on an aggregate of away goals. Twenty-two years later, they won the 2011 Asian Champions League and earned a spot in the 2011 FIFA Club World Cup, in which Al Sadd finished third. They also earned a spot in the 2019 FIFA Club World Cup automatically as host club, in which Al Sadd finished sixth.

History

1969–1980: Foundation and beginnings

Badr Bilal played for the club from 1979 to 1991.

Al Sadd was established in 1969 by his excellency Ali Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah and his relatives, they excelled in playing football, and refused to join other clubs at the time and decided to make their own club. The reason behind the club’s name is that his excellency Ali Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah was born and raised in Al-Sadd area.

Moreover, they consulted with Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al-Thani, who was the minister of Youth and Sports at the time, at his residence on Al Rayyan Road. He obliged their request, and the next morning, the youth signed the necessary applications and created a club statue which they presented to Abdulaziz Buwazair, the operating manager of the Supreme Sports Committee, resulting in the formation of Al Sadd Sports Club.[3]

Many of the early players and supporters were remnants of Al Ahrar SC, a club which was formed in 1961 in the district of Al Sadd. The name "Al Ahrar" translates to "the free people", was chosen to honor the Free Officers Movement led by Gamal Abdel Nasser. It was one of the several early football clubs in Qatar named in honor of a Pan-Arabism movement. By order of ministerial decree, Al Ahrar was merged with another Qatari football club named Al Nasr in 1964. Playing its home matches at the Doha Stadium, Al Ahrar played numerous matches abroad in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. Following a mass brawl between Al Ahrar and Al Najah in a 1967–68 Qatari League match attended by Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al-Thani, the sheikh decided to "permanently and immediately" shut down the club and redistribute its players to other teams, paving the way to the formation of Al Sadd's early squad. The main founder of Al-Sadd, his excellency Ali Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah, states that he and the other founders watched all of Al Ahrar's matches as a youth, and that its closure inspired he and his friends to draft plans for their own team.[4]

In their initial year of establishment, Hamad bin Mubarak Al Attiyah, coached the club and the team trained on a football pitch in a local high school. While the founder of Al-Sadd club, his excellency Ali Bin Hamad Al-Attiyah, was overseeing the club’s performance and making crucial decisions.[5] Al Sadd's initial popularity was owed in part due to its affiliation with the Al Attiyah tribe, a prominent local tribe, and its close affiliation with then-recently dissolved Al Ahrar club.[6]

The club won the first ever league title in 1971–72. However, this was one year before the league was officially recognized. Thus, they won their first official QSL title in 1973–74. Sadd, along with Al Arabi and Al Rayyan, went on to dominate Qatari football in the 70s and the 80s by winning many Qatari League trophies and Emir Cups. Youssef Saad, a Sudanese forward who played for the club since its inception, was the first ever professional player to officially join the ranks of Al Sadd.[7] In 1974, while Al Sadd was still in its infancy, they dubiously transferred 14 players, including Mubarak Anber and Hassan Mattar, and head coach Hassan Othman from Al Esteqlal (later to be known as Qatar SC), much to the dismay of club président Hamad bin Suhaim. Transfers could be made unconditionally during this time, meaning Esteqlal's protests were in vain. This was a major factor in them winning their first cup championship the next year in 1975. They defeated Al Ahli 4–3 in a tightly contested match under the leadership of Hassan Osman in order to claim the Emir Cup. Their goals came from Youssef Saad, who scored a brace, and Ali Bahzad and Abdullah Zaini. Till this day, it is the joint-largest score in an Emir Cup final match.[8]

They won the first ever Sheikh Jassim Cup held in 1977–78, as well as winning it two more times in the next two years. In 1978–79, the club succeeded in achieving their first domestic double by winning both, the Sheikh Jassim Cup and the league, accomplishing the same feat the next season.

1980–2000: First international success

In the 1981–82, they won the Emir Cup and Sheikh Jassim Cup, once again under the reigns of Hassan Osman. During this period, Badr Bilal and Hassan Mattar, both of whom were top scorers in the league at one point, led the team to victories in both of the finals. Al Sadd also succeeded in setting a domestic record by defeating Al-Shamal SC 16–2, the largest recorded win in a professional football match in the country’s history.[9] They nearly completed a domestic triple in 1987, but lost 2–0 to Al Ahli in the Emir Cup final that year.[8]

They were the first team to play against English side Cheadle Town on their home grounds, Park Road Stadium, under the leadership of Jimmy Meadows in 1982. They were victorious by a 4–1 margin.[10]

Al Sadd won their Champions League debut in 1988 (then known as Asian Club Championship), where they secured the top position in their group. They faced Al-Rasheed of Iraq in the final, defeating them on away goals, thus fending the Iraqis off in order to claim the title of the first Arab team to ever win the championship. The victorious team was largely made up locals, with the exception of Lebanese Wassef Soufi and Iranian Amir Ghalenoii, who did not participate in the final due to the Iran–Iraq War.[11] In addition to winning the Asian Champions League, they won the Sheikh Jassim Cup and the league on that year. They were the first team to play in Iran after the Iran–Iraq War, losing 1–0 to Esteghlal in an ACC match in 1991.[11] The 1990s were a lean phase for Al Sadd, regarding the league. They could not win even one league championship during that period. However, they did manage to open their account in the Heir Apparent Trophy and also won the Gulf Club Champions Cup in 1991.

2000–2010: New century, new possibilities

Fossati helped the club achieve a domestic quadruple.

The new millennium opened up a new era for Al Sadd. They returned to winning ways in the Qatari League, won many Emir Cups and Heir Apparent trophies. They also managed a triple crown in regional football by winning the Arab Champions League in 2001.

They recorded the largest-ever win in the Sheikh Jassim Cup in 2006, when they defeated Muaither 21–0. At the time, it was the largest victory margin ever recorded in any football match in the GCC.[9]

In 2007, under the command of Uruguayan coach Jorge Fossati, they achieved a quadruple by winning all four domestic cups. They were the first Qatari team to do so, and had also set a league record for the highest winning streak by winning 10 leagues games in a row.[12] In addition, they made a record signing in Qatari football by paying $22 million for the Argentinian Mauro Zárate the same year. In 2010, they were the second team to ever win the QNB Cup by defeating Umm Salal in the final.

2010–2012: Second Fossatti era

Al Sadd was placed in the qualifying play-offs of the 2011 Champions League, courtesy of the disqualification of Vietnamese teams due to the non-submission of documents. They beat Al-Ittihad of Syria and Indian club, Dempo SC, 5–1[13] and 2–0 respectively, to acquire a spot in the group stage. Al Sadd, who were the definite underdogs, overcame the odds and topped their group to play against Al-Shabab, whom they beat 1–0.

The quarter-final against Sepahan would mark the first sign of controversy for the club. Sepahan had initially won the first-leg match against Al Sadd 1–0; however, after the match, Al Sadd lodged a formal complaint to the AFC as Sepahan had fielded an ineligible player, Rahman Ahmadi, who previously received two yellow cards in the tournament with his former club. The match was overturned 3–0 in favor of Al Sadd, virtually ensuring the club a place in the semi-finals.[14]

They later faced Suwon Samsung Bluewings in a highly publicized semi-final. Suwon were favorites to win after knocking last year's runners-up, Zob Ahan, out of the running. The first-leg match was played in Suwon, South Korea. In the 70th minute of the match, Mamadou Niang of Al Sadd had a deflected shot veer past the goalkeeper, settling the score 1–0. Ten minutes later, a Suwon player was inadvertently kicked in the head by an Al Sadd defender, prompting Suwon to kick the ball out of play. While the injured Suwon player was being tended to, Niang sprinted past the keeper to score a second goal, infuriating the Suwon players. The chaos was elevated when a Suwon fan had run onto the pitch, sparking a mass melee which involved both coaching staff and players. After the fight was brought to a halt, the referee sent off a player from each team while Niang later got a red card and Al Sadd's Korean defender Lee Jung-soo had walked off the pitch in frustration.[15]

The melee prompted official investigation from the AFC, who suspended three players from both teams for six games.[16] Al Sadd lost the second leg 1–0, though this allowed them to advance to the final with a 2–1 aggregate to face Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors. Al Sadd later received the nickname "Al-Badd" from the Korean media as a result of their semi-final confrontations.[17]

Al Sadd celebrate after winning 2011 AFC Champions League.

They won the 2011 AFC Champions League Final against Jeonbuk, 4–2 on penalties.[18][19] This earned them a spot in the 2011 FIFA Club World Cup.

To date, this is the best result achieved by a Qatari team in the AFC Champions League under its new format. Al Sadd also became the first team to reach the AFC Champions League knockout stage after starting their campaign in the play-offs in February.[20] Furthermore, Al Sadd was crowned "AFC Club of the Year" in 2011 by AFC after their Champions League conquest. Championship 2011 in honor of the club's owner changed the team logo and stars to commemorate the AFC Champions League 1988.2011 was etched on the shirt Wolves.[21]

During the 2011 FIFA Club World Cup, Al Sadd were eliminated in the semi-final stage by Barcelona, which set up a third-place meeting between them and Kashiwa Reysol. This was the first time two clubs from the same confederation faced off each other in a third-place match. Al Sadd won the encounter on penalties in order to be the first West Asian club to claim the bronze medal in the FIFA Club World Cup.[22]

2012–present: Post-ACL champions

After the departure of Fossati, former Al-Sadd midfielder Hussein Amotta was named as the new coach in May 2012. The Moroccan had finished as the Qatar League top scorer during his four-year stay at the club from 1997 to 2001. He was working as the club's technical director prior to being promoted to the top job.[23]

Just days before Amouta's appointment, Al-Sadd announced the high-profile signing of former Real Madrid captain Raúl, who arrived on a free transfer from Schalke 04.[24]

Managed by Amouta and led by new captain Raúl, Al Sadd set a league record for the best start to the league season ever by winning all of their first nine games, shattering the previous record set by Al Gharafa, who had won seven.[12] The team went on to break Lekhwiya's two-year dominance by winning the 2012–13 Qatar Stars League title, five years after their last triumph in the competition.[25]

Al-Sadd faltered in the next two seasons, however, finishing third and second in 2013–14 and 2014–15 respectively, as Lekhwiya returned to win back-to-back titles once again. In 2015, Al-Sadd achieved the coup of signing Barcelona's storied Spanish international Xavi.[26] In 2019 he ended his career as a professional player at the club to start there his career as football manager.

With Qatar as host of the 2019 FIFA Club World Cup when announced by the FIFA Council on 3 June 2019, Al Sadd SC automatically qualified as the host club team.

With Xavi as manager, Al-Sadd won six cups and one championship title between 2019 and 2021. Xavi departed in 2021 to fill the managerial role at his boyhood club Barcelona.

Stadium and facilities

Home matches are played in the state-of-the-art (football-specific) Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium (also known as Al Sadd Stadium), with a capacity which adds up to 18,000, including VIP stands.[27] The stadium, originally built in 1974, was renovated in 2004 for the Gulf Cup. Situated near central Doha, the venue attracts large numbers of spectators. It is the de facto home stadium of the Qatar national football team.[28]

Jassim Bin Hamad was one of the first stadiums to feature an air-conditioning system.[29]

Stadium Period
Tariq bin Zayed Stadium[5] 1969–1975
Jassim Bin Hamad Stadium 1975–present

Colours and crest

Among Al Sadd's most popular nicknames are Al Zaeem (The Boss) and Al Dheeb (The Wolf). From the foundation of the club, the common home kit includes a white shirt, black or white shorts, and white socks. White and black colours are also seen in the crest. The away kit of the club is associated with a black background. Pink was adopted as the club's primary colour for their third uniform in 2007.[30]

Their first crest was designed in Lebanon in 1969, and was similar to other football clubs in the region, in the sense that it depicted a football with Arabic writing on it.[31] This crest was an hommage to former football club Al Ahrar. Originally, the club wanted to use the same crest as Al Ahrar, but this idea was rejected by the QFA.[5] A second crest was designed in the eighties, and was designed by the founder of the club, Nasser bin Mubarak Al-Ali. It was used until 1999, the year in which their third crest was designed, also by Nasser bin Mubarak Al-Ali, in celebration of the 30-year anniversary of the founding of the club. Following their impressive AFC Champions League campaign in 2011, the logo was modified and released in June 2012 to include two golden stars on the top to mark the two Asian titles of 1989 and 2011.[31]

Kit suppliers and shirt sponsors

Period Kit manufacturer Shirt sponsor
–2016 Qatar Burrda Vodafone
2017–2022 Germany Puma Qatar Airways
2022–present United States New Balance Qatar Airways

International club twinnings

Country Club From Ref.
Saudi Arabia Al Hilal 2010 [32]
Egypt Zamalek 2012 [33]
Sudan Al Hilal 2014 [34]
Germany Schalke 04 2015 [35]
Turkey Trabzonspor 2017 [36]

Youth development

The club hosts numerous age brackets with a number of youth coaches. Many notable local footballers have graduated from Al Sadd's academy, including Jafal Al Kuwari, Khalid Salman, Hassan Al-Haydos, and 2006 Asian Footballer of the Year, Khalfan Ibrahim, who is the first Qatari to receive this award. There have been foreign graduates as well, such as UAE's Mutaz Abdulla. They have a youth development programme, which instills philosophies and enforces training ideals among the youth players.[37] The programme had 284 participants enrolled as of 2011.[38]

Performance in domestic competitions

No. Season Opponent Result Scorer(s) Head coach
Emir Cup[8]
11974Qatar SC1–2Youssef SaadQatar Said Musa
21975Al Ahli4–3Youssef Saad (2), Ali Behzad, Abdulla ZainiSudan Hassan Othman
31977Al Rayyan1–0Ali BehzadSudan Hassan Othman
41982Al Rayyan2–1Badr Bilal, Hassan MattarSudan Hassan Othman
51983Al Arabi0–1N/AEngland Jimmy Meadows
61985Al Ahli2–1Hassan Jowhar, Khalid SalmanSudan Hassan Othman
71986Al Arabi2–0Khalifa Khamis, Hassan JowharBrazil Procópio Cardoso
81987Al Ahli0–2N/ABrazil Procópio Cardoso
91988Al Wakrah0–0 (4–3 pen.)Yousef Adsani, Ebrahim Ghasempour, Salah Salman, Mohammed Al AmmariQatar Ahmed Omar
101991Al Rayyan1–0Ali Abdel RazakBrazil Cleyton Silas
111993Al Arabi0–3N/ABrazil Sebastião Lapola
121994Al Arabi3–2Isaac Debra (2), Khalid Al MerreikhiQatar Ahmed Omar
132000Al Rayyan2–0Diène Faye, Ezzat JadouaBosnia and Herzegovina Džemaludin Mušović
142001Qatar SC3–2Ahmed Khalifa, Radhi Shenaishil, Ali BenarbiaNetherlands René Meulensteen
152002Al Gharafa1–4Jafal RashedRomania Ilie Balaci
162003Al Ahli2–1Mohammed Gholam (2)Croatia Luka Peruzović
172005Al Wakrah0–0 (5–4 pen.)N/ASerbia Bora Milutinović
182007Al Khor0–0 (5–4 pen.)N/AUruguay Jorge Fossati
192012Al Gharafa0–0 (3–4 pen.)N/AUruguay Jorge Fossati
Crown Prince Cup[39]
11998Al Arabi3–2Sérgio (2), Hussein AmottaMorocco Abdelkadir Bomir
22003Al Gharafa2–0Zamel Al Kuwari, Mohammed GholamCroatia Luka Peruzovic
32004Qatar SC1–2Medhat Mostafa (o.g.)Serbia Bora Milutinovic
42006Qatar SC2–1Carlos Tenorio, Emerson SheikUruguay Jorge Fossati
52007Al Gharafa2–1Carlos Tenorio (2)Uruguay Jorge Fossati
62008Al Gharafa1–0Carlos TenorioMorocco Hassan Hormutallah
72012Al Rayyan1–1 (4–5 pen.)Khalfan IbrahimUruguay Jorge Fossati
82013Lekhwiya2–3Younis Mahmoud, Lee Jung-SooMorocco Hussein Amotta

Players

As of 4 May 2023.[40]

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 Qatar QAT Saad Al-Sheeb
2 DF Qatar QAT Ró-Ró
4 MF Qatar QAT Ahmed Sayyar
5 DF Qatar QAT Tarek Salman
6 DF Brazil BRA Paulo Otávio
7 MF Qatar QAT Mohammed Waad
8 MF Qatar QAT Ali Assadalla
9 FW Qatar QAT Yusuf Abdurisag
10 MF Qatar QAT Hassan Al-Haydos (captain)
11 FW Algeria ALG Baghdad Bounedjah
12 DF France FRA Ilyes Housni (on loan from Paris Saint-Germain)
13 MF Qatar QAT Abdullah Al-Yazidi
14 MF Qatar QAT Mostafa Meshaal
16 DF Qatar QAT Boualem Khoukhi
18 MF Brazil BRA Guilherme Torres
19 MF Ecuador ECU Gonzalo Plata
20 MF Qatar QAT Salem Al-Hajri
22 GK Qatar QAT Meshaal Barsham
No. Pos. Nation Player
23 MF Qatar QAT Hashim Ali
25 MF Qatar QAT Mohammed Al-Quraishi
28 FW Qatar QAT Ahmad Al-Saeed
30 GK Qatar QAT Jehad Hudib
31 GK Qatar QAT Yousef Baliadeh
33 MF Qatar QAT Moaz El-Wadia
37 DF Qatar QAT Ahmed Suhail
51 FW Qatar QAT Akram Afif
55 DF Iran IRN Amin Hazbavi
66 DF Qatar QAT Abdulrahman Al-Ameen
70 DF Qatar QAT Musab Kheder
86 MF Qatar QAT Mohamed Faragalla
88 MF Colombia COL Mateus Uribe
96 DF Qatar QAT Anas Abweny
97 MF Qatar QAT Abdulla Mahdi
98 DF Qatar QAT Nayef Hamid
99 GK Qatar QAT Abdullla Ibrahim

Unregistered players

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
17 FW Brazil BRA Giovani Henrique

Out on loan

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
29 DF Morocco MAR Romain Saïss (at Al-Shabab until 30 June 2024)

Staff

As of 21 June 2022.
Coaching staff[41]
Manager Portugal Bruno Pinheiro
Assistant manager Portugal Emanuel Mesquita
Assistant manager Portugal Joao Carlos
Fitness coach Spain Dani Acosta
Technical Analyst Portugal Andre Carvalho
Technical Analyst Tunisia Ibrahim Boughanmi
U23 team coach Vacant
U23 team assistant coach Vacant
Medical staff
Team doctor Brazil Flavio Cruz
Physiotherapist Tunisia Akram Abid
Physiotherapist Tunisia Raouf Bougamra
Medical Therapist Gorge Pereia
Medical Therapist Brazil Jefferson Gomes
Administrative staff[42]
Director of football Qatar Mohammed Al Ali
Sporting director Qatar Mohammed Gholam
Media officer Qatar Ahmad Al Ansari
Team manager Qatar Abdulla Al Berik
First team officer Qatar Mohammed Saeed
U23 team manager Qatar Abdulaziz Al Jaiedi
Audience & marketing officer Qatar Ahmed Al Sayed

Honours

Domestic

Continental

International

Records

Matches

  • Largest victory: Al Sadd 21–0 Muaither (2006–07)
  • Longest winning run: 9 matches (2011–12) (Record)
  • Largest Asian victory: Al Sadd 6–2 Lokomotiv (2014–15)
  • Largest Asian defeat: Al Hilal 5–0 Al Sadd (2013–14)

Individual

Qatar Stars League Top scorers

The following players have won the QSL top goalscorer award while playing for Al Sadd:

Players

As of 23 October 2023.

Notes: Early years statistics are primarily unknown.
Names in bold are players who are still at the club at present.

All-time top goalscorers

Rank Nation Name Years Goals
1 Baghdad Bounedjah 2016– 208
2 Hassan Al Haidos 2007– 129
3 Carlos Tenorio 2003–2009 104
4 Khalfan Ibrahim 2004–2017 104
5 Akram Afif 2018– 101
6 Yusef Ahmed 2005–2015 54
7 Emerson Sheik 2005–2007
2008–2009
50
8 Leandro Montera 2009–2012 50
9 Hussein Amotta 1997–2001 49
10 Felipe Jorge 2005–2010 40

All-time most appearances

Rank Nation Name Years Apps
1 Hassan Al Haidos 2007– 473
2 Abdulla Koni 1996–2014 342
3 Khalfan Ibrahim 2004–2017 316
4 Abdelkarim Hassan 2010– 312
5 Mohamed Saqr 2003–2012 287
7 Talal Al-Bloushi 2003–2017 286
6 Saad Al-Sheeb 2008– 280
8 Mubarak Anber 1975–1987 246
9 Jafal Rashed Al-Kuwari 1990–2009 245
10 Mesaad Al-Hamad 2004–2014 239

Youth teams

As of 18 July 2012.
Coaching staff
U–19 assistant coach Qatar United Arab Emirates Mubarak Ghanim Al Ali
U–17 head coach Bahrain Abdul Aziz Abdo
U–15 head coach Morocco Mudhakar Mouloud
U–14 head coach Tunisia Nabil Belkhodja
U–13 head coach Brazil Marcos dos Santos
U–13 assistant coach Qatar Abdullah Al-Shamlan
U–11 head coach Egypt Alaeddin Al Mendoh
U–10 head coach Egypt Abdulaziz Zakaria
U–9 head coach Egypt Mohammed Fathi
Goalkeeping coach Algeria Mehdi Cerbah
Goalkeeping coach Brazil Mauro Sergio
Goalkeeping coach Egypt Mohammed Abdulwahab
Medical staff
Physiotherapist Egypt Rauf Mustafa
Physiotherapist Tunisia Salem Mohammed
Technical staff
Technical supervisor Sudan Qatar Hassan Othman
Technical director Hungary Barnabás Tornyi
Head of youth teams Qatar Hassan Mattar
Deputy head Qatar Khalid Saad
U–19 director Qatar Abdulrazak Al Mansouri
U–19 director Qatar Abdullah Al-Yami
U–17 director Qatar Mohammed Dalloul
U–15 director Qatar Salim Saud
U–14 manager Egypt Mahmoud Diab
U–13 manager Egypt Mohammed Mustafa
U–13 coordinator Qatar Khalid Al Kanish
U–11 manager Qatar Eid Johar Said
U–10 manager Qatar Badr Al Yazidi
U–9 manager Yemen Kaid Daifallah
U–9 manager Yemen Shukri Hussein

Noted players

Updated 20 May 2019.

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

Managerial history

As of September 2022.
Years Months Manager
1969 Unknown Qatar Hamad Al Attiyah1
1969 Unknown Qatar Said Musa1
1969–73 Unknown Unknown
1973–74 Unknown Qatar Said Musa1
1974 Unknown Sudan Abdulla Balash
1974–77 Unknown Sudan Hassan Othman
1977–79 Unknown Unknown
1979–82 Unknown Brazil José Faria
1982 Unknown Sudan Hassan Othman
1982–83 Unknown England Jimmy Meadows
1983–84 Unknown Brazil Pepe
1984–85 Unknown Sudan Hassan Othman
1985–87 Unknown Brazil Procópio Cardoso
1987–88 Unknown Qatar Ahmed Omar
1988–89 Unknown Brazil José Carbone
1989 Unknown Qatar Obeid Jumaa
1989 Unknown Brazil José Carbone
1989–90 Unknown Brazil Cabralzinho
1990–91 Unknown Brazil Silas
1991–92 Unknown Qatar Obeid Jumaa
1993 Unknown Brazil Sebastião Lapola
1993–94 Unknown Qatar Ahmed Omar
1994 Unknown Brazil Flamarion Nunes
1994–95 Unknown Bosnia and Herzegovina Džemaludin Mušović
1995 Unknown Qatar Khalifa Khamis[43]
1995–96 Unknown Brazil Sebastião Rocha
1996–97 Unknown Qatar Ahmed Omar[44][45]
Years Months Manager
1997 Unknown Morocco Abdelkadir Bomir
1997 Unknown Brazil Evaristo de Macedo
1997 Unknown Brazil Zé Mário
1997–98 Unknown Algeria Rabah Madjer
1998–99 Unknown Morocco Abdelkadir Bomir
1999 Unknown Brazil Luiz Gonzaga2[46]
1999 Unknown Brazil Evaristo de Macedo
1999 Unknown Iraq Adnan Dirjal
1999–00 Unknown Brazil Procópio Cardoso
2000 Unknown Bosnia and Herzegovina Džemaludin Mušović
2000–01 July – Oct Netherlands René Meulensteen
2001–02 Oct – Oct Romania Ilie Balaci
2002–04 Oct – May Croatia Luka Peruzović
2004–05 May – Oct Serbia Bora Milutinović
2005–06 Oct – May Qatar Mohammed Al Ammari
2006–07 May – Aug Uruguay Jorge Fossati
2007–08 Aug – Jan Netherlands Co Adriaanse
2008 Feb – June Morocco Hassan Hormutallah
2008 June – Nov Brazil Émerson Leão
2008–09 Nov – June Bosnia and Herzegovina Džemaludin Mušović
2009–10 June – Dec Romania Cosmin Olăroiu
2010–12 Dec – May Uruguay Jorge Fossati
2012–15 June – Nov Morocco Hussein Amotta
2015–19 Nov – May Portugal Jesualdo Ferreira
2019–21 May – Nov Spain Xavi
2021–22 Nov – Jul Spain Javi Gracia
2022– Jul – Spain Juanma Lillo

Notes

  • Note 1 denotes player–manager role.
  • Note 2 denotes caretaker role.
Xavi, former coach of Al Sadd.

Club officials

Management
Office Name
Président Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Thani
Vice-président Nasser bin Mubarak Al Ali
Board member Jassim Al Romaihi
Board member Khalifa Al Attiyah
Treasurer Fahad Al Kaabi
Board member Abdulaziz Al Mana
Board member Fahad Al Kuwari
Board member Mohammed Ghanem Al Ali
Board of directors
Presidential history
Président
1 HE Ahmad bin Jassim bin Fahad Al-Thani
2 HE Abdullah bin Hamad Al-Attiya
3 HE Jassim bin Hamad bin Jaber Al-Thani
4 HE Mohammed bin Mubarak Al-Ali
5 HE Nasser bin Mubarak Al-Ali
6 HE Mohammed bin Khalifa Al Thani

Rivalries

Al Rayyan

A rivalry which stems from early in the history of the league, it is popularly known as the 'Qatari El Clasico'.[47]

Head-to-head

Updated 16 March 2023[48]

Head-to-head
Competition P W D L GF GA GD
Qatar Stars League6027132010279+4
Sheikh Jassem Cup622276+1
Emir Cup105051413+1
Crown Prince Cup113531210+2
Reserve League84221611+5
Qatar Stars cup201123−1
Arab Champions League110051+4
Total95412034161119+42

Al Arabi

This is the clash of Qatar's two most successful teams: Al Sadd and Al Arabi. For some fans, winning this derby is more noteworthy than winning the league itself. The derby is an important component of the country's culture.[49]

Al Arabi always regarded themselves as the club of Qatar's working class, in contrast with the more upper-class support base of Al Sadd. The social class divide between the two fan bases eventually diminished.[49]

Memorable matches

Bold indicates a win.

Season Result Competition Notes
1981–82 0–1 Emir Cup
1985–86 3–2 Emir Cup
1995–96 0–0 Qatar Stars League Al Arabi crowned champions.
2001–02 6–2 Qatar Stars League
2003–04 7–0 Qatar Stars League
2005–06 2–1 Qatar Stars League Al Sadd crowned champions.
2009–10 3–3 Qatar Stars League Al Sadd came back from 3–0 down to deny Al Arabi an ACL spot.

Head-to-head

league From 1996 to 2023.

Head-to-head
Competition P W D L GF GA GD
Qatar Stars League6134131413766+71
Sheikh Jassem Cup6501138+5
Emir Cup148242315+8
Crown Prince Cup320164+2
Reserve League84221611+5
Qatar Stars Cup62222013+7
Total97551923189100+89

Supporters

Historically, Al Sadd has been the favoured club of Qatar's upper-class.[49] The club garnered many supporters in the early years of the Qatar Stars League, along with Al Rayyan and Al-Arabi, who were the three main powers of the league.

The new millennium saw an influx of new fans as a result of recruiting many foreign nationals to play for the club, as well as the club's performance in regional competitions.

In order to better communicate with the fans, Al Sadd's fan club was established in the 2003–04 season of the QSL and was then an unprecedented idea in most Gulf and Arab clubs. The fan club serves many roles; it is not merely restricted to organizing fan groups within the stadium, but it is also used as a means to discuss ways in which to improve the club. In addition, annual general meetings are held between the management and fans in order to have an open platform to discuss issues in an open environment. This was greatly criticized at the beginning, while now other clubs are following suit.[50]

The club also has annual and monthly awards for the best players of the club which is sponsored by Givenchy. The fan club has won the QFA-sanctioned title of best fan club in Qatar for three successive years – 2006, 2007 and 2008.[50]

Furthermore, the fan club was also the first in Qatar to put the free SMS service for mobiles in place. This attracted more than 8000 subscribers who received a number of over 3 million SMS' during the first one and a half years.[50]

Also active on social networking sites, the club has official Facebook and Twitter accounts.

Asian record

Updated 28 May 2014.[51]
Competition Pld W D L GF GA
AFC Champions League512211187561
Asian Club Championship9621168
Total602813199169
  • Q = Qualification
  • GS = Group stage
  • R16 = Round of 16
  • QF = Quarter-final
  • SF = Semi-final

Asian Club Championship

Competition Round Country Club Home Away Aggregate
1988–89
Asian Club Championship GS Syria Al-Futowa 4–1
GS Lebanon Al-Ansar 1–0
GS Iraq Al-Rasheed 0–0
SF Malaysia Pahang FA 2–0
SF Bangladesh Mohammedan SC 2–2
SF North Korea 25 April 2–1
SF Saudi Arabia Al-Ittifaq 2–1
Final Iraq Al-Rasheed 1–0 2–3 3–3 (A)

AFC Champions League

Competition Round Country Club Home Away Aggregate
2002–03
AFC Champions League GS Iran Esteghlal 1–2 1–2
GS United Arab Emirates Al Ain 2–0 2–0
GS Saudi Arabia Al-Hilal 1–3 1–3
2003–04
AFC Champions League GS United Arab Emirates Al Wahda 0–0 0–0 0–0
GS Iraq Al Quwa Al Jawiya 1–0 0–1 1–1
GS Kuwait Al Qadisiya 1 0–0 0–0
2004–05
AFC Champions League GS United Arab Emirates Al Ahli 2–0 1–2 3–2
GS Kuwait Al Kuwait 1–0 1–0 2–0
GS Uzbekistan Neftchi 3–2 0–2 3–4
QF South Korea Busan I'Park 1–2 0–3 1–5
2005–06
AFC Champions League GS Saudi Arabia Al Shabab 2–3 0–0 2–3
GS Kuwait Al Arabi 4–1 2–1 6–2
GS Iraq Al Quwa Al Jawiya 3–0 2–0 5–0
2006–07
AFC Champions League GS Syria Al-Karamah 1–1 1–2 2–3
GS Iraq Najaf FC 1–4 0–1 1–5
GS Uzbekistan Neftchi Farg'ona 2–0 1–2 3–2
2007–08
AFC Champions League GS Saudi Arabia Al-Ahli Jeddah 2–1 2–2 4–3
GS United Arab Emirates Al-Wahda 0–0 2–2 2–2
GS Syria Al-Karamah 0–2 0–1 0–3
2009–10
AFC Champions League GS Saudi Arabia Al-Hilal 0–3 0–0 0–3
GS United Arab Emirates Al-Ahli 2–2 5–0 7–2
GS Iran Mes Kerman 4–1 1–3 5–4
2010–11
AFC Champions League Q1 Syria Al-Ittihad 5–1
Q1 India Dempo 2–0
GS Iran Esteghlal 2–2 1–1 3–3
GS Uzbekistan Pakhtakor 2–1 1–1 3–2
GS Saudi Arabia Al-Nassr 1–0 1–1 2–1
R16 Saudi Arabia Al-Shabab 1–0
QF Iran Sepahan 1–2 3–02 4–2
SF South Korea Suwon Samsung 0–1 2–0 2–1
Final South Korea Jeonbuk Hyundai 4–2 pen

^1 Following the match between Al-Qadisiya and Al Sadd, Kuwaiti security personnel assaulted the visiting players; Al-Qadisiya were ejected from the competition and banned from AFC competitions for three years. Their record was expunged.

^2 The AFC Disciplinary Committee decided to award the quarter-final first leg to Al Sadd against Sepahan as a 3–0 forfeit win after Sepahan were found guilty of fielding an ineligible player. The match originally ended 1–0 to Sepahan.[52]

Participations

  • PO: Play-off Round, Q : Qualified, GS : Group stage, R16 : Round of 16, QF : Quarterfinals, SF : Semi-finals, RU : Runners-up, W : Winners
Participations
Qualified 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2010 2011 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
14 TimesGSGSQFGSGSGSGSWQFR16POPOSFSFR16GS
1989: Champion
1990: Qualifying Stage
1991: Qualifying Stage
2000: Second Round
1991/92: First Round
1994/95: Quarter-Final
2000/01: Second Round
2001/02: 3rd place

Club rankings

National ranking

As of 9 May 2023.[53]
Current Rank Country Team Points
1QatarAl-Duhail SC1583
2QatarAl Sadd SC1578
3QatarEl Jaish SC1427
4QatarAl-Rayyan SC1390
5QatarAl-Arabi SC1363

Asian ranking

As of 9 May 2023.[54]
Current Rank Country Team Points
7QatarAl-Duhail SC1583
8JapanYokohama F. Marinos1578
9QatarAl Sadd SC1578
10IranEsteghlal F.C.1569
11JapanUrawa Red Diamonds1567

World ranking

As of 9 May 2023.[55]
Current Rank Country Team Points
157JapanYokohama F. Marinos1578
158ParaguayClub Olimpia1578
159QatarAl Sadd SC1578
160ArgentinaArgentinos Juniors1577
161BulgariaLitex Lovech1572

International record

Competition Pld W D L GF GA
FIFA Club World Cup320125
Total320125

Other sports

Basketball

Handball

Futsal

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