TheArab Club Champions Cup(Arabic:كأس العرب للأندية الأبطال,French:Ligue des Champions Arabe)[1]is a clubfootballcompetition organised by theUnion of Arab Football Associations(UAFA) and contested by top clubs from theArab world.The tournament is contested by a total of 37 teams fromAsiaandAfrica.
 | |
| Organising body | UAFA |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1981 |
| Region | Arab world |
| Number of teams | 37 |
| Current champions |  Al-Nassr(1st title) |
| Most successful club(s) |  Al-Rasheed Espérance de Tunis(3 titles each) |
| Website | uafa-ac.com |
 2023 Arab Club Champions Cup | |
Founded in 1981, the tournament was held alongside theArab Cup Winners' Cupand theArab Super Cupthroughout the 1990s and early 2000s, until the Cup Winners' Cup and Super Cup were merged with the Champions Cup in 2002. The tournament's first champions wereIraqiclubAl-Shorta,who defeatedLebanesesideNejmehin the final over two legs in 1982.[2]
Saudi Arabianclubs have accumulated the most victories, with nine wins. The title has been won by 20 clubs, eight of which have won the title more than once. Since the tournament was merged with the Cup Winners' Cup, onlyES SétifofAlgeriahave managed consecutive wins, successfully defending their title in 2008. Iraqi clubAl-RasheedandTunisiansideEspérance de Tunisshare the record for most titles, with three each. The reigning champions areAl-Nassrof Saudi Arabia, who won their first title in2023.
History
edit| Season | Winners |
|---|---|
| Arab Club Champions Cup | |
| 1981–82 |  Al-Shorta
|
| 1984 | Al-Ettifaq
|
| 1985 | Al-Rasheed
|
| 1986 | Al-Rasheed(2)
|
| 1987 | Al-Rasheed(3)
|
| 1988 | Al-Ettifaq(2)
|
| 1989 |  Wydad Casablanca
|
| 1990 | Cancelled |
| 1992 | Al-Shabab
|
| 1993 | Espérance de Tunis
|
| 1994 | Al-Hilal
|
| 1995 | Al-Hilal(2)
|
| 1996 |  Al Ahly
|
| 1997 | Club Africain
|
| 1998 |  WA Tlemcen
|
| 1999 | Al-Shabab(2)
|
| 2000 | Club Sfaxien
|
| 2001 |  Al-Sadd
|
| Arab Unified Club Championship | |
| 2002 | Al-Ahli Saudi
|
| 2003 | Zamalek
|
| Arab Champions League | |
| 2003–04 | Club Sfaxien(2)
|
| 2004–05 | Al-Ittihad Jeddah
|
| 2005–06 | Raja Casablanca
|
| 2006–07 | ES Sétif
|
| 2007–08 | ES Sétif(2)
|
| 2008–09 | Espérance de Tunis(2)
|
| UAFA Club Cup | |
| 2012–13 | USM Alger
|
| Arab Club Championship | |
| 2017 | Espérance de Tunis(3)
|
| Arab Club Champions Cup | |
| 2018–19 | Étoile du Sahel
|
| 2019–20 | Raja Casablanca(2)
|
| 2023 | Al-Nassr
|
TheUnion of Arab Football Associations(UAFA) decided to create a competition for champions of Arab countries after the end of the 1979–80 season.[3]Domestic champions from UAFA's member nations were invited to compete, but after several withdrawals, only three teams fromIraq,LebanonandJordanended up participating.[4]The competitionkicked off on 19 June 1981 with Lebanese championsNejmehbeating Jordanian championsAl-Ahli2–1.[5][6]Nejmeh's Jamal Al-Khatib was the scorer of the first Arab Club Champions Cup goal.[7]Nejmeh and Al-Shorta competed in the inaugural final in February 1982, with Al-Shorta winning 4–2 on aggregate atAl-Shaab StadiuminBaghdadto be crowned the first champions of theArab world.[8]
The tournament was not held the following year but returned in1984in around-robin format,andAl-Ettifaqearned the first title for aSaudi Arabianclub that year.[9]With the number of participants increasing every year, UAFA introduced preliminary qualifying rounds that preceded the final round-robin tournament, before they changed the format of the final tournament in1987to one that consisted of a group stage followed by a knockout stage.[10]UAFA also started to allow countries to have more than one participant in 1987, with two Saudi Arabian clubs (Al-IttihadandAl-Hilal) and two Iraqi clubs (Al-RasheedandAl-Jaish) competing.[11]Al-Rasheed of Iraq dominated the competition during these years, becoming the first team to win three consecutive championships in1985,1986and1987,while Al-Ettifaq won their title back in1988.[12]From 1981 to 1988, no team from theConfederation of African Football(CAF) was able to win the tournament and all winners were from theAsian Football Confederation(AFC).[13]
An African club became champions of the Arab world for the first time in1989asWydad CasablancaofMoroccobeatSaudi Arabia'sAl-Hilalin the final.[14]That same year, UAFA founded a new annual competition that would be held alongside the Arab Club Champions Cup; it was called theArab Cup Winners' Cupand was a competition for the cup winners of Arab countries, with a similar format to that of the Champions Cup.[15]In1992,UAFA introduced theArab Super Cupwhich was an annual round-robin competition between the winners and runners-up of both the Champions Cup and Cup Winners' Cup.[16]From 1989 until 2001, there were six winners from CAF and five from the AFC.[17]Four of the eleven winners during this time were from Saudi Arabia, whileEspérance de Tunisearned the first win for aTunisianteam in1993,Al-Ahlybecame the firstEgyptianchampions in1995,WA TlemcenearnedAlgeria's first title in1998andAl-Saddwon the first title for aQatariclub in2001.[18]
In2002,UAFA made a decision that changed the face of Arab club football.[3]With the increasing number of commitments facing Arab clubs in the modern era, UAFA decided to merge the Cup Winners' Cup and Super Cup with the Champions Cup to form the Arab Unified Club Championship, which would be the only UAFA club tournament.[17]Two editions of the tournament were played under this name, withAl-AhliofSaudi Arabiawinning in2002andZamalekwinning in2003.[19]After the 2003 edition,ARTbecame the tournament's sponsor and UAFA then changed the name of the tournament to the Arab Champions League so that its name was similar to other elite club tournaments such as theUEFA Champions League,CAF Champions League,AFC Champions LeagueandOFC Champions League.[13]Tunisia'sClub Sfaxienbecame the first winners of the Champions League era.[20]From the2004–05edition onwards, UAFA reintroduced two-legged finals, which had not been used since the first edition of the tournament.[4]
After title wins for Saudi Arabia'sAl-IttihadandMorocco'sRaja Casablanca,ES SétifofAlgeriabecame the first back-to-back winners in the Champions League era by claiming both the2006–07and2007–08titles.[9]After the2008–09edition won byEspérance de TunisofTunisia,UAFA ran into organisational problems due to issues with the tournament's new sponsor.[13]This prevented the tournament from being held for four years until it resurfaced in2012–13under the new name of UAFA Club Cup, with Algeria'sUSM Algerearning their first title.[21]However, UAFA then ran into the same problems as before which led to another four-year hiatus.[9]The competition was held again in2017under the name of Arab Club Championship with 20 competing teams; the group stage and knockout stage were held inEgyptand the final was held as a single leg.[22]Espérance de Tunis were crowned champions making them the joint-most successful team in the competition's history.[13]
The number of teams doubled to 40 for the2018–19season where the competition was renamed to Arab Club Champions Cup and its format was changed.[23]The2023edition of the tournament was widely covered by international media due to the participation of a number of high-profile players such asCristiano Ronaldo,Karim BenzemaandN'Golo Kantéfollowing their transfers toSaudi Pro Leagueclubs.[24]Out of the thirteen champions crowned from 2002 to 2023, ten of them were from Africa and only three were from Asia.[9]
Branding
edit
Since the 2018–19 season, the competition has been namedArab Club Champions Cup,while each edition of the tournament also has its own special name based on the host nation of the tournament or host of the final match. The2019final was hosted in theUnited Arab Emirates,therefore the2018–19edition was named theZayed Champions Cupto mark 100 years since the birth of the lateSheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan,the founder of the United Arab Emirates.[25]The2020final was hosted inMorocco,therefore the2019–20edition was named theMohammed VI Champions CupafterMohammed VI of Morocco.[26]The2023edition of the tournament was hosted inSaudi Arabiafrom the group stage onwards, and was thus namedKing Salman Club CupafterSalman of Saudi Arabia.[27]
The logo of the Arab Club Champions Cup is a white circle with a grey outline, featuring navy, red, purple and green patterning with a navy diamond in the centre bearing the wordsArab Championsin Arabic. The name of the competition in both English and Arabic features underneath the logo. The logo is adapted slightly for each edition of the tournament to reflect the name and host nation of that specific edition.[28]
Prize money
editAs of 2023, the fixed amount of prize money paid to participating clubs is as follows:[29]
| Prize money | |
|---|---|
| Winners | $6,000,000 |
| Runners-up | $2,500,000 |
| Semi-finalists | $200,000 |
| Quarter-finalists | $150,000 |
| Group stage | $100,000 |
| Qualifying rounds | $20,000 |
Team records and statistics
edit
Performance by club
edit| Club | Title(s) | Runners-up | Seasons won | Seasons runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Espérance de Tunis
|
3 | 2 | 1993,2009,2017 | 1986,1995 |
| Al-Rasheed
|
3 | 0 | 1985,1986,1987 | — |
| Al-Hilal
|
2 | 3 | 1994,1995 | 1989,2019,2023 |
| Al-Shabab
|
2 | 1 | 1992,1999 | 1998 |
| Club Sfaxien
|
2 | 1 | 2000,2004 | 2005 |
| Raja Casablanca
|
2 | 1 | 2006,2020 | 1996 |
| Al-Ettifaq
|
2 | 0 | 1984,1988 | — |
| ES Sétif
|
2 | 0 | 2007,2008 | — |
| Al-Ittihad
|
1 | 3 | 2005 | 1987,1994,2020 |
| Wydad Casablanca
|
1 | 2 | 1989 | 2008,2009 |
| Club Africain
|
1 | 2 | 1997 | 1988,2002 |
| Al Ahly
|
1 | 1 | 1996 | 1997 |
| Al-Shorta
|
1 | 0 | 1982 | — |
| WA Tlemcen
|
1 | 0 | 1998 | — |
| Al-Sadd
|
1 | 0 | 2001 | — |
| Al-Ahli
|
1 | 0 | 2002 | — |
| Zamalek
|
1 | 0 | 2003 | — |
| USM Alger
|
1 | 0 | 2013 | — |
| Étoile du Sahel
|
1 | 0 | 2019 | — |
| Al-Nassr
|
1 | 0 | 2023 | — |
 Al-Jaish
|
0 | 2 | — | 1999,2000 |
 Al-Faisaly
|
0 | 2 | — | 2007,2017 |
 Nejmeh
|
0 | 1 | — | 1982 |
| KAC Kénitra
|
0 | 1 | — | 1984 |
| USM El-Harrach
|
0 | 1 | — | 1985 |
| Al-Arabi
|
0 | 1 | — | 1992 |
 Al-Muharraq
|
0 | 1 | — | 1993 |
| MC Oran
|
0 | 1 | — | 2001 |
 Al-Kuwait
|
0 | 1 | — | 2003 |
| Al-Ismaily
|
0 | 1 | — | 2004 |
| ENPPI Club
|
0 | 1 | — | 2006 |
| Al-Arabi
|
0 | 1 | — | 2013 |
Performances by nation
edit| Nation | Titles | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|
| Saudi Arabia
|
9 | 7 |
| Tunisia
|
7 | 5 |
| Algeria
|
4 | 2 |
| Iraq
|
4 | 0 |
| Morocco
|
3 | 4 |
| Egypt
|
2 | 3 |
| Qatar
|
1 | 1 |
| Jordan
|
0 | 2 |
| Kuwait
|
0 | 2 |
| Syria
|
0 | 2 |
| Bahrain
|
0 | 1 |
| Lebanon
|
0 | 1 |
Performances by continent
edit| Continent | Titles | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|
| Africa | 16 | 14 |
| Asia | 14 | 16 |
Player records
editMost goals
edit
- Players who are still active are highlighted inboldface.
| Rank | Nation | Player | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
|
Sami Al-Jaber | 26 |
| 2 |
|
Talal Al-Meshal | 16 |
|
|
Haykel Guemamdia | 16 | |
| 4 |
|
Zoubair Essafi | 14 |
| 5 |
|
Abdel Halim Ali | 13 |
| 6 |
|
Mustapha Bidoudane | 12 |
|
|
Saad Al-Harthi | 12 | |
|
|
Hamzah Idris | 12 | |
| 9 | 
|
Romarinho | 11 |
| 10 |
|
Abdelmalek Ziaya | 10 |
|
|
Hassouneh Al-Sheikh | 10 | |
|
|
Mahmoud Shelbaieh | 10 | |
|
|
Essa Al-Mehyani | 10 | |
|
|
Sérgio Ricardo | 10 | |
|
Mohamed Abdelrahman | 10 | |
| 16 |
|
Lamouri Djediat | 9 |
|
|
Salaheddine Bassir | 9 | |
|
|
Soufiane Alloudi | 9 | |
|
|
Mohammed Noor | 9 | |
|
|
Waleed Al-Gizani | 9 | |
|
|
Yousuf Al-Thunayan | 9 | |
|
|
Bouchaib El Moubarki | 9 | |
|
Tenema N'Diaye | 9 | |
|
Papa Malick Ba | 9 | |
|
|
Ahmed Salah Alwan | 9 | |
|
|
Talal Yousef | 9 | |
|
|
Ahmed Abdel Moneim | 9 | |
| 28 |
|
Gamal Hamza | 8 |
|
|
Issa Aidara | 8 | |
|
Rémi Adiko | 8 | |
|
|
Noureddine Daham | 8 | |
|
|
Haris Mohammed | 8 | |
|
|
Ahmed Radhi | 8 | |
|
|
Mohamed Madihi | 8 |
See also
editReferences
edit- ^"وقائع المؤتمر الصحفي لمدرب نادي القادسية الكويتي بعد التعادل 0/0 مع الزمالك في البطولة العربية – الاتحاد العربي لكرة القدم".11 August 2018.Archivedfrom the original on 13 June 2021.Retrieved13 June2021.
- ^"Arab Club Champions Cup".RSSSF.Archivedfrom the original on 23 September 2022.Retrieved2 February2023.
- ^abAl-Ahmed, Abu Baqir (6 November 2007)."حصاد الفرق العراقية في بطولات الاندية العربية خلال ربع قرن"(in Arabic). Kooora.com.Archivedfrom the original on 17 September 2021.Retrieved16 April2019.
- ^ab"نادي الشرطة سيدا للاندية العربية"(in Arabic). NIIIIS.Archivedfrom the original on 19 May 2021.Retrieved16 April2019.
- ^"UAFA Competitions: 1981-82 Arab Club Champions Cup".Al-Shorta SC Website. Archived fromthe originalon 1 December 2022.
- ^Gamal, Khaled (14 August 2018)."الخطيب سجل أول هدف في بطولة الأندية العربية عام 1981.. وكان في مباراة الأهلي!"(in Arabic).Archivedfrom the original on 5 March 2023.Retrieved16 April2019.
- ^Sarah, Raafat (8 January 2017)."يشهد الشهر المقبل أول مشاركة رسمية للاهلي في بطولة كاس الأندية الأسيوية أبطال الكأس"(in Arabic).Archivedfrom the original on 5 March 2023.Retrieved16 April2019.
- ^"Al-Shorta: Overview of History".Al-Shorta SC Website.Archivedfrom the original on 4 October 2022.Retrieved16 April2019.
- ^abcd"Arabian Champs. League Winners List".Goalzz.com.Archivedfrom the original on 10 March 2022.Retrieved16 April2019.
- ^"5th Arab Club Champions Cup 1987".RSSSF.13 January 2011.Archivedfrom the original on 23 September 2022.Retrieved2 February2023.
- ^"لاول مرة فريقان عراقيان في بطولة الاندية العربية"(in Arabic). NIIIIS.Archivedfrom the original on 22 October 2021.Retrieved16 April2019.
- ^"6th Arab Club Champions Cup 1988".RSSSF.6 January 2003.Archivedfrom the original on 23 September 2022.Retrieved2 February2023.
- ^abcd"Arab Club Champions Cup".RSSSF.7 March 2019.Archivedfrom the original on 23 September 2022.Retrieved2 February2023.
- ^"Arab Clubs League Championship - Casablanca 1989".Goalzz.com.Archivedfrom the original on 10 March 2022.Retrieved16 April2019.
- ^"Arab Cup Winners' Cup".RSSSF.11 March 2002.Archivedfrom the original on 23 September 2022.Retrieved2 February2023.
- ^"Arab Super Cup".RSSSF.11 April 2001.Archivedfrom the original on 20 September 2022.Retrieved2 February2023.
- ^ab"بطولات الأندية العربية أبطال الدوري".Union of Arab Football Associations.Archived fromthe originalon 11 July 2017.Retrieved11 July2017.
- ^"Arab Clubs League Championship 17 - 2001".Goalzz.com.Archivedfrom the original on 10 March 2022.Retrieved16 April2019.
- ^"Arab Merged Clubs Championship 2003".Goalzz.com.Archivedfrom the original on 10 March 2022.Retrieved16 April2019.
- ^"Arabian Champions League 2004".Goalzz.com.Archivedfrom the original on 10 March 2022.Retrieved16 April2019.
- ^"Arab Cup of Club 2012/2013".Goalzz.com.Archivedfrom the original on 10 March 2022.Retrieved16 April2019.
- ^"Arab Championship League 2017/2016".Goalzz.com.Archivedfrom the original on 10 March 2022.Retrieved16 April2019.
- ^"Zayed Cup Championship League 2018".Goalzz.com.Archivedfrom the original on 10 March 2022.Retrieved16 April2019.
- ^"Cristiano Ronaldo scores twice as Al-Nassr win first Arab Club Champions Cup title".BBC. 12 August 2023.Archivedfrom the original on 1 January 2024.Retrieved1 January2024.
- ^"Al Hilal reach Zayed Champions Cup Final".Egypt Today. 16 April 2019.Archivedfrom the original on 1 January 2024.Retrieved1 January2024.
- ^"Second Arab Club Champions Cup to bear the name of King Mohammed VI, announces Turki Al-Sheikh".North Africa Post. 17 April 2019.Archivedfrom the original on 1 January 2024.Retrieved1 January2024.
- ^"New trophy unveiled for 2023 King Salman Club Cup".Arab News. 11 August 2023.Archivedfrom the original on 1 January 2024.Retrieved1 January2024.
- ^"صورة: مواعيد مباريات كأس الملك سلمان للأندية العربية"(in Arabic). Kooora. 22 June 2023.Archivedfrom the original on 1 January 2024.Retrieved1 January2024.
- ^"تفاصيل الجوائز المالية لمسابقة كأس الملك سلمان للأندية العربية"[Details of the financial prizes for the King Salman Cup for Arab clubs].nessma.tv(in Arabic). Nessma TV. 15 February 2023.Archivedfrom the original on 23 May 2023.Retrieved3 March2023.
External links
edit
- Official website(in Arabic)