Al-Talaba SC

Al-Talaba SC
Full name Al-Talaba Sports Club
Nickname(s) Al-Aneeq (The Elegant)
Founded 1969 (1969) as Al-Jameaa
1977 (1977) as Al-Talaba
Ground Al Talaba Stadium, Baghdad, Iraq
Ground Capacity 8,000[1]
President Alaa Kadhim
Manager Ayoub Odisho
League Iraqi Premier League
2014–15 Iraqi Premier League, 10th

Al-Talaba Sport Club (Students Sport Club, Arabic: نادي الطلبة الرياضي‎) is an Iraqi sports club based in Al-Rusafa, Baghdad. Its professional football team competes in the Iraqi Premier League, the top flight of Iraqi football. Founded as Al-Jameaa Football Club in 1969, the club changed its name to Al-Talaba in 1977. The club's home stadium is Al Talaba Stadium.

Al-Talaba have won five league titles, with the most recent being in the 2001–02 season. They also achieved two FA Cups and three Umm Al-Ma'arik Cups, one of the four clubs that won it the most of any Iraqi club. The club also became the runners-up of the 1995 Asian Cup Winners' Cup. Al-Talaba have won two international club competitions: the 1984 Bangalore Championship and the 2005 Damascus International Championship.

Since it was first established, Al-Talaba is owned by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research and the minister is the honorary president of the club.[2]

History

Early years (1964–1980)

In 1964, the University of Baghdad formed a football club made of the best football playing students in the university, under the name of Montakhab Jameaat Baghdad, to compete in the Universities of Iraq League. The first president of the club was Hassan Kanah and the first technical staff consisted of the manager, Ghani Askar, and his two assistants, Moayad Al-Badri and Sami Al-Saffar. The team's first competition to play in was the 1964 Republic Championship.[3]

The sports club was founded on 17 December 1969 under the name of Al-Jameaa, which translates to The University, to represent the University of Baghdad in official Iraqi competitions. By a special resolution from the Iraqi Football Association, the team's first participation was in the first division (second level) without competing in the second and third divisions. In their first season in 1970–71, the club finished in 1st place in the first division, under the management of Thamir Muhsin, getting promoted to the Iraqi Premier League. However, in the 1971–72 season, the young club finished in last place and were relegated back to the first division.[4]

Montakhab Jameeat Baghdad celebrating the 1975 Universities League with Jamal Salih on top

After three seasons, Muhsin left the team and Jamal Salih became the new manager, leading the team to promotion in the 1974–75 season by calling some players from Montakhab Jameaat Baghdad, who won the 1975 Universities League, to strengthen the team.[3][5] After a season of finishing in 8th place, Al-Talaba were the runners-up of the 1976–77 season, five points away from the league leaders, Al-Zawra'a.[6] Halfway through the 1977–78 season, on 27 December 1977, the club changed its name from Al-Jameaa to Al-Talaba, which translates to The Students.[7] They finished 8th in that season.[8]

In 1978, Jamal Salih was sacked by the board and was replaced with Abdul Wahab Abdul Qadir. Abdul Qadir led the team through their first season as Al-Talaba which was the 1978–79 season. Al-Talaba finished 3rd in the league behind Al-Shorta and Al-Zawra'a. This was the first season, where a player from the club reached the top three goalscorers of the league. It was Hussein Saeed at six goal and also Haris Mohammed at five goals.[9] In 1979, Al-Talaba participated in the University Games, but failed to win the competition.[10] In the 1979–80 Iraqi League, under the management of Khalaf Hassan, Al-Talaba finished in 3rd place for the second time in the row at 27 points. Two of the most important wins that season were beating the league leaders, Al-Shorta, 2–0 in the 2nd round on 26 September 1979 and beating Al-Tayaran 1–0 in the 20th round on 24 April 1980. In the 1979–80 Iraq FA Cup, Al-Talaba reached the final for the first time where they were defeated on 8 February 1980 by Al-Jaish 4–2 on penalties after drawing 1–1.[11]

Golden years (1980–1986)

Squad of the 1980–81 season

Under the management of the "Sheikh of Coaches", Ammo Baba, Al-Talaba succeeded in achieving their first league title in the 1980–81 season. They finished the season as the league leaders at 17 points and had the goal difference of +14, the same amount of points and goal difference Al-Shorta had. Hussein Saeed was the top goalscorer of the league at 11 goals.[12] Before the last round of the league, Al-Shorta were at 15 points while Al-Talaba were at 17 points. Al-Talaba winning in the last round and Al-Shorta losing or drawing would secure the title for Al-Talaba but, in the last match, they lost against Al-Tayaran 1–2 and Al-Shorta won 3–0 against Al-Zawra'a which left the two teams drawing in points and goal difference, but Al-Shorta had scored more goals than Al-Talaba and therefore were expected to be crowned champions. But the Iraq Football Association declared Al-Talaba as winners depending on the number of wins where Al-Talaba had eight wins and Al-Shorta had six, even though Al-Shorta had scored more goals than Al-Talaba; this was a controversial decision at the time. It was the first time such a phenomenon happened in the history of Iraqi football.[13]

After achieving their first league title, Al-Talaba succeeded in winning the gold again in the 1981–82 season and under the management of Jamal Salih. They finished the season as the league leaders at 34 points, two points from second place, Al-Tayaran. Hussein Saeed was the second top goalscorer at 11 goals behind Al-Zawraa's Thamir Yousif at 14 goals.[14]

In the 1982–83 season, Akram Salman was assigned as the team's new manager. They started the season with confidence after achieving the league in the last two seasons, finishing in 2nd place, only one point away from league leaders, Salahaddin.[15] The two teams spent the season without a loss except for a 2–0 loss for Al-Talaba to Al-Sinaa in the second stage of the league. The two teams faced each other in the last match of the season with only one point between them, where Salahaddin needed a win or a draw to achieve the league. Al-Talaba scored a goal and dominated the match until, in the last 30 minutes, Salahaddin managed to equalize and keep the score 1–1, which won them the league for the first time of their history.[16][17] Hussein Saeed was the top goalscorer at 17 goals, eight goals away from another Al-Talaba player, Rahim Hameed.[15] Al-Talaba also finished in 2nd place in the 1983–84, at 36 points, three points away from league leaders, Al-Jaish.[18] In 1984, Al-Talaba won its first international club competition, the 1984 Bangalore Championship, winning four games and drawing one out of the five games they played in the tournament, which was hosted in Bangalore, India.[19] The 1984–85 Iraqi League was abandoned halfway through. Al-Talaba were in 3rd place at 21 points before its stoppage.[20] They then participated in the Al-Rasheed Cup which was set up by Al-Rasheed after the abandonment of the league. The Al-Rasheed Cup contained 12 of the 14 top division clubs as well as 4 lower division clubs. Al-Talaba reached the quarterfinals of the tournament but were knocked out by eventual winners Al-Rasheed.[21]

After Al-Rasheed was promoted to the top division, most of the national team players signed for the club which made it difficult for the other teams to compete with them. In the 1985–86 Iraqi League and under the management of Yahya Alwan, Al-Talaba achieved the league title, breaking all expectations, for the third time in their history. They finished the season at 25 points, two points away from Al-Rasheed.[22] On 27 December 1985, one of the most important matches of the season was played between Al-Talaba and Al-Rasheed, which could have decided the league leaders, in front of 50,000 spectators at the Al-Shaab Stadium.[23] The match ended in a 1–0 win for Al-Talaba with the goal being from a penalty took by Hussein Saeed at the 63rd minute.[24] Saeed ended up being the joint top goalscorer along with Ahmed Radhi and Rahim Hameed.[22] Al-Talaba participated in the 1986 Asian Club Championship after 14 years of stoppage, where they reached the final round but finished last in the table with a single point.[25] Al-Talaba also participated in the Saddam International Tournament in 1986, hosted in Baghdad, but finished third in their group and failed to reach the semifinals.[26]

Ups and downs (1986–1992)

Due to managerial changes and instability, the 1986–87 Iraqi League ended with Al-Talaba in 6th place at 49 points, under the management of Ahmed Subhi, Yahya Alwan and Jamal Salih.[27] The season after, Al-Talaba finished in 8th place, which was the worst performance for them since their first season in the top division in 1975–76, at 30 points, under the management of Yousif Abdul-Ameer.[28]

Al-Talaba returned to their winning ways, under the management of Jamal Ali, in the 1988–89 season. They were qualified to the final tournament where they finished in 2nd place behind Al-Tayaran. In the semifinals, Al-Talaba defeated Al-Tayaran 6–5 on penalties after a 1–1 draw.[29] In the final, Al-Talaba faced their rivals, Al-Rasheed, at the Al-Shaab Stadium. The match ended 1–1 at full time with the goal being from Ali Hussein.[30] It went to penalties where Hussein Saeed missed his penalty and caused the loss of Al-Talaba 5–4 to Al-Rasheed.[31] That season, they also finished runners-up in the Al-Intisar Cup, behind Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya.[32]

In the 1989–90 Iraqi League, Al-Talaba finished in 6th place at 31 points, having won 12 matches, drew seven and lost seven. In the cup, Al-Talaba reached the 5th round when they won at home to Al-Sulaikh 1–0 and lost 3–1 away.[33] This was the last season of Hussein Saeed in Al-Talaba before he retired. In the season after, under the management of the club's first and only foreign coach, Eddie Firmani, and Yahya Alwan, they finished in 2nd place at 41 points.[34]

In the 1991–92 season, Al-Talaba finished in 4th place at 55 points.[35] The vice president of Al-Talaba, Salim Rasheed, organized a competition called the Umm Al-Ma'arik Cup where only the top six teams in the league could participate and all the matches would be played at the Al-Shaab Stadium. Al-Talaba won their first match against Al-Shorta 1–0 and lost their second match against Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya 1–0, getting qualified to the semifinals where they lost to Al-Zawra'a 1–0 with an early goal from Mohammed Jassim Mahdi. In the third place match, Al-Talaba faced Al-Karkh where they won 4–3 on penalties after a 2–2 draw. The 1991 Umm Al-Ma'arik Cup ended with Al-Zawra'a as winners.[36]

Stability and Asian prominence (1992–2001)

Sabir
Ali
Awdah
Mohammed
Jabbar
Kadhim
Karim
Zaidan
1992 Umm Al-Ma'arik Cup Final starting lineup

During the longest season in Iraqi football, the 1992–93 season, where every club played 69 matches, Al-Talaba had Yahya Alwan as their manager in the first stage of the league, having won 14 matches, drawn seven and lost two, 1–0 against Kirkuk and the same score against Samarra. They finished the stage in 3rd place at 35 points.[37] Before the start of the second stage, Al-Talaba signed Ayoub Odisho as their new manager, leading them through the second stage to have exactly the same statistics as the first one, ending up with 70 points and in 2nd place. In the third stage, the team won 18 matches, drew four and lost only once against Al-Khutoot. After 69 matches, Al-Talaba finished in the top of the league at 110 points, having scored 130 goals and conceded 34.[37][38] In the 1992 Umm Al-Ma'arik Cup which was organized by the Iraq FA, Al-Talaba finished the group stage as the Group 2 leaders at 4 points.[38] In the semifinals, they had to face Al-Zawra'a in a match which was considered as a replay of the 1991 semifinal where Al-Zawra'a won 1–0.[36] In this match, Al-Talaba won 3–2 with a golden goal at the 100th minute in extra time. In the final against Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya, the match ended in a 0–0 draw which led to extra time when Alaa Kadhim scored the winning goal at the 104th minute.[39] In the 1992–93 Iraq FA Cup, Al-Talaba reached the final after defeating Haifa, Salahaddin, Salam and Samarra. In the final, they lost to Al-Zawra'a 2–1.[38]

After the almost treble in the 1992–93 season, Al-Talaba, in the 1993–94 season, under the management of Hussein Saeed in the first half of the season and Ayoub Odisho in the second, finished the league season in 3rd place at 75 points. In the 1993 Umm Al-Ma'arik Cup, they came 2nd in the table of Group 1, behind Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya, at 2 points. Al-Talaba met in the semifinals with Al-Zawra'a for the third time in the row where they won 3–1.[40] In the final, they faced Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya for the second time in the row where they defeated them 2–1 at the Al-Shaab Stadium, achieving their second Umm Al-Ma'arik Cup in the row under the management of Saeed.[41] In the 1993–94 Iraq FA Cup, Al-Talaba faced Al-Zawra'a in the final for the second time in the row and lost with the same score as the previous season, 2–1.[42] In the 1994–95 Iraqi League, Al-Talaba finished in 4th place at 105 points, only two points away from Najaf in 3rd place and Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya in 2nd. In the last round, Al-Talaba faced Al-Zawra'a where winning would mean ending up in 2nd place but they lost 2–1. In the fourth edition of the Umm Al-Ma'arik Cup, Al-Talaba reached the final and faced Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya for the third time in the row, losing 4–3 on penalties after a 0–0 draw.[43]

Ayoub Odisho is the only manager to reach the final of a continental competition with Al-Talaba

In the 1995–96 season, Al-Talaba finished in 6th place at 31 points, having won eight matches, drawn seven and lost seven. Al-Talaba reached the final of the 1995 Umm Al-Ma'arik Cup, coming up against Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya for the fourth time in the row in this competition where Al-Talaba won with a single goal scored by Abdul-Wahab Abu Al-Hail, achieving their third Umm Al-Ma'arik Cup.[44] After Al-Zawra'a achieved a double in the 1993–94 season, the Iraq Football Association chose the runners-up of the cup, Al-Talaba, as Iraq's representative in the 1995 Asian Cup Winners' Cup. Under the management of Ayoub Odisho, they won over Al-Ittihad in the first leg in Doha 5–3 and lost in the second leg 1–0 at the Al-Shaab Stadium.[45] In the second round, they came up against Yangiyer and lost 2–1 in Tashkent before they turn it around and win 2–0 in Baghdad with goals from Muhannad Mohammed and Qahtan Chathir.[46] In the quarterfinals, Al-Talaba won in the first leg against Bahman in Tehran 1–0 with a goal by Sabah Jeayer. At the Al-Shaab Stadium, Bahman won 1–0 over Al-Talaba which resulted in a 1–1 draw on aggregate. The match went to a golden goal match where Chathir scored and qualified Al-Talaba to the semifinals where they were set to meet Kazma but the latter withdrew, refusing to play against Al-Talaba. The AFC set Al-Talaba to play Al-Riyadh but they also withdrew for the same reason which meant for Al-Talaba that they passed, by a walkover, the semifinals and went straight to the final.[47] In the final, Al-Talaba faced Bellmare Hiratsuka in Kanagawa where they were beaten 2–1 with a winning goal scored at the 81st minute by Hidetoshi Nakata.[46]

Al-Talaba finished 3rd in the 1996–97 Iraqi League, winning 17 matches, drawing in nine and losing in four. They reached the round of 16 in the 1996–97 Iraq FA Cup and didn't get past the group stage in the 1996 Umm Al-Ma'arik Cup.[48] Under the management of Ayoub Odisho, in the 1997–98 season, Al-Talaba finished in 5th place at 61 points, one point away from 4th place, Najaf, while in the 1997 Umm Al-Ma'arik Cup, Al-Talaba reached the semifinals but got defeated by Najaf 3–1 on penalties. In the third place match against Al-Zawra'a, Al-Talaba were beaten 7–0 which is the most goals conceding match in Al-Talaba's history.[49]

In the 1998–99 season, under the management of Akram Salman, Al-Talaba finished in 2nd place, only one point away from the league leaders, Al-Zawra'a, at 75 points. In the 1998–99 Iraq FA Cup, Al-Talaba reached the final after beating Al-Shorta in the semifinals. They were defeated by Al-Zawra'a in the final 1–0. Because of Al-Zawra'a achieving the double, the 1999 Al-Muthabara Cup was played between Al-Zawra'a and the league and cup runners-up, Al-Talaba, where they were defeated for the third time of this season by Al-Zawra'a 5–4 on penalties after a 2–2 draw. In the 1998 Umm Al-Ma'arik Cup, Al-Talaba reached the semifinals where they were beaten by Al-Naft. In the third place match, Al-Talaba defeated Al-Mina'a 3–1.[50] In the 1998–99 Asian Cup Winners' Cup they managed to reach the semi-finals where they lost to Al-Ittihad and they then lost the third place play-off to Kashima Antlers. Al-Talaba finished 4th in the 1999–00 season at 100 points.[51] They also finished in the same position in the 2000–01 season at 60 points.[52] They finished in fourth place in the 1999 Umm Al-Ma'arik Cup after a 3–0 loss against Al-Karkh in the third place play-off.[51] They qualified for the 2000–01 Asian Cup Winners' Cup but were knocked out in the first round by Al-Sadd on away goals. Furthermore, they reached the final of the 2000 Al-Quds International Championship, but they lost to Al-Zawraa on 4–3 penalty kicks after a 1–1 draw.[53]

Thair Ahmed era (2001–2007)

Al-Talaba participated in the 2001 Al-Wehdat Arabian Championship before the start of the 2001–02 season; they played four games, winning one, drawing two and losing one, finishing 3rd in the tournament.[54] After 8 years of absence from the crowning podium of the Iraqi Premier League and 6 years without any trophy, Thair Ahmed leads Al-Talaba to finish the 2001–02 season as league leaders at 91 points with 29 wins, four draws, and five losses. They started the season with defeating Kirkuk 8–0 at Al Karkh Stadium, which is one of the largest wins for Al-Talaba, and ended it with a 6–0 win over Duhok at Al-Shaab Stadium. They reached the final of the 2001–02 Umm Al-Ma'arik Cup, after defeating Al-Karkh 1–0 in the semifinals, against Al-Shorta where they lost with a single goal after extra time.[55] Younis Mahmoud was the top goalscorer of the tournament.[56] Al-Talaba also won their first ever Iraq FA Cup that season, after meeting Al-Shorta again in the final and defeating them with Qusay Hashim's late 85th-minute goal. Al-Talaba also won the 2001 Baghdad Cup by defeating Al-Zawraa 2–1 and won the 2002 Al-Muthabara Cup against the league runners-up, Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya, 2–1 after extra time.[55]

Al-Talaba finished as runners-up in the 2002–03 season. In the 2002–03 Umm Al-Ma'arik Cup, Al-Talaba reached the final and were defeated from last season's same opponent in the final, Al-Shorta, and with the same score of 1–0. However, Al-Talaba's Ahmad Salah was named the best player of the tournament. Al-Talaba achieved the 2002–03 Iraq FA Cup for the second time in the row after defeating Al-Mina'a 1–0 with Alaa Kadhim's goal in the last minutes and defeating Al-Shorta in the final 1–0 at the Franso Hariri Stadium with Ahmad Salah's goal in the 26th minute.[57] Playing only two matches, all of Al-Talaba's matches in the 2003–04 season were postponed except two games which they won against Al-Sinaa before the league gets abandoned. Al-Talaba were the runners-up of the 2003 Baghdad Championship, defeating Al-Shorta 2–1 in the semifinals and losing to Al-Zawra'a 5–4 on penalties after a 2–2 draw in the final in a match that saw three red cards in total.[58] In the 2002–03 AFC Champions League, Al-Talaba finished in 3rd place in Group D at 3 points out of three games with one win and two losses.[59]

Al-Talaba participated in the 2003–04 Arab Champions League, reaching the proper group stage where they finished in third place at three points.[60] Before the start of the 2004–05 season, Al-Talaba participated in the 2004 Damascus International Championship. They played three games in the tournament, winning two and losing one, being knocked out in the group stage.[61] They also participated in the 2004 Tishreen Cup, one week after they were knocked out of the Damascus International Championship. In the Tishreen Cup, they finished top of their group to qualify for the semifinals, where they defeated Tishreen SC 1–0 to reach the final. However, they lost the final 3–2 to fellow Iraqi club Al-Zawra'a.[62] In the 2004–05 Iraqi Premier League, Al-Talaba finished the first phase as leaders of Group 3 at 28 points, having won eight matches, drew four, and lost four. They also became leaders of Group 2 in the second phase at 8 points, in front of Al-Naft which had 7 points, after winning two matches and drawing in two. In the semifinals, Al-Talaba came up against Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya where they were beaten in the first leg 1–0 and drew in the second leg 2–2. Al-Talaba won the third place play-off against Al-Zawra'a 4–2 on penalties after a 1–1 draw.[63]

Al-Talaba maintained their performance in the 2005–06 Iraqi Premier League by finishing the first phase as the leaders of Group 4 at 24 points with seven wins, three draws, and two losses. However, in the second phase, Al-Talaba finished in 2nd place at 7 points behind Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya that had the same amount of points but a bigger goals difference of +4 while Al-Talaba's was +1. In the last match of the second phase, Al-Talaba faced Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya, having a chance in remaining as the table leaders but eventually they lost 3–1.[64] From 2–9 September 2005, Al-Talaba participated in the 2005 Damascus International Championship where they reached the final only to face their fellow Iraqi club, Al-Zawra'a, in which Al-Talaba won 5–4 on penalties.[65] In the 2005–06 Arab Champions League, Al-Talaba got passed the first round by defeating Al-Shabab 3–1 in the first leg and 4–1 in the second leg. They faced Al-Qadisiyah in the second round and were defeated 1–0 in the first leg and 2–1 in the second leg, getting knocked out from the competition.[66]

On 30 November 2006, the club's former president, Hadeeb Majhoul, was kidnapped by an unknown terrorist group in Baghdad and after three days, his body was found in the morgue killed.[67] The administrative board elected the team's striker at the time, Alaa Kadhim, as the new interim president until the clubs elections in which he won with 93 votes out of 97 existing on 15 March 2007.[68]

Before the start of the 2006–07 season, Al-Talaba participated in the 2006 Shabab Al-Ordon Arab Championship, a tournament organised by Shabab Al-Ordon Club. Al-Talaba played three matches in the tournament and drew all three of them, being knocked out in the group stage.[69] In the 2006–07 Iraqi Premier League, Al-Talaba finished the first phase in 2nd place at 13 points, behind Al-Zawra'a at 14 points, with three wins, four draws, and one loss. Al-Talaba managed to end up in 2nd place in the elite stage at 8 points with two wins, two draws, and one loss just ahead of Karbalaa at 7 points. In the semifinals, Al-Talaba lost to Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya 2–0 and then, lost to Najaf in the third place play-off 2–1.[70]

After a season of being a player-president of Al-Talaba, Alaa Kadhim, at the age of 35 years, retired in the end of the 2006–07 season from playing football in order to focus on administrating the club.[71]

Instability and crisis (2007–2013)

Before the start of the 2007–08 season, Al-Talaba participated in the 2007 Press Club Championship, hosted in Syria. Al-Talaba drew both of their group stage matches, finishing second in their group to qualify for the semifinals. In the semifinal, they lost 3–1 against Nawair SC and were knocked out.[72] Under the management of Karim Saddam, Nabil Zaki, and Karim Salman, Al-Talaba finished in 5th place in the first phase of the 2007–08 Iraqi Premier League at 36 points, having won nine matches, drew nine, and lost four. They played poorly in the second phase, ending the phase in 3rd place at 7 points with only one win, four draws, and three losses.[73] They were knocked out in the round of 32 in the 2007–08 Arab Champions League, losing 4–0 on aggregate to USM Alger. In the 2008–09 Iraqi Premier League, with Abdul Ghani Shahad as Al-Talaba's manager, they finished in 3rd place at 47 points, only three points away from Najaf at 50 points, with 14 wins, five draws, and five losses.[74]

In the 2009–10 Iraqi Premier League, under the management of Radhi Shenaishil, Al-Talaba finished as the leaders of Group B in the first stage at 68 points, having won 19 matches, drew 11, and lost four. They withdrew in the 12th round due to a ruling from the Iraqi Olympic Committee where they were set to face Baghdad that awarded the win. In the elite stage, Al-Talaba ended up in 2nd place of Group 1 as the best runners-up of the three groups where they had 10 points, the same amount of points as the 1st place, Al-Zawra'a, but they had the goals difference of +2 and Al-Talaba the goals difference of +1. If Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya had beaten Naft Al-Janoob or Al-Shorta had beaten Al-Najaf, Al-Talaba would not have qualified for the semifinals, but Jawiya drew 0–0 and Al-Shorta drew 2–2. In the semifinals, Al-Talaba won 1–0 to Erbil in the first leg and drew with no goals in the second leg. They lost in the final to Duhok with a late goal in the 82nd minute.[75]

With Yahya Alwan as their manager, Al-Talaba had one of the worst seasons in their history in the 2010–11 Iraqi Premier League, finishing the season in 8th place of the Southern group at 38 points, only one point away from relegation, with nine wins, 11 draws, and six losses.[76] In the 2011 AFC Cup, Al-Talaba finished in 3rd place at 5 points, having won one match, drew two, and lost three.[77] In the 2011–12 Iraqi Premier League, Al-Talaba with Jamal Ali, Khalaf Hassan, and Karim Salman as their consecutive managers, finished the season in 4th place at 68 points, winning in 19 matches, drawing in 11, and losing in eight.[78]

In the 2012–13 Iraqi Premier League, under the management of Nazar Ashraf, Al-Talaba returned to their poor performance of the 2010–11 season, finishing in the 14th place at 35 points, only one point away from relegation, with only nine wins, eight draws, and 17 losses. They saved the club from being relegated in the 33rd round against Al-Naft where they won 2–1 and also because of Al-Kahraba's loss to Zakho in the last round. Al-Talaba passed the round of 32 of the 2012–13 Iraq FA Cup where they were up against Al-Zawra'a, drawing 0–0 in the first leg and winning 3–1 in the second leg before it was abandoned.[79]

Recent history (2013–)

Al-Talaba finished the 2013–14 Iraqi Premier League, under the management of Abdul-Wahab Abu Al-Hail, in 8th place at 31 points from 22 matches.[80] The season after, Al-Talaba finished in 5th place of Group 2 with four wins, five draws, and seven losses before Abu Al-Hail was sacked.[81] In that season, they also participated in a friendly cup, the 2015 Baghdad Cup, which was played between the big four clubs of Baghdad. The mini-tournament started at the semifinal stage and each match was only 30 minutes long. Al-Talaba were knocked out in the semifinal by Al-Zawra'a, 4–2 on penalties after a 0–0 draw.[82]

Stadiums

Main article: Al Talaba Stadium

In the 1980s, a 8,000 spectators stadium was built in Hai Al-Qahira, Baghdad to host Al-Talaba's home matches.[1] Al-Talaba currently hold their training at the University of Baghdad Stadiums in Jadraya, Baghdad, 15 km away from their main stadium.[83]

In early 2014, the owner of the club, Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, a new sports city in was set to be built by the Spanish company TriArena with a main football stadium of a capacity of 16,000 spectators and an area of 71,150 m².[84] The foundation stone was put by the former minister of higher education and scientific research, Ali al-Adeeb, in February 2014. The cost of the project is estimated to $84 million and the duration of construction was set to be in 30 months, meaning that by 2017, the Al-Talaba Sports City would be opened.[85]

Support

Al-Talaba is one of the four "Popular Teams" in Baghdad and Iraq which include Al-Zawra'a, Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya, Al-Talaba, and Al-Shorta.[86] Unlike Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya's Ultras Blue Hawks and Al-Shorta's Ultras Green Harp which were founded in 2012 and Al-Zawraa's Ultras The Kings which was founded in 2011,[87][88][89] there weren't any Al-Talaba ultras groups before January 2016, where a new group with the name of Ultras Elegant Boys was founded and within a month gained more than 900 likes on Facebook.[90] The club's main Facebook page is the third most liked Iraqi football team page at more than 60,000 likes.[91]

All the four Popular Teams have rivalries with each other. Al-Talaba's arch rivals are Al-Zawra'a and Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya because of their constant battles to achieve the Iraqi Premier League over the years.[92][93]

Statistics

Recent seasons

The season-by-season performance of the club over the recent years:[94]

Season League Rank P W D L F A GD Pts Cup
2000–01 Iraqi Premier League 4 30 17 9 4 42 21 21 60 —
2001–02 Iraqi Premier League 1 38 29 4 5 89 18 71 91 Won
2002–03 Iraqi Premier League Runners-up 19 15 1 3 46 12 34 46 Won
2003–04(1) Iraqi Premier League 3 – Group 3 2 2 0 0 5 1 4 6 —
2004–05 Iraqi Premier League Third place 23 11 7 5 32 17 15 40 —
2005–06 Iraqi Premier League 2 – Group 4 16 9 4 3 29 11 18 31 —
2006–07 Iraqi Premier League Fourth place 15 5 6 4 11 11 0 21 —
2007–08 Iraqi Premier League 3 – Group 2 30 10 13 7 29 24 5 43 —
2008–09 Iraqi Premier League 3 – Group 2 24 14 5 5 32 15 17 47 —
2009–10 Iraqi Premier League Runners-up 43 23 13 7 53 25 28 82 —
2010–11 Iraqi Premier League 8 – Group B 26 9 11 6 33 25 8 38 —
2011–12 Iraqi Premier League 4 38 19 11 8 45 29 16 68 —
2012–13 Iraqi Premier League 14 34 9 8 17 35 47 −12 35 R16(2)
2013–14 Iraqi Premier League 8 22 9 4 9 28 30 −2 31 —
2014–15 Iraqi Premier League 5 – Group 2 16 4 5 7 18 18 0 17 —

As of 2 May 2015. Rank = Rank in the league; P = Played; W = Win; D = Draw; L = Loss; F = Goals for; A = Goals against; GD = Goal difference; Pts = Points; Cup = Iraq FA Cup.
in = Still in competition; — = Not attended; 1R = 1st round; 2R = 2nd round; 3R = 3rd round; R16 = Round of sixteen; QF = Quarterfinals; SF = Semifinals.

1 The season was not finished.
2 Al-Talaba reached the round of 16 of the 2012–13 Iraq FA Cup, but the tournament ended up being abandoned.

In international competitions

As of 10 May 2011:

Competition Record
G W D L Win %
AFC Champions League 9 4 1 4 44.44
Asian Cup Winners' Cup 18 8 5 5 44.44
AFC Cup 6 1 2 3 16.67
Arab Champions League 18 7 4 7 38.89
Total 51 20 12 19 39.22

Players

Current squad

As of 31 January 2016[95]

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

No. Position Player
1 Iraq GK Saif Jameel
2 Syria DF Saad Hassan
3 Iraq DF Saad Jassim
4 Iraq DF Mohammed Abdul-Zahra
5 Iraq MF Ahmed Abdel-Amir
6 Iraq MF Mohammed Mtashar
7 Iraq MF Sajjad Jassim
8 Iraq MF Mustafa Al-Ameen
9 Iraq FW Younis Mahmoud (captain)
10 Iraq FW Abdul-Qadir Tariq
11 Iraq FW Amjad Abbas
12 Iraq GK Ali Abd Laftah
13 Syria MF Thaer Kroma
14 Iraq DF Abbas Ayyad
15 Iraq MF Yousif Nabeel
16 Iraq FW Yassir Abdul-Mohsen
17 Iraq MF Ihab Kadhim
18 Iraq MF Mahdi Karim (vice-captain)
19 Iraq FW Mustafa Ali Nima
No. Position Player
20 Iraq MF Ahmed Ali Hussein
21 Iraq FW Alaa Muhaisin
22 Iraq MF Samer Saeed
23 Iraq GK Muhannad Jabbar
24 Iraq MF Muthana Khalid
25 Iraq MF Aqeel Abbas Jabur
26 Iraq DF Hassan Abbas
27 Iraq FW Karrar Ali Dodah
28 Iraq DF Haider Ali Abid
31 Syria FW Abdul-Latif Salqini
32 Iraq DF Ali Hussein Ali
33 Syria DF Moayad Al-Khouli
34 Iraq DF Haider Ali Kadhim
35 Iraq GK Ali Abdul-Muhsin
36 Iraq GK Mohammed Hameed
37 Iraq MF Mustafa Mohammed
38 Ghana FW James Abban
39 Iraq DF Ahmed Nadhim

On loan

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

No. Position Player
— Iraq FW Ali Rasheed (at Al-Karkh until 30 June 2016)

Notable past players

The players below are in the Al-Talaba Hall of Fame:[96]

# No. Player Pos. Al-Talaba Career
1 10 Hussein Saeed Forward 1975–1990
2 9 Younis Mahmoud Forward 2001–2004, 2015–
3 10 Alaa Kadhim Forward 1990–1993, 1997–2007
4 8 Habib Jaafar Midfielder 1983–1985, 1991–1993, 2000–2003
5 50 Abdul-Wahab Abu Al-Hail Midfielder 1992–1999, 2010–2013
6 17 Jamal Ali Midfielder 1975–1987

Personnel

Current technical staff

As of 7 June 2015[97]

Position Staff
Head coach Ayoub Odisho
Assistant coach Sabah Jeayer
Assistant coach Kareem Salman
Assistant coach Sadiq Saadoun
Goalkeeping coach Hisham Ali

Managerial history

 
Dates[98] Name
1969–1974 Iraq Thamir Muhsin
1974–1978 Iraq Jamal Salih
1978–1979 Iraq Abdul Wahab Abdul Qadir
1979–1980 Iraq Khalaf Hassan
1980–1981 Iraq Ammo Baba
1981–1982 Iraq Jamal Salih
1982–1984 Iraq Akram Salman
1984–1986 Iraq Yahya Alwan
1986 Iraq Ahmed Subhi
Iraq Yahya Alwan
1986–1987 Iraq Jamal Salih
1987–1988 Iraq Yousif Abdul-Ameer
1988–1990 Iraq Jamal Ali
1990 Italy Eddie Firmani
1990–1992 Iraq Yahya Alwan
1992–1993 Iraq Ayoub Odisho
1993 Iraq Hussein Saeed
1993–1995 Iraq Ayoub Odisho
1995 Iraq Nazar Ashraf
1995–1996 Iraq Jamal Ali
1996 Iraq Ayoub Odisho
1996–1997 Iraq Nazar Ashraf
1997–1998 Iraq Ayoub Odisho
1998–1999 Iraq Akram Salman
  
Dates Name
1999 Iraq Abdelilah Mohammed
Iraq Ammo Baba
1999–2000 Iraq Ameer Jamil
2000 Iraq Nazar Ashraf
Iraq Mohammed Tabra
2000–2001 Iraq Anwar Jassim
2001 Iraq Nazar Ashraf
2001–2007 Iraq Thair Ahmed
2007 Iraq Habib Jafar
2007–2008 Iraq Karim Saddam
2008 Iraq Nabil Zaki
Iraq Karim Salman
2008–2009 Iraq Abdul Ghani Shahad
2009–2010 Iraq Radhi Shenaishil
2010–2011 Iraq Yahya Alwan
2011 Iraq Thair Ahmed
2011–2012 Iraq Jamal Ali
2012 Iraq Khalaf Hassan
Iraq Karim Salman
2012–2013 Iraq Nazar Ashraf
2013 Iraq Nabil Zaki
2013–2015 Iraq Abdul-Wahab Abu Al-Hail
2015 Iraq Salih Radhi
2015– Iraq Ayoub Odisho

Current board

Office Name
President Alaa Kadhim
Vice-president Mohammed Talib
Secretary Ali Al-Saadi
Member of the administrative board Mahdi Kadhim
Abdul Ghafour Abd al-Hafith
Khuloud Abdul Wahab
Abdul Jaleel Salih

Major honours

Domestic

Asian

See also

References

  1. 1 2 "Stadiums in Iraq". World Stadiums.
  2. ↑ "Ministry of Higher Education Puts the Foundation Stone of the Al-Talaba Sports City and Insures: The Designing Company Has Recently, Repaired the Barcelona Stadium". Al-Mada Press (in Arabic). February 16, 2014.
  3. 1 2 "Al-Jameaa (Al-Talaba), History, Honours, Successful Run". Kooora Forums (in Arabic). Essam Al-Riyadhi. December 28, 2013.
  4. ↑ "Al-Talaba's football bet on its players to succeed in the Premier League". ShakwMakw (in Arabic). Ahmed Al-Malik. July 14, 2010.
  5. ↑ Hashim, Refel (May 19, 2002). "Iraq 1975/76". RSSSF.
  6. ↑ Hashim, Refel; Mubarak, Hassanin (December 11, 2009). "Iraq 1976/77". RSSSF.
  7. ↑ "Al-Talaba's football camp in Marrocco after the end of Round 1 of the league". Al-Mutamar (in Arabic) (2983). June 5, 2014.
  8. ↑ Hashim, Refel (December 11, 2009). "Iraq 1977/78". RSSSF.
  9. ↑ Hashim, Refel; Mubarak, Hassanin (November 7, 2008). "Iraq 1978/79". RSSSF.
  10. ↑ "1979 results". Iraqi Football Archive (in Arabic). Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  11. ↑ Hashim, Refel (May 26, 2002). "Iraq 1979/80". RSSSF.
  12. ↑ Hashim, Refel (January 4, 2006). "Iraq 1980/81". RSSSF.
  13. ↑ "Draw of Al-Talaba and Al-Shorta in Points and in Goals Difference. Al-Talaba Won the Championship with a Declaration". Al-Watan Al-Riyadhi (in Arabic) (Baghdad: Emmanuel Anoyah) (31). May 1981.
  14. ↑ Hashim, Refel; Mubarak, Hassanin (November 7, 2008). "Iraq 1981/82". RSSSF.
  15. 1 2 Hashim, Refel; Mubarak, Hassanin (August 6, 2015). "Iraq 1982/83". RSSSF.
  16. ↑ "Know the league winners – Salahaddin 1982–1983 – Page 1". Kooora Forums (in Arabic). Emmanuel Anoyah. July 25, 2015.
  17. ↑ "Know the league winners – Salahaddin 1982–1983 – Page 2". Kooora Forums (in Arabic). Emmanuel Anoyah. July 25, 2015.
  18. ↑ Hashim, Refel (August 6, 2015). "Iraq 1983/84". RSSSF.
  19. ↑ "1984 results". Iraqi Football Archive (in Arabic). Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  20. ↑ Stokkermans, Karel (May 19, 2002). "Iraq 1984/85". RSSSF.
  21. ↑ "The First Al-Rasheed Cup". Iraqi Football Archive (in Arabic). Retrieved 9 April 2016.
  22. 1 2 Hashim, Refel; Mubarak, Hassanin (November 7, 2008). "Iraq 1985/86". RSSSF.
  23. ↑ "After 45 years from the establishing of Al-Talaba Club / Match of Al-Talaba and Al-Rasheed". Kooora Forums (in Arabic). Issam Al-Riyadhi. December 20, 2014.
  24. ↑ "In the memory of the establishing of Al-Talaba Club: Before 29 years, Al-Talaba defeats Al-Rasheed in front of 50,000 spectators". Kooora Forums (in Arabic). Shukri Mahmoud. December 27, 2014.
  25. ↑ Gorgazzi, Osvaldo; Stokkermans, Karel (October 31, 2002). "Asian Club Competitions 1986/87". RSSSF.
  26. ↑ Hashim, Refel; Mubarak, Hassanin (May 21, 2015). "Saddam International Tournament (Baghdad) 1986". RSSSF.
  27. ↑ Hashim, Refel; Mubarak, Hassanin (December 1, 2006). "Iraq 1986/87". RSSSF.
  28. ↑ Hashim, Refel (May 19, 2002). "Iraq 1987/88". RSSSF.
  29. ↑ Hashim, Refel (May 19, 2002). "Iraq 1988/89". RSSSF.
  30. ↑ "Goal of Ali Hussein against Al-Rasheed in the final of the 1988–89 league". Youtube (in Arabic). Mofeed Awad. May 3, 2015.
  31. ↑ "Know the league winners – Al-Rasheed 1988–1989". Kooora Forums (in Arabic). Emmanuel Anoyah. September 11, 2015.
  32. ↑ "Third Al-Intisar Cup 1988". Iraqi Football Archive.
  33. ↑ Hashim, Refel (March 3, 2004). "Iraq 1989/90". RSSSF.
  34. ↑ Hashim, Refel (January 3, 2008). "Iraq 1990/91". RSSSF.
  35. ↑ Hashim, Refel; Mubarak, Hassanin (April 2, 2006). "Iraq 1991/92". RSSSF.
  36. 1 2 "Umm Al-Ma'arik competitions file". Kooora Forums (in Arabic). Shukri Mahmoud. January 23, 2010.
  37. 1 2 "Know the league winners – Al-Talaba 1992–1993". Kooora Forums (in Arabic). Emmanuel Anoya. November 4, 2015.
  38. 1 2 3 Hashim, Refel (May 25, 2002). "Iraq 1992/93". RSSSF.
  39. ↑ "Umm Al-Ma'arik Tournaments File – The Second Edition in Memory of its Establishing". Kooora Forums (in Arabic). Shukri Mahmoud. August 31, 2010.
  40. ↑ Hashim, Refel (August 14, 2008). "Iraq 1993/94". RSSSF.
  41. ↑ "Al-Talaba win over Al-Jawiya and achieve the 1993 Umm Al-Ma'arik Cup". Youtube (in Arabic). Mofeed Awadh. March 14, 2015.
  42. ↑ Hashim, Refel; Qayed, Mohammed; Mubarak, Hassanin (January 28, 2016). "Iraq – List of Cup Winners". RSSSF.
  43. ↑ Hashim, Refel (August 30, 2002). "Iraq 1994/95". RSSSF.
  44. ↑ "Iraq 1995/96". RSSSF. August 31, 2002.
  45. ↑ "1995 Results". Iraqi Football Archive (in Arabic).
  46. 1 2 Fujioka, Atsushi; Lee, Seungsoo; Stokkermans, Karel; Visser, Eric (December 26, 2000). "Asian Club Competitions 1995/96". RSSSF.
  47. ↑ "Al-Talaba SC is the first club to reach the Asian Cup Winners' Cup final". Kooora Forums (in Arabic). Emmanuel Anoya. January 10, 2010.
  48. ↑ Qayed, Mohammed (June 19, 2003). "Iraq 1996/97". RSSSF.
  49. ↑ Qayed, Mohammed (August 30, 2002). "Iraq 1997/98". RSSSF.
  50. ↑ Hashim, Refel; Mubarak, Hassanin (September 24, 2009). "Iraq 1998/99". RSSSF.
  51. 1 2 Hashim, Refel; Qayed, Mohammed; Hans, Schöggl; Mubarak, Hassanin (May 8, 2008). "Iraq 1999/2000". RSSSF.
  52. ↑ Qayed, Mohammed; Mubarak, Hassanin (December 18, 2008). "Iraq 2000/01". RSSSF.
  53. ↑ "Second Al-Quds International Championship 2000". Iraqi Football Archive (in Arabic).
  54. ↑ "Al-Wehdat 6th Arabian Championship 2001". Goalzz.
  55. 1 2 Mubarak, Hassanin (October 17, 2006). "Iraq 2001/02". RSSSF.
  56. ↑ "The 11th Edition of the Umm Al-Ma'arik Cup – The Harp plays the most beautiful tones". Kooora Forums (in Arabic). Ammar Ali Al-Safi. October 17, 2011.
  57. ↑ Mubarak, Hassanin (December 29, 2003). "Iraq 2002/03". RSSSF.
  58. ↑ Hashim, Refel; Mubarak, Hassanin (September 25, 2004). "Iraq 2003/04". RSSSF.
  59. ↑ "AFC Champions League 2002/03 – Group D". WildStat.
  60. ↑ Batalha, José; Chbaro, Mohammed; Hashim, Refel; Mubarak, Hassanin; Qayed, Mohammed; Said, Tarek; Zea, Antonio. "Arab Champions' League 2003/04". RSSSF.
  61. ↑ "International Damascus Cup 2004". Goalzz.
  62. ↑ "Tishreen Cup 2004". Goalzz.
  63. ↑ Hashim, Refel; Mubarak, Hassanin (November 15, 2005). "Iraq 2004/05". RSSSF.
  64. ↑ Hashim, Refel; Mubarak, Hassanin (November 8, 2006). "Iraq 2005/06". RSSSF.
  65. ↑ "International Damascus Cup 2005 Final". Goalzz.
  66. ↑ Benjamin, Zaid (September 7, 2007). "Arab Champions' League 2005/06". RSSSF.
  67. ↑ "President of Al-Talaba's Body Was Found". Buratha News Agency (in Arabic). December 3, 2006.
  68. ↑ Al-Azzawi, Qais. "Alaa Kadhim The President of Al-Talaba SC". Al-Jarida (in Arabic).
  69. ↑ "Jordan Youth Clubs Arab Champions 2006". Goalzz.
  70. ↑ Hashim, Refel; Mubarak, Hassanin (November 29, 2007). "Iraq 2006/07". RSSSF.
  71. ↑ "Alaa Kadhim Decided to Retire". Al-Ittihad (in Arabic).
  72. ↑ "The Press Club Championship - Syria 2007". Goalzz.
  73. ↑ Hashim, Refel; Mubarak, Hassanin (November 7, 2008). "Iraq 2007/08". RSSSF.
  74. ↑ Hashim, Refel; Mubarak, Hassanin (December 11, 2009). "Iraq 2008/09". RSSSF.
  75. ↑ Mubarak, Hassanin (January 17, 2013). "Iraq 2009/10". RSSSF.
  76. ↑ Mubarak, Hassanin (September 19, 2013). "Iraq 2010/11". RSSSF.
  77. ↑ King, Ian; Stokkermans, Karel (October 16, 2014). "Asian Club Competitions 2011". RSSSF.
  78. ↑ Stokkermans, Karel (January 17, 2013). "Iraq 2011/12". RSSSF.
  79. ↑ Stokkermans, Karel; Kabash, Yaseen (January 28, 2016). "Iraq 2012/13". RSSSF.
  80. ↑ Stokkermans, Karel (July 17, 2014). "Iraq 2013/14". RSSSF. Archived from the original on July 27, 2014.
  81. ↑ Stokkermans, Karel (October 15, 2015). "Iraq 2014/15". RSSSF.
  82. ↑ "Al-Talaba vs. Al-Zawra'a Penalties - A friendly competition for Al-Hashid Al-Shaabi". Youtube (in Arabic). March 21, 2015.
  83. ↑ "Al-Talaba SC Information". Kooora Forums (in Arabic). October 1, 2015.
  84. ↑ "AL TALABA SPORTS CITY". TriArena.
  85. ↑ "Player 12 Show – Episode of putting the foundation stone of Al-Talaba Stadium". Youtube (in Arabic). Al-Laaib 12. February 19, 2014.
  86. ↑ "The Popular Teams Threat of Withdrawing from the Iraqi League". Elaph (in Arabic). July 28, 2015.
  87. ↑ "Cabo Ultras Blue Hawks Ali al-Maliki". Facebook.
  88. ↑ "Ultras Green Harp". Facebook.
  89. ↑ "Ultras The Kings". Facebook.
  90. ↑ "Ultras Elegant Boys". Facebook.
  91. ↑ "ALTalaba Sport Club - نادي الطلبة الرياضي". Facebook (in Arabic).
  92. ↑ Hatam, Uday (December 17, 2013). "Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya Face Al-Talaba in the Baghdad Derby and Erbil Face Al-Zawra'a in the Football League". Al-Sumaria (in Arabic).
  93. ↑ "Al-Talaba Face Al-Zawra'a in the Baghdad Derby Tomorrow". Al-Baghdadia (in Arabic). June 20, 2013.
  94. ↑ Fujioka, Atsushi (October 15, 2015). "Iraq – List of Champions". RSSSF.
  95. ↑ "Iraq – Al-Talaba – Players". Goalzz.
  96. ↑ "Al-Talaba Club Journal Database - Hall of Fame". Kooora Forums (in Arabic). October 1, 2015.
  97. ↑ Essa, Sami (June 7, 2015). "Odisho is officialy the manager of Al-Talaba". Kooora (in Arabic).
  98. ↑ Mubarak, Hassanin (February 26, 2009). "Al-Talaba – Coaches". RSSSF.
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