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Arab Club Champions Cup

Arab Club Championship
البطولة العربية للأندية
Arab Club Championship logo.png
Founded 1980; 37 years ago (1980)
Region Arab world (UAFA)
Number of teams 20
Current champions Algeria USM Alger
(1st title)
Most successful club(s) Iraq Al-Rasheed
(3 titles)
Website uafaonline.com
2016–17 Arab Club Championship

The Arab Club Championship (Arabic: البطولة العربية للأندية‎‎) is an annual regional club football competition for Arab football clubs organised by the Union of Arab Football Associations (UAFA).

The tournament's first ever champions were Iraqi giants Al-Shorta, who defeated Lebanese side Al-Nejmeh in the final over two legs in 1982. Al-Rasheed of Iraq are the most successful club in the competition's history, having won the tournament three times in the 1980s. Saudi Arabian clubs have accumulated the most victories, with 8 wins. The title has been won by 17 different clubs, seven of which have the title more than once. Since the tournament changed its name and structure in 2003, only ES Sétif of Algeria have managed consecutive wins, successfully defending their title in 2008. The reigning champions are USM Alger, after beating Al-Arabi 3–2 on aggregate in the 2013 final. After being put on hold for three seasons, the tournament is set to return for the 2016–17 season.

The competition was first known as the Arab Club Champions Cup, and established in 1980. In 2001, it merged with the Arab Cup Winners' Cup to form the new Prince Faisal bin Fahd Tournament for Arab Clubs, named after Faisal bin Fahd. Between 2003 and 2009, the competition was known as the Arab Champions League.

For the 2012–13 season the competition was re-branded as the UAFA Club Cup in a partnership with World Sport Group, but the tournament was not held during the following three seasons. After a long hibernation that lasted since 2013, due to both sponsorship issues and the Arab Spring political events, UAFA decided to revive the competition again for the 2016–17 season under the new name of Arab Club Championship.


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