Full name | Shabab Al-Sahel |
---|---|
Founded | 1966 |
Ground | Beirut Municipal Stadium |
Capacity | 22,500 |
Manager | Libor Pala |
League | Lebanese Premier League |
2014–15 | Lebanese Premier League, 8th |
Shabab Al-Sahel ( شباب الساحل) are a Lebanese football club who play in the Lebanese Premier League. Based in Beirut, they were founded in 1966. They share the Beirut Municipal Stadium. The club is predominantly supported by Shiite community, and the sectarianism which exists affects the club and football in the country as a whole. As of the 2012–13 season the coach was Mahmoud Hammoud. Three weeks before the end of the 2014-15 season, coach Jamal Taha left his position as manager and Libor Pala replaced him.
Shabab Al-Sahel was established in Beirut in 1966. Earlier notable players which formed the backbone of the club were Fayez Dergham and Mohammad Salim, with Sharif Salim as chairman of the club and Hassan Hatoum as secretary. The club won the Lebanese FA Cup in 2000, defeating Al-Safa' SC 5–4 on penalties after a 1–1 draw. They lost the first game of the 2007–08 season with a 0–5 defeat to Nejmeh SC. In the 2008–09 season they reached the finals but were defeated 0–2 by Al Ahed. In the 2010–11 season they reached the semi-finals of the Lebanese Cup by defeating Salam Zgharta 2–0, but were defeated 1–2 in the semi-final by long-term rival Safa at the Rafik Hariri Stadium in Sidon. They were facing relegation from the Premier League at the end of the 2010–11 season when they played Akhaa Ahly. In the 2012–13 season, they were second from bottom by the end of November but were in 5th place at the end of April 2013. They were defeated at the 13th stage of the Cup on 17 February 2013 by Racing Beirut who beat them 3–0.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.