Al-Fotuwa SC

Al-Fotuwa SC
Logo
Full nameAl-Fotuwa Sports Club
Nickname(s)The Blue Knight
(Arabic: الفارس الأزرق)
Azzurri Deir ez-Zor
Founded1930; 94 years ago (1930) as Ghazi Club
GroundDeir ez-Zor Municipal Stadium
Capacity13,000
ChairmanMadloul Al-Aziz
ManagerAmmar Shamali
LeagueSyrian Premier League
2023–241st (Champions)

Al-Fotuwa Sports Club (Arabic: نادي الفتوة الرياضي) is a Syrian professional football club based in the city of Deir ez-Zor that competes in the Syrian Premier League, the top flight of Syrian football. Nicknamed "the Blue Knight" (Arabic: الفارس الأزرق) or Azzurri Deir ez-Zor, Al-Fotuwa have won three Premier League titles and four Cup titles. It was founded in 1930 in Deir ez-Zor.[citation needed]

History

Al-Fotuwa was founded in 1930 as Ghazi Club and in 1950 was renamed as Al-Fotuwa Sports Club.[1] Al-Fotuwa Club dominated the 1980s at the level of the Syrian Premier League and is a record holder by reaching the final match of the Syrian Cup nine times in a row, winning four of them. They achieved a double, by winning the league and cup titles, twice in 1990 and 1991. In addition, the club won the title of the Syrian-Lebanese Super Cup, which was held only once.

In the 2022–23 season, they won their third title after 32 years and also qualified to their debut 2023–24 AFC Cup.[2] On 2 October 2023, Al-Fotuwa recorded their first ever win in the AFC Cup in a 1–0 win against Lebanon side, Al Ahed.[3] In the 2023–24 season, Al-Fotuwa achieved their third domestic double in history.[4]

Stadium

Main article: Deir ez-Zor Municipal Stadium

Deir ez-Zor Municipal Stadium is located in Arifi area of Deir ez-Zor, Syria.[5] The stadium consists of a football field, and spaces that accommodate 13,000 spectators.

Colours and kits

Since its foundation, the traditional colour of Fotuwa's home kit is yellow with various designs over the years.[citation needed]

Supporters and rivalries

This club is supported by fans from Deir ez-Zor Governorate, and it is considered one of the four largest fans in Syria.[6] The main rival of the club is Al-Jihad SC from Al-Qamishli.[7]

Achievements

Performance in AFC competitions

See also: Syrian football clubs in the AFC Cup
1988–89: Group stage
2023–24: Group stage
2024–25: Group stage

Records

As of 1 November 2024
Match won Match drawn Match lost Champions Runners-up
Season Competition Round Club Home Away Aggregate
1988–89 Asian Club Championship Qualifying Group Iraq Al-Rasheed 0–3 3rd place
Qatar Al-Sadd 1–4
Lebanon Al-Ansar 1–0
2023–24 AFC Cup Group stage State of Palestine Jabal Al-Mukaber –[a] 0–1[a] 3rd place
Lebanon Al Ahed 1–0 1–2
Oman Al-Nahda 0–1 1–2
2024–25 AFC Challenge League Group stage Oman Al-Seeb 0–5 3rd place
State of Palestine Hilal Al-Quds 0–0
Bahrain Al-Ahli Club 1–1
  1. ^ a b Jabal Al-Mukaber withdrew during the competition.

Performance in UAFA competitions

1989: Group Stage

Records

Accurate as of 12 June 2022

Match won Match drawn Match lost Champions Runners-up
Season Competition Round Club Home Away Aggregate
1989 Arab Cup Winners' Cup Group Saudi Arabia Al-Ittihad Jeddah 0–5 4th place
Tunisia Stade Tunisien 0–4
Iraq Al-Rasheed 0–7

Players

As 11 June 2024

Current squad

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

No. Pos. Nation Player
1 GK Syria SYR Talal Al Hussen
2 DF Syria SYR Fares Arnaout
3 DF Syria SYR Karam Imran
5 MF Syria SYR Subhi Shoufan
6 MF Syria SYR Ahmed Hussein
7 MF Syria SYR Oday Al Jafal
8 MF Syria SYR Ward Al Salama
9 FW Syria SYR Mahmoud Al Baher
10 MF Syria SYR Mustafa Jneid
11 MF Syria SYR Ammar Mostat
12 MF Syria SYR Muhammad Abbadi
14 DF Syria SYR Ahmed Al Ashkar
15 DF Syria SYR Khalil Ibrahim
16 DF Syria SYR Abdulhadi Hanbazli
17 MF Syria SYR Oqbah Al Marel
No. Pos. Nation Player
18 DF Syria SYR Ahmad Al Khassi
22 GK Syria SYR Ahmad Kanaan
25 DF Syria SYR Youssef Al Hamawi
26 MF Syria SYR Zid Gharir
27 DF Syria SYR Mesra Alarsaan
30 MF Syria SYR Ali Baaj
31 GK Syria SYR Taha Mosa
38 MF Syria SYR Mohammad Al Salama
77 MF Syria SYR Abdul Rahman Al Hussein
80 GK Syria SYR Omar Al Fateh
88 DF Syria SYR Abdal Razak Al Mohamad
90 FW Syria SYR Hassan Owaid
93 FW Syria SYR Mohammad Malta
95 FW Syria SYR Assad Al Khoder

Coaches

References

  1. ^ Al Fotuwa SC – Weltfussballarchiv
  2. ^ "رسميا.. الفتوة بطلا للدوري السوري" (in Arabic). kooora.com. 30 May 2023. Archived from the original on 30 May 2023. Retrieved 30 May 2023.
  3. ^ "كأس الاتحاد الآسيوي - المجموعة الأولى: الفتوة 1 - العهد 0" (in Arabic). AFC. 2 October 2023.
  4. ^ "الفتوة يحقق ثنائية الدوري والكأس في سوريا" (in Arabic). Kooora. 24 May 2024.
  5. ^ Sports facilities in Deir ez-Zor[permanent dead link‍]
  6. ^ "The Football Match That Sparked The Rojava Revolution". 25 November 2020. Archived from the original on 2023-08-29. Retrieved 2023-08-29.
  7. ^ "5 Politically-Charged Football Matches that Turned into Madness". 5 January 2020. Archived from the original on 2023-08-29. Retrieved 2023-08-29.
  8. ^ "identified Osama al-Abd al-Mohsen coach of Al-Fotuwa". 10 September 2015. Archived from the original on 2015-09-11. Retrieved 2015-09-11.