 | |||
| Full name | Al Ansar Football Club | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| Nickname | الزعيم الأخضر (The Green Leader)[1] | ||
| Founded | 1951; 74 years ago (1951) | ||
| Ground | Al Ansar Stadium | ||
| Chairman | Nabil Badr | ||
| Manager | Youssef Al Jawhari | ||
| League | Lebanese Premier League | ||
| 2024–25 | Lebanese Premier League, 1st of 12 (champions) | ||
 Current season | |||
| Active teams of Al Ansar FC |
|---|
Al Ansar Football Club (Arabic:نادي الأنصار الرياضي,lit. 'The Supporters Sporting Club') is afootball club based in Tariq El Jdideh, a district inBeirut, Lebanon, that competes in theLebanese Premier League. Formed in 1951, the club did not win its firstLebanese Premier League until 1988. They went on to set a world record by winning the league 11 seasons in a row.
Ansar is the most successful club in the country, having won theLebanese Premier League 15 times and theLebanese FA Cup 16 times, both domestic records. They have also won theLebanese Federation Cup twice, theLebanese Elite Cup twice and theLebanese Super Cup six times. Ansar's major rivalry is withNejmeh; dubbed theBeirut derby, it is the most anticipated game in Lebanon.
The club isprimarily supported by theSunni Muslim community;[2] they had been funded byRafic Hariri and Salim Diab until 2005.[3][4] Nabil Badr has been the club's president and main patron since 2012.[5][6]
In 1948, a group of youngBeirutis set up the first administrative board at the club headed by Mustafa Al-Shami. Three years Misbah Dougan, then head of the administrative board, formally requested an official licence for the club allowing them to play football on all Lebanese grounds.[7] They were to be called "Al-Intisar", Arabic for "Victory", however a club with that name was already present. Mustafa Al-Shami proposed "Ansar" in remembrance of the supporters of the Islamic prophetMuhammad.[7]
Initially, Ansar was known as aMount Lebanon team, rather than a team fromBeirut. This is because, as Beirut had already too many clubs, theFederation decided to relocate Ansar toGhobeiry.[7] In 1965, Ansar moved to Beirut and won the 1966Lebanese Second Division promotion play-offs, gaining promotion to theLebanese Premier League for the following season.[7]
Ansar were crowned champions of the2020–21 Lebanese Premier League by beatingNejmeh 2–1 in theBeirut derby in the last matchday;[8] they won their 14th title, their first since 2007.[9] They made the season adouble, after beating Nejmeh in theLebanese FA Cup final.[10] Ansar won their 15th title in the2024–25 season.[11]
Although the club's roots lie in theSunni community inBeirut,[12] Ansar's support comes from all areas and religions in Lebanon.[8] The club has been associated with theHariri family from the early 1990s till 2005.[12] In 2018, following the introduction of ultras groups in Lebanon, "Ultras Ansari 18" (UA18) was formed.[13]
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TheBeirut derby withNejmeh has historically been the most anticipated game in Lebanon: both located inBeirut, Nejmeh and Ansar have shared the majority of titles. While Nejmeh has been more successful in Asia, Ansar holds the mostleague titles andFA Cups.[14]
Another important rivalry is withAhed: located in Beirut, they are affiliated withHezbollah, with their fan base mostly coming from theShia community in Beirut.[15] In addition Ansar has a rivalry withSafa, also based in Beirut.
Note: Flags indicate national team as defined underFIFA eligibility rules; some limited exceptions apply. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.
| Competition | Player | National team |
|---|---|---|
| 1996 CONCACAF Gold Cup | David Nakhid |  Trinidad and Tobago |
| 2000 AFC Asian Cup | Jadir |  Lebanon |
| Newton | Lebanon | |
| Jamal Taha | Lebanon | |
| 2007 AFC Asian Cup | Ahmad Mnajed |  Iraq |
| Salih Sadir | Iraq | |
| 2019 AFC Asian Cup | Hassan Chaito | Lebanon |
| Hassan Chaitou | Lebanon | |
| Adnan Haidar | Lebanon | |
| Mootaz Jounaidi | Lebanon | |
| 2023 AFC Asian Cup | Mouhammed-Ali Dhaini | Lebanon |
| Yahya El Hindi | Lebanon | |
| Hassan Maatouk | Lebanon | |
| Robert Alexander Melki | Lebanon | |
| Nassar Nassar | Lebanon | |
| Ali Tneich | Lebanon |
Mustafa El-Shami (1948–1950) Ameen Itani (1950–1954) Fouad Rustom (1954–1956) Abdul Jalil Al-Sabra (1956–1963) Jamil Hasbeeny (1963–1965) Abed El-Jamil Ramadan (1965–1967) Khaled Kabbani (1967–1975) Said Wanid (1975–1977) Salim Diab (1977–2008) Karim Diab (2008–2012) Nabil Badr (2012–present)
