Racing Club (Arabic: نادي الراسينغ), known as Racing Beirut or simply Racing, is a football club based in Achrafieh, a district in Beirut, Lebanon, that competes in the Lebanese Premier League. They play their home matches at the Fouad Chehab Stadium and are primarily supported by the Christian community.

Racing Beirut won the Lebanese Premier League three times, the Lebanese Challenge Cup twice, and the Lebanese Second Division four times. They also finished runners-up in the Lebanese FA Cup twice.

History

Early history

The club was founded in 1934 by several locals from the Achrafieh and Gemmayzeh districts of Beirut, Lebanon. The club's name is inspired from French football club Racing Paris, who the club's presidents supported. Racing played five years in the Lebanese Second Division, and got its first promotion to the Lebanese Premier League in 1940.

In 1953, Albert Kheir was elected as the club's president. He sought to heighten the club's status in the country, by buying 20-year-old Joseph Abou Murad from Intissar Chayyah, Said Haidar from Al Nahda, and Yuguslavian coach Ljubiša Broćić.

Racing Beirut played international friendly games against a variety of famous clubs and selections during the 1970s, including one against the Brazil national under-23 team.

Recent history

The match between Ahed and Racing Beirut in the first matchday of the 2023–24 Lebanese Premier League, on 6 August 2023, was the first to test the use of video assistant referee (VAR).

Club rivalries

Historically, during the 1960s and 1970s, Racing's main rivals were Nejmeh, also from Beirut. Racing plays the Achrafieh derby with Sagesse.

Players

Squad

As of 1 March 2024

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

No. Pos. Nation Player 1 GK  LBN Ali Hajj Hassan 2 DF  LBN Hilal Warid 3 DF  LBN Hassan Bitar 4 MF  LBN Hussein Saleh 5 DF  LBN Jad Noureddine 6 MF  CGO Brel Mohendiki 7 DF  LBN Hussein Haidar 8 MF  LBN Miguel Karam 9 FW  LBN Ali Imad Moussawi 10 MF  SRB Lazar Arsić 11 FW  LBN Hussein Ezzeddine 12 DF  LBN Ali Ayoub (captain) 13 FW  LBN Maygen Raad 14 FW  LBN Jimmy Kazan

No. Pos. Nation Player 15 FW  CGO Roland Okouri 16 DF  LBN Mohamad Kdouh 17 DF  LBN Andrew Al Azzi 18 MF  LBN Joseph Aoun 19 DF  LBN Mostafa Al Shamaa 20 MF  LBN Hussein Jawad Khalife 21 FW  CGO Yann Mokombo 22 GK  LBN Omar Idlibi 23 MF  PLE Jehad Abou El Aynein 30 MF  LBN Mostafa Chehine 70 FW  LBN Ibrahim Abou Jabal 77 FW  LBN Daniel Abou Fakher 90 GK  LBN Hassan Ayoub

Shirt manufacturers

• 2008: Adidas
• 2009: Lotto
• 2010: Lotto
• 2011–2013: Adidas
• 2014–2016: Diadora
• 2016–2018: Joma
• 2018–present: Capelli

Honours

League

• Lebanese Premier League
  • Winners (3): 1955–56, 1964–65, 1969–70
• Lebanese Second Division
  • Winners (4): 1938–39, 1999–2000, 2006–07, 2022–23

Cup

• Lebanese Challenge Cup (defunct)
  • Winners (2; joint record): 2016, 2017
• Lebanese FA Cup
  • Runners-up (2): 1944–45, 1947–48

Managerial history

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items. (March 2019)

• Ljubiša Broćić (1955)
• Ion Bogdan (1967–1970)
• Dorian Marin (2004–2005)
• Libor Pala (2012–2015)
• Eugen Moldovan (2015–2016)
• Moussa Hojeij (2016–2017)
• Roda Antar (2017–2019)
• Jalal Radwan (2019–2020)
• Said Jraidini (2020–2021)
• Ismail Kortam (2021–2023)
• Vladimir Vujović (2023–present)

See also

• List of football clubs in Lebanon