Al-Riffa Sports Club () is a

Bahrain Bahrain, officially the Kingdom of Bahrain, is an island country in West Asia. Situated on the Persian Gulf, it comprises a small archipelago of 50 natural islands and an additional 33 artificial islands, centered on Bahrain Island, which mak ...

i professional

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kick (football), kicking a football (ball), ball to score a goal (sports), goal. Unqualified, football (word), the word ''football'' generally means the form of football t ...

club based in

Riffa Riffa () is the second-largest city in the Kingdom of Bahrain in terms of area. The city is divided into three parts: , and . All three parts are located in the Southern Governorate. The city is growing fast: during the 2001 census, the p ...

, that competes in the

Bahraini Premier League The Bahraini Premier League is the main domestic football competition in the kingdom of Bahrain. Currently known as the Nasser bin Hamad Premier League, the first season was held in 1956-1957. The winners of the domestic championship qualify f ...

, the top flight of

Bahraini football The sport of football in the country of Bahrain is run by the Bahrain Football Association, and significantly the most popular sport in the nation. Bahrain has its own top-tier domestic professional football league, the Bahraini Premier League. ...

History

The club was founded in 1953 as West Riffa Sports Club. In 2001, the club changed its name to Al-Riffa Sports Club.

Stadium

Riffa use

Bahrain National Stadium Bahrain National Stadium (; Arabic transliteration, transliterated: Stād al-Bahrayn al-Watanī) is the national stadium of Bahrain, located in Riffa. It can accommodate 24,000 spectators and is used mostly for Association football, football mat ...

as their home ground, which has the capacity for nearly 24,000 spectators.

Current squad

First-team squad

Achievements

The club's first international achievement was in 1982 when Riffa placed second in the

GCC Club Cup The AGCFF Gulf Club Champions League (), formerly known as the GCC Champions League, is a regional football competition governed by the Arab Gulf Cup Football Federation (AGCFF) for clubs from its eight member nations. The tournament was founded ...

. This was an important achievement for the club and Bahraini football in general as it helped the region take notice of the talent available in Bahrain.

Domestic

: 14 ** 1982, 1987, 1990, 1993, 1997, 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2012, 2014, 2019, 2021, 2022. *

Bahraini King's Cup The King's Cup is Bahrain's premier knockout tournament in men's football. The national cup has had many different names over the years. Emir Cup (1952–59 & 1978–2002), Federation Cup (1960–77) and King's Cup (2003–present). Previous ...

: 7 ** 1973, 1985, 1986, 1998, 2010, 2019, 2021. *

Bahraini FA Cup The Bahraini FA Cup is a Bahrain knockout tournament in men's football. Previous winners *2000 : Al-Riffa ''(known as West Riffa)'' 3–0 Al Ahli *2001 : Al-Riffa *2002 : ''not held'' *2003 : Busaiteen 0–0 Al-Riffa (aet, 5–4 pen) *2004 : ...

: 4 ** 2000, 2001, 2004, 2014. *

Bahraini Crown Prince Cup The Bahraini Crown Prince Cup was a Bahraini knockout tournament in men's association football that is played between the top-4 of the Bahraini Premier League in the previous year. The competition was run between 2001 until 2009 and was dominated ...

: 4 ** 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005. *

Bahraini Super Cup The Bahraini Super Cup is the curtain raiser to the Bahrain football season. Previous winners *1995 : Al-MuharraqSC 1-0 Al-Riffa SC *2006 : Al-Muharraq SC 3-2 Al-Najma *2007 : Al-Najma 3-2 Al-Riffa SC *2008 : Al-Najma 1-0 Busaiteen Club *20 ...

: 2 ** 2019, 2021.

Friendly international

Scissors Cup The Scissors Cup was an Indian football tournament held in Kerala, organized by the All India Football Federation (AIFF). It was instituted in 1992 and abolished in 1997. It was organised in various stadiums in Kochi. Results See also * Foo ...

: 1 **1997

Performance in GCC competitions (As West Riffa SC)

; GCC Club Championship: 10 appearances ::

1992 1992 was designated as International Space Year by the United Nations. Events January * January 1 – Boutros Boutros-Ghali of Egypt replaces Javier Pérez de Cuéllar of Peru as United Nations Secretary-General. * January 6 ** The Republ ...

: Group stage ::

1995 1995 was designated as: * United Nations Year for Tolerance * World Year of Peoples' Commemoration of the Victims of the Second World War This was the first year that the Internet was entirely privatized, with the United States government ...

: Group stage ::

1999 1999 was designated as the International Year of Older Persons. Events January * January 1 – The euro currency is established and the European Central Bank assumes its full powers. * January 3 – The Mars Polar Lander is launc ...

: Group stage ::

2001 The year's most prominent event was the September 11 attacks against the United States by al-Qaeda, which Casualties of the September 11 attacks, killed 2,977 people and instigated the global war on terror. The United States led a Participan ...

: Group stage ::

2005 2005 was designated as the International Year for Sport and Physical Education and the International Year of Microcredit. The beginning of 2005 also marked the end of the International Decade of the World's Indigenous Peoples, Internationa ...

: Group stage ::

2006 2006 was designated as the International Year of Deserts and Desertification. Events January * January 1– 4 – Russia temporarily cuts shipment of natural gas to Ukraine during a price dispute. * January 12 – A stampede during t ...

: Group stage :: 2009–10: Group stage ::

2011 The year marked the start of a Arab Spring, series of protests and revolutions throughout the Arab world advocating for democracy, reform, and economic recovery, later leading to the depositions of world leaders in Tunisia, Egypt, and Yemen ...

: Quarter-finals ::

2012 2012 was designated as: *International Year of Cooperatives *International Year of Sustainable Energy for All Events January *January 4 – The Cicada 3301 internet hunt begins. * January 12 – Peaceful protests begin in the R ...

: Quarter-finals :: 2024–25:

Performance in AFC competitions

;

AFC Champions League The AFC Champions League Elite (abbreviated as the ACL Elite) is an annual continental club association football, football competition organised by the Asian Football Confederation, and contested by Asia's List of top-division football clubs i ...

: 1 appearance ::

2004 2004 was designated as an International Year of Rice by the United Nations, and the International Year to Commemorate the Struggle Against Slavery and Its Abolition (by UNESCO). Events January * January 3 – Flash Airlines Flight 60 ...

: Group stage ;

Asian Club Championship The AFC Champions League Elite (abbreviated as the ACL Elite) is an annual continental club football competition organised by the Asian Football Confederation, and contested by Asia's top-division football clubs. It is the most prestigious cl ...

: 5 appearances ::

1989 1989 was a turning point in political history with the "Revolutions of 1989" which ended communism in Eastern Bloc of Europe, starting in Poland and Hungary, with experiments in power-sharing coming to a head with the opening of the Berlin W ...

: Qualifying stage ::

: Qualifying – 1st round ::

: Second round ::

1997 Events January * January 1 – The Emergency Alert System is introduced in the United States. * January 11 – Turkey threatens Cyprus on account of a deal to buy Russian S-300 missiles, prompting the Cypriot Missile Crisis. * January 1 ...

: withdrew in First round ::

: First round ;

AFC Cup The AFC Champions League Two (abbreviated as the ACL Two or ACL2) is an annual continental club football competition organised by the Asian Football Confederation. It is the second-tier competition of Asian club football, ranked below the AFC C ...

: 7 appearances ::

2010 The year saw a multitude of natural and environmental disasters such as the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill, and the 2010 Chile earthquake. The 2009 swine flu pandemic, swine flu pandemic which began the previous year ...

: Semi-final ::

2013 2013 was the first year since 1987 to contain four unique digits (a span of 26 years). 2013 was designated as: *International Year of Water Cooperation *International Year of Quinoa Events January * January 5 – 2013 Craig, Alask ...

: Round of 16 ::

2014 The year 2014 was marked by the surge of the Western African Ebola epidemic, West African Ebola epidemic, which began in 2013, becoming the List of Ebola outbreaks, most widespread outbreak of the Ebola, Ebola virus in human history, resul ...

: Round of 16 ::

2015 2015 was designated by the United Nations as: * International Year of Light * International Year of Soil __TOC__ Events January * January 1 – Lithuania officially adopts the euro as its currency, replacing the litas, and becomes ...

: Group stage ::

2020 The year 2020 was heavily defined by the COVID-19 pandemic, which led to global Social impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, social and Economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, economic disruption, mass cancellations and postponements of even ...

: ''Cancelled'' ::

2022 The year began with another wave in the COVID-19 pandemic, with SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant, Omicron spreading rapidly and becoming the dominant variant of the SARS-CoV-2 virus worldwide. Tracking a decrease in cases and deaths, 2022 saw ...

: Zonal finals :: 2023–24: Zonal semifinals

Notable managers

Theo Laseroms Matheus Wilhelmus Theodorus "Theo" Laseroms (8 March 1940 – 25 April 1991) was a Dutch football player and manager. A defender, he made a name for himself when he played for Feijenoord. He gained six caps for the Netherlands national team. ...

(1982–84) *

Uli Maslo Uli Maslo (born 6 July 1938) is a German retired Association football, football player and manager. Career Maslo joined Dutch Tweede Divisie club RCH (football club), RCH Heemstede from Rot-Weiss Essen in 1962 and played for the club till 1968. ...

(1985–88), (1993–94) *

Rodion Gačanin Rodion Gačanin (born 13 January 1967) is a Croatian association football coach. Career Gačanin started as a manager at local sides Orijent, Opatija and Crikvenica then worked in the UAE, Bahrain and Kuwait. He has coached in the Middle Eas ...

(July 1, 2003 – June 30, 2005) *

Dragan Talajić Dragan Talajić (born 25 August 1965) is a Croatian former footballer who is the head coach of Bahrain national football team. Talajić played as a goalkeeper and is a football manager who has managed many clubs in the Middle East, Thailand and ...

(July 1, 2005 – June 30, 2006) *

Eelco Schattorie Eelco Schattorie (born 18 December 1971) is a Dutch football manager. He was most recently the manager of Saudi First Division League club Al-Safa. Career Born in Swalmen, Schattorie started as a youth and assistant coach, later becoming the ...

(2006–07) *

Srećko Juričić Srećko Juričić (born 30 December 1954) is a Croatian former professional association football, footballer, who is currently the sporting director for HNK Rijeka. Juričić has also had a career as a manager (association football), manager coac ...

(July 1, 2007 – Dec 31, 2007) * Wilco van Buuren ''(Youth Team Director)'' * Julio Peixoto *

Stefano Impagliazzo Stefano is the Italian form of the masculine given name Στέφανος (Stefanos, Stephen). The name is of Greek origin, Στέφανος, meaning a person who made a significant achievement and has been crowned. In Orthodox Christianity the ach ...

(2011–13) *

Florin Motroc Florin Motroc (born 8 August 1967) is a Romanian former footballer and head coach. He is the son of Ion Motroc, also a former footballer and the father of Vlad Motroc, currently player of Kuwaiti Division One side Burgan. Honours Player ;Rapi ...

(June 1, 2013 – 2014) *

Ali Ashoor Ali Abdulhameed Abdulla Ashoor (; born 04 October 1981) is a Bahraini football manager and former footballer who manages Al-Khaldiya SC. Winner of 12 Major Championships in Bahrain and Kuwait. Achievements 1- Promote Alnajma Club - Bahrain to Fi ...

(2018–2022) *

Carlos Inarejos Carlos Hernandez Inarejos (born 27 May 1984) is a Spanish football manager who is the manager Al-Tai SC in Saudi arabia Career After working in Senegal and Zambia, and working as assistant manager for Cypriot side Ermis Aradippou, Inarejos w ...

(2024–2025)

References

Association football clubs established in 1953 1953 establishments in Bahrain Football clubs in Bahrain {{Bahrain-footyclub-stub