Racing Club Beirut

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 are primarily supported by the Greek Orthodox 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 26 March, 2026

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

Shirt manufacturers

• 2008: Adidas
• 2009: Lotto
• 2010: Lotto
• 2011–2013: Adidas
• 2014–2016: Diadora
• 2016–2018: Joma
• 2018–2022: Capelli Sport
• 2022–: Joma

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

• Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Ljubiša Broćić (1955)
• Romania Ion Bogdan (1967–1970)
• Romania Dorian Marin (2004–2005)
• Czech Republic Libor Pala (2012–2015)
• Romania Eugen Moldovan (2015–2016)
• Lebanon Moussa Hojeij (2016–2017)
• Lebanon Roda Antar (2017–2019)
• Lebanon Jalal Radwan (2019–2020)
• Lebanon Said Jraidini (2020–2021)
• Palestine Ismail Kortam (2021–2023)
• Montenegro Vladimir Vujović (2023–2024)
• Sudan Osama Sakr (2025–2025)
• Syria Hussein Afesh (2025-2026)
• Switzerland James Hemaid (2026-)

See also

• List of football clubs in Lebanon