Abdullah Dossary

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

The idea of establishing the club began when the ranks of the Youth Club witnessed in 1957 a serious division among its leaders, prompting Abdul Rahman bin Saeed to resign from the presidency of the Youth Club. A new club was established on 15 October 1957 in Riyadh. The club's name lasted for only one year before it was changed to its current name on 3 December 1958 by King Saud. Al-Hilal enjoyed grassroots support and royal attention. The club made its first mark by lifting the King's Cup trophy in 1961, and won it again in 1964. The club also won the Crown Prince Cup in 1963–64. Al-Hilal were the inaugural winners of the Saudi Premier League in the 1976–77 season and also won the league title in 1978–79. In the 1970s, Brazilian legends Mario Zagallo and Rivellino joined the club. In the 1980s, the club hired Saudi players such as Saleh Al-Nu'eimeh, Yousuf Al-Thunayan, and Sami Al-Jaber, winning four league titles and four King's Cup titles. Al-Hilal were runners-up in the Asian Club Championship in 1986 and 1987. In the 1990s, the club achieved 23 titles and won its first Asian Club Championship in 1991, beating Iranian club Esteghlal on penalties. In 1997, the Asian Cup Winners Cup and Asian Super Cup were obtained. The club won the Asian Club Championship again in 1999–2000, beating Japanese club Júbilo Iwata in extra time. A Super Cup was also achieved in the same year. The last Asian title of that era was the 2002 Cup Winners Cup. The rivalry with Al-Ittihad intensified in the 2000s. Al-Hilal won league titles in 2004–05, 2007–08, 2009–10, and 2010–11. The 2007–08 season saw Al-Hilal clinch the league title in Jeddah with a 1–0 win over Al-Ittihad, managed by Cosmin Olăroiu, coupled with the Crown Prince Cup. In the 2009–10 season, under Eric Gerets, Al-Hilal won the league with three games to spare and a Crown Prince Cup. In the 2010–11 season, Al-Hilal continued to dominate domestically and continentally until their semi-final exit from the 2010 AFC Champions League, after which Gerets left and Gabriel Calderon took over.

In Their Own Story

In the 1987 Asian Club Championship final, Al-Hilal were set to face Yomiuri, but nine of the starting players were called up for the Saudi national team's preparation camp, which clashed with the date fixed for the first leg. As a result, Al-Hilal were unable to field a team for the final, and Yomiuri were crowned champions automatically. This moment, though a disappointment, highlighted the club's depth of talent that was also serving the national team. Dossary, as a defender in that era, was part of a squad that consistently challenged for titles domestically and continentally, helping secure four league titles and four King's Cup titles in the 1980s.

Reader's Guide

Al-Hilal is the most successful Saudi club domestically, with a record 21 league titles, 13 Crown Prince Cup titles, seven Saudi Federation Cup titles, 10 King's Cup titles, five Saudi Super Cups, and the Saudi Founder's Cup. In continental competitions, the club has won a record eight AFC trophies: four AFC Champions League titles (1991, 2000, 2019, 2021), two Asian Cup Winners' Cups (1997, 2002), and two Asian Super Cups (1997, 2000). Internationally, Al-Hilal were runners-up in the 2022 FIFA Club World Cup, becoming the first Asian club from outside the host nation to reach the final. In September 2009, Al-Hilal was awarded Greatest Asian Club of the 20th Century by the IFFHS. The club has a market value of €242.5 million as of 2024, the highest in Saudi Arabia.

Did You Know?

• Al-Hilal's name was originally different for one year before King Saud changed it to 'Al-Hilal' on 3 December 1958.
• The club was founded on 15 October 1957, but the official founding date is listed as 16 October 1957.
• Al-Hilal were runners-up in the 2022 FIFA Club World Cup, the first Asian club from outside the host nation to reach the final.
• Brazilian legends Mario Zagallo and Rivellino played for Al-Hilal in the 1970s.