 |
 | |||
| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Rabih Najjar | ||
| Date of birth | 21 March 1976 | ||
| Place of birth | Lebanon | ||
| Position(s) | Striker | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 1991-1993 | Hekmeh FC | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps | (Gls) |
| 1991–1998 | Hekmeh FC | ||
| 1999–2005 | Racing Beirut | ||
| *Club domestic league appearances and goals | |||
Rabih Andraos Najjar (born 21 March 1976) is a former Lebanese footballer who played as a striker for Premier League Racing Beirut, Sagesse Beirut and Lebanon.
Youth
editAged five, Najjar joined the junior team of Jeitawi Rawda where he played from 1981 till 1990. In 1990 Najjar began his career as a youth player for Hekmeh FC (Sagesse Club Beirut) where he played in all age groups. He became the highest Lebanese goal scorer in the juniors and youth categories.
Professional career
editIn 1991, Najjar made his senior club debut and became the youngest striker of La Sagesse first team while still playing in the youth league, the fifteen years old player was chosen to participate in some of the Hekmeh FC first team games in the Lebanese Premier League. in 1993, he was officially playing in the premier league for Hekmeh FC.[1] Numerous knee injuries made his participation almost impossible in the Lebanese Premier League season 1997-1998. In 1998, Najjar was negotiating his contract and was able to move to The Racing Beirut, [2] season 1999-2000 in the Striker Position. In the same season,Racing Beirut won the Lebanese second division championship when Najjar scored the winning goal for the team against Al-Ahli Saida in the final match, and the Racing was qualified once again to the Lebanese Premier League. [3]
After playing more than 350 game and scoring 190 goals throughout his career, Najjar retired in 2005 at the age of 29 after suffering from yet another serious knee injury. In his international career, playing for Lebanon, Najjar earned the best scorer title with both juniors and youth Lebanese national teams, he managed to score 25 goals in 45 international games.
Coaching career
editNo longer a football player didn't keep Najjar away from the fields , he started to transmit his passion for the game to the younger generations by teaching football in schools.
In 2009, Najjar opened his own football academy "No-limits football academy " that aim to prepare young players for a brightest futur in the game, in a country where football is the dream for every kid. The No-limits Football Academy known as N.L.F.A [4] soon became a reputable academy across the country by achieving great results in almost every friendly game in Lebanon. Through the past three years the N.L.F.A has organised four different trips to Jordan [5] [6], Turkey and Spain where the players had the opportunity to play against famous academies and clubs.
In the same year 2009, Najjar started to coach the AUST Women Futsal Team [7] (American University of science and technology) and soon they became champions for the season 2009-2010 in the "Lebanese Universities Futsal Women Championship". [8] Thursday 23th to Sunday 26th of April 2009,and through the participation in the Euroibiza tournament, an International Sport Event located in Ibiza that joins universities from over the world, the AUST futsal team coached by Rabih Najjar reached the semi-finals, they won the third place, [9] a notable result for a Lebanese team facing some of the best European universities. October 2010, the AUST team came in the fourth place in the Euromilano 2010 [10]
After these remarkable results, negotiations started with Najjar to train the women national Lebanese football team, but his tight schedule made this step impossible for the time being especially that it's a responsability that needs a full time devotion.
December 2011, and through the participation in the six edition of the international Futsal Neva Cup tournament [11] in St Petersburg Russia from December 1 to December 7 with the AUST, Najjar won the best coach title [12] . Earlier this year the Aust female futsal team coached by Rabih Najjar also won the American University of Beirut Friendship Tournaments [13]
References
edit- ^ "LEBANESE FOOTBALL 1st DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP Season 1997/1998".
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help); line feed character in|title=at position 44 (help) - ^ "LEBANESE FOOTBALL 1st DIVISION CHAMPIONSHIP Season 1999/2000, Transfers In/Out".
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help); line feed character in|title=at position 44 (help) - ^ "فاز على الأهلي صيدا 2-1 الراسينغ بيروت بطل الدرجة الثانية (صور". annahar.com.lb. 2000-03-04.
- ^ "NO-limits Football Academy".
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help) - ^ "NO-LIMITS ختام الموسم الصيفي لأكاديمية". albaladonline.com. 2009-09-04.
- ^ "اللبنانية تلفت الأنظار في الأردن NO-LIMITS أكاديمية". albaladonline.com. 2009-05-21.
- ^ "Sports Schedule (Spring 09-10)" (PDF).
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help) - ^ "AUST Champion in the Futsal Women Championship" (PDF).
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help) - ^ "EUROIBIZA FUTSAL FEMALE Fixtures/Results".
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help) - ^ "EuroMilano 2010 official result".
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help) - ^ "Futsal Neva Cup".
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help) - ^ "Best Coach".
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help) - ^ "AUST Champions in the AUB Friendship Tournaments" (PDF).
{{cite web}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter:|1=(help)
External links
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