Athletico SC (Lebanon)

Athletico
Full nameAthletico Sports Club
Founded2006; 20 years ago (2006)
Based inBeirut
Colors    Blue and yellow
PresidentRobert Paoli[1]
Websitewww.athleticosc.com

Athletico Sports Club (Arabic: نادي اتلتيكو الرياضي), known as Athletico Beirut or simply Athletico, is a football academy based in Dbayeh, Lebanon.

History

Founded in 2006, the academy has eight branches across the country.[2] Since 2011, Athletico has been partnered with French club Olympique Lyonnais.[3] In particular, Lyon provide the academy with training expertise and facilities.[3] Athletico graduate Philippe Paoli moved to Lyon's B team in 2013.[4] In 2019, Athletico became the first football academy in the Middle East to receive the "One-Star" label from the Asian Football Confederation (AFC).[5] In 2021, the AFC approved Athletico as an elite one-star academy after meeting the 20 criteria in the AFC's Elite Youth Scheme.[6]

The women's team was founded in 2010 as one of the first in Lebanon. They were league runners up in the 2009–10 season,[7] and cup finalists in 2010–11.[8] They withdrew their team prior to the 2012–13 season.[9]

The men's senior team won the Lebanese Fourth Division Beirut in 2021–22, and were promoted to the Third Division.[10] They won the Fourth Division Beirut once more in 2024–25.[11]

Honours

Men

Women

See also

References