Ahmad Sharbini (Arabic: أحمد الشربيني; born 21 February 1984) is a Croatian football former professional player who is playing as a striker, and working as a sporting director for OŠK Omišalj.

Ahmad Sharbini
Sharbini with Hajduk Split in 2010
Personal information
Date of birth (1984-02-21) 21 February 1984 (age 40)
Place of birth Rijeka, SR Croatia, Yugoslavia
Height 1.84 m (6 ft 0 in)
Position(s) Striker
Team information
Current team
OŠK Omišalj
Number 9
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
2003–2007 Rijeka 86 (39)
2007 Al-Wahda 7 (3)
2008 Luzern 3 (0)
2008–2009 Rijeka 31 (15)
2009–2012 Hajduk Split 37 (5)
2012 Istra 1961 6 (0)
2013 Al-Wehda 10 (3)
2013 Jedinstvo Bihać 3 (0)
2015–2016 Rječina 9 (6)
2016–2017 Grobničan 31 (7)
2020– OŠK Omišalj 69 (58)
International career
2000–2001 Croatia U17 5 (0)
2002 Croatia U18 1 (0)
2001–2002 Croatia U19 6 (0)
2004 Croatia U20 4 (7)
2004–2006 Croatia U21 8 (1)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 2023-9-14
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 2006-08-15

Club career

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Ahmad Sharbini began his professional career with HNK Rijeka in the Croatian Prva HNL in January 2003, when he signed his first professional contract.[1] In the first four seasons with the club, he scored 39 league goals and 9 cup goals. With 21 goals to his account, he was the club's leading goalscorer in the 2006–07 season. He was also the league's second top goalscorer behind Eduardo da Silva. In late 2007 and early 2008, he had stints with Al-Wahda FC (Abu Dhabi) and FC Luzern.[2] In mid-2008, Sharbini returned to Rijeka, and in the 2008–09 season, with 17 goals in all competitions, he was the club's joint top goalscorer with his brother Anas Sharbini.

After the first league match in the new season, on 13 August 2009, he signed for Hajduk Split with his brother Anas.[3] During his three years with Hajduk, Ahmad scored only 5 goals and most of the time struggled to make the starting line-up. Following his departure from Hajduk, he had three short stints in late 2012 and 2013, with NK Istra 1961, Al-Wehda Club (Mecca) and NK Jedinstvo Bihać, respectively.

Following an 18-month break, since August 2015, Ahmad has been playing for NK Rječina in Croatia's fifth tier. Since mid-2014, he has also been serving as the club's chairman,[4] and in 2016, the coach.[5] Since 2016, and at the same time, he also played for NK Grobničan.[6][7]

In 2020, Sharbini returned to football, joining OSK Omišalj,[8] where he would take the position of sports director mid-2022 as well.[9]

International career

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Sharbini played in the 2001 FIFA U-17 World Championship in Trinidad and Tobago.[10] He also played for Croatia national under-21 football team. He was capped last on 15 August 2006, against Italy national under-21 football team.

Career statistics

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Season Club League League Cup Continental Total
Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals Apps Goals
2003–04 Rijeka Prva HNL 18 3 5 3 23 6
2004–05 13 1 2 0 1 0 16 1
2005–06 28 14 8 2 1 0 37 16
2006–07 27 21 6 4 2 0 35 25
2007 Al-Wahda UAE Football League 7 3 2 0 9 3
2008 Luzern Swiss Super League 3 0 3 0
2008–09 Rijeka Prva HNL 30 12 3 5 33 17
2009 1 3 3 2 4 5
2009–10 Hajduk Split 9 0 1 0 10 0
2010–11 13 2 1 0 14 2
2011–12 15 3 3 0 2 0 20 3
2012 Istra 1961 6 0 1 0 7 0
2013 Al-Wehda Saudi First Division 10 3 10 3
2013 Jedinstvo Bihać First Div of FBiH 3 0 3 0
Rijeka total 117 54 24 14 7 2 148 70
Hajduk total 37 5 5 0 2 0 44 5
Career total 183 65 30 14 11 2 224 81
Last Update: 31 December 2013.

Personal life

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Sharbini is the older brother of fellow retired footballer Anas Sharbini. He is of Albanian,[11][12] Croatian and Palestinian descent. He was born in Rijeka to a local Albanian Croatian mother and Palestinian father, Jamal Al-Sharbini, who is from Damascus, Syria.[13]

Achievements

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Ahmad Sharbini is HNK Rijeka's leading goalscorer in the Croatian First Football League and the Croatian Football Cup with 54 and 14 goals to his account, respectively.

Brothers Ahmad and Anas Sharbini are the only siblings to have scored a hat-trick each in a single match in top-tier European football leagues.[14] In the first round fixture of the 2009–10 Croatian First Football League season against NK Lokomotiva, the brothers took turns. Ahmad opened the scoring after four minutes, Anas doubled the lead in the 27th minute and Ahmad made it 3–0 in the 35th minute. In the second half Anas converted a penalty in 51st minute, Ahmad completed his hat-trick in the 68th minute and two minutes later Anas scored his third goal.[15]

Honours

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HNK Rijeka
HNK Hajduk Split
Grobničan
Records

References

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  1. ^ "Statistika – Ahmad Sharbini". 1HNL.net. Archived from the original on 4 October 2011. Retrieved 22 November 2008.
  2. ^ "Stats Centre – Ahmad Sharbini". Guardian.co.uk. Archived from the original on 11 March 2012. Retrieved 22 November 2008.
  3. ^ "VIDEO: Braća Sharbini potpisali za Hajduk". Gol.hr (in Croatian). 13 August 2009. Retrieved 13 August 2009.
  4. ^ Večernji List
  5. ^ Ahmad Sharbini: Igrač, predsjednik, trener… Možda i načelnik, tko zna? at Novi List
  6. ^ "Ahmad Sharbini postao igrač Grobničana". SportCom.hr. Retrieved 29 June 2016.
  7. ^ Ahmad Sharbini: Igrač, predsjednik, trener… Možda i načelnik, tko zna? at Novi List
  8. ^ VIDEO Ahmad i Anas Sharbini danas u Omišlju uživaju u nogometu. Popričali smo s njima at Novi List
  9. ^ Ahmad Sharbini: Ništa se utakmicom na Viškovu neće riješiti u prvenstvu at Sportcom.hr
  10. ^ Ahmad SharbiniFIFA competition record (archived)
  11. ^ "Shqipëria sinonim i Brazilit në Evropë (Foto)". Archived from the original on 12 November 2015. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  12. ^ "Shqiptarët, brazilianët e Europës" (in Albanian). Archived from the original on 4 March 2016. Retrieved 8 January 2016.
  13. ^ "Sharbini Brothers Reject Offer from Palestinian Team". 24 Sata. 10 July 2007. Archived from the original on 8 January 2008. Retrieved 10 April 2009.
  14. ^ "Has any team ever used more than Blackpool's 51 players in a season?". The Guardian. 25 March 2015. Retrieved 9 November 2015.
  15. ^ "Rijeka-Lokomotiva 6:0". HRnogomet.com. 26 July 2009. Retrieved 9 November 2015.
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