Hilmi Sports


Hilmi Sports was a Lebanese football club. Established in 1936, they won two Lebanese FA Cups in 1939 and 1940, and were finalists in the inaugural Lebanese FA Cup in 1938.

History

Hilmi Sports was founded in 1936 by Khalil Hilmi, with Samsinger from Hungary appointed as the first coach. The club was known as "the Red Devils", and wore a red shirt with black shorts. Hilmi Sports hosted several foreign teams, most notably Austrian clubs First Vienna and Admira Vienna, and Romanian club CFR Cluj, among others.
In 1937–38 Hilmi Sports won the Lebanese Second Division, and were runners up in the Lebanese FA Cup. They won the FA Cup twice in a row: in 1938–39 and 1939–40. Two players from Hilmi Sports took part in Lebanon's first official international match in 1940, against Mandatory Palestine: Iranian player Salah Falah, captain of Hilmi Sports, and Muhieddine Jaroudi.

Honours