Jamal Al Haj

{{Short description|Lebanese footballer and coach (born 1971)}} {{Redirect|Jamal El-Haj|the Swedish politician|Jamal El-Haj (politician)}} {{Use dmy dates|date = March 2019}} {{Infobox football biography | name = Jamal Al Haj | image = Jamal Al Haj, 2019 (cropped).jpg | caption = Al Haj in 2019 | fullname = | birth_date = {{birth date and age|1971|08|28|df=y}} | birth_place = | height = | currentclub = [[Al Ahed FC|Ahed]] | clubnumber = | position = [[Midfielder]] | youthyears1 = | youthclubs1 = | years1 = 1989–2004 | clubs1 = [[Nejmeh SC|Nejmeh]] | caps1 = | goals1 = | years2 = 2004 | clubs2 = [[Al Ahed FC|Ahed]] | caps2 = | goals2 = | nationalyears1 = 1993 | nationalteam1 = [[Lebanon national football team|Lebanon]] | nationalcaps1 = 2 | nationalgoals1 = 0 | manageryears1 = 2013 | managerclubs1 = [[Al Khoyol FC|Khoyol]] | manageryears2 = 2017 | managerclubs2 = [[Nejmeh SC|Nejmeh]] | manageryears3 = 2020–2021 | managerclubs3 = [[Lebanon national under-23 football team|Lebanon U23]] | manageryears4 = 2021–2023 | managerclubs4 = [[Al Ahed FC|Ahed]] (youth technical director) | manageryears5 = 2024–2025 | managerclubs5 = [[Al Ahed FC|Ahed]] | pcupdate = | ntupdate = }}

'''Jamal Al Haj''' ({{langx|ar|جَمَال الْحَاجّ}}; born 28 August 1971) is a Lebanese [[Association football|football]] manager and former player.

Al Haj played for [[Nejmeh SC|Nejmeh]] as a [[midfielder]], whom he captained, as well as for the [[Lebanon national football team|Lebanon national team]]. He was the [[Lebanese Premier League]] top scorer in his debut season, in [[1989–90 Lebanese Premier League|1989–90]], scoring 12 goals. Al Haj also played for Ahed in 2004.

In 2017 he managed Nejmeh, but was fired two months later. Al Haj took charge of the [[Lebanon national under-23 football team|Lebanon national under-23 team]] between 2020 and 2021. In 2024, he was appointed head coach of Ahed.

== Club career == Al Haj made his debut for [[Nejmeh SC|Nejmeh]] under [[Samir Al Adou]], during the [[1989–90 Lebanese Premier League]].<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|date=2020-06-02|title=الحاج هدّافاً في أوّل موسم رسميّ له|url=https://www.nidaalwatan.com/article/22372-%D8%B5%D9%88%D8%B1%D8%A9-%D9%85%D9%86-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%85%D8%A7%D8%B6%D9%8A%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AD%D8%A7%D8%AC-%D9%87%D8%AF%D8%A7%D9%81%D8%A7-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A3%D9%88%D9%84-%D9%85%D9%88%D8%B3%D9%85-%D8%B1%D8%B3%D9%85%D9%8A-%D9%84%D9%87|access-date=2020-08-30|website=نداء الوطن|language=en}}</ref> In his debut season, Al Haj was the league's top scorer, with 12 goals, above [[Fadi Alloush]] and Yasser Mansour from [[Tadamon Beirut SC|Tadamon Beirut]] who had scored eight goals each.<ref name=":2" /> He remained at [[Nejmeh SC|Nejmeh]] for 14 years, captaining them for a certain period, before moving to [[Al Ahed FC|Ahed]] in 2004.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web|title=JAMAL AL HAJE|url=https://www.abdogedeon.com/volleyball/NOUJOUM/jamal_al_haje.html|access-date=26 March 2019|website=www.abdogedeon.com|archive-date=3 October 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201003180725/https://www.abdogedeon.com/volleyball/NOUJOUM/jamal_al_haje.html/|url-status=dead}}</ref>

== International career == Al Haj played for the [[Lebanon national football team|Lebanon national team]].<ref name=":0" />

== Managerial career == Al Haj was manager of [[Lebanese Second Division]] side [[Al Khoyol FC|Khoyol]] in 2013.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2020-11-07|title=تحدّي النبي شيت|url=https://www.nidaalwatan.com/article/33343-%D8%A3%D8%AE%D8%A8%D8%A7%D8%B1-%D8%B3%D8%B1%D9%8A%D8%B9%D8%A9-2%D8%AA%D8%AD%D8%AF%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%86%D8%A8%D9%8A-%D8%B4%D9%8A%D8%AA|access-date=2021-04-13|website=نداء الوطن|language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|title=سبورتينغ في الدرجة الأولى.. من هو؟ وكيف وصل؟|url=http://lebanonfg.com/single/2604|access-date=2021-04-13|website=lebanonfg.com|language=en|archive-date=14 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210414130615/http://lebanonfg.com/single/2604|url-status=dead}}</ref> Ahead of the [[2017–18 Lebanese Premier League|2017–18 season]], Al Haj was appointed head coach of Nejmeh;<ref name=":1">{{Cite news|date=21 September 2017|title=جمال الحاج: النجمة يسير في الطريق الصحيح - نمر جبر|work=An-Nahar|url=https://www.annahar.com/article/666816-%D8%AC%D9%85%D8%A7%D9%84-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%AD%D8%A7%D8%AC-%D8%A7%D9%84%D9%86%D8%AC%D9%85%D8%A9-%D9%8A%D8%B3%D9%8A%D8%B1-%D9%81%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B7%D8%B1%D9%8A%D9%82-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%B5%D8%AD%D9%8A%D8%AD|access-date=4 December 2018}}</ref> he was fired two months later.<ref name=":0" /> On 12 October 2020, Al Haj was announced head coach of the [[Lebanon national under-23 football team|Lebanon national under-23 team]].<ref>{{Cite web|last=Mahfoud|first=Maroun|date=2020-10-12|title=Official: Jamal Al Hajj is the new U-22 National Team coach|url=https://www.falebanon.com/official-jamal-al-hajj-is-the-new-u-22-national-team-coach/|access-date=2020-10-12|website=FA Lebanon|language=en-GB}}</ref> He resigned on 26 July 2021.<ref>{{Cite web|title=جمال الحاج يستقيل|url=http://lebanonfg.com/single/2906|access-date=2021-07-28|website=lebanonfg.com|language=en|archive-date=28 July 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210728124218/http://lebanonfg.com/single/2906|url-status=dead}}</ref>

On 3 August 2021, Al Haj was appointed technical director of [[Al Ahed FC|Ahed]]'s youth sector and remained in this position for two years.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Hijazi|first=Alloffs|date=2021-08-03|title=الحاج يبدأ مهامه الاشراف الفني على الفئات العمرية في نادي العهد|url=https://elmaestrosport.com/الحاج-يبدأ-مهامه-الاشراف-الفني-على-الف/|access-date=2021-08-09|website=El Maestro Sport|language=ar}}</ref> Al Hajj returned to Ahed as a head coach, in August 2024 and prior to the [[2024–25 Lebanese Premier League]]. <ref>{{Cite web | title=Facebook | url=https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=976674794470386&set=a.463566505781220 | access-date=2026-01-24 | website=www.facebook.com}}</ref> On 9 December 2025, Al Haj resigned as Ahed manager and the board accepted his resignation.{{Citation needed|date=December 2025}}

== Personal life == Al Haj has two sons, [[Youssef Al Haj|Youssef]] (b. 1999) and [[Ali Al Haj|Ali]] (b. 2001), who both play football.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":22">{{Cite web|url=https://www.lorientlejour.com/article/1103424/nejmeh-accentue-la-pression-sur-le-ahed.html|title=Nejmeh accentue la pression sur le Ahed - Tony Hayek|last=Hayek|first=Tony|date=7 March 2018|website=L'Orient-Le Jour|language=fr|access-date=29 January 2019}}</ref>

== Honours == ===Player=== '''Nejmeh''' * [[Lebanese Premier League]]: [[1999–2000 Lebanese Premier League|1999–00]], [[2001–02 Lebanese Premier League|2001–02]], [[2003–04 Lebanese Premier League|2003–04]] * [[Lebanese FA Cup]]: 1996–97, 1997–98 * [[Lebanese Elite Cup]]: 1996, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2003 * [[Lebanese Super Cup]]: 2000, 2002

'''Individual''' * [[List of Lebanese Premier League top scorers|Lebanese Premier League top goalscorer]]: [[1989–90 Lebanese Premier League|1989–90]]

== See also == * [[List of association football families]]

== References == {{reflist}}

== External links == {{commons category}} * {{FA Lebanon|23924}} * {{NFT player|81676}} * {{Goalzz|127533}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Haj, Jamal}} [[Category:1971 births]] [[Category:Living people]] [[Category:Lebanese men's footballers]] [[Category:Men's association football midfielders]] [[Category:Lebanese Premier League players]] [[Category:Nejmeh SC players]] [[Category:Al Ahed FC players]] [[Category:Lebanon men's international footballers]] [[Category:Lebanese Premier League top scorers]] [[Category:Lebanese football managers]] [[Category:Lebanese Premier League managers]] [[Category:Al Khoyol FC managers]] [[Category:Nejmeh SC managers]] [[Category:Lebanese Second Division managers]]