Bassem Marmar

Bassem Ali Marmar (Arabic: باسم علي مرمر‎; born 28 March 1977) is a Lebanese professional football manager and former player who is the head coach of club Ahed.

Bassem Marmar
Marmar with Ahed in 2019
Personal information
Full name Bassem Ali Marmar
Date of birth (1977-03-28) 28 March 1977[1]
Place of birth Khobar, Saudi Arabia[2]
Height 1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)[3]
Position(s) Midfielder, defender
Youth career
Ahed
Senior career*
Years Team Apps (Gls)
1996–2010 Ahed
Teams managed
2016–2017 Ahed
2017–2020 Ahed
2020 Al-Arabi
2021– Ahed
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only

Starting his playing career at Ahed in 1996, Marmar helped Ahed win multiple titles, most notably the 2003–04 Lebanese FA Cup, Ahed's first major trophy, and the 2007–08 Lebanese Premier League, Ahed's first league title. He was the club's captain from 2007 to his retirement in 2010.

In 2016 Marmar was appointed head coach of Ahed, helping them win numerous domestic titles, as well as the 2019 AFC Cup, the first AFC Cup title for a Lebanese side. In 2020 Marmar took charge of Kuwaiti side Al-Arabi, becoming the first Lebanese coach to manage abroad. He returned to Ahed in 2021.

Playing career

Marmar joined Ahed on 20 June 1996.[3][1] He helped his side gain promotion to the Lebanese Premier League in 1998.[4] In 2003–04 Marmar helped Ahed lift their first major trophy: the Lebanese FA Cup.[4] Marmar stated that, at the time, he refused the captain's armband; in 2007, however, the club's management decided for Marmar to become the club's captain.[4] As captain, in 2007–08 Marmar helped Ahed win their first ever Lebanese Premier League.[4]

In 2010, Marmar retired as a footballer; despite his multiple injuries throughout his career,[1] Marmar won two league titles (2007–08 and 2009–10), three Lebanese FA Cups (2003–04, 2004–05, and 2008–09), two Lebanese Elite Cups (2008 and 2010), a Lebanese Federation Cup (2004), and two Lebanese Super Cups (2008 and 2010).[4]

Managerial career

Ahed

In 2007 Marmar was appointed assistant manager of Ahed, which was coached by German manager Robert Jaspert.[5] Describing his time as Jaspert's assistant, Marmar stated that he "felt like a partner", which was "what made [him] want to become a coach".[5] Following his retirement as a player in 2010, Marmar went to Germany to get coaching courses.[5] Upon his return to Lebanon, he was appointed technical director of Ahed's academy and youth sector.[5] He won the under-15 league in 2012, the under-17 league in 2013 and 2014, and the under-17 league in 2015 and 2016.[4]

In 2014 and 2015, Marmar was Ahed's caretaker manager; he became Ahed's first team manager in 2016 following the departure of Robert Jaspert.[5] In his first season as coach, Marmar won the 2016–17 Lebanese Premier League.[5] Marmar was nominated 2016–17 Lebanese Premier League Coach of the Season.[6] After winning the league, Marmar went back to coaching Ahed's youth side, citing difficulties with the players as the main reason.[5]

Three matchdays into the 2017–18 season, Marmar was re-appointed as head coach of Ahed.[5] Marmar stated: "At that moment, there was a shift of mentality in the club. The players were starting to get accountable for their actions. The issues I faced when I was there started to vanish, so I took back the job."[5] That season, Marmar helped Ahed win the domestic double, lifting both the league and FA Cup titles.[5] He was awarded Lebanese Coach of the Season for the second consecutive time.[7]

In 2018–19, Marmar helped Ahed win a second successive domestic double, lifting the league, FA Cup, and Super Cup.[5] He went unbeaten for 46 games in a span of over two years.[5] In 2019 Ahed beat North Korean club 25 April 1–0 in the 2019 AFC Cup Final: they became the first Lebanese football club to accomplish the feat.[5][8] Ahed only conceded three goals in 11 games, going unbeaten throughout the whole tournament.[5][9] For the third consecutive time, Marmar was named Lebanese Coach of the Season.[10] As Ahed's manager Marmar has won three league titles, two FA Cups, and two Super Cups, as well as the 2019 AFC Cup.[11]

Al-Arabi

On 25 July 2020, after being involved with Ahed for 24 years as a player and as a manager,[11] Marmar was hired as head coach of Kuwaiti club Al-Arabi.[12] He became the first Lebanese manager to coach outside of Lebanon at professional level.[13] Marmar reunited with former Ahed players Ahmad Al Saleh and Issah Yakubu.[14] In Marmar's first game he helped Al-Arabi win 4–1 against Burgan on 10 September, in the quarter-finals of the 2019–20 Kuwait Crown Prince Cup.[15] Marmar won the competition, after beating Kuwait SC 2–1 in the final on 21 September.[16][17] After one draw and one defeat in his first two league games, Marmar was dismissed on 26 October.[18]

Return to Ahed

On 19 January 2021, ahed of the second leg of the 2020–21 season, it was announced that Marmar had returned as head coach of Ahed.[19]

Personal life

Marmar was born on 28 March 1977 in Khobar, Saudi Arabia,[1][2] to Lebanese parents; his family is originally from Tayibe, Lebanon.[1] Marmar is fluent in both Arabic and English.[5]

On 23 August 2020, Marmar tested positive for COVID-19 after flying from Lebanon to Kuwait to begin his coaching stint at Al-Arabi.[20] Marmar underwent a two-week home quarantine.[20] On 28 August, Marmar tested negative to a swab test;[21] he ended his home quarantine period on 2 September.[22]

Honours

Player

Ahed

Manager

Ahed

Al-Arabi

Individual

References
  1. Kazan, Ali. "جائزة أفضل مدرب كرة قدم لابن بلدة الطيبة المهندس باسم علي مرمر". www.altaybehonline.com (in Arabic). Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  2. "Bassem Marmar - Soccer player profile & career statistics - Global Sports Archive". globalsportsarchive.com. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  3. "كووورة: الموقع العربي الرياضي الأول". www.kooora.com (in Arabic). Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  4. "قصة عشق.. باسم مرمر رفيق درب العهد نحو قمة المجد". كووورة (in Arabic). 7 June 2020. Retrieved 7 June 2020.
  5. Mahfoud, Maroun (10 December 2019). "Bassem Marmar: Our youth system is the reason for our continental success". FA Lebanon. Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  6. "مهرجان كرة المنار الـ 21 لونه «أصفر»". جريدة البناء | Al-binaa Newspaper (in Arabic). Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  7. اللواء, جريدة. "النجماوي حسن معتوق أفضل لاعب في لبنان!". جريدة اللواء (in Arabic). Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  8. "Al Ahed clinch historic title". www.the-afc.com. 4 November 2019. Archived from the original on 5 November 2019. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  9. "Al Ahed's Khalil named MVP". www.the-afc.com. 4 November 2019. Archived from the original on 5 November 2019. Retrieved 4 November 2019.
  10. "معتوق ومرمر الأفضل هذا الموسم بحسب مهرجان المنار الـ 23". mulhak.com (in Arabic). Retrieved 28 May 2020.
  11. "باسم مرمر يودع العهد برسالة مؤثرة". كووورة (in Arabic). 25 July 2020. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  12. "رسميا.. مرمر مدربا للعربي الكويتي". كووورة (in Arabic). 24 July 2020. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  13. "باسم العهد أول مدرب لبناني يحترف في الخارج". football-lebanon.com (in Arabic). 25 July 2020. Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  14. "باسم مرمر مدربا للعربي الكويتي". www.alahednews.com.lb (in Arabic). Retrieved 25 July 2020.
  15. "مرمر يقود العربي الى نصف نهائي كأس الامير الكويتي". Elsport News (in Arabic). Retrieved 10 September 2020.
  16. Mahfoud, Maroun (22 September 2020). "Bassem Marmar wins his first title in Kuwait". FA Lebanon. Retrieved 22 September 2020.
  17. "نائب الأمير يهنئ العربي بعد التتويج بأغلى الكؤوس". كووورة. 21 September 2020. Retrieved 21 September 2020.
  18. "مرمر يترك العربي.. عودةٌ إلى العهد؟". lebanonfg.com. Retrieved 26 October 2020.
  19. Abou Diab, Rami (19 January 2021). "New coach for Ahed?". FA Lebanon. Retrieved 28 January 2021.
  20. "تأكد إصابة مرمر بفيروس كورونا". كووورة. 23 August 2020. Retrieved 23 August 2020.
  21. "مرمر يتعافى من كورونا". كووورة. 28 August 2020. Retrieved 28 August 2020.
  22. "مرمر يظهر لأول مرة مع العربي". كووورة. 2 September 2020. Retrieved 3 September 2020.
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