Ittihad Riadi Tanger (; ), often shortened to IR Tanger or the abbreviation IRT, is a Moroccan football club based in Tangier. It competes in the Botola Pro, Morocco's top professional football league.
The club was officially founded in 1957 under the name Unión Deportiva de Tánger (UDT). In 1983, several local football clubs were merged into UDT, resulting in the formation of Ittihad Riadi Tanger.
IR Tanger's home games are hosted at Tangier Grand Stadium. In the past, Stade de Marchan was their home stadium until its demolition.
IR Tanger has a large fan base in northern Morocco, particularly in the Tanger-Tetouan-Al Hoceima region.
History
IR Tanger was created by the fusion of several clubs in 1944. In the early 1990s, IR Tangier became one of the most successful clubs in the Botola. However, the club failed to win any trophies, although they came close in the 1989–90 season when they finished as runners-up. The 1989 season was considered by many to be their best season, as the team was victorious over many other notable Botola clubs, defeating Raja Casablanca 3-1 and Maghreb de Fès 3–0.
During the late 1990s, IR Tanger failed to achieve anything besides maintaining itself in the Botola. The club ended up getting relegated twice before the early 2000s, finishing unsuccessfully during the 1995–96 and 1997–98 seasons.
In July 2000, the club hired Coach Omar Raiss. He oversaw the improvement in the club's performance during the 2000–01 season, during which they scored 50 goals. Because of their performance, the club received a promotion. Their performance declined, however, with their only notable achievement in the early 2000s being a Throne Cup they won during the semi-final in the 2005–06 season. The following season became IR Tanger's last in the Botola for the next few years. During this time, the club's results were poor, and they would very often finish unsuccessfully.
During later years, after IR Tanger set up a new directive committee, it nearly made it back to the Botola during the 2013–14 season. With a series of transfers and the arrival of Coach Mohamed Amine Benhachem, the team cruised through the 2014–15 season, losing only twice and finishing first by a five-point lead.
During the 2015–16 season, the team made a comeback to the Botola Pro. The club contracted with many local and foreign players, finishing third in their first season and qualifying for the 2017 CAF Confederation Cup for the first time.
Supporters and rivalries In 2003, the club's ultras, called Ultras Tanger, was founded; this group no longer exists and has instead been replaced by the ultras group named Ultras Hercules that was founded in 2007.
IR Tanger has a rivalry with Moghreb Tétouan, which belongs to the neighboring city, Tétouan.
Botola Pro 1 matchesThere were no matches between the teams in the First Division before 1990.#DateMatchweekHome teamAway teamScore (FT/HT)Goals (Home)Goals (Away) 1 1990 IR TangerMA Tetouan4–1 ?, ?, ?, ?? 2 1991 MA TetouanIR Tanger0–2 ?, ?1991–1995There were no matches between the teams in the First Division. For the 1991–92 season, MA Tetouan was relegated to Second Division. 3 1995 MA TetouanIR Tanger1–0 ? 4 1996 IR TangerMA Tetouan1–3 ??, ?, ?1996–2005there were no matches between them in the First Division, each having returned to it at different moments, but not together. 5 17 December 200512MA TetouanIR Tanger0–0 (0–0) 6 21 May 200627IR TangerMA Tetouan0–1 (0–0) Moussafi (88) 7 18 November 20068IR TangerMA Tetouan0–0 (0–0) 8 8 April 200723MA TetouanIR Tanger1–0 ?2007–2015There were no matches between the teams in the First Division. For the 2006–07 season, IR Tanger was relegated to Second Division. 9 3 October 20153IR TangerMA Tetouan2–2 (2–0)Rafik (p. (28), Boukhriss (42)El Maimouni (58), Krouch (64) 10 28 February 201618MA TetouanIR Tanger1–0 (0–0)Hawassi (89) 11 11 December 201612IR TangerMA Tetouan0–1 (0–1)Krouch ((p. 27) 12 7 May 201727MA TetouanIR Tanger0–1 (0–1)Hervé (38) 13 27 December 201714MA TetouanIR Tanger0–1 (0–1Hamoudan (45) 14 12 May 201829IR TangerMA Tetouan2–1 (0–1)Chentouf 48), El Moussaoui (o.g. 60)Fall (28) 15 22 September 20183IR TangerMA Tetouan1–1 (1–0)El Ouadi (42)Lakhal (69) 16 16 February 201918MA TetouanIR Tanger1–1 (1–0)Hawassi (10)El Ouadi (66) 17 11 January 202012MA TetouanIR Tanger0–0 (0–0) 18 30 September 202027IR TangerMA Tetouan1–0 (1–0)Ijroten (46) 19 20 December 20204IR TangerMA Tetouan1–1 (1–1)Méyé (p. 6)Bemammer (o.g. 26) 20 23 May 202119MA TetouanIR Tanger1–0 (0–0)Gueye (90+4)2021–2022For the 2021–22 season, MA Tetouan was relegated to Second Division. 21 9 September 20222MA TetouanIR Tanger1–0 (0–0)Kamal (63) 22 21 February 202317IR TangerMA Tetouan2–0 (2–0)El Ouassli (7), Moutouali (18) 23 26 November 202310IR TangerMA Tetouan1–1 (1–1)El Wasti (45+2)Badji (20) 24 14 April 202425MA TetouanIR Tanger1–1 (0–0)Badji (p. 74)Saoud (83) 25 23 November 202411IR TangerMA Tetouan1–2 (0–2)Ghabra (p. 55) Darai (12), Kamal (p. 19) 26 14 April 202526MA TetouanIR Tanger2–1 (2–0)El Megri (3), Darai (15) Moutouali (p. 50)2025–2026For the 2025–26 season, MA Tetouan was relegated to Second Division. 27 2 October 20262IR TangerMA Tetouan1–1 (0–1)Najari (57) Karmoun (34) 28 202717MA TetouanIR Tanger– (–)
Botola Pro 2 matches#DateMatchweekHome teamAway teamScore (FT/HT)Goals (Home)Goals (Away)There is no data for the 1983/84–1986/87 and 1998/99 seasons. 16 January 200014MA TetouanIR Tanger0–2 ?, ? 3 June 200029IR TangerMA Tetouan2–3 ?, ??, ?, ? 3 December 200010MA TetouanIR Tanger2–1 ?, ?? 7 April 200125IR TangerMA Tetouan1–1
Moroccan Throne Cup matchesSeason RoundHome teamAway teamScore (FT/HT)Goals (Home)Goals (Away) 1994–95 Round of 16 IR Tanger MA Tetouan2–1 ?, ? ? 2000–01 Round of 32 IR Tanger MA Tetouan0–1 ? 2016 Round of 32 1st leg IR Tanger MA Tetouan4–0 (2–0) Hervé (34), El Helali (39), Boukhriss (67), Mouaoui (74) 2nd leg MA Tetouan IR Tanger2–0 (0–0) Krouch (55, 90+1) 2018 Round of 32 IR Tanger MA Tetouan1–0 (0–0) M'baï
Matches summary Matches Wins Draws Goals Home wins Home draws Away wins IRT MAT IRT MAT IRT MAT IRT MAT IRT MATBotola27710102424466434 Botola 2 41216 6011011 Moroccan Throne Cup 53207 4310001 All competitions 361114113734787446
Crest and shirt The official crest was designed by the club's founders. It depicts the full name of the club and the year it was founded. The blue lining represents the club's location in northern Morocco.
The official home shirts are similar to the crest, colored blue and white. IR Tanger's traditional away colors change every season but are usually based on light blue with a sponsor's logo on the top.
Kit suppliers and shirt sponsors
PeriodKit manufacturerShirt main sponsorShirt sub sponsorLeague sponsor2015–2016Bang Sports ONDANoneMaroc Telecom2016–2017 ONDA & UNE & APM Terminals2017–2018 2018–2019Gloria Valencia (juice) & STG Telecom & RCI Finance Maroc2019–2020STG Telecom & RCI Finance MarocNone2020–2021Tanger-MedExperience MajorelInwi2021–2022 Biougnach2022–2025None2025–JomaTanger-Med
Stadium
The club hosted their home matches in the Stade de Marchan, a stadium with a capacity of 15,000 seats, until it was demolished. The Stade de Marchan hosted several notable matches like the one between IR Tanger vs. Wydad Casablanca during the 1989–90 season. In 2011 the club moved to the then-new Tangier Grand Stadium, which has a capacity of 75,000 (that will be increased to a maximum of 92,000 seats).
StadiumPeriod Stade de Marchan 1983–2011 Tangier Grand Stadium 2012–present
Season results
League and cup Season League Top goalscorer Throne Cup Div. Pos. Pl. W D L GS GA Pts Name League2015–161st3rd301488362350 Hervé Guy7Quarter-finals2016–171st5th301299332545 Ahmed Hammoudan6Semi-finals2017–181st1st3014106342352 Mehdi Naghmi13Round of 162018–191st5th309138273040 Mehdi Naghmi9Round of 162019–201st14th3071112203632 Sofian El Moudane4Quarter-finals2020–211st8th3010614293636 Axel Méyé12Round of 162021–221st13th308913314133 Axel Méyé12Round of 162022–231st14th308517233929 Sofian El Moudane5Round of 162023–241st12th3071211293833 Ismail Khafi13Round of 322024–251st10th3091011353737 Ali El Harrak & Hamza El Wasti7Round of 322025–261st7th309129273139 Haitam El Bahja8
African competitions
Year Competition Round Opponent Home Away Aggregate Q 2017 CAF Confederation Cup PR AS Douanes 1–0 2–1 3–1 1R AS Kaloum 3–0 0–1 3–1 PO Horoya AC 3–2 0–2 3–4 2018–19 CAF Champions League PR Elect-Sport FC 1–0 0–0 1–0 1R JS Saoura 1–0 0–2 1–2 2018–19 CAF Confederation Cup PO Zamalek SC 0–0 1–31–3
Arab competition Year Competition Round Opponent Score Position Q 2019–20 Arab Club Champions Cup PR Riffa SC 0–2 2nd Al-Zawraa SC 3–0 Horseed FC 1–6
Notes PR: Preliminary round 1R: First round PO: Play-off round
Honours
TypeCompetitionTitlesWinning SeasonsRunners-upDomesticBotola Pro12017–181989–90Botola 231961–62, 2000–01, 2014–151986–87, 1996–97,
Players Current squad
Reserve team and Youth Academy
Out on loan
Former players
Abdellah El Moudene Gaya Merbah Walid Bencherifa Bassirou Compaoré Zakaria Bakkali Enes Šipović Hugo Almeida Dylan Saint-Louis Ismaël Ankobo Hervé Guy Jacques N'da Siriki Sanogo Alexis Enam Brice Owona Mukoko Batezadio Zoran Plazonić Pablo Ganet Pape Paye Abdou Atchabao Axel Méyé Stévy Nzambé Zakaria Alharaish Abdelatif Noussir Abdellatif Akhrif Abdelfettah Boukhriss Abdelghani Mouaoui Abdelhakim Aklidou Abdelkabir El Ouadi Abdessamad Rafik Adil Chihi Adil Lamrabet Ahmad Hamoudan Ahmed Mohamadina Ahmed Reda Tagnaouti Aissa Sioudi Anas El Asbahi Atik Chihab Ayoub El Khaliqi Badr Gaddarine Badr Zaki Nacer Badreddine Benachour Benaissa Benamar Bilal Danguir Driss El Mrabet Faouzi Abdelghani Habib Allah Dahmani Hamid Janina Hamdi Laachir Hamza El Wasti Hafid Abdessadek Hicham El Mejhed Hicham Misbah Houssin Rajallah Ibrahim Bezghoudi Ismail Belmaalem Issam Badda Ismail Khafi Issam Erraki Jalal Daoudi Khairallah Abdelkbir Khalid Fouhami Lahcen Abrami Mehdi Naghmi Mohamed Amsif Mohamed Bouldini Mohamed Chibi Mohamed Fouzair Mohamed Madihi Mohamed Souboul Mohammed Ali Bemammer Mohsine Moutouali Mouloud Moudakkar Nabil Jaadi Noussair El Maimouni Omar Arjoune Omar Najdi Rachid Housni Reda Jaadi Sofian El Moudane Soufian Echaraf Soufian El Hassnaoui Talal El Karkouri Youcef Sekour Youssef Benali Zouhair Laaroubi Abdoulaye Demba Abdoulaye Diarra Ismaël Diakité Carlos Gomes* Carlos Fortes Ousmane Diop Ousseynou Thioune
Personnel Current technical staff PositionNameFirst team head coach Abdelhak BenchikhaAssistant coach Serge Romano Youssef SekourFitness coach Mouchriq AbdelhakimGoalkeeping coach Mohammed BestaraPerformance analyst Antoine GiacomoniSports Psychologist Ali AtaouiClub doctor Marouan AfkirSports Nurse Abdelmonhem NafieSports Masseur Mohamed DidiPhysiotherapist Saber KhamalHope's team coach David VandenbosscheHope's team assistant coach Ahmed SalahHope's Team Fitness coach Hamza Raiss El Fenni Source:
Football Sport Management
Managers
Jorvan Vieira (1984–86) Mohamed Baltham (1986–87) Abdelkhalek Louzani (1987–88) Bob Schneider (1988–89) Mário Ribeiro Nunes (1989–91) Abderrahim El Houazer (1991) Mahieddine Khalef (1991–93) Abdellah Hammouni (1993–94) Jorvan Vieira (1993–94) Abdelghani Bennaciri (1994–95) Aziz El Amri (1996–97) Omar Rais (2000–01) Aziz El Amri (2001–02) Abdelhadi Sektioui (2002–03) Hassan Ajenoui (2003) Driss El Mrabet (2003–04) Rachid Taoussi (2004) Ricardo Serna (2004–05) Hamadi Hamidouch (2005) Abdelhadi Sektioui (2005–06) Raoul Savoy (2006) Aziz El Khayati (2006–07) Hassan Ajenoui (2007) Abderrazak Khairi (2007–08) Omar Rais (Oct 2008– ) Mohamed Amine Benhachem (2009) Mohamed Bentaleb (–Mar 2010) Abdelmalek Ajbaten (Mar– 2010) Najib Hannouni (–Sep 2010) Said El Khider (Sep–Dec 2010) Omar Rais (Dec 2010– ) Hassan Regragui (Apr–Jun 2012) Youssef Fertout (Jul–Nov 2012)