Ahdaaf » Press Talk

PRESS TALK: September 3

Wael Jabir — Fri, 04 Sep 2015 13:29:10 +0000

Al Nassr Announce $26 Million Budget Deficit.

Al-Riyadh newspaper – Saudi Arabia

They Said:

In their annual general assembly, Al Nassr FC announced the budget figures for the financial year ending June 30^th, 2015. Revealing the achieved break-even over the abovementioned period with both revenues and expenditures sitting at approximately SR196 million ($52.2 million). However, the club announced they expect earnings for the financial year ending 30^th of June, 2016 to drop to SR101 m ($27 m) while expenditures will slightly increase to SR200 m ($53 m) meaning they will face a budget deficit of SR99 m ($26 m). This deficit is expected to be recovered in the following financial year.

We Say:

Regardless of the quoted budget figures, it is an encouraging sign that a Middle Eastern club has taken the initiative to be so transparent about their budget figures and it would be great if more football clubs follow the example of Al-Nassr. However, looking at the budget figures themselves, it is baffling that Al-Nassr (a team that has spent several years without major silverware but now back with back to back league titles and playing Champions League football) are expecting a drop in revenues rather than steady growth. The team which still manufactures their own kits, should look to sign a lucrative deal with a global provider similar to the one their arch-rivals Al-Hilal enjoy with Nike. This could be just one of many opportunities the team could pursue to benefit from their rising popularity in Saudi and beyond over the past few years.

Al-Ahli’s Abdullah Al-Mayouf Crisis Averted

Arriyadiyah newspaper – Saudi Arabia

They Said:

Al-Ahli FC are set to reach an agreement with their goalkeeper Abdullah Al-Mayouf within the next couple of days. The player is expected back in training following a meeting with the team’s Swiss coach Christian Gross. The 28-year-old GK had announced he plans to move from Jeddah to the capital Riyadh [1,000 km to the east] for family reasons. The player had contemplating retiring from the game for a while but was persuaded be his representatives to dismiss this idea. Al-Mayouf is now set to honour the last remaining season of his contract before making his move to Riyadh.

We say:

It is certainly a loss for any team when their main goalie decides to move (Just ask Manchester United). What is more interesting, though, is the fact that such a young player (in terms of GKs), would seriously contemplate retiring from the game. Reports have suggested the cited “Family Reasons” being that he is married to Riyadh based businesswoman whose income is apparently much more significant that the player himself prefers to invest his career earnings so far with her rather than continue playing professionally.

Clubs Call For Dissolution Of The Pro League.

Oman Sports – Oman

They Said:

In a surprising development ahead of the new season, a number of the top flight teams have signed a memorandum asking the Omani FA to officially abandon the professional league system and return to the previous “Elite League” after what they described as “Failure to turn professional”. The teams including, Al-Orooba, Saham and Dhofar said they are unable to financially support a fully professional team with dwindling revenues and rising expenses. This memo which is believed to be supported by all the top flight teams, comes after the Omani FA announced earlier it will no longer provide the clubs with an annual subsidy of RO5,000 ($ 13,000).

We Said:

The Omani league continues to struggle to establish itself, even when compared to the lower level Middle Eastern leagues (Bahrain, Syria). Oman is far from a poor country and it boasts one of the highest number of local amateur football players in the region as well as a passionate fan base with strong club affiliation (something countries like UAE & Qatar struggle with). Mismanagement and lack of a clear vision for the league have continuously hampered the growth of club football there. Unlike the national team which has benefited from a golden generation led by the likes of legendary goalkeeper Ali Al-Habsi. The fact that top tier teams are calling for the league to be called off over a subsidy of just $13,000 a year speaks volumes about the current state of affairs in Omani club football.

Tractor Sazi to continue with Toni, denied negotiating with Firouz Karimi

Iran-eh Varzeshi Newspaper- Iran

They Said:

In the last few days, a lot has been said about the end of the road for Tractor Sazi and Toni Oliveira, and in the last day or two rumours were heard of negotiations between Tractor Sazi and a few Pro League managers. In Tabriz there was talk of Firouz Karimi, although the Tractor Sazi officials haven’t reacted to this issue, but in reaction to this rumour, Ghaznavi has said: “People like to create controversy for Tractor Sazi so they’ve brought up these issues. Toni Oliveira is doing his job in the best possible manner and there is no discussion of the presence of Karimi or any other manager at Tractor Sazi”

We Say:

We believe Tractor Sazi haven’t quit managed to recover from the drama at the final day of last season. Results haven’t been great but Toni oversaw a complete overhaul of the squad during the summer with some big name signings coming into the club. With so many changes including 4 foreign players, it is hard to get all the players used to his style and tactics in such short amount of time. But Tractor Sazi’ hierarchy will feel the pressure from outside if results don’t improve, especially with the recruitment of Foolad’s Soroush Rafiei and Bakhtiar Rahmani due to their conscription status, which brought a lot of criticisms to Tractor Sazi. We know the men in charge of the club will not think twice to change managers, as we sat last winter with the dismissing of Rasoul Khatibi. Firouz Karimi is a good manager with a lot of experience, he is the last manager to lead an Iranian team to AFC Champions League triumph but there is a lot of questions over his methods and his appointment will surely bring more controversy to Tabriz with no guarantee of success.
Crisis got higher, 48 hour deadline given to the club by players

Iran-eh Varzeshi Newspaper – Iran

They Said:

In response to all the unanswered phone calls in the last few days and weeks, Persepolis players ignored the calls of club officials – and not directors – who wanted to ask for more time. As soon as they heard what the players are planning for, they began to get in touch and request for a few more days to pay them their delayed payments. The players’ threat scared them so much that they sent a message to them saying “if you don’t give any interviews, part of your payments will be paid by Thursday”

We Say:

Persepolis is a club gripped by poor management for a few years. A disastrous start to their season, and now players threatening to go on strike due to not getting paid on time, it hasn’t been the best of times for the fans. Unfortunately, these instances are very common between the two Tehran giants – Esteghlal and Persepolis – and the players constantly complain about the broken promises of club directors. Branko Ivankovic, the Persepolis manager, has praised his players’ patience. Of course he’d be concerned, thinking about how to deal with problems on and off the pitch. Poor management has cost this club as well as Esteghlal dearly in the last decade or so, incompetence at a financial and technical level is very high and if these two clubs are to return to past glory, these basic problems shouldn’t be arising and players should only worry about their performances on the pitch, not having to think about whether their payments will be made on time or not.

SAUDI SUPER CUP: Donis and Da Silva face the media

Hamoudi — Tue, 11 Aug 2015 15:47:07 +0000

The Saudi Super Cup to be played at Loftus Road, home of Queens Park Rangers in London, is an event not to be missed. With more than 70% of the tickets sold according to various reports, we may see the beginning of Saudi football’s continuous rise thanks to their expert use of the market. The national team has become a shadow of what it was years ago, yet the Saudi clubs push on as Asia’s best – supported by millions scattered across the world. Al-Hilal manager Giorgios Donis calmly faced the press as Al-Nassr manager Jorge Da Silva joined him.

In light of the recent spectacle surrounding the game, the managers faced the press to explain their pre-season plans and expectations. Regardless of their expected answers about their training camp abroad, eyes were all on both men who take part in a historical night tomorrow evening.

Jorge Da Silva.

Da Silva replied bluntly to questions concerning the pre-season training camp.

“Our preparation was good, it went according to the plans we created.”

Absentees, namely the badly behaved left back Hussein Abdulghani, and their effect on the match:

Hussein Abdulghani (middle) up to no good once again.

“The absentees will not affect the team, as we have brilliant players able to provide amazing performances.”

Regarding the weight of the night, it’s importance and value for years to come for Saudi Arabian football.

“I hope the match is a night of Saudi celebration, a historical final outside Saudi grounds.”

Despite playing each other twice in the league last season alongside the King Cup Final, Da Silva had other things to say.

“Like Donis said, every match is different from the other. We know Al-Hilal, they know Al-Nassr.”

Donis brought the Saudi FF’s idea of playing in London to light.

“It’s a great opportunity to play in London, this is exactly what is needed to let the world know about Saudi football.”

Also asked about pre-season thoughts and evaluation, unsurprisingly.

“I am very happy with our pre-season preparations. Happy with players’ discipline too.”

Giorgios Donis.

Donis speaks of the upcoming season, with contrasting thoughts about the game.

“We didn’t just prepare for the Super Cup tonight, but the whole season itself including the big pair of matches against Lekhwiya in the Asian Champions League.”

Saud Kariri, who now joins the list of absentees against enigmatic striker Nasser Al-Shamrani, sadly returns to his country due to his sister in law’s death.

“We were very sad to hear about Saud Kariri’s brother’s wife passing away, we are all supporting him and hope he returns even stronger”.

Donis assures the Al-Hilal fans albeit the loss of their midfield general Saud Kariri.

“We are heavily affected by his loss, but you will see his replacement tomorrow.”

Nasser Al-Shamrani.

Despite the amount of times, the amount of knowledge, and the amount of hate between the two teams.

“Every match is different in its context. The Cup is one of our early goals for the season, I look forward to taking our first step. I am happy working with these players.”

The whole is greater than a sum of parts.

“Who knows me knows that I don’t like to single out players. Everyone is part of the team”.

Once again, emphasising on the whole regardless of the nationality.

“Everyone has adapted to their surroundings, no matter who it is. Locals or foreigners.”

A taste of youth to get themselves prepared for a historical match-up?

“There are new players who impressed in the pre-season camp.”

Effort comes first in his books.

“Tomorrow’s match is of high importance and you will see effort that will continue in the matches against Lekhwiya and the league.”

Donis powerfully ends his part. Donis believes in one thing that can take them to glory across the whole season: the team.

“We are not afraid. We have a powerful, organised team.”

Who will win the Saudi Super Cup? Send us your tweets, or comment down below!

Sportsmanship.

PRESS TALK: WORLD CUP QUALIFIER SPECIAL

Hamoudi — Wed, 17 Jun 2015 14:06:19 +0000

“THE GREAT FIDA’I” DESERVE PRAISE AND APPRECATION

HISTORICAL WIN FOR PALESTINE PUTS THEM AT THE TOP

Palestine Starting XI – vs. Malaysia (A).

Palestine’s 6-0 win against Malaysia yesterday was a brilliant way to bounce back from a heartbreaking loss in Dammam a few days ago. Mohammad Al-Sahlawi’s brilliance was unstoppable in the end, despite Palestine’s hard-fought comeback from 2-0 down. Let’s look at what the reaction was from one of Palestine’s newspaper outlets: “Al-Ayyam”.

The title in itself looks showcases the sheer passion and happiness that stemmed from supporting the Palestinian national team, known as the “Fida’i” (Self-Sacrificers) and always, always putting country first. An Asian Cup exit with 0 points was tough to deal with however there were a few key players missing from the line-up after being detained; namely Sameh Maraebeh. Maraebeh was unable to attend the Asian Cup however he scored a brace in this game to turn heads around to speak of a brilliant story on the attacker’s journey until now.

“An elegant, sophisticated attacking performance” wrote Ashraf Matar of Al-Ayyam. “Bringing in two players into the starting line-up in Tamer Seyam and Sameh Maraebeh was a masterstroke” and it proved a brilliant asset to the Palestinian team. All the attackers had great skill and technical ability on display and that was the key to their win. Matar also emphasized on the performance of Tamer Seyam who was playing in his “best condition: technically, physically and tactically.”

AND NOW IT'S SIX! CHAMPAGNE FOOTBALL FROM PALESTINE!

— Football Palestine (@FutbolPalestine) June 16, 2015

“Tawfiq Ali handled all the incoming shots from Malaysia very well, and as soon as Malaysia began to assert themselves into the game Barakat brought on Khodor Youssef to enhance the midfield, and enhance it he did. Youssef’s control of the midfield resulted in Matias Jadue helping to add another goal up front”.

“THE WHITES” DID ENOUGH FOR RESULT AS ROAD TO 2018 BEGINS

THE UNITED ARAB EMIRATES GET PAST OBSTACLE OF TIMOR-LESTE COURTESY OF “AMOORY” ROCKET

UAE Starting XI – vs. Timor-Leste.

After a change in positions from the engineer Mahdi Ali, the UAE struggled to get past a well oiled Timor-Leste defence in front of 200 fans at the Shah Alam stadium. No longer did we find Ali Mabkhout cutting in from the left and Ismail Al-Hammadi on the right, as the latter took up a position on the left while Amoory was shifted out to the right of midfield. Ahmad Khalil, surprisingly, played behind Ali Mabkhout as a central attacking midfielder, to add physical and defensive ability in between midfield and attack.

Al-Khaleej: “The goal came after a plethora of complications encountered by the UAE attack against a bunch of naturalized Brazilians, aiming to grab a point at best after their 1-1 draw with Malaysia. Our nation did not produce a good performance by any means, however the three points were enough.”

The reason the three points were enough were due to an enduring season for many Emirati players who had to play in the Arabian Gulf League, Arabian Gulf Cup, Presidents Cup, Arabian Gulf Super Cup, Asian Champions League, Gulf Champions League, Gulf Cup of Nations and Asian Cup of Nations. Take into account that some players only played their last game a week ago in the Presidents Cup Final.

In the end, “after a pass from Abdulaziz Sanqour, Omar Abdulrahman simply turned and hit a rocket of a shot to announce our 1-0 lead. The problem was solved,” by none other than Amoory.

A video of Amoory’s goal: https://vine.co/v/eeUTtLxdHDt

AKRAM SALMAN QUITS POST AS IRAQ MANAGER

Iraq FPG: “The Iraqi Football Association accepted the apology from Akram Salman as he claims he could not go on as Iraq manager anymore, as Yahya Alwan takes over the team for the friendly against Syria”. The manager surrounded with controversy (Read here, by @HassaninMubarak : https://ahdaaf.me/2015/04/akram-salman-iraqs-impulsive-technical-director/) has left his position to the delight of the Iraqi faithful.

Kamil Zaghir, spokesman of the Iraq FA, claimed that “there is no doubt that a foreign manager is next on our list. We will sign with one inevitably.” Zaghir also revealed that 3 months of Akram Salman’s salary had been paid, before talking about the decisions made by the Iraq FA in terms of the technical staff. Olympic team manager Yahya Alwan and his staff room will be joining him in managing the senior team for a single match.

Ironically, Radhi Shnaishel, the man to take Iraq to the Asian Cup semi-finals had just signed a new contract with Qatar SC yesterday signaling the strong connections he possesses with the board of the club. This is definitely a reason that Shnaishel opted to stay in Qatar, as his top four finish with the team can be further improved on to winning titles as the Qatar SC administration were “key to helping us get past the obstacle of a poor start to the 2014-15 season.” According to our Iraqi football writer @HassaninMubarak:

One positive thing to come out of this, when Akram Salman was sacked in 1985, Iraq qualified for the World Cup, in 2007 they won Asian Cup!

— Hassanin Mubarak (@hassaninmubarak) June 16, 2015

And, funnily enough, as I am writing this – it seems that FIFA have cancelled the friendly between Iraq and Syria. Tough times coming for a team who achieved so much merely 6 months ago.

TO WHAT EXTENT WILL THE DIFFERENCES CONTINUE IN THE NATIONAL TEAMS?

Syria defeated Afghanistan 6-0 in their first World Cup Qualifier / Asian Cup Qualifier match in Iran. They were a gulf in class better than the Afghan team, and without a doubt it provided a smile onto every Syrian’s face no matter the quality of the opposition. Omar Al-Soma was definitely not missed for such a big match, as Syria were disqualified from the 2014 World Cup Qualifiers and never got the chance to prove themselves after issues caused by commanding striker George Mourad.

“Despite our senior national team getting the great amount of support from different committees and media outlets,” wrote Nasser Al-Najjar for Al-Watan “Don’t our U-17 team also need support after qualifying for the U-17 World Cup in Chile this October?”

Clearly, the Syrian Football Association has not been rid of any problems with the Omar Al-Soma saga looking endless at the current point in time. First of all, Al-Najjar set out a trio of objectives for the Syrian national team for their upcoming games, especially after the overreaction towards Japan’s dropped points against Singapore.

“First of all, the national team has to be separated from all arguments and differences. Secondly, the national team should play a game every 15 days to take care of the readiness and adaptation of the team and squad harmony. Thirdly, the choice of teams to face in a friendly should come within the criteria of similar style and weather conditions of the teams our Syria will play in the group, specifically East Asian teams to get used to the heat and humidity in those countries.”

There is high optimism for the youth teams to qualify for the Asian Championship (U-16 and U-19) and we may see the re-emergence of Syria as a dark horse sooner or later should conditions improve.

Middle East Press Talk February 9

Wael Jabir — Mon, 09 Feb 2015 11:05:16 +0000

Welcome to our first Weekly Middle East Press Talk where we give you a glimpse of what Arabic & Persian speaking media in the region are talking about over the past week. Stay tuned every Monday for a new update and let us hear your thoughts too!

Saudi FA Chief: Our League Is Only Second To The Premier League in Market Value.

Arriyadiyah newspaper – Saudi Arabia

They said:

Ahmed Eid, head of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) stated that the Saudi League, formally known as (Abdul Latif Jamil League) is the second most valuable football league in the world after Barclay’s Premier League. With a market value of € 22 million, only bettered by the English top flight competition’s €50 million.

We say:

At Ahdaaf, we are puzzled by what Mr. Eid means here. Based on the figures he used for comparison, our best guess would be that he is talking about the sponsorship deal the league has signed with Saudi conglomerate Abdul Latif Jamil Group to carry its name as opposed to what Eid and the newspaper referred to as “Market Value”. Doing our homework, we could find at least one more league that tops the Saudi League in terms of “Title Sponsorship Deal” albeit slightly. Spain’s Liga BBVA deal is worth around €23.5 Euros. Kudos for the Saudi League for ranking so high on the list, though!

Increased Uncertainty surrounding “Gulf Cup 23”

Raya Newspaper – Qatar

They said:

With Iraq having pulled out of hosting the 23^rd edition of the Gulf Cup of Nations citing lack of state funding and instead requesting to host the following edition, and with Kuwait undecided over whether to host the tournament or not, great uncertainty surrounds the next edition of the Gulf Cup. Host country is not the only issue, though, Qatar is lined up as third option in case Kuwait confirms it is inability to host the tournament. However, it is hosting the U-22 AFC Asian Cup in January 2016, the date originally set for the Gulf Cup.

We say:

Issues continue to surround the Gulf Cup even as it grows in reputation as the region’s number 1 tournament, with more media coverage than the likes of West Asian Football Federation (WAFF) Championship. If the Gulf Cup is to established itself as a genuine competition for decades to come, FIFA recognition is a must. For all its vices, the global body would keep organizing committees under check and that will surely help the Gulf Cup grow in stature.

Ali Mabkhout to leave for Europe in the Summer.

Al-Ittihad Newspaper – UAE

They said:

Ayedh Mabkhout, Football Director at Al-Jazira SC confirmed that AFC Asian Cup top goalscorer Ali Mabkhout will remain at the club until summer. “We already agreed with Mabkhout that he will be allowed to leave in the summer” Said the club director. “But only if he receives an offer from a decent European club. We have received offers from Hamburg in Germany and unnamed English club, but it was too close to transfers closing for us to be able to replace him” Added Mabkhout “We have received offers from Saudi Arabia but we believe Al-Jazira is the best club in the region and our goal is for him to find the opportunity he deserves in Europe.”

We say:

Too many Mabkhouts at Al-Jazira it’s confusing us! On a more serious note, we salute Al-Jazira and believe that is the right mentality clubs in the region should adopt in regards to local talents. No mention at all of a transfer fee, putting the player’s interests first. It will be interesting to see whether Al-Ain will have a similar approach to Omar Abdulrahman when those offers arrive in the summer (and we know they will).

UAE Already prepared to host AFC Asian Cup 2019.

Al-Bayan Newspaper- UAE

They said:

Deputy Secretary General of the UAE Football Association (UAEFA) is optimistic the country will land hosting rights for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup.

“We are prepared to host the tournament even if it was to be held tomorrow” Said Mohammed Bin Hazzam. “The AFC delegation inspected the facilities and they are pleased with our level of readiness. We hosted the Asian Cup in 1996 and we can do it again, we can make it a historic event”.

The UAE bid specifies six stadiums across Dubai, Al-Ain and the capital Abu Dhabi to host the tournament. One stadium in Dubai is yet to be built, but Al-Ahli’s Rashid stadium is lined up as a standby option and it is undergoing renovations now.

We say:

This is a golden opportunity for the UAE to host a major football event and the country has every chance to win against an Iranian bid that will be hampered by financial difficulties and probable restrictions in terms of dress codes, ban on alcohol and so forth. Nevertheless, it is vital that the new stadium in Dubai is built in time and to a high standard. For all its merits as a global city, Dubai lacks a world class sporting venue. The fact the one of the two Dubai stadiums included in the Emirati bid is a cricket stadium speaks volumes. Finally organizational issues such as those which accompanied the recent AC Milan vs Real Madrid game in Dubai must be sorted out, the UAEFA can be trusted to do so having successfully hosted 2 editions of the FIFA Club World Cup with great success.

That’s our Press Talk for the week. Let us know your thoughts on Twitter @AhdaafME