LaLiga & Al-Ahli seal partnership agreement

LaLiga president, Javier Tebas and Al-Ahli chairman, H.E. Abdullah Saeed Al Naboodah signed an agreement on Monday morning which will see LaLiga and the Dubai based club, Al Ahli, work together on joint projects. The signing of the agreement, which was staged at LaLiga's headquarters, marks the beginning of a link-up in which LaLiga's experience will be used to support Dubai’s leading club in its development.

Also present at the presentation ceremony were Fernando Sanz, LaLiga’s director for the Middle East and for international projects and LaLiga’s first global ambassador, and Adolfo Bara, LaLiga sales, marketing and sponsorship director, along with key figures from the Al Ahli hierarchy, including the club's CEO, Ahmad Hammad; deputy CEO, Mohammed Faraj, and commercial director, Budreya Faisal.

Fernando Sanz, who presented the agreement, expressed his satisfaction at the opportunities which the partnership will offer both organisations. "This is important for us because Dubai was the first location outside of Spain in which LaLiga offices were opened, and this is another clear example of LaLiga's commitment to the United Arab Emirates. We want to continue to make a contribution and linking up with the region's top club is the best way to continue to do so." The LaLiga global ambassador went on to reveal that, "this agreement is in place for two seasons, and within the Emirates it's exclusive to Al Ahli."

H.E. Abdullah Saeed Al Naboodah spoke of how "this agreement, which is the first between an Emirates club and LaLiga, will prove to be a success for all concerned. The aim of the link-up is wide-ranging, it will allow us to improve the running of the club and also make improvements on the sporting side. With this in mind and thanks to the partnership, exchanges and events will be held in the Emirates. We're one of the best clubs in the United Arab Emirates, but LaLiga is home to the top Champions League clubs, so we hope it will see Al Ahli improve across all levels."

In his address, Javier Tebas sought to highlight the work that LaLiga have carried out in Dubai. "This is the result of three years of work, from back when Fernando Sanz opened the first LaLiga offices in Dubai. Our target then was to become part of the football scene in the Emirates. Al Ahli is a young club, but they've enjoyed notable on-field success and that evidences the great work that has been going on. The idea behind the partnership is not to assist, but rather to share experiences.  

Within the framework provided by the agreement, workshops about various aspects of the workings of a football club will be held, ranging from institutional aspects such as marketing, stadium security, strategy, legal affairs to elements more directly related with the sporting side, including injury prevention, nutrition to optimise sporting performance and training for coaches.

In this regard, workshops will be laid on in Dubai by qualified coaches to train youth team coaches. Whilst in Spain, a theoretical and practical youth team players and coaches training programmes will be implemented to pass on the methodology employed in our domestic league. This will prove to be vital for a club like Al-Ahli, which as the LaLiga president noted, "provides many players for the national team, meaning that youth training, right from a very young age, is very important."

The partnership is set to prove to be advantageous for both parties, with Javier Tebas pointing out that LaLiga has "a lot of faith in the region. We've had a presence there for many years, and it's important that our brand be represented there and for it to be important in the Emirates. We've been working towards this, and this partnership is part of those efforts."

After the presentation of the agreement, Javier Tebas responded to questions from the press, in which the journalists quizzed the LaLiga president on other current topics. In response to the attack on a Third Division player, which took place during the last matchday, the LaLiga president declared that, "at LaLiga we've made many improvements to security levels. These divisions aren't our responsibility, but I've already sent my good wishes to the player and it is something which worries us. We're working to improve security levels and we hope that the Federation are aware that there's a lot of work to be done in this area."

Javier Tebas also commented on the controversial refeering seen during the last matchday. "I'm concerned that we're in the news because of refeering and not on account of our football. There are relevant bodies in place to look at the situation. In Spain we've got very good referees, but we must continue to improve, both in terms of the referees' technical performances and in the introduction of technology to make their jobs easier. What can't be allowed to happen is that the referee is the last one to find out what's going on."