DOHA: Football giants Al Sadd are keen to return to glory days when the new Qatar Stars League (QSL) season commences in September, the club’s football director said.
Jafaal Rashid, Director of Football at Al Sadd, said the team’s pre-season camp in Australia later this month will help the former champions gather momentum before they launch an all-out assault on the QSL title race in September.
Earlier last month, Al Sadd unveiled Barcelona star Xavi Hernandez as their new signing for the 2015-16 season that commences on September 11.
“We will be in Austria for a pre-season camp from July 25 to August 9. We will also play a number of friendly games,” Rashid said in an interview.
“The pre-season camp will help us assess our physical fitness. All the players will assemble in Doha but Xavi will join Al Sadd in Austria,” the retired Al Sadd stalwart added.
“We will be tough and strong next season. Al Sadd is capable of winning QSL title. We aspire to continue our journey of winning titles in the next season,” Rashid said.
“We have strong motivation to work hard and to win the QSL Shield again,” he said.
Al Sadd will play a friendly against Emirati side Al Ain during their pre-season training camp in Austria.
According to details released last week, Al Sadd will confront Turkish Team Gaziantep Buyukehir Belediyespor on August 2 with another friendly game on August 8.
The reserve team will play two friendly matches on August 3 and 6.
The Wolves will hold their training camp in the same Austrian Village of Kaprun for the fifth consecutive year, with the squad staying in the Torn Spa Hotel.
“Given the circumstances, it was an excellent season,” Rashid said in reference to Al Sadd’s Emir Cup glory in the final match of the 2014-15 season.
“We had a number of injuries and there were many key players absent from important games because of that. The absent injured players cost us during QSL but we still finished in second spot,” Rashid said.
“There were games when we didn’t have Khalfan Ibrahim and Muriqui because of injuries,” the Al Sadd football director said yesterday.
“At the start of the season, we had Rodrigo Tabata who then returned to Al Rayyan in January. Muriqui came in to fill the void but as I mentioned he also got injured soon afterwards.
“Brazilian striker Grafite came to us in January and we thank him for the time he spent with us. He is a great player and has played around the Gulf region. But he was unsuccessful with Al Sadd.
“Maybe he couldn’t fire because he joined us in January and not at the start of the season. In any case, we wish him well,” Rashid said.
On the declining form of long-serving midfielder Nadir Belhadj, Rashid said: “No player can compete at the top of his game for one club all the time. Belhajd is a great player and the decline in his form at the end of the season is normal.”
When asked about Korean defender Lee Jung-soo, Rashid said: “We appreciate this outstanding player who has been successful with this team. He has great experience and is a great professional in every sense of the word.”
He added: “He is a role model for any young player. I wish him well in the new season.”
About future signings or team planning, Rashid said: “The coach staff lead by Hussain AMute will determine the team needs.”
“Hussain Amute has led the team successfully so we have not talked about a change in coach,” he said.
“I can tell you the team will compete strongly in all departments, including attempting to win QSL title. I am not too worried about the team as it knows how to move forward,” he said. “I just wish and hope we don’t have injuries or absences because of injuries like we did in the last season,” he said.
Rashid said Xavi is good signing for football in Qatar and not just Al Sadd.
“He is a gain for Qatar Stars League (QSL) in general and Al Sadd in particular. He is a huge star and is very well known,” Rashid said.
“We wait for him to begin playing for us in the new season but we also know that Xavi alone cannot do everything. Football is a team game and I hope all the players show good form in the new season,” he added.
“Xavi is a role model for young players and is vastly experienced and we hope he can lead Al Sadd to more achievements,” Rashid said.THE PENINSULA
DOHA: El Jaish has decided to use the Abdullah Bin Khalifa Stadium, also known at Lekhwiya Stadium, as their home ground for the 2015/16 season.
The Qatar Stars League (QSL) has contacted all 14 member clubs in order to determine their venues for the new season which is set to kick off on September 11 2015.
The Abdullah bin Khalifa is currently also used as Lekwhiya’s home ground.
El Jaish is the Qatar Military Sports Association football team. They were promoted to the QSL after winning the Second Division in the 2010/11 campaign. In 2012 - their debut season in the QSL the Soldiers astonishingly finished in 2nd spot and in the following season they came third.
Last season they finished third behind Lekhwiya and Al Sadd in the standings, with the title just out of reach.
In the 2012/13 the club participated in the Asian Champions League for the first time in their brief history.
El Jaish finished second in their group and qualified for the first time in their history to the round of 16.
That season the Soldiers also won the QNB Cup Final 2-0 against Al Arabi. In addition former striker Adriano was the league’s top scorer with 18 goals. El Jaish has always been close to winning the title but as of yet, it still eludes the young club.
Meanwhile, Qatar SC has finalized their deal with Moroccan striker Muhsen Yagur, it emerged yesterday.
The player signed a two-year deal to join the Kings who last season did well to finish in 4th spot in the Qatar Stars League (QSL).
The player is due to arrive into Doha on July 9. Yagur will then undergo a medical before being introduced in an official QSC press conference.
Qatar SC now has four foreign signings as per the QFA’s 3 plus 1 rule. Tunisian striker Hamdi Harboui, Korean Han Kook-Young and Ismail Belmaalem make up the other three.
In another QSL-related development, Al Arabi Sports Club Board Members appointed Ali Al Sulaiti as Head of Football.
Al Sulaiti succeeds Salah Al Malki. The Board Members meeting was chaired by Hitmi Al-Hitmi.
Al Sulaiti was previously the Deputy Head of Football. The club management decided he was the best option due to his close relationship with the current squad. THE PENINSULA
