Al-Ahly Club revealed the latest developments in the medical condition of four of its players, noting that goalkeeper Edouard Mendy suffered a shoulder injury during the training session, while defender Roger Ibanez passed the treatment stage, and Zakaria Hawsawi and Nayef Masoud continued their treatment and rehabilitation programs.
According to the medical report issued by the club, tests showed Mendy’s shoulder injury, and his participation in group training will be determined based on the ongoing assessment of his readiness by the medical staff, without specifying a date for his return, which means his absence from the Al-Fateh match on Friday in the eighth round of the Saudi Professional League.
In a positive development, Ibanez has successfully passed the treatment phase, and is continuing his training on the field, in preparation for joining group training with the team.
Zakaria Hawsawi also continues his treatment and rehabilitation program in preparation for returning to first team training, after coordination with the medical staff of the Saudi national team.
As for Nayef Masoud, he will continue to implement his treatment and rehabilitation program following his injury to the foot joint, without the report including a specific date for his return to group training.
The return of the players remains linked to completing the stages of treatment and rehabilitation and evaluating their readiness, while the report indicated Ibanez’s progress towards returning to participate in training with his teammates.
The Saudi investment presence in international sports forums is no longer limited to traditional patterns of commercial sponsorships or fleeting acquisitions, but rather has turned into intellectual and strategic leadership that is reshaping the joints of the global sports economy from its roots.
From the heart of the British capital, London, and specifically from the ancient “Stamford Bridge” stadium, which hosts the “Leaders Week London” summit annually, the high-level Saudi axis reflected the depth of the structural transformation led by the Kingdom, and the actual transition from the stage of hosting seasonal events to the stage of creating a sustainable investment and development environment capable of leading the future of the sector globally.
The special session sponsored by the Public Investment Fund comes to put the dots on how to create a “super sports power,” through a unique strategic integration that combines smart sovereign financing, giant infrastructure development, and unprecedented operational excellence, which makes the Saudi experience a new economic reference in line with the ambitions and goals of “Saudi Vision 2030.”
The summit’s business and leadership platform brought together an elite group of decision-makers and specialists who are leading this strategic transformation on the ground. Al-Anoud Al-Thunayan, Head of Sponsorships and Events at the Public Investment Fund, and Firas Sharif, Head of Sports Investments in the Middle East and North Africa at the Fund, participated in the session, to review the financing dimensions and the long-term economic vision of the Kingdom.
Regarding the structural development and operational excellence of the facilities, the session witnessed an extensive discussion with the participation of Javier Campbell, CEO of Radia, and Mark Archer, Executive Director of Sports Strategy and Partnerships at the Qiddiya Project, to shed light on how to transform ambitious engineering and investment plans into living assets that contribute to maximizing returns and creating sustainable opportunities.
Historically, most huge investments in sports have focused on buying broadcast rights or sponsoring shirts from major clubs to achieve rapid and temporary brand exposure, but the current Saudi strategy relies on financial construction investment as a top priority to establish solid bases for the sector. This transformation takes place through pumping unprecedented capital into building modern stadiums, advanced training centers, and surrounding entertainment areas, based on an economic vision that believes that owning advanced physical assets is the only guarantee to attract sports elites, rights holders, and global sponsorship groups in the long term.
The Qiddiya project stands out as a basic pillar and living example of this structural vision. Building quality facilities such as the International Racing Circuit and the National Tennis Center with superior engineering specifications does not only aim to host a temporary tour or tournament, but rather aims to create a permanent infrastructure capable of hosting training camps and continental tournaments throughout the year, which ensures raising the investment efficiency of the real estate and sports asset and transforming it into a productive and sustainable sector that achieves tangible returns.
Countries that host major sporting events historically face a dilemma known as “abandoned stadiums,” which are huge facilities that lose their function and vitality after the end of competitions and turn into a financial and administrative burden on governments. However, the Saudi model anticipated this challenge by focusing on operational excellence years before hosting major competitions.
This system was integrated through the launch of the “radia” company, a subsidiary of the “Sarj Sports Investment Company”, owned by the Fund, and in alliance with the world’s operating and entertainment leaders such as Live Nation and Oak View Group, to ensure the continuity and vitality of events on a permanent basis.
Radia's basic philosophy is to transform stadiums and sports halls from facilities that operate only on seasonal match days into live entertainment, cultural and commercial destinations that operate throughout the year without interruption.
This intelligent combination of sports and entertainment ensures sustainable financial flows that protect assets from declining market value, and at the same time contributes to the creation of thousands of permanent jobs for young national cadres in the fields of management, marketing and hospitality, which enhances the local impact of sovereign investments.
Reformulating return standards and legacy engineering towards 4302
The investment vision of the Public Investment Fund went beyond traditional concepts of direct financial return that is limited to ticket sales, as the new Saudi standard has become based on making sports a major contributor to the non-oil gross domestic product, revitalizing the sports tourism sector and doubling the attractiveness of the local market to foreign investors.
This financial return is linked to sustainable social impact, as investments contribute to raising rates of community sports participation locally and developing an ideal environment for practicing it, which is reflected in improving the public health of citizens and creating a vibrant and active society.
The 2034 FIFA World Cup represents the most prominent milestone in these ambitions, but this event is not viewed as a final goal whose implementation stops at the final match. Rather, it is treated as a comprehensive development accelerator that serves future generations. All current investments discussed at the London Summit, including stadiums and entertainment areas, are designed to be compatible with a clear and strict post-tournament work plan, so that the sports infrastructure is immediately ready to support the growth of local leagues, and to make the Kingdom the first regional center for sports business in the Middle East and an integrated ecosystem capable of self-growth.
“Since the arrival of Denis, we feel that we are developing day by day.” These words were stated by the players of the Saudi national team, the “Gulf Champions”, following their happy achievement on Tuesday evening at the “Enmaa Stadium” in Jeddah, after successfully completing their mission, with their victory over the Emirates with two goals to none, bringing “Al-Akhdar” to the fourth title in its history, achieving this achievement with exceptional numbers, after it succeeded in keeping a clean sheet throughout the tournament’s competitions.
From the first day with Greek coach Donis, and specifically since the start of the World Cup preparatory camp, the players felt confident and developed in their performance. Because Donis’s knowledge of the Saudi player and his way of thinking was not the result of the moment; Rather, it goes back years.
In his training, Denis focused on aspects of possession, while gradually conveying other ideas, especially regarding set pieces, in addition to his keenness on the mental aspects and preparing the players psychologically before taking on challenges.
Nawaf Bushel said in an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat after the final confrontation: “Denis gave us confidence, he knows every player, and he has experience in the Saudi League.”
The Gulf Cup camp was different from the first day the players arrived at the Shangri-La Hotel, the residence. There were feelings that this time was different, and the realization that the tournament was being held on Saudi soil, and that the “cup” in the end would be in the hands of “Al-Akhdar.”
This conversation was frequent among the players, and a number of them confirmed that the feeling was different during this camp, and that they had a feeling that there was an exceptional opportunity to please the Saudi fans and return to the “platforms of gold.”
Al-Sharq Al-Awsat asked Nasser Al-Dossari and Nawaf Bushell about the reasons for the difference in this version, and Al-Dossari said: “Before the start of the tournament, we spoke that this cup would not leave Saudi Arabia, and we made a promise among us players that we would achieve the cup.”
Bushell said: “The focus was high on achieving the championship, and we were aware in advance that the championship was being held on our soil, and that the Saudi fans had not rejoiced in a championship with the national team for years, and this time we succeeded in that.”
No business can succeed without imposing a system, and a system cannot be imposed without setting clear regulations that everyone knows. This is what happened in the Jeddah camp, the first actual camp under the supervision of Fahd Al-Mufarrej, the executive director of the Saudi national team, who was clear from day one with everyone about the system and what is allowed and what is prohibited, so that this constitutes a reference and starting point for the camp.
After the observations he made from the team’s camp in the United States of America, Al-Mufarrej began working on a new disciplinary regulation, as part of his efforts to reorganize work and raise the level of commitment within the group.
Muhammad Khoja, the former goalkeeper and one of the members of the administrative team on whom Al-Mufarrej relies, stands out in the team environment, benefiting from his close relationship with the players and his good knowledge of the nature of the group. According to Asharq Al-Awsat sources, Khoja enjoys high confidence within the camp, and deals with the players with great comfort. This makes him close to them and able to convey notes and directions more smoothly.
The Greek Donis, the national team's coach, revealed that the post-World Cup period witnessed a comprehensive review of what happened, explaining that he spent 10 days at his home analyzing the details of the participation, before meeting with Al-Mufarrej and technical director Matt Crocker. To review the results and develop a new roadmap.
Donis said: “After America’s camp, Fahad Al-Mufarrej, Matt Crocker, and I sat down and analyzed everything that happened in the (World Cup), and based on that, we drew the road map. Before this meeting, I sat in my house for 10 days and analyzed what happened.”
He added: “After (the World Cup), we all sat down; “The technical director, Matt Crocker, and I, the executive director, Fahd Al-Mufarrej, reviewed all the results and decided to take a different path with the national team, and we are very happy with what we have achieved.”
The review did not stop at the results and technical returns; It turned to rearranging the method of work within the national team, by establishing a new set of rules that regulate the group’s behavior and support its unity, which reflects part of the work led by Al-Mufarrej and Denis to correct the general image of the group.
Donis said: “When we reviewed all the (World Cup) results, we held several meetings with the technical director and with Fahd, and we established a set of rules.”
He continued: “We also changed some things related to the rules, and we were careful that the group would not be divided. “At the World Cup, because we did not know each other well, we were often separated.”
