Administrative changes in Al-Nasr, Al-Ittihad and Al-Ahly Saudi clubs

Asharq Al-Awsat sources revealed that the appointment of the new Al-Nasr Club Board of Directors, headed by Ahmed Al-Sultan, was approved to begin on October 1, with the board continuing its mission until the end of next December, or until ownership of the club is transferred to the new owner, whichever comes first.

The sources explained that a number of employee contracts that were concluded recently had their duration set until the end of next December, in order to give the new owner some freedom in making his decisions regarding the continuation of those contracts, amending them, or concluding new contracts.

On the field, Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo participated in group training for Al-Nasr team, today, after his return to the capital, Riyadh, while Australian Ange Postecoglou, the team’s coach, used nine players from the under-21 team to complete the training in the absence of a number of the team’s international players.

The training witnessed a high morale presence, amid a focus from the technical staff on raising the readiness of the players, as Postecoglou called on all members to prepare for the next stage, in light of the preparation for the next Diriyah confrontation, which may witness giving the opportunity to a number of names to participate, especially in light of the absence of international players.

Al-Ittihad Club Company approved the new formation of its Board of Directors, headed by Reda Batterjee, and the membership of Abdulaziz Al-Zaid, Fares Al-Hajailan, Suhaib Jamjoom, Taha Nazer, Abdullah Al-Balawi, and Al-Walid Al-Haider.

The new formation included three members from the previous board of directors: Abdulaziz Al-Zaid, Faris Al-Hujailan, and Suhaib Jamjoom, while Taha Nazer, Abdullah Al-Balawi, and Al-Waleed Al-Haider joined the board.

Batterjee will be succeeded as Chairman of the Council by Fahd Sindi, who faced widespread criticism from Al-Ittihad fans during the recent period, in light of their dissatisfaction with the levels and results achieved by the team last season.

Al-Ahly Club Company announced the formation of its new board of directors, headed by Abdullah bin Aidaroos Al-Sabban, in a new administrative step that coincides with the transitional phase witnessed by Saudi club companies.

In addition to Al-Sabban, the new board included Jake Silverstein, Ahmed bin Hamid Al-Thubaiti, Muhammad bin Ammar Al-Dabbagh, Iyad bin Rashad Reda, Hussein bin Hassan Eid, and Atef bin Mahdi Maqni, as members of the Board of Directors.

The selection of Al-Sabban as Chairman of the Council comes within the new arrangements for restructuring the clubs’ boards of directors, as he assumes the position from outside the representatives of the Public Investment Fund, while Al-Thabiti and Silverstein continue to be members of the Council after their presence in the previous formation.

Al-Sabban has administrative and executive experience, as he previously held leadership positions in the retail and supply chain sectors, in addition to his association with Al-Ahly Club and his support for its career over the past years.

The administrative change in Al-Ahly comes within a broader phase that Saudi club companies are witnessing, in light of the developments related to club ownership and the re-arrangement of their boards of directors, with continued work on completing the regulatory procedures for the next phase.

Last August, Al-Ahly Club Company confirmed that its Board of Directors would continue to perform its duties, and that its work would not be affected by the procedures for transferring ownership of shares in non-profit institutions.

The new council opens a different administrative page in Al-Ahly, at a time when the first football team continues its local and continental competitions, amid aspirations to enhance administrative stability and governance and support the club’s project.