Prince Turki Al-Abdullah Al-Faisal called for the stability of the Al-Ahly club in the coming period and for President Khaled Al-Issa for a new presidential term.
He told Okaz, in a long interview, that he does not know the other candidates for the presidency of the Al-Ahly Club and that he does not doubt them, but he believes that they need a long period to gain experience in sports management. It is not in the club’s interest to have a new president who “learns from us” at the start of each season, as he described it.
He criticized the clubs’ fans for the way they treat the presidents and the difference between them and the fans of Al Hilal, who support and support the administrations and stand by them on the field and off the field and in all circumstances. During the dialogue, it was revealed that the situation of obstacles is the reason for the failure of many presidents.
Prince Turki defended former Al-Ahly star Abdul Rahman Gharib against accusations against him of ingratitude and disavowal of the Al-Ahly club, and revealed the full story of his transfer during the dialogue following :
• What do you think of the names who have been appointed to the presidency of Al-Ahly Club?
•• My opinion is that Khaled Al-Issa is the most suitable for the club chair for a new period to come.
• Why do you want Alissa to take this position?
•• I want it for several things; A year has passed for the first time, and he has become fully aware of the team’s affairs, and knows everything and everything that happens in the club. As for the remaining names, I do not know them and I have no doubt about it. them, but I think they will need some time to learn, and every year new elections and a new president continue, and the situation becomes difficult every year there is a new president who learns from us, so I support Al-. Issa continues because he has experience and knows the sporting situation, whether in the ministry or in the Saudi Football Federation.
• Are you satisfied with the level of the team last season?
•• Al-Ahly did a good job last season, regardless of some players in Al-Ahly or the Saudi League, there are clubs who played pranks on professionals, and they were not at a high level.
• Who are these teams who drank the joke?
•• Many, including Al-Hilal, Al-Ittihad, Al-Nasr and others.
• Was Al-Ahly exposed to this affair?
•• Yes, and I’m talking about foreign professionals, not Saudis.
• how did it happen?
•• Some teams have coaches who have won championships, but the administrations choose the players without referring to their opinions, and when the players are present, the coach refuses their participation, because they do not agree with his way of playing, and it is his right… Look at Al-Ahly, who registered 8 foreign professional players before coming to the coach.
• Isn’t it in Al-Issa’s management?
•• No, not in his management, the one who brought the players was a person who worked in the management of Majed Al-Nafai, but currently all clubs have an executive director, a higher football committee and a coach, who are supposed to benefit from it.
• Watch Al-Nassr bring Cristiano Ronaldo?
•• With all due respect, Al-Nasr registered the player for one reason, namely that the three teams, Al-Ahly, Al-Ittihad and Al-Hilal, were unable to register for that time. Two were suspended. penalty of preventing registration for a year, and the other was relegated to the First Division League, so only Al-Nasr was left, and he won the services of Player, it was a great deal .
• Al-Hilal brought Neymar and Al-Ittihad Benzema. What’s your comment ?
•• How has Al Hilal benefited from Neymar? What did Benzema propose to the federation? They want Benzema to play in a way he is not used to, and the coach spoke about it and said the player is not playing the way I want him to play.
• But Benzema is a dangerous player?
•• It is true that Karim Benzema and Omar Al-Somah are among the most dangerous attackers inside the box, but outside the box they are of no use, unlike Abdul Razzaq Hamdallah. You find him defending, attacking and scoring, and he does. the way the coach plays.
• Do you support the retention of Al-Ahly coach Matthias Jaisle?
•• Yes, he is one of the five best coaches in the Saudi League, but what Al-Ahly lacks is a strong bench of substitutes at the same level as the players on the pitch, and that is something something he does not currently have, in addition to the fact that there are weak points in the team that are supposed to be corrected with Saudi players, and with material like The team’s player, Ali Majrashi , that’s good, but there is no one to stop the danger in the team, and we can’t count on Abdul Basit Hindi, for one reason, he is arrogant, and you see him receive a red card in two important matches. It’s a disaster ! Look at the second row at Al Hilal, you will find them indispensable in the national team. If you don’t have these advantages, how can you compete?
• How is this problem solved?
•• Al-Baraka is in the youth division because it has many strong talents whose only need is to participate in matches and gain experience. If you don’t give them confidence, they can go to other teams, and these teams have the right. So I am asking for an Olympic division so that Saudi players can participate without any foreign players, to gain confidence.
• Does this mean, like the transfer of Abdul Rahman Gharib to Al-Nasr?
•• This is an important question, and I would like to clarify it to Al-Ahly fans, who have heard that the player is a traitor to the club’s loyalty. My beloved, this is the truth. The player benefited the club with 35. million riyals, and the negotiations were carried out by all clubs. When he entered the 6 month period he came to management at that time and said I didn’t want to go for free until they signed a contract with me. he was sold, the interest was paid, and no one talked about this thing, so why should we be unfair to him?
• Did Al-Ahly benefit from the sale of its contract?
•• Yes, Al-Ahly benefited from the transfer value and brought back the players from the deal money, when they were in the first division. There is something else I would like to say, and a message to the fans of the remaining clubs: I hope you will follow the example of the Al Hilal fans, because when a new management comes to Al Hilal, you find everyone is by their side in all areas, even outside the walls of the club, you find them united and serving each other.
• Do fans of the remaining clubs miss this thing?
•• Yes, they don’t have that advantage. They want the person to come to them and do everything, as long as it is their way, I tell them: “Bow your head to Al Hilal”, so that he can win. championships every year. I ask the supporters of the remaining teams to stand with the club in all circumstances, not just in the stadium. Rather, we must stand alongside administrations on public and private issues, and if a president is present, let him work, then evaluate his work, and not put “obstacles” in the way.
• Did this happen at Al-Ahly?
•• This happened in all clubs except Al-Hilal, with Prince Khalid bin Abdullah, only Al-Ahly club, Mansour Al-Balawi of Al-Ittihad club and Prince Abdul Rahman bin Saud of the team Nasrawi, so in this period, if you were not alongside your club and did not help it, who would help it? Currently, I thank God and thank Him for the existence of the Investment Fund. Without him, these clubs would have ended, and this is a measure for which the government of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, King Salman bin Abdulaziz, his crown. Prince Mohammed bin Salman and Minister of Sports Prince Abdulaziz bin Turki are grateful. Without their presence and support, we would not have seen these names in the Saudi League, which the eyes of the whole world are watching. At the end of my speech, I said: “Imitate the fans of Al Hilal”.
• Al-Ahly fans were alongside the team, what do you tell them?
•• I say to my fellow supporters of the Al-Ahly club: “May God bless and protect you”, and the position that these supporters have taken in the First Division and the Roshan League can only be taken by men like them.
