JEDDAH, 8 June 2007 — Many sportsmen, sport administrators and critics are relishing the prospect of real nonstop action and excitement in the next Saudi Football League with the introduction of the new system for the local competitions.
They agreed the system would make the Saudi league the strongest league in the Middle East. The addition of the new competition “Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Champions Cup” will be the cherry on top of the cake, and the excitement will be even more. Many said that all eyes would be on Saudi football competitions next season in the entire Arab world.
Ahmad Al-Marzooki, Ahli club president, said the new system is a strong addition to the Saudi league and will certainly improve the league. “Bringing back the Saudi league to the old system where the team that gains the most points is crowned champion will add extra excitement and strengthen the competition between the teams. All teams will now compete on earning every point to be on top of the league rather than compete to be in the final four.” He said that introducing the new competition “Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Champions Cup” is very positive to Saudi football. He added, “This competition will bring together the champions of Crown Prince Cup, Prince Faisal ibn Fahd Cup and the Saudi league in one competition along with the first six teams in the standings. The financial rewards specified for these competitions will ignite the competition between all the Saudi teams to win because these rewards are the biggest in the Middle East.”
“It should have been done from the beginning,” said former president of Al-Raid club Ibrahim Al-Rabadi. He added, “The new system will guarantee that the team that stays on top is crowned champion of the Saudi league. In the past we have seen teams in the lead of the Saudi league the entire season but then loses in the final four competitions. For example, Hilal this season took the lead of the Saudi league and lost in the final match against Ittihad. In my opinion this was injustice to be on top all year and finish the season empty handed.”
He added the new system would put team’s efforts in the right place. The new system will add excitement, as all teams will make sure during the league matches not to lose points. “This new system is a good move in the right direction and I predict Saudi fans will fill the stadium next season and TV viewers in the Arab world will switch channels to Saudi TV.”
Essam Al-Muaibed, Al-Nahda club president, said all these changes would reflect positively on the national team and help develop the Saudi league. “All the club administrators will prepare the team the good way before the start of the football season and will sure add extra fire to the Saudi league. The situation has changed positively and all teams will not risk bringing bad professional players to the Saudi league. Imagine the excitement in the Saudi league when all teams are searching for a point and trying to cancel the word lost from their dictionary.” Abdullah Al-Bargan, Hilal club administrator, said in the old system the biggest team that did not benefit is the team on top. He said, “All teams in the 4th, 3rd and 2nd place will play against each other in the stepladder competition while the team on top simply wait. This waiting period does not play to the advantage of the team on top because while waiting the team run the risk of losing their football sense. The other teams will climb to the final ready and prepared. The new system will force all Saudi teams to prepare early for the competition. In the past all that matters are the first four places to be able to compete in the King’s Cup. Now all teams aim at being No. 1. The teams that did not reach the top will have a chance to compete in the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Champions Cup.”
The secretary-general of Shabab club, Abdullah Amer, said that the new system has its advantages and disadvantages. He said, “Some of the advantages is that any draw in any result will be considered as a defeat as all teams will make sure to secure the game three points.
Another advantage is that the league will be exciting from the start. One disadvantage that we will certainly see is that some teams at some point in the middle of the league will lose interest battling for first place and instead compete to be among the first six in the standings and hence qualify for the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Champions Cup.”
