New Saudi Pro League Director of Football Michael Emenalo attracted by ‘audacity’ of Kingdom’s project

RIYADH: The Saudi Pro League’s new director of football, Michael Emenalo, is excited at leading the SPL’s Player Acquisition Center of Excellence which aims to drive competitiveness, foster young talent alongside the best international players, and improve the governance of all clubs for long-term success.

Under Emenalo, the former Chelsea technical director, the new center will provide a centralized approach to transfers and ensure checks and balances in dealings on the international market, while providing management expertise.

Emenalo, best known for a successful 10-year stint at Stamford Bridge which saw the London club’s scouting, recruitment, development and loan systems transformed, said: “This is a role that I’ve spent the last 45 years of my life preparing for. It was not a difficult role or offer to accept. I am intrigued by the audacity of the project, and the ambition.

“Having also been in that situation where we had to develop things and take it to a level that was unexpected, and challenge the status quo, I think this project fits the bill of what I was looking for, in terms of expressing my creative content which I’ve built up over a number of years.”

"The world can't have enough good football & good competitions. That's our ambition."

New Director of Football Michael Emenalo outlines his vision for #SPLStrategy pic.twitter.com/5cuFc8EFQ3

— Roshn Saudi League (@SPL_EN) July 19, 2023

Emenalo insists Saudi is looking for the “opportunity to compete” and said: “What Saudi football is doing, is no different from what the Premier League have done. There was a time when it was all about Italy. There was a time when it was all about Spain. What we’re looking for in the industry is an opportunity to