SPL quality this season ‘vindication’ of transfer policy: Saudi league’s director of football

RIYADH: Michael Emenalo is the Saudi Pro League’s director of football, charged with leading its Player Acquisition Center of Excellence (PACE), which provides a centralized approach to transfers while also assisting with squad mapping and player care.

Appointed in July, the former Nigerian international brings with him a wealth of experience highlighted by his success as a long-serving technical director at Chelsea Football Club in the English Premier League.

At the SPL, Emenalo’s deep know-how is considered key to providing all clubs with the best possible expertise and governance to ensure a dynamic, young, and sustainable future.

Now a few months into the role, he spoke to Arab News about the progress already made and what was still to come.

Could you explain what your role as the league’s director of football entails?

Simply put, my role is, first and foremost, to help attract interest into the league locally and globally.

It is also to help the process of bringing into the league quality players and staff to help elevate the standard of the league — which is already good and, historically, very performant — but to take it to a level of competition that mirrors the ambition that the stakeholders have.

Also, part of that role is to help foster a process of education in the industry for nationals of Saudi Arabia so they can improve other youngsters in this country who are interested in football.

You are a few months into the job already. What is your assessment of the progress the SPL has achieved since your arrival?

We’re all very excited. From what we’ve seen so far, it’s not perfect, and our ambition is to always reach for perfection.

At this point, it’s very clear that there are things that need to be