The Qatar Stars League is embarking on a new strategic development with plans being put in place to restructure the running of clubs, hiring of players and coaches, and to raise to the standards more high. This was revealed by Ahmed Khellil Abbassi, QSL’s Executive Director of Competitions and Football Development.
The new plan of action will also see the number of teams in the QSL being reduced to 10 from the present 12 from 2023-24 season. QSL is also in the process of constituting a Central Scouting Team (CST) which will look into the clubs’ recruitment policies and guide them with new policies.
“When it comes to football and culture we want the highest quality to attract more fans to the game. We want more professional clubs and today we have a league of teams of the highest standards in Asia and we are proud of it,” said Abbassi.
“Our vision was to become one of the best leagues in Asia both on and off the pitch. Definitely, we are now one of the best league countries in Asia but we want to get more better in terms of professionalism and football standards.
“When we look at 2022, it’s a special year for us, as we have the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 happening and a world cup has the highest standards of football. So this year we are going to achieve the highest level of facilities. It is the highest level of a mega sport for a nation and we believe that we are the best in the world. We want this momentum to keep going with highest quality matches even after the world cup. We want to build a high quality football entertainment,” explained Abbassi.
From the 2023-24 season, the QSL top division will become a 10-team affair and clubs will be signing a new participation agreement. “We have been working on a strategy for the past couple of years on how to transform the league. What we want is good value for money when it comes to players, coaches, competitiveness, high quality matches and increase in the number of fans. We want the QSL to become a more vibrant league delivering high quality and competitive football entertainment.”
The establishing of the CST, which will start functioning later this year, will help clubs bring in talent that is matched in their philosophy and suited to their requirements. “We’ve had a large turnover of foreign players and coaches in the past years. So, we are raising the red flag for we believe change is necessary at this point. We are going to educate the clubs, support them and work with them on these changes.”
The CST would help the clubs scout top talent across the globe to come to Qatar. It will also alter its outlook by becoming a sellers’ league instead of just being a buyers’ league.
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