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In Just 2 Years
Michael Emenalo, Saudi Pro League’s first director of football, is fast becoming one of the most important figures in world football as he is revolutionising the sport in Saudi Arabia. In July 2023, Daily Mirror, (a British Sports Newspaper) reported that former Chelsea transfer Chief Emenalo had an agreement in principle to become the Saudi Pro League, SPL Director of Football to enhance organisation, strategy, and talent development.
Following a hugely accomplished career as a sporting director in Europe, Emenalo was hired last year by the SPL to help them develop the sport, both domestically and internationally. He was extremely successful during his stint at Stamford Bridge between 2011 and 2017 and played a key role in bringing notable players such as Eden Hazard, Kevin De Bruyne, Mohamed Salah, and N’Golo Kante to Chelsea. Since his arrival, which coincided with bolstered investment into the league, several of the world’s highest-profile players have been recruited, with many more seemingly on their way.
It was Al Nassr’s signing of five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo in January 2023 that put the spotlight on Saudi Arabian football and propelled its international exposure to far greater heights, giving it a platform and vision for the future. They quickly recognised the need for an experienced football operator to guide them through their ambitious project and help lead the evolution, hence the hiring of Emenalo.
His appointment reflects the SPL’s ambitious plans to elevate the competition to new heights. The league wants to centralise its recruitment so that it can continue to bring in the big names of European football after signing top stars including high-profile players such as Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante, and Ruben Nevas have followed Cristiano Ronaldo to Saudi Arabia, while Steven Gerrard has been named manager of Al-Ettifaq.
The country’s Public Investment Fund, PIF has also taken over four of the SPL’s leading clubs as the league aims to become one of the top five in the world. “This project has been in the making for a while,” said former Nigeria defender Emenalo, who was sporting director at French side Monaco from 2017 to 2019.
“It’s not a spur-of-the-moment decision, it’s well thought out. I’m impressed by the knowledge and input that’s gone into this.
“The Saudi Pro League offers a new opportunity first and foremost for the entire industry, and I think will create avenues for good competition and for more development of young talent,” he said.
Emenalo’s job is to work closely to develop local Saudi Arabian talent and has been given the freedom to bring with him his hand-picked backroom staff. He has worked extensively to develop Chelsea’s academy which has produced gems like Mason Mount and Reece James during his tenure. He is even credited for revamping the entire Chelsea scouting procedure and the women’s team set-up.
The objective of the recruitment will further bolstered Saudi Arabia’s plans to centralising the Saudi Pro League’s recruitment and continue to bring the world’s best players from Europe to the country and the recruitment will pave the way to identifying potential talents when they are young which would further enhance the quality of the league.
In a TV exclusive interview with Sky Sports News Chief Reporter Kaveh Solhekol in September 2023, Emenalo said that the SPL would be a great league in no time by recruiting some of the best players in the world.
“We are hoping that we have made positive headlines. We look back with great satisfaction that we have put the league in a better place than it was previously. We have been able to attract and embed some of the best players in the world. We have got now, as part of the league, very good players.
“We have top players, then a healthy sprinkle of world-class players. That bodes well for the future of the league. We are also happy that the transfer window has come to an end so we can focus on something else and move forward,” said.
Emenalo shared his belief that “this is a role that I’ve spent the last 45 years of my life preparing for, and it was not a difficult role or offer to accept. I’m intrigued by the audacity of the project.”
He went on to outline the principal focus of the strategy he was brought in to facilitate. “The idea is to make this league one of the best in the world, and to do that, you want the best players. Right now, we’re throwing out our nets as wide and as far as they can go, to make sure that we bring the best talent in the league.”
True to his word, the Saudi Pro League clubs went on to acquire some of football’s biggest names in that transfer window. The kingdom’s Public Investment Fund purchased a 75 percent stake in the league’s four biggest clubs, giving them unrivaled purchasing power.
As such, Al Hilal’s £302.1m net spend was the most by a single club in world football that summer.
Emenalo oversaw possibly the most dramatic league transition in modern football history, including being personally involved in multiple player negotiations.
The success of the first generation of players has prompted current European superstars to also consider relocating East. When asked about the prospect of such a move, Manchester City’s Kevin De Bruyne recently responded that he was “open to everything”, recognising that it would be difficult not to consider the “incredible amount of money” potentially on offer.
His Belgium teammate Romelu Lukaku echoed that sentiment, explaining that he was originally “scared” of the idea, but now recognises that “the level will only increase to a much higher level than many people think”, even though “the infrastructure still needs to be improved.”
Among several new regulations implemented by the arrival of Emenalo from the 2023-24 season, was the reduction of SPL player’s age of eligibility for Saudi players from 18 years old to 16, and reduce squad sizes from 35 overall to 25 senior players plus 10 under the age of 21, from 2025-26.
Saad Allazeez, the SPL’s interim chief executive and vice chairman, said: “There is much potential for new talent arriving in Saudi Arabia, and a central function providing control and strong governance will ensure our investments are smart and benefit all in the league moving forward.
“Every club in the Saudi Pro League will get the opportunity to improve their squad through this innovative new model, and Michael is the perfect man for the job,” he concluded.
All elements of the sport, as part of the Saudi Vision 2030, will no doubt undergo increased investment and improvement as the Saudi Pro League continues to work towards establishing itself as an internationally recognised leading football institution, with Emenalo set to further exert his growing influence.
By Benprince Ezeh
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