Al Ahli Bolsters Technical Structure with Key Strategic Appointments to Drive Long-Term Success
Al Ahli Club Company is proud to announce a series of significant appointments to its technical and medical staff. These additions mark a pivotal step in the club’s ambitious roadmap to enhance sporting performance, driven by institutional planning and a vision for sustainable success.
In line with our commitment to transparency and our desire to keep our loyal fans at the heart of the club’s development, we are sharing these details to highlight the work being done behind the scenes. This recruitment drive is designed to strengthen the foundations of the club, ensuring a seamless link between the Academy and the First Team while elevating standards in performance, medicine, and analysis.
Elevating First Team & Medical Standards
To support immediate performance and long-term athlete care, the club has secured top-tier expertise for the First Team and Medical departments:
- Dr. Mubarak Almutawa – Medical Director: Dr. Almutawa assumes responsibility for the club’s entire medical ecosystem. He will oversee all medical departments, ensuring a unified standard of care across the First Team, Youth Development, Female Football, and all other sports sectors.
- Florens Koch – Assistant Coach (First Team): Joining the coaching staff with a specialized remit, Koch will focus exclusively on individual player training and development, ensuring our athletes reach their peak technical and tactical potential.
- Nessan Costello – Head of Nutrition: Working alongside the Medical and Performance departments, Costello is tasked with optimizing player diet to enhance physical conditioning, stamina, and injury recovery.
Investing in the Future: Academy & Analysis
Reinforcing the bridge between our youth sectors and professional football is a primary objective. The following appointments ensure our pipeline of talent is developed using elite methodologies:
- Rui Santos – U21 Head Coach: Santos takes charge of the U21 squad, the final and most critical step in our Youth Development Academy hierarchy before First Team promotion.
- Frazer Findlay – Head of Performance (Academy): Responsible for the physical architecture of our future stars, Findlay will lead athletic development across the youth teams.
- Sandro Pinto – Head of Goalkeeper Coaching (Academy): A specialist in technical skills, Pinto will oversee the development of goalkeepers across all youth age groups.
- Ahmed Saifi – Head of Analysis (Academy): Saifi will lead performance analysis across all age groups, ensuring a consistent analytical language connects Youth Development with Professional Football.
- Gabriel Pinto – Senior Scout (Football Insight Department): Joining the newly formed Football Insight Department, Pinto will integrate traditional scouting with modern data analysis to identify future talent.
Commenting on these strategic appointments, Rui Pedro, Al Ahli Sporting Director, stated:
"This restructuring reflects a clear football philosophy focused on the long term. Our vision extends beyond immediate results; we are prioritizing the strength of our foundation. By establishing a structured, methodical link between the Academy and the First Team, we are ensuring the technical sustainability of Al Ahli for years to come.
"We believe that mutual trust with our fans is fundamental. The work we are undertaking today, building an integrated technical ecosystem, lays the groundwork for a stronger, more stable, and highly competitive future. We want our supporters to know that every decision is made with the club’s long-term prosperity in mind."
Al Ahli Club Company remains dedicated to this institutional model, placing the club’s future at the forefront of its priorities and reaffirming the vital role of our fans as partners in this journey.