July 29 – The Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) has boosted to funding for the second season of its Women’s Football Clubs Development Fund Program to $16 million, a rise of SAR10 million ($2.7 million).
The new season programme will extend support to 70 women’s football clubs in competitive leagues, including the SAFF Women’s Premier League, SAFF Women’s First Division League, SAFF Women’s Second Division League, SAFF Women’s Cup, SAFF Women’s U-17 Tournament, and the Women’s Futsal Tournament.
Lamia Bahaian, Vice President of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation said: “We’ve seen incredible progress in women’s football over the past year, and the increased support fund for this season is a clear indication of our commitment to pushing even further. Our aim is to create more opportunities for women in football and build a strong foundation for the sport in Saudi Arabia.”
SAFF has brought in new funding criteria for clubs to achieve grants that includes:
- Sponsorship criteria requiring clubs to attract sponsors
- Scouting criteria mandating the appointment of an official scout by clubs
- Medical criteria requiring clubs to appoint a doctor and issue medical reports
- Fans criteria encouraging increased attendance at matches
- Nutrition criteria requiring clubs to appoint a nutrition specialist
- Technology criteria mandating the use of GPS to assess players’ fitness levels
- Women’s futsal criteria necessitating the establishment of an organizational structure, the appointment of a head coach, and the appointment of a team manager
SAFF says that the growth is across the country for the women’s game pointing to 18 Saudi coaches, and 91% of clubs’ head coaches now hold an A coaching license, while 24% of clubs have coaches with a pro license.
The expansion has included youth programmes with 56% of clubs now having U-17 teams. There is a total of 87 professional contracts signed with Saudi players.
She continued: “With the expansion of our program, we’re not only increasing the number of participating clubs but also enhancing the quality of the teams participating in our competitions. We’re focused on providing the necessary resources and support to help our players, coaches, and teams thrive. This season promises to be an exciting chapter for women’s football, and we’re eager to see the continued growth and success of our athletes,” said Lamia.
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