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Saudi Arabian Football Federation

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Saudi Arabian Football Federation
AFC
Saudi Arabia Football Federation logo (2017).png
Short nameSAFF
Founded1956
HeadquartersRiyadh, Saudi Arabia[1]
FIFA affiliation1956
AFC affiliation1972[2]
WAFF affiliation2010
PresidentYasser Al Misehal
Websitewww.saff.com.sa

The Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF, Arabic: الاتحاد العربي السعودي لكرة القدم) is the football governing body of Saudi Arabia. Founded in 1956,[3] its responsibilities include administration of club competitions and national teams. The founder of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation is Prince Abdullah bin Faisal Al Saud.

History

The Saudi Federation was formally established in 1956 and in the same year it joined the International Football Association and the Asian Football Confederation in 1974, to begin the process of organizing his local championships in addition to his external contributions during which he achieved many great achievements.

The Saudi Football Federation organizes local football competitions, in addition to organizing the participation of Saudi national teams and clubs internationally, as it effectively supervises 153 clubs participating in football competitions. Premier, First, Second, and Third) - The Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Champions - U-23 Championship (for the First and First Class) - Youth League Championship (Premier and First Class Clubs) - and the Junior League for Premier and Clubs First Class.

The Saudi Football Association is considered one of the most famous federations in the Asian continent in the field of football. On the regional level, the Saudi national team has won the Gulf Cup title 3 times in its history. Continental, the first Saudi national football team has not been absent from the final of the Asian Cup since 1984 until In 2004, when its absence from the final of the championship that was held in China, which the Japanese team won, was the first since 1984.

During the Saudi national team's qualifying in the Asian Cup final five times in a row, they won the title three times, its beginning in 1984 and then in 1988 and 1996 after it had lost the 1992 and 2000 finals to the Japanese team with the same result 1 - 0.

At the international level, the Saudi team qualified to the World Cup Finals four times in a row since its debut in 1994, where they ended up in round 16 after they were defeated by Sweden 3–1, as their best result in its history, until the 2006 World Cup in Germany. before they qualified again to the 2018 World Cup in Russia. And the Saudi Arabia U-16 team achieved the 1989 FIFA U-16 World Championship held in Scotland in 1989 after defeating in the final match against the host nation, becoming the first Asian team to win a FIFA tournament.

As of August 2021, they remain the only Asian men's team to win any FIFA tournament. Clubs also a number of continental championships at the level of football competitions in the Asian continent, also the first Asian team to participate in Club World Cup was the Saudi Al-Nassr in 2000, followed by Al-Ittihad in 2005.

SAFF appointed Croatian Romeo Jozak as technical director on 22 July 2021.[4]

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2006 FIFA World Cup

2006 FIFA World Cup

The 2006 FIFA World Cup, also branded as Germany 2006, was the 18th FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial international football world championship tournament. It was held from 9 June to 9 July 2006 in Germany, which had won the right to host the event in July 2000. Teams representing 198 national football associations from all six populated continents participated in the qualification process which began in September 2003. Thirty-one teams qualified from this process along with hosts Germany for the finals tournament. It was the second time that Germany staged the competition and the first as a unified country along with the former East Germany with Leipzig as a host city, and the 10th time that the tournament was held in Europe.

2018 FIFA World Cup

2018 FIFA World Cup

The 2018 FIFA World Cup was the 21st FIFA World Cup, the quadrennial world championship for national football teams organized by FIFA. It took place in Russia from 14 June to 15 July 2018, after the country was awarded the hosting rights in 2010. It was the eleventh time the championships had been held in Europe, and the first time they were held in Eastern Europe. At an estimated cost of over $14.2 billion, it was the most expensive World Cup ever held until it was surpassed by the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.

1989 FIFA U-16 World Championship

1989 FIFA U-16 World Championship

The 1989 FIFA U-16 World Championship, the third edition of the tournament, was held in the Scottish cities of Glasgow, Edinburgh, Motherwell, Aberdeen, and Dundee between 10 June and 24 June 1989. Players born after 1 August 1972 could participate in this tournament. Saudi Arabia won the tournament and became the first Asian team to win a FIFA tournament. As of December 2022, they are the only Asian men's team to win any FIFA tournament.

Al-Ittihad Club (Jeddah)

Al-Ittihad Club (Jeddah)

Al-Ittihad Saudi Arabian Club, simply known as Al-Ittihad and also referred to as Ittihad Jeddah, is a professional football club based in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, founded in 1927. The club spent its entire history in the top flight of football in Saudi Arabia, the Saudi Professional League, and is the second most decorated club in Saudi Arabia. Ittihad means "union" in Arabic.

Romeo Jozak

Romeo Jozak

Romeo Jozak is a Croatian football manager and former player who most recently managed the Kuwait national team.

Controversies

During 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification, the fixtures between Saudi Arabia and Palestine were switched after Saudi Arabia cited “exceptional conditions” for their inability to travel to the West Bank.[5] The return fixture, originally to be played on 13 October 2015 at the Faisal Al-Husseini International Stadium, Al-Ram, was later postponed due to Saudi Arabia's refusal to pass through Israeli-controlled borders,[6] until the process of agreeing on the venue was concluded.[7] The match was rescheduled to be played on 5 November 2015 in Palestine, after the Palestinian Football Association gave full security guarantees for the match.[8] The match was later further delayed until 9 November, and to be changed to a neutral venue in Asia, as the Palestinian government confirmed that it could no longer guarantee the safety and security for the match.[9] The neutral venue was announced to be Amman International Stadium in Amman, Jordan.[10]

In 2016, the Saudi FA refused to travel to Iran during the 2016 AFC Champions League.[11]

On 8 June 2017, the Saudi Arabia national team failed to observe a moment of silence before a World Cup qualifying match against Australia in honor of the 2017 London Bridge attack victims.[12]

In November 2017, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, and Bahrain pulled out of the 23rd Arabian Gulf Cup due to the 2017 Qatar diplomatic crisis. However, they eventually participated in the competition after the host country was moved to Kuwait.

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Palestine national football team

Palestine national football team

The Palestine national football team, controlled by the Palestinian Football Association, represents Palestine in association football. The squad is governed by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC) continentally, and FIFA worldwide.

Faisal Al-Husseini International Stadium

Faisal Al-Husseini International Stadium

Faisal Al-Husseini International Stadium is an association football stadium on Dahiat al'Barid Street in Al-Ram. It is one of the home stadiums of the Palestine national football team. It is named after Faisal Husseini, a Palestinian politician who died in 2001. The stadium has a seating capacity of 12,500 spectators.

Al-Ram

Al-Ram

Al-Ram, also transcribed as Al-Ramm, El-Ram, Er-Ram, and A-Ram, is a Palestinian town which lies northeast of Jerusalem, just outside the city's municipal border. The village is part of the built-up urban area of Jerusalem, the Atarot industrial zone and Beit Hanina lie to the west, and Neve Yaakov borders it on the south, with a built-up area of 3,289 dunums. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics, a-Ram had a population of 25,595 in 2006. The head of A-Ram's village council estimates that 58,000 people live there, more than half of them holding Israeli identity cards.

Palestinian Football Association

Palestinian Football Association

The Palestinian Football Association is the governing body for football in Palestine, and for the men's Palestine national football team and the Palestine women's national football team. The federation dates back to 1928. The Arabs of Palestine established a separate federation to represent them.

Amman International Stadium

Amman International Stadium

The Amman International Stadium is a stadium in Al-Hussein City, Amman, Jordan. It is the largest stadium in Jordan. The stadium was built in 1964 and opened in 1968. It is owned by the Government of Jordan and operated by the Higher Council of Youth. It is also the home stadium of the Jordan national football team and Al-Faisaly SC. It has a current capacity of 17,619 spectators.

Amman

Amman

Amman is the capital and the largest city of Jordan, and the country's economic, political, and cultural center. With a population of 4,061,150 as of 2021, Amman is Jordan's primate city and is the largest city in the Levant region, the fifth-largest city in the Arab world, and the ninth largest metropolitan area in the Middle East.

Jordan

Jordan

Jordan, officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan, is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan River. Jordan is bordered by Saudi Arabia to the south and east, Iraq to the northeast, Syria to the north, and the Palestinian West Bank, Israel, and the Dead Sea to the west. It has a 26 km (16 mi) coastline in its southwest on the Gulf of Aqaba's Red Sea, which separates Jordan from Egypt. Amman is Jordan's capital and largest city, as well as its economic, political, and cultural centre.

2016 AFC Champions League

2016 AFC Champions League

The 2016 AFC Champions League was the 35th edition of Asia's premier club football tournament organized by the Asian Football Confederation (AFC), and the 14th under the current AFC Champions League title.

2017 London Bridge attack

2017 London Bridge attack

On 3 June 2017, a terrorist vehicle-ramming and stabbing took place in London, England. A van was deliberately driven into pedestrians on London Bridge, and then crashed on Borough High Street, just south of the River Thames. The van's three occupants then ran to the nearby Borough Market area and began stabbing people in and around restaurants and pubs. They were shot dead by Metropolitan Police and City of London Police authorised firearms officers, and were found to be wearing fake explosive vests. Eight people were killed and 48 were injured, including members of the public and four unarmed police officers who attempted to stop the assailants. British authorities described the perpetrators as "radical Islamic terrorists".

23rd Arabian Gulf Cup

23rd Arabian Gulf Cup

The 23rd Persian Gulf Cup was the 23rd edition of the biennial football competition for the eight members of the Arab Gulf Cup Football Federation. It took place in Kuwait from 22 December 2017 until 5 January 2018. Oman won their second title, defeating the United Arab Emirates in the final on penalties following a goalless draw.

List of presidents of SAFF

The following is a list of presidents of Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) since its establishment.

Association staff

Name Position Source
Saudi Arabia Yasser Al Misehal President [13][14]
Saudi Arabia Khalid Al Thebity Vice President [13][14]
Saudi Arabia Ibrahim Al Kassim General Secretary [13][14]
n/a Treasurer
Romania Ioan Lupescu Technical Director [13][14]
Saudi Arabia Saad Al-Shehri Team Coach (Men's) [13][14]
Germany Monika Staab Team Coach (Women's) [13][14]
n/a Media/Communications Manager
n/a Futsal Coordinator
Switzerland Manuel Navarro Referee Coordinator [13]

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Khalid bin Faisal Al Saud

Khalid bin Faisal Al Saud

Khalid bin Faisal Al Saud is a Saudi Arabian politician, artist, and poet who is the governor of Makkah Province, in office from 2007 to 2013 and again since 2015. He was the Saudi minister of education from 2013 to 2015. He was also the governor of Asir Province from 1971 to 2007. He served as the adviser to King Salman.

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia

Saudi Arabia, officially the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is a country in Western Asia. It covers the bulk of the Arabian Peninsula, and has a land area of about 2,150,000 km2 (830,000 sq mi), making it the fifth-largest country in Asia, the second-largest in the Arab world, and the largest in Western Asia and the Middle East. It is bordered by the Red Sea to the west; Jordan, Iraq, and Kuwait to the north; the Persian Gulf, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates to the east; Oman to the southeast; and Yemen to the south. Bahrain is an island country off its east coast. The Gulf of Aqaba in the northwest separates Saudi Arabia from Egypt and Israel. Saudi Arabia is the only country with a coastline along both the Red Sea and the Persian Gulf, and most of its terrain consists of arid desert, lowland, steppe, and mountains. Its capital and largest city is Riyadh. The country is home to Mecca and Medina, the two holiest cities in Islam.

Romania

Romania

Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and the Black Sea to the southeast. It has a predominantly temperate-continental climate, and an area of 238,397 km2 (92,046 sq mi), with a population of under 18.9 million inhabitants. Romania is the twelfth-largest country in Europe and the sixth-most populous member state of the European Union. Its capital and largest city is Bucharest, followed by Iași, Cluj-Napoca, Timișoara, Constanța, Craiova, Brașov, and Galați.

Ioan Lupescu

Ioan Lupescu

Ioan "Ionuț" Angelo Lupescu is a Romanian former football player who played as a midfielder and a manager.

Saad Al-Shehri

Saad Al-Shehri

Saad Ali Al-Shehri is a Saudi Arabian professional football manager and former player who is the head coach of Saudi Arabia U23.

Germany

Germany

Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second-most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated between the Baltic and North seas to the north, and the Alps to the south; it covers an area of 357,022 square kilometres (137,847 sq mi), with a population of over 84 million within its 16 constituent states. Germany borders Denmark to the north, Poland and the Czech Republic to the east, Austria and Switzerland to the south, and France, Luxembourg, Belgium, and the Netherlands to the west. The nation's capital and most populous city is Berlin and its main financial centre is Frankfurt; the largest urban area is the Ruhr.

Monika Staab

Monika Staab

Monika Staab is a former German football player and currently the technical director of Saudi Arabia.

Switzerland

Switzerland

Switzerland, officially the Swiss Confederation, is a landlocked country located at the confluence of Western, Central and Southern Europe. It is bordered by Italy to the south, France to the west, Germany to the north and Austria and Liechtenstein to the east.

Domestic competitions

Leagues
Cups

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Saudi Professional League

Saudi Professional League

The Saudi Pro League, known as the Roshn Saudi League for sponsorship reasons, is the top division of association football in the Saudi Arabian league system. It has been operating as a round-robin tournament from it inaugural season until the 1989–90 season, after that the Saudi Federation decided to merge the football League with the King's Cup in one tournament and the addition of the Golden Box. The Golden Box would be an end of season knockout competition played between the top four teams of the regular league season. These teams would play at a semi-final stage to crown the champions of Saudi Arabia. The league reverted to a round-robin system in the 2007–08 season.

Saudi Second Division

Saudi Second Division

The Saudi Second Division, also known as the Second Division League (SDL), is a football league that is the third tier of the Saudi Arabian football league system. The league consists of 32 teams divided into two groups and was founded in 1976.

Saudi Third Division

Saudi Third Division

The Saudi Third Division, also known as the Saudi League 3rd Division, is a football league, the fourth tier of the Saudi Arabian football league system. Al-Suqoor defeated Al-Qous 2–1 to become the inaugural champions and are the current holders.

Prince Faisal bin Fahd League U-21

Prince Faisal bin Fahd League U-21

Prince Faisal bin Fahd League U-21, formerly Saudi Federation Cup/Prince Faisal bin Fahd Cup U-21/Prince Faisal bin Fahd Cup and currently known as Prince Faisal Bin Fahad Cup, is an association football league of Saudi Arabia. It was founded in the 1975–1976 season where Al-Nasr was the first champion. It was initially for senior teams, though rules were later changed to only allow players under 23 years. However, after a few years, and a lack of spectator interest, the competition was opened up again to players of all ages.

Saudi Super Cup

Saudi Super Cup

The Saudi Super Cup is an annual super cup football match organized by the Saudi Arabian Football Federation. Founded in 2013 as a two-team competition, the current version has been contested since 2022–23 by four teams: the winners and runners-up of the King Cup and Pro League. The competition was held the week before the season begins in Saudi Arabia from 2013 until 2018. Since the 2019 edition it has been held mid-season.

Saudi Founder's Cup

Saudi Founder's Cup

Saudi Founder's Cup, is an official Centennial football tournament, held every hundred years. organized by the Saudi Arabia Football Federation to celebrate the kingdom centenary.

National teams

Mens
Women's

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Source: "Saudi Arabian Football Federation", Wikipedia, Wikimedia Foundation, (2023, March 15th), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saudi_Arabian_Football_Federation.

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References
  1. ^ FIFA.com. "Member Association - Saudi Arabia - FIFA.com". www.fifa.com. Archived from the original on October 31, 2019. Retrieved 2020-11-03.
  2. ^ "Arabia and Yemen are new members". The Straits Times. 28 July 1972.
  3. ^ "FIFA.com - Saudi Arabia on FIFA.com". fifa.com. Archived from the original on June 13, 2007. Retrieved 24 July 2011.
  4. ^ "—New Challenge, New Opportunity – Blast Fc Soccer Academy".
  5. ^ "Palestine and Saudi Arabia agree to swap venues for World Cup qualifier". The National (UAE). 8 June 2015.
  6. ^ "World Cup 2018: Palestinians and Saudi Arabia at loggerheads over key game". CNN. 29 September 2015.
  7. ^ "FIFA statement on the Palestine-Saudi Arabia 2018 FIFA World Cup™ qualifier". FIFA.com. 7 October 2015. Archived from the original on October 9, 2015.
  8. ^ "Palestine vs Saudi Arabia 2018 FIFA World Cup™ qualifier to be played on 5 November". FIFA.com. 21 October 2015. Archived from the original on October 24, 2015.
  9. ^ "Palestine to play Saudi Arabia and Malaysia on neutral ground". FIFA.com. 4 November 2015. Archived from the original on November 5, 2015.
  10. ^ "Amman the venue for Palestine qualifiers". FIFA.com. 5 November 2015. Archived from the original on November 7, 2015.
  11. ^ "Saudis refuse to travel to Iran for ACL".
  12. ^ "Saudi Arabia footballers ignore minute's silence for London attack victims". TheGuardian.com. 9 June 2017.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g FIFA.com. "Member Association - Saudi Arabia - FIFA.com". www.fifa.com. Retrieved 2020-08-18.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
  14. ^ a b c d e f "The AFC.com - The Asian Football Confederation". The AFC. Retrieved 2020-11-03.
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