Mutasem Abdullah (Dubai)
The Football Association’s Competitions Committee is accelerating the pace for the start of the new competitive season 2022-2023, which officially launches its career with the start of the first round of the “First Division League” next September 10, with the participation of 17 clubs for the first time, while the clubs of the “second” and “second” divisions are awaiting The “third” ceremony for the new season’s draw will also take place next September, in addition to 21 competitions organized by the Football Association for the age groups from 21 to 11 years old.
Saif Majed Al-Mansoori, member of the Board of Directors of the Federation, Vice-Chairman of the Competitions Committee, confirmed that most of the preparations for the new season have been completed, as the number of clubs affiliated with the Football Association has increased to 62 clubs, with 5 new clubs joining the third division.
Al-Mansouri said at the beginning of his speech to Al-Ittihad about the steady increase in the number of clubs, “The goal of the Board of Directors of the Federation focused from the beginning to increase the number of clubs, expand the base of football practitioners in the country, and increase the number of players registered in the Federation,” pointing out that the increase in the number of players registered with the Federation. The number of clubs contributes to the expansion of football activity, benefiting from the competencies in the country, giving more opportunities to referees to manage matches, developing the technical and administrative level and acquiring the necessary organizational expertise.
On the mechanism of joining the new clubs to the Football Association, Al-Mansoori explained that the selection of the participating teams as well as the alternative was based on procedures that spanned for more than two months, in which all factors of success and continuity were verified, whether financial efficiency, or related to the preparation of players, infrastructure, and availability of academies. Football belonging to those teams, in addition to discussing all the projects and work plan for all the new teams from a specialized work team from the Federation, leading to the recommendation of the new teams approved for the Board of Directors.
He added, “We aspire for these teams to be a new addition, and to strive with the rest of the teams to develop themselves, with the help of the Federation to ensure continuity and achieve the desired achievement,” stressing the importance of sustainability within the Football Association’s vision 2038.
Commenting on the preparation of the clubs participating in the league competitions in the new season, which was previously announced with 17 clubs in the first, and 12 in the second, compared to 16 clubs in the third league, the Vice Chairman of the Competitions Committee replied, saying: “For the first league, and as is known, the withdrawal of Draw and circulate the match schedule, awaiting the start of the competition train with the same degree of enthusiasm that we witnessed last season.” He said: “The Competition Committee has developed different scenarios to ensure the participation of the preparation of clubs approved by the Board of Directors in the second and third degree competitions.”
Al-Mansoori revealed the federation’s arrangements for the draw for the second and third division league, and explained: “The intention is to organize the draw for the two competitions in the first week of next September. And the third necessitated the postponement of the lottery.”
The Vice President of Competitions expressed his happiness with the steady rise in the number of clubs in the three leagues, especially the participation of 17 clubs in the first league for the 2022-2023 season for the first time in long seasons, and said: “Our goal is to reach 18 clubs in each of the three competitions and to create a league Fourth degree as well.
He added: “The Federation is working hard to market the first league competition, and we hope that we will succeed in that, and a coordination meeting was held with the sponsoring sports channels represented in Abu Dhabi Sports, Dubai Sports and Sharjah Sports, and it was agreed to schedule a number of matches per week on days different from the “League” matches. ADNOC Professionals “so that the channels can broadcast the matches, which is what we have committed to in programming the Premier League matches.”
Regarding the proposed date for the season awards ceremony in the Premier League, he explained: “There is more than one scenario prepared by the competitions, and we are trying to adopt the most appropriate one. In the new season 2022-2023, similar to what is followed in the “ADNOC Professional League”.
Commenting on the decision to increase the number of foreign players in the Premier League to 4, with two players “under 23 years old”, Al-Mansoori explained: “The federation’s strategy is clear with regard to increasing the number of registered players and benefiting from the talents residing in the country, and therefore it is certain that The clubs are trying to bring in the best elements from foreign players and even residents, which contributes to raising the level and providing the opportunity for the national elements to benefit from these players and develop their level.”
“Rise and Fall” ignites the race
Saif Al-Mansoori stated that the system of promotion and relegation in the three degrees of the league competitions organized by the Federation, in addition to the “ADNOC Professional League” under the auspices of the Association, contributes to developing the level of clubs and players and increasing the level of competition and its intensity until the last moments of the competition’s life. striving to qualify for the highest degree, up to the dream of playing in the professional league, as well as avoiding relegation, and it is certain that the majority of matches will not be a “collection”, or without a goal except rarely.
He added: “We always strive to develop competitions in general and the second and third division leagues in particular, by updating the regulations, and working to make the organizational aspects as close as possible to the first division, to the standards of professionals in the future, and we are trying through the regulations to implement all the organizational and technical developments for the two competitions, including ensures its development.
Amendments to the “most expensive championship” serve the first clubs
Saif Al-Mansoori, Vice-Chairman of the Competitions Committee, commented on the new amendments to the system of the most expensive competition, “The President’s Cup”, which will start from the round of 32, instead of the previous system, with two teams from the First Division qualified to play in the round of sixteen, along with 14 clubs representing professionals, and said: “The President’s Cup is the most important tournament and it is always a fertile field for development to match the precious name of the tournament.”
He added, “Of course, the participation of all first-class clubs and professionals in the tournament from the round of 32 gives them the opportunity to win the honor of participating in the tournament first, and to increase the number of matches secondly, and to provide opportunities for friction with the first-class clubs and to see the best organizational practices during the matches. All clubs in the cup competition is a common practice in most countries of the world.”
Consolidation of the “Sunni Stages” competitions
Saif Al-Mansoori, during his answers to Al-Ittihad’s inquiries, touched on the competitions of the Sunni stage, which are of paramount importance within the work program of the Committee and the Federation, as it is an important tributary to the national teams, and said: “In the new season, we sought to increase the number of competitions, by creating cup competitions up to Under 14 years, in addition to unifying the way these competitions are organized as much as possible, taking into account the geographical dimension of the participating clubs, and we hope that this season’s competitions will achieve the desired goal of discovering promising talents and elements that serve the national teams and increasing the preparation of referees and match officials.”
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