Private Clubs and Accredited Academies compete with Official Clubs in Tournaments and Register Talents

2025-01-26
15:01:56

Private clubs and accredited academies have become able to compete with official clubs in tournaments, attract talents, and register them according to a clear system and a specific mechanism that guarantees their rights and enhances their ability to compete.
171 private clubs and academies have been officially accredited, after successfully meeting the necessary requirements and obtaining a special license from the Ministry of Sports through the Nafes program, which explains all the conditions for this membership. This number represents an increase of 128% compared to 75 clubs and academies that were accredited last sports season 2023-2024, which reflects the development witnessed by these clubs, as this membership enables clubs and academies to participate in sports competitions affiliated with the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, and to officially register players in the Saudi Federation systems (MySAFF).
This step allows more players to participate in matches and training, which contributes to discovering talents, achieving one of the most important goals of the Saudi Federation strategy launched in 2021.
Private clubs and academies have recorded a distinguished presence in the Saudi football arena, as the U-11 and U-13 leagues witnessed, for the first time, the participation of private clubs and academies last season. Three academies succeeded in achieving the U-11 league (Ajyal Academy in Al-Jouf, Libero Academy in Jazan, and B1 Academy in Qassim).
The U-13 League also witnessed strong competition between clubs and academies to achieve championships, which increases the chances of discovering talents and choosing them to represent the national teams.
The number of players registered in the records of private clubs and academies doubled in 2024 to 4,396 players, up from 1,132 players in 2023, an increase of 288%. The number of accredited clubs and academies is expected to increase in the future under a system that allows those in charge of them to compete with official clubs for talent and championships, and provides job opportunities for national coaches.
The technical director of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, Nasser Larguet, believes that the great leap achieved by private clubs and academies, despite their recent presence in local championships and competitions, portends a bright future for them in Saudi football, and reflects the professionalism with which these clubs and academies operate.
Larguet pointed out that the support provided by the Saudi Football Federation to private clubs and academies, by establishing a specific system and mechanism, contributed greatly to achieving this boom, and this confirms the Saudi Federation's keenness to expand the base for discovering talents, which Saudi football will reap the fruits of in the coming years.