The SAFF has appointed Welshman Matt Crocker as Football Executive Director

2026-05-17
15:05:47

The Saudi Arabian Football Federation has appointed Welshman Matt Crocker as Football Executive Director, succeeding Morocco’s Nasser Larguet following the conclusion of his tenure.

Crocker is widely recognised as an executive leader specialising in football development, with extensive experience in building integrated football models, developing talent pathways and enhancing technical operations. He has held senior roles at several leading football organisations, including The Football Association, U.S. Soccer and a number of major clubs.

Crocker has played a role in several notable achievements in youth football. During his time at The FA, he contributed to the development of a sustainable technical framework for youth football and the implementation of the “England DNA” model across youth national teams.

He also helped strengthen talent identification and development pathways while enhancing the quality of technical and coaching programmes, contributing to success for England’s youth teams on both the global and European stages. Among the most notable achievements during that period were winning the FIFA U-17 World Cup™️ and FIFA U-20 World Cup™️ in 2017, as well as the UEFA European Under-19 Championship in 2019.

During his tenure as Sporting Director at U.S. Soccer, Crocker led a comprehensive technical transformation through the creation of a unified football model under the “U.S. Way” framework. He also oversaw the development of an integrated National Training Center regarded among the most advanced in the world, supporting more than 27 national teams.

Crocker also brings significant experience in academy development and player pathways. During his time at Southampton FC, he helped oversee one of Europe’s leading talent identification and development systems, which contributed to the emergence of several stars in world football.

Crocker’s appointment forms part of the Saudi Arabian Football Federation’s approach to developing and strengthening technical operations, reinforcing governance principles and building a sustainable model aligned with global best practice, supporting the long-term objectives of Saudi football.