RIYADH: The Saudi Professional League announced on Tuesday a new strategy, in agreement with the Saudi Football Association, to enhance competitiveness on and off the field, with a focus on nurturing young Saudi talent, alongside the best internationally, and improving governance for all. clubs to achieve long-term success.

Among a number of new regulations and initiatives to be unveiled ahead of the new season, the SPL will increase playing time for young Saudi players in the league by lowering the eligibility age from 18 to 16 for the 2023-2024 season.

A further move focused on youth development will see squad sizes reduced from the current 35 players overall to 25 senior players, with the remaining 10 squad members under the age of 21, from the 2025-2026 season.

The new SPL strategy will provide a strong and clear path for young Saudi players, and will help bridge the progression from the youth football team within Al-Ittihad’s existing player development system to the top tier of the country’s football league.

By the start of the 2026–27 season, the SPL also announced a mandate for clubs to include eight ‘home-grown’ players, graduates of the club’s academies, within their main list of 25 squad players, including four direct players. Alumni of the club system.

In another bid to create elite teams that combine up and coming young Saudi talent with world-class players and role models, the SPL has launched a new player acquisition center led by Michael Emenalo, who joins the league as the new Director of Football with immediate effect.

All clubs have been fully briefed on the PACE process for international transfers and are actively working with Emenalo.

The former Nigerian international is best known for his 10 successful years at Chelsea, where, as technical director, he overhauled all aspects of football operations. Under his leadership, he revolutionized the club’s scouting, recruitment, development and loan systems.

Emenalo will lead PACE and begin helping with team mapping and player care. He will be responsible for providing a centralized approach to transfers and helping to give all clubs the best possible expertise and governance to ensure a dynamic, young and sustainable future.

Saad Al-Laziz, Interim CEO and Vice President of the SPL, said: “The Saudi Professional League has a fantastic and vital opportunity to help realize the country’s football ambitions and inspire more of our people in football and sport.

“From next season, the SPL will become younger and more competitive, benefiting from the groundwork that the Saudi Football Association has put in place at the grassroots level for many years.

“The new strategy also sees the Saudi Professional League playing a central and elevated role in supporting and developing clubs through its Club Framework business unit, and by starting PACE, it will provide and centrally implement checks and balances in transactions in the international transfer market.

“There is great potential for new talent to arrive in Saudi Arabia, and a centralized function providing control and strong governance will ensure our investments are smart and benefit all of them in the league going forward.

“Every club in the Saudi Professional League will have the opportunity to improve their squad through this innovative new model, and Michael is the perfect man for the job. He has the perfect pedigree, knowledge, experience, coaching qualifications and contacts to drive value and success for the overall league through this ambitious project.

“The steps taken by PACE are part of a larger plan and strategy that will be announced to improve the league and make it a world-class experience and product that is globally engaging, competitive and sustainable in the long term, as one of the most important and best leagues in the world. This will be good for all football.” And good to all the players, and good to all the fans.”

Allaziz said the strategy “has been years in the making and has brought in a lot of world-class footballing expertise to make the most of this unprecedented opportunity for growth.”

Allaziz added: “It goes beyond and goes much deeper than the player transfers that dominate the headlines, and focuses just as much on what happens off the pitch at clubs.

“We are looking forward to the long term and that will be judged, particularly in helping clubs become commercially successful through strong business models.

The Club Development Program will also revitalize the fair play financial system, and monitor compliance with local and Asian licensing standards. We look forward to rolling out the full strategy in the coming months.”

“I think this is a role I spent 45 years preparing for,” said Emenalo. “It wasn’t a difficult role or an offer to take on. I’m fascinated by the project’s boldness and ambition.

“This project has been in the pipeline for a while. It’s not a surprising decision, it’s well thought out. I admire the knowledge and input that has been put into this. The Saudi Pro League presents a new opportunity first and foremost for the entire industry and I believe it will create avenues for good competition and talent development. young woman.”

The new SPL strategy is based on the player’s current path revealed as part of Tactics for Tomorrow, which was introduced in 2021 by SAFF and has since seen a massive investment of time and resources.

Funding for Saudi youth football has increased by 162% since 2021, and 23 regional training centers have been established and opened.

The number of registered players increased by 58 percent, and the number of coaches increased from 750 in 2018 to more than 5,500 in 2023, of which more than 1,000 are female.

As a result, every high-potential Saudi footballer is now tracked down and has a comprehensive plan, starting from the age of six through to turning professional.

For his part, AFC President Yasser Al-Mashaal said: “In the recent World Cup finals in Qatar, Saudi Arabia gave a glimpse of what we are capable of at the international level, and showed the quality of our domestic league, the Premier League.

“But equally, if not more gratifying, was our victory in the AFC U-23 Cup without conceding a goal.

“The future is bright, and a lot of good thought has gone into developing football in Saudi Arabia, both men and women.

“You see, everyone is on the same page. There is a very clear and connected path. Yes, we want the league to be proud (of it), to entertain local fans and the world, but it has to serve the ambitions of the national team now and in the future. It has to be for the good of the game. That means The commitment to youth and the new strategy and regulations prove exactly that.”

The full new strategy, including PACE and the Club Framework business unit, will be launched ahead of the 2023-2024 season.