18 Nov 2014
?Doha, 18 November 2014. Since Saturday Al-Ahli Saudi Sport Club is training at Aspire Academy and head coach Christian Gross is delighted about the conditions and praised the perfect training environment of his team in Doha.
“I’ve been coaching for over 20 years and I have been to many training camps, but something like here at Aspire Academy is very hard to find. The conditions are extraordinary – perfect weather, state-of-the-art facilities and everyone here is very helpful,” said the Swiss coach, whose team is also playing friendlies against Al-Wakrah Sport Club and El-Jaish Club during their stay.
For the former coach of Premier League-club Tottenham Hotspur FC or Bundesliga-club VfB Stuttgart, accepting the offer of Al-Ahli Saudi Sport Club in July 2014 was also a step into a new culture. “After so many years of coaching I was looking for a new challenge, an adventure and getting to know a new culture in an environment like Saudi Arabia is a very rewarding experience for me and I am really happy that I decided to come here.”
He thinks that clubs in the Middle East will continue to be attractive options for international coaches in the future. “Especially since Qatar is hosting the World Cup in 2022, more and more coaches from Europe are getting interested in coaching in this region and besides adjusting to a new environment coaching will always be coaching. And, of course, the principles of football are the same everywhere and what it comes down to are results.”