In this episode of the Business of Football podcast, David sits down with Khalid Abdulrahman, the founder and chairman of Sportnaa Football Agency. Khalid shares his journey from aspiring professional footballer in Bahrain to establishing a successful agency that bridges the gap between football in the Middle East and Europe. Khalid also discusses the importance of youth development, the challenges faced by players adapting to new environments, and the ongoing efforts to enhance the Bahraini football league's professionalism and cultural significance.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

• Transition from Player to Agent: Khalid Abdelrahman transitioned from aspiring professional football player to founding Sport Now Football Agency after realizing the challenges of reaching top European levels.

• Bridging Cultures: Sport Now focuses on creating a bridge between football in the Middle East and Europe, facilitating talent identification and development through exchange programs and trials for young players.

• Changing Perceptions of Middle Eastern Football: The influx of high-profile players, such as Cristiano Ronaldo to Saudi Arabia, has shifted perceptions, leading to increased interest from players in Europe wanting to explore opportunities in the Middle East.

• Cultural Adaptation for Players: Players coming to the Middle East often face cultural shocks, particularly regarding training schedules and lifestyle differences.

• Development of Bahraini Football: There is a growing belief in the potential of Bahraini football, with efforts underway to professionalize the league and create a stronger football culture.

BEST MOMENTS

"I realized with a few trips to Europe that I will not reach the level of FC Bayern... So I was like, okay, let me do something that could get my dreams achieved, but maybe not on me, but on someone else."

"After Cristiano came, he changed everything... People, they face shock. Players, they have a huge shock that they were like, there is no way this is football."

"The culture is missing, and that's something they're building... There is a huge plan, big investments to create this culture."

"For the first time, there was a sponsor of the league... This happened only this year."

"I learned that being humble, having, you know, maintained relations, and regarding football, the way they take care of the smallest part, it's amazing."

GUEST BACKGROUND/LINKS

Based in Bahrain, Khalid also had the ambition of becoming a professional footballer. Once he realised this was not possible, he set his sights on turning the foundations of his passion for football into supporting others in their goals through founding Sportnaa Football Agency. The talent agency focuses on providing trials & Elite Development & Training programmes for young aspiring footballers across the Middle East & Europe, with their talent camps in countries such as Spain, Germany, the UAE & Saudi Arabia, pushing players to the required level of International football.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/khalid-abdulrahman-47235a208/

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HOST BIO

Right out of the block, David Chimbaza took his International Football Business degree to do exactly what it says on the tin: Launch his own International Football Business, DTCMEDIAUK. His company works with professional leaders & business owners in the football industry to create, monetize & scale their brands for their business & professional gains.