Al Khaleej Club announced its ambitious plan to take advantage of the current break in the Saudi Professional League, as the first football team, under the leadership of its Greek technical director Giorgos Donis, prepares to enter an intensive external camp in the United Arab Emirates, with the aim of maintaining the team’s upward trajectory and enhancing its physical and technical readiness.
General context and importance of the break period
The current break coincides with national team commitments, most notably the Saudi national team's participation in regional tournaments, giving clubs a valuable opportunity to regroup. In a competitive and strong league like the Saudi Professional League, these periods are pivotal to the season's progress, allowing coaching staff to address weaknesses, refine tactics, and improve players' fitness levels away from the pressure of official matches. Al-Khaleej's decision to organize an overseas training camp demonstrates their serious desire to make the most of this time to maintain their strong competitive edge in the league.
Details of the Gulf Preparatory Program
According to the official statement released by the club, the coaching staff has granted the players a well-deserved break from November 29th to December 5th to recover after the demanding schedule of recent matches. Following this, the team will depart for Al Ain, UAE, on December 6th for a training camp that will run until the 15th of the same month. Al Ain is renowned for its state-of-the-art sports infrastructure, providing an ideal environment for high-level training.
Friendly matches to raise the level of readiness
To ensure maximum technical benefit from the training camp, the program will include two high-caliber friendly matches. The first will be against Emirati side Baniyas on December 12, followed by another against Sharjah FC, one of the top clubs in the ADNOC Pro League, on December 15. These matches aim to test the players' abilities against different footballing styles and to implement the tactical plans that coach Donis will work on during the camp.
Returning and focusing on confronting eternity
Following the conclusion of the training camp, the players will have a short break on December 16th before resuming training at the club's facilities on December 17th. The focus will be entirely on preparing for the upcoming match against Al-Kholoud, scheduled for Sunday evening, December 21st, as part of the tenth round of the Roshan League. This match holds particular significance, as Al-Khaleej seeks redemption after being eliminated from the King's Cup by Al-Kholoud in their last appearance before the break.
Expected impact and future aspirations
Al Khaleej currently sits in sixth place in the league standings with 14 points, a respectable position reflecting the team's significant improvement this season. This training camp aims to solidify this position and climb even higher in the standings, as maintaining technical and physical stability is crucial in a long and unpredictable league. The team is expected to return from the UAE with high morale and the technical and physical readiness to continue its successful run in the Roshan League.
