The Al-Qadisiyah first football team departed today, Friday, for Dubai in the United Arab Emirates to hold a week-long training camp. This camp is a strategic move by the club's management and coaching staff to utilize the break in the Saudi Professional League (SPL) to regroup and prepare optimally for the resumption of the upcoming rounds of the tournament.
The team's training program in Dubai includes two friendly matches to assess player readiness and implement tactical plans. The first match will be against Emirati side Khorfakkan on December 8th, followed by a match against Al Dhafra on December 12th. The Al Qadsia delegation is scheduled to return to Al Khobar immediately after the second match on the 12th of the same month.
The team's manager, Spaniard Michel González, aims to use this short, intensive training camp to address and correct the technical and tactical errors that surfaced during the last nine rounds of the league. The coaching staff's program focuses on improving the players' fitness levels and enhancing team cohesion through daily training sessions held twice a day, morning and evening, to ensure maximum benefit from the break.
In a related development, the squad traveling to Dubai includes all foreign players, giving the coach an ideal opportunity to work with the team's core players. However, the three international players – Jihad Zikri, Mohammed Abu Shamat, and Musab Al-Juwair – are absent from the training camp due to their participation with the Saudi national team (the Green Falcons) in the Arab Cup. This highlights the quality of the young talent within the club, which represents a significant source of players for the national teams.
The current break is of paramount importance to Saudi Pro League clubs, offering a golden opportunity for coaching staff to reassess their strategies and adjust their approach, especially given the high level of competition in the league this season. Holding training camps in Dubai is a preferred option for many Saudi clubs due to the availability of advanced sports infrastructure, similar climates, and ease of travel, providing an ideal environment for focus and mental and physical preparation away from the daily pressures of domestic competitions.
