Most Qatari clubs have completed their contracts with coaches and players in preparation for the upcoming 2024-2025 season, which will start next Friday, in the Qatar Football League (Ooredoo Stars League).
The clubs enter the new season amidst major challenges in light of the strong local and international competitions, in addition to the upcoming events for the national teams, especially the first team, which will play in the third round of the Asian qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup, and the Gulf Cup /Gulf 26/, scheduled in Kuwait next December.
Most clubs have strengthened their ranks with players and coaches, who are expected to be an addition in various competitions, especially in terms of external participation in Asian and Gulf club championships.
Al Sadd, the league and Emir Cup title holder last season, signed a contract with Spanish coach Felix Sanchez, who will lead the mission after previously coaching the Qatari youth, junior and Olympic teams, in addition to leading the Qatari national team to win the 2019 Asian Cup.
Sanchez is one of the most prominent names in terms of coaches who were contracted in the current summer transfers, and in light of this deal, Al Sadd also signed the Spanish striker Rafa Mujica for four seasons to compensate for the departure of the Algerian striker Baghdad Bounedjah, who moved to the ranks of Al Shamal.
Al Sadd Club, which is about to participate in the AFC Champions League for the elite, continued its activity in the summer Mercato, after adding to its ranks the Malian midfielder Mohamed Camara coming from Monaco, France, and also contracted with the Algerian defender Abdessamad Bounacer from the Algerian Union of the Capital.
Al Rayyan, the league runner-up, began its contracts for the new season with Swedish coach Boya Espagi, who came from Al Shamal Club. It also included Belgian midfielder Julien De Sart for three seasons, in addition to Spanish defender David Garcia, who came from Osasuna. Al Rayyan, who is preparing to participate in the AFC Champions League for the elite, dismissed Portuguese coach Leonardo Jardim, whose contract was terminated by mutual consent. Japanese defender Shogo Tanaguchi and Moroccan Achraf Bencharki also left its ranks.
Al Gharafa, who finished third in the league last season, made the most prominent deal in the summer transfer window, signing Spanish striker Joselu from Real Madrid. They also included Romanian international player Coman, while Algerian winger Farid Boulaya and Brazilian defender Lyanco left the team.
Al Wakrah, the fourth-placed team and the Qatar Cup title holder, were not far from new signings, after they were linked with Spanish coach Miguel Angel, and also included Danish defender Alexander Schultz from Urawa Red Diamonds, striker Ricardo Gomez from Al Shamal Club, in addition to Tunisian midfielder Issa Al Aidouni from Union Berlin.
On the local players front, Al-Wakrah also signed former Qatari national team player Abdul Karim Hassan in a deal considered the most prominent in the summer transfers, while Algerian striker Mohamed Benyettou and Australian defender Trent Sainsbury left the team.
Al Duhail, who are seeking to return to competing for championships, succeeded in signing the Spanish Luis Alberto, a former player from Lazio, and also signed the Qatari national team player, Humam Al Amin, from Al Gharafa, in a prominent deal before the start of the new season, while the Brazilian midfielder, Philippe Coutinho, left the team and moved to his former club, Vasco da Gama.
Al-Ahly strengthened its ranks by contracting with Croatian coach Igor Biscan, and also included Spanish striker Eric Exposito for three seasons, in addition to contracting with Croatian defender Mate Mitrovic, while Jordanian striker Yazan Al-Naimat left the team.
Al Shamal compensated for the departure of its coach, Boya Espague, by contracting with the Portuguese Nuno Almeida, and also included the Algerian striker Baghdad Bounedjah, who will begin a new career, after his brilliance in the past seasons with Al Sadd. The player seeks to achieve success with the team from which the striker Ricardo Gomez left, who moved to Al Wakrah.
Qatar SC signed Brazilian midfielder Carlos Vinicius “Carlinhos” from Portuguese club Portimonense to replace his compatriot Bruno Tabata, while the club renewed its contract with Spaniard Javi Martinez for one season, and decided to continue with Moroccan Badr Banoun and Congolese Ben Malango.
Umm Salal chose stability after signing Croatian striker Antonio Mansi, who replaced Portuguese Lucas Joao, while the club decided to continue with Moroccans Osama Tanan, Marouane Loudani, and Dutchman Kenji Joel.
Al Khor, who have returned to the league championship again, signed a contract with the Iraqi striker Ayman Hussein, who joined the team from Al-Quwa Al-Jawiya, to have his second experience in the Qatari league after previously representing Umm Salal and Al-Markhiya.
Al Khor also signed the Ivorian Johan Boli from Al Gharafa, on a one-season loan, and renewed its confidence in the Qatari coach Abdullah Mubarak, who will lead the team in the league competitions.
As for Al-Shahaniya Club, the newcomer to the league, it signed the Dutch striker Billy van Amersfoort from the Dutch club Heerenveen, and also signed his compatriot, defender Sven van Beek, from the same club.
Al-Shahaniya had decided to continue three professionals with the first team, namely the Sierra Leonean trio Al-Hassan Koroma, the Belgian Francisco Antonucci and the Spaniard Marc Martinez. It also renewed confidence in the Spanish coach Alvaro Mejia, who will lead the team in the next season’s competitions, after he contributed to its promotion from the second division, by defeating Al-Markhiya in the play-off match with a score of 3-1.