Saudi football strategist Abdulhakeem Al-Tuwaijri was officially presented on Tuesday as the new head of the coaching staff of Željezničar Football Club.
He will succeed Nermin Bašić on the bench of Željezničar, who terminated his contract with the club by mutual agreement after poor results in the championship.
Al-Tuwaijri obtained the first and second level of education for a football coach in England, and he obtained the UEFA A and Pro license in the football associations of Scotland and Northern Ireland. At the Johan Cruyff Institute in Barcelona, he obtained a master’s degree in football management.
His professional staff includes the Italian Carlo Luca Guerra, who has ten years of experience in the field of football players’ physical fitness, and who worked for big clubs like Everton and Napoli.
The Vice President of the Board of Directors of FK Željezničar Jusuf Tanović pointed out at today’s press conference that bringing in a new professional staff is a continuation of cooperation with the Ministry of Sports of Saudi Arabia and that it has nothing to do with a potential investor.
He stated that as part of the Saudi program, FK Željezničar’s juniors will perform at the prestigious tournament in Barcelona, as well as that Al-Tuwaijri will not sit on the Željezničar bench before the representative break, because the club’s management must first finish his paperwork.
“We believe that this was a justified move. Of course, every move carries certain risks, including this one. This is a coach with a strong reputation, and time will tell if this was a smart decision,” said Tanović.
Al-Tuwaijri pointed out that he is proud to lead a club with a rich hundred-year history, and that he is familiar with the poor financial situation of a club that has achieved independent results in the past few years.
“I know that the past few years have not been the best, but our goal is to return Željezničar to where it deserves to be. We know what kind of team we have and we have to see what we can improve. We know what we want to do in the transition period, but everything will depend on the agreement with the management,” stated the new coach of Željeznicar.
He added that he understands the skepticism that people may have towards the coach from Saudi Arabia, but that his successes and past work speak best about what kind of coach and person he is.
“Skepticism can be justified, but I believe that the perception will change after you see what we will do in Željezničar,” he added.
The sports director of the club, Samir Bekric, emphasizes that cooperation with the Saudis will strengthen the position of Željeznicar when it comes to bringing in players.
“Now the goal is to strengthen and achieve the best possible results,” said Bekric.
Al-Tuwaijri signed a contract with FK Željezničar until the end of the season, Fena reports.
