Almeria owner flying high-profile Coaches to Saudi Arabia

Almeria owner Turki Al-Sheikh has been flying a number of high-profile Spain-based Coaches to Saudi Arabia to discuss football.

A former Minister for Sport in Saudi Arabia, Al-Sheikh has become the club’s largest shareholder after a successful summer takeover and is thought to be looking to his nation’s plans for the 2022 World Cup.

Abelardo Fernández, most recently at Alaves, travelled to the Middle East along with Ángel Cappa and Zdenek Zeman, while Quique Setien and Pablo Machin – formerly of Real Betis and Sevilla respectively – have previously made the trip, as outlined by Cadena Ser.

Al-Sheikh is a Saudi investor who has been around the world of football for several years, and the transaction to buy the second-tier club this summer was believed to have gone through for €20m.

He is believed to want to use the club to bring more Saudi international players into European football, with a long-term view to the 2022 World Cup.

Almeria are currently top of the Segunda and invested heavily in the club over the closing weeks of the transfer window.

Tags Quique Setien
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