September 20 – The French FA (FFF) have signed a cooperation agreement with the Saudi Arabian Football Federation (SAFF) that will cover football development.
In a statement, the FFF wrote that “this three-year agreement mainly concerns training programmes for coaches (men and women) and the support of the SAFF by the FFF for the creation of a Saudi Football Research Center.”
“This cooperation with the SAFF strengthens our links and allows the FFF to export its know-how, thus contributing to promoting French football on the international scene,” said FFF president Philippe Diallo.
In a larger exchange of knowhow, the cooperation will cover six different training courses with the Saudis keen to tap into the expertise of the French, 2018 world champions and runners-up in the 2022 finals. Diallo and SAFF president Yasser Al Misehal were present to sign the agreement.
“This partnership cements our excellent relationship with the FFF, said Al Misehal.
“We are delighted by the positive impact that this agreement will have on the development of Saudi football, further strengthening our presence on the international scene, and accentuating the strong bond between Saudi and French football.”
It’s the second time SAFF has struck a partnership with a European federation. They also have a memorandum of understanding with Croatia. Through dozens of such understandings, the Saudis have been steadily seeking to build and grow their influence in the world game.
SAFF also signed MoUs with two confederations, the Confederation of African Football (CAF) and the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC).
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