Professional clubs are in a new round of the Arabian Gulf Cup, which is held during the breaks of the league except for the final rounds where the teams are complete, to compete for a local title that some clubs regard as unimportant and seek to involve the players, while others are interested in Great as a "lifeline" to save her season.
Although the clubs spent millions on their national and foreign players and exerted enormous potential to achieve a local championship, the Arabian Gulf Cup is not receiving enough attention, even from the most absent public.
Club officials have talked about the difficulty of the tournament, which is held without international players, and requires the presence of five young players on the list of the team, including three key, especially if there is a date for the gathering of the Olympic team and its players, and at the same time the tournament showed this important player, a Mohammed Jumaa (Pele) of Al-Ahli, who took the tournament to the starting lineup in his team in the league championship.
Athletes told Emirates Today that there are four proposals to increase interest and develop the tournament, including creating incentives for teams to increase material prizes or change the name or any other incentive makes the tournament important for the whole system, including clubs, players and fans, and even the Football Association, which depends on the tournament In the preparation of junior referees, which causes problems for many teams ».
External sharing
Sports analyst Khalid Obeid asked to create a new incentive for the Arab Gulf Cup champion through external participation and representation of the state. “There must be incentives for the championship teams to make the whole system take care of it from fans, clubs and players to represent the country externally. The Arab Champions League, which includes two teams without qualification, as it comes through the nomination, and the two teams are always without ambition to compete in the foreign championship because of internal competition for the title of local or Asian ».
He added: «The participation of the champion of the cup and runner-up in the Arab championship will ensure a positive participation, as it will show the desire of all teams to seek the championship, and certainly will open prospects and other opportunities for all teams to participate in contrast to the honorary participation, which happened, for example, this season with the participation of Al Jazeera In the tournament.
Less attention
Sports analyst and former player Al-Wahda Yasser Salem said that «the Arabian Gulf Cup faces less attention than clubs, players and the Federation of Football and Media, being a classification is considered the third tournament in the importance of local and fourth teams in the Asian participation, but at the same time has a great significance and motivational championship for many teams And do not forget that the youth of Al-Ahli returned to crown the league title, after winning the Arabian Gulf Cup ».
"There are many names in the clubs that the tournament is not important, and the people themselves when they reach the quarter-finals emphasize the importance of the tournament and play all the international stars. A motivating tournament with financial prizes and goals must be won from clubs to participate in, why not win clubs such as Al Dhafra or Baniyas or Ajman, we know that it is not ranked and less than other tournaments, but it is a very important tournament and the definition of young players the taste of winning trophies.
He continued: «Clubs strategy must plan for such a tournament, and the goal should be to reach the final of the teams that want to, and we know that the Arab Champions League needs the clubs, but it is not a shame that the two winning teams are qualified to participate in the foreign tournament, and will be behind them “There is a lot of support from the public and clubs.
AED 5 million
Former RAK player and sports critic Najm Darwish suggested that "creating good financial incentives for the tournament participants, such as five million dirhams for first place, will make clubs compete for them."
He added: `` Clubs consider the current tournament as a refresher tournament and start to pay attention to it from the four rounds and the final to satisfy their fans or compensate for their failure.If a small team wins it will be an achievement, of course, only we have to create incentives for the participants, and then the ambition will certainly change.
Marketing Tournament
Technical analyst Adel Darwish said that in all countries of the world vary the degree and importance of tournaments, and this is normal, the first concern is always the league and continental championships.
Darwish suggested restructuring the Arabian Gulf Cup and come up with a different marketing and promotional idea. The Emirates Cup and the Carling Cup, which is official and enters the honorary record, have media and public follow-up, and are linked to marketing and promotional goals. Any championship that is important must raise the ranking of the tournament and marketing, promotional and media goals.
He added: «It is possible to rename the tournament as a marketing and promotional adds another dimension, as well as the development of incentives for the champion and runner-up, and linking the championship with some foreign tournaments that do not fall under the umbrella of the Confederation, such as Gulf Championships and Arab League».
"Football competitions like a child are born small, but care, attention and ideas generate healthy growth and development, so we have to pay attention to the low popularity of any official tournament on the agenda. This is a negative sign."
Proposals to upgrade the Arabian Gulf Cup
- Linking the hero to qualify to external participation.
- Marketing the tournament with national and international companies.
- Increase the financial rewards of the winner.
- Change the title of the championship.