Qatar football club inks deal with German giant

A Qatar-based football team has announced an agreement with a top German Bundesliga club to share expertise and resources. Eljaish Sports Club, which plays in the Qatar Stars League after promotion last year, has joined forces with Schalke 04. Dr Thani Al-Kuwari, general secretary and executive director of Eljaish, said the agreement would cover all age groups covered by the clubs. He added that the deal stipulates for the exchange of training camps and the organisation of friendly matches between the teams. Under the memorandum of understanding, FC Schalke 04 will also provide support in administrative affairs and technical know-how. It also includes joint cooperation on the psychological rehabilitation of players, as well as methods and programmes adopted in talent spotting. Al-Kuwari said: "This agreement is another step in our professional career, and this experience will provide Eljaish with a great opportunity to learn global expertise, best practices,and gain administrative experience." Reiner Kübler, team liaison officer of FC Schalke 04, added: "FC Schalke 04 constantly seeks to share experiences with professional clubs that have a vision similar to what we see evident in Eljaish Sports Club and all board members. "We are keen through this agreement to exchange training expertise, in addition to the discovery of Qatari talent and provide an insight on the club experience in the Bundesliga League." Eljaish finished second in its first year in the Qatar Stars League, effectively qualifying for the Asian Champions League. From Arabian Business