Mohamed Al Khereij, president and owner of UD Almeria, spoke to MARCA about the Andalusian club’s project and its objectives.
The Saudi businessman bought Turki Alalcik’s share package and has been Almeria’s president since September. He has extensive experience investing in media, advertising and sports, having led MENA’s largest advertising group and brings a forward-thinking leadership approach focused on innovation, commercial growth and long-term value creation. Above all, he emphasized that he is a soccer fan.
The Almería president entered MARCA’s offices in Madrid with a smile on his face, and within seconds of taking his seat he said, “I love Madrid,” calling it “one of the best cities in Europe.”
Mohamed Al Khereij and Marca journalist Javier Galvez
Question: What attracted you personally to invest in Almeria?
Answer: Expansion in the field of sports and football is one of our Group’s strategic priorities in the coming years, and the strong Spanish football ecosystem attracted us to UD Almeria. Almeria has great business potential due to its strategic location and year-round sunny climate. The people are passionate, the community is strong, and the city is very family-oriented.
Q: What do you think Almeria will look like in five years?
A: Our goal is clear. This season’s promotion to La Liga and continued growth both on the sporting and commercial front. I have made it clear that I want to win promotion, stay in La Liga and grow the club globally. I think the top three (Atletico Madrid, Barcelona, Real Madrid) are on another level and it will be difficult to get there. Almeria is a project that continues to attract and develop young talent, especially with the opening of a new sports center.
Q: How long do you plan to own Almeria?
A: That wasn’t something I thought about when buying the club. We are long-term investors. We don’t think about the short term.
Q: If you could sign with Almeria, who would you sign with?
A: If I was allowed to dream, I would definitely say Cristiano Ronaldo. He is the only person in the history of football who can make a difference in any project.
Q: Do you think there will be more matches against Cristiano Ronaldo and Al Nasr in Almeria?
A: We have already defeated Al Nasr twice in preseason. I think he wants to play again to get revenge on us. Cristiano is a great person both on and off the field. It was great to see him leading Al Nasr in Almeria.
Q: Where will Almeria end up in the Saudi league?
A: We will be a competitive team in the Saudi league or in the first divisions of Portugal and France. Because I don’t think we are a typical Spanish second-division team. For example, after the last game against Al Nasr, coach Jorge Jesus came to our locker room and praised the team. He said that we have the quality of a La Liga first division team (…) We would love to help organize the Super Cup between Spain and Saudi Arabia.
Q: Can we expect new players to join Almeria during the winter period?
A: We have a lot of strong players at every position, but we are open to considering options.
Q: How often do you come to the Almería stadium?
A: I’ve been to seven games this season, including three, and I don’t miss any of them from my home in Riyadh. I’m watching everything.
Q: What comes to mind when you think about the possibility of sitting next to Florentino Perez and Joan Laporta in the President’s Box next season?
A: I’m a football fan. I’m really looking forward to meeting those legends, and I’m sure I’ll meet many other interesting people as well.
Q: Has La Liga made it difficult to invest in Almeria? Fenway Sports Group (Liverpool’s owners) has refused to invest in Getafe, citing La Liga’s strict controls on investments.
A: Liverpool is in a different category. I don’t know what their investment plan was, but it wasn’t difficult for us. I imagine if someone came in with a huge amount of money and tried to sign a lot of expensive players right away and failed and caused financial damage to the club, that could affect investment. La Liga is protecting new investors through a more structured path. We want to grow organically, focusing on our academy, signing players who can grow, and supporting it with commercial knowledge and increased fan engagement for better monetization.
