Pablo Sarabia during the podcast
Doha, Qatar: Al Arabi star Pablo Sarabia believes the Qatar Stars League is making consistent progress, praising the growing quality of players and coaches while stressing the need to keep building on that momentum.
The former Spain international said Qatar’s football project is moving in the right direction and expressed his pride in being part of its continued development.
“I think the league is constantly raising its level, in terms of the quality of the players and coaches. Everything is moving in the right direction and improving all the time, and I think that’s the key to football in Qatar. We can’t stop, we have to keep working in the right direction. That’s why I’m very happy to be here and to be part of this project”, he said in an interview to Portugal Football Summit Podcast, presented by Pedro Pinto.
The Spanish international explained that adapting to the competition, known as the Doha Bank Stars League, was a smooth process and praised the welcoming environment both on and off the pitch.
“It was very easy to adapt to Doha Bank Stars League because everyone is very welcoming and always tries to help us, whether it’s with training, the gym, or family life. Everything was very easy from the moment I arrived. I recommend that anyone who has the opportunity to come here and experience the country. It’s a special place with a new culture for me, and my family and I are very happy to be here with the team.”
The Spanish international also underlined the positive impact that Spanish players and football culture can have on the development of the competition.
“I think the Spanish players and the Spanish culture in sport, in general, are at a very high level. Because of this, we can help build very good things in the League and in football in general. The concept that we had when we grew up with the Spanish teams and the culture in Spain is very helpful for football in general. Because of this, it is one of the keys to the success that we have had so far.”
Looking ahead, he praised the work being done to strengthen Qatari football.
“They are working very hard with the Federation and the National Team and I think that’s the key to success in the future. It’s not just about the people who were born abroad, but also the Qatari people. You have the example with the foreigners, but we have to increase the level of the Qatari people. I think the mix of those two things is the key to success in the next three, four, five, or even ten years in Qatari football.”
The Portugal Football Summit Podcast is a programme by the Portuguese Football Federation featuring interviews with some of the biggest names in world football ahead of the second edition of the Portugal Football Summit, taking place from 23 to 25 September at Cidade do Futebol in Oeiras.
