Search form

You are here

  • Home
  • AS IT HAPPENED: ROKiT Venturi driver Edoardo Mortara wins second Diriyah E-Prix race


AS IT HAPPENED: ROKiT Venturi driver Edoardo Mortara wins second Diriyah E-Prix race

1 / 2
2 / 2
Rokit Venturi driver Lucas Di Grassi kicked out Andretti’s Dennis, the man who finished third in the race on Friday. (Supplied)
Short Url

https://arab.news/6vvwy

Updated 29 January 2022
Zaid Khashogji
&
DANIEL FOUNTAIN
Follow

AS IT HAPPENED: ROKiT Venturi driver Edoardo Mortara wins second Diriyah E-Prix race

  • Drivers take to the circuit for qualifying under the new knockout format for the second day
Updated 29 January 2022
Zaid Khashogji & DANIEL FOUNTAIN

DIRIYAH: It was a successful second day of the Diriyah E-Prix weekend for ROKiT Venturi as Edoardo Mortara won Saturday's race and Lucas di Grassi got himself on the podium.

Dutchman Robin Frijns sealed second for the Envision team.

Saturday's race followed an action-packed first day on Friday as the drivers got to grips with the new format, and Mercedes driver Nyck de Vries took the first win of the season.

Follow all the coverage of day two below... (All times GMT)

17:55 - CHEQUERED FLAG! Edoardo Mortara crosses the line ahead of the pack! A third Formula E win for the Venturri driver, followed by Frijns in second and Edo’s teammate Lucas di Grassi in third.

A superb performance for the Swiss driver, but unfortunately for his team, Frijns took away Rokit Venturi’s hope of a 1-2 win in the second round of the Diriyah E-Prix.

After it seemed like the race was going to end with the safety car leading the drivers under the yellow lights. There was one final lap of ‘racing’, which unfortunately meant many of the drivers who wanted to fight more, did not get a chance to.

17:50 - The new Porsche Taycan Turbo S safety car now leads the drivers with 6 minutes left... 

17:45 - Now 10th, the Flying Dutchman Nyck de Vries loses hope of seeing double victory in Diriyah, but his countryman Robin Frijns takes second place Lucas as di Grassi fails to defend on the straight, will this be the end a Venturi’s 1-2 win tonight?

Meanwhile, Jean-Eric Vergne and Stoffel Vandoorne’s fan boost has gone to waste! As the safety car is deployed after Alexander Sims crashed into the wall, finding himself out of the race after he broke his drive shaft with 8 minutes left.

17:40 - Mortara breaks early forcing Lucas di Grassi to go wide on the straight with 15 minutes left, Robin Frijns and de Vries follow.

Vergne tries to go for it on the straight, contact made between him and de Vries!

It’s clear that de Vries took some sort of damage to his steering as he falls down the grid to 9th place below his counterpart Vandoorne who found his way to 6h place with 12 minutes left on the clock...

17:35 - Edoardo Mortara leads the E-Prix with 24 minutes on the clock, the race sees a current 1-2 for Venturi for the first time.

Lotterer moves up to fourth place with 23 minutes to go, making slight contact with Frijns to do it, he then cut the apex beautifully surpassing the Envision Racing driver.

The battle is at the front with de Vries yet to activate his attack mode.

17:30 - DRAMA! Di Grassi leads the race after he makes contact with de Vries before forcibly bumping him out of his position. Mortara in second, followed by de Vries and Frijns.

17:25 - Mortara drops to fourth for the first time in the race after he goes through an activation zone to go on attack mode, with 27 minutes on the clock.

17:25 - Two places lost for Oliver Askew, as former Formula One driver Pascal Wehrlein takes advantage of the rookie sliding past him with Askew unable to defend. Frijns still chasing down ‘Edo’ with 29 minutes left.

17:20 - With 34 minutes left, Vandoorne who started in 12th has found his way to 9th place. An attack mode would bring him up to 250kW but the Belgian driver waits for an opportune moment.

De Vries leads, followed by Mortara, Frijns, di Grassi, Lotterer and Vergne so far maintaining the qualifying grid positions except Dennis has fought his way to 7th place from 9th.

WHAT IS ATTACK MODE?

Attack Mode is a temporary power boost used in all Formula E races by all drivers. The power boost is equivalent to an increase of 35 kW, which the drivers must manually initiate by pressing a button on their steering wheel and driving off the racing line at certain specified points of the track.

17:15 - Rowland and Dennis go through an activation zone with left as both British drivers expend some of their energy to go on attack mode. The old friends of 15 years battle out in the middle of the grid in 7th and 8th position.

17:10 - Lucas Di Grassi locks up on turn one but manages to get back on the circuit just as it seemed he was out of the race.

De Vries manages to hold his pole position and leads the race, followed by Mortara and Frijns with Mortara currently under pressure as Frijns keeps closing the gap. Sam Bird finds himself at the back of the grid

17:05 - Andretti driver Jake Dennis, who came in third yesterday, didn’t manage to get a good grid position for this evening’s race as he starts in 9th, Dennis told reporters his focus tonight will simply be “drive fast, don’t crash.”

Going into his second race after his debut yesterday, former Alfa Romeo Formula One driver Antonio Giovanazzi said racing in Formula E has actually been “really hard.” Unfortunate for the Italian driver as he starts at the back of the grid for the second round of the Diriyah E-Prix.

Formula E fans are anticipating Rokit Venturi’s Edoardo Mortara to give it a go tonight after qualifying second earlier today in the new dual format, bested only by none other than red hot Mercedes-EQ driver Nick de Vries.

17:00 - We're up and racing under the lights in Diriyah!

15:45 - While we wait for the racing action, make sure to catch our interview with footballing legend Didier Drogba, who was in attendance on day one of the Diriyah E-Prix. Full interview here.

 

15:10 - So amid all the confusion over the missed green lights and racing incidents, we now have a finalized grid for the second race of the weekend. Check it out below...

 

14:30 - Diriyah is playing host to the first two rounds of the FIA Formula E World Championship, and if it has whet the appetite for electric racing, below is a look at the rest of the calendar for 2022...

14:00 - POLE POSITION! A flying lap sees sees Edoardo Mortara set a brilliant time for the benchmark but a stunning lap by Nyck de Vries sees him beat the Venturi driver by five thousandths of a second! Which means the pole-sitter will take another 3 points on top of his 25-point haul on Firday, racking up a total of 28 points in the championship so far, with Saturday's race still to come.

13:55 - Envision driver Robin Frijns falls to Mortara in the other semifinal, leading to a challenging final showdown for the Swiss driver against the red hot Nyck de Vries for the chance to be on pole position for the second Diriyah E-Prix race of the weekend.

13:50 - Footage reveals Portuguese DS Techeetah driver Antonio Felix da Costa actually missed his cue and went on the green light of his opponent Lucas di Grassi’s. The driver says he is “still at a loss” as to how it happened.

13:45 - DRAMA! According to officials, Antonio Felix da Costa impeded Lucas di Grassi. Whether a penalty will be given to the Portuguese driver is unclear, however da Costa says he went on the green light but was later told he went on di Grassi’s green light.

Back to the qualifying action, Di Grassi goes first with De Vries following 10 seconds later.

And what a weekend the Flying Dutchman is having, as he takes out the Venturi driver in the semifinal. De Vries proceeds to the final.





13:40 - Edoardo Mortara, the man who didn’t get to duel in Friday's session, has managed to beat his opponent Andre Lotterer in the quarterfinals to face Frijns in the next knockout stage.

13:35 - Oliver Rowland goes out first with Robin Frijns chasing him. One of these two drivers will make it to the semis for the first time.

Frijns breaks away from the Mahindra Racing driver, and crosses the line almost six tenths ahead of Rowland and advancing to the semis. Lotterer versus Mortara now.

13:30 - Friday's winner Nyck de Vries beats Jean-Eric Vergne almost effortlessly to proceed to the semifinals. 

A strange scene sees Lucas di Grassi immobile and shaking his head while Antonio Felix da Costa proceeds to duel on his own. Through the comms, Venturi felt that da Costa went before the green light.

Di Grassi takes his lap after da Costa at a disadvantage as he starts a second late, but manages to beat da Costa as the the Portuguese driver slowed down toward the end of his run, and is now under investigation for impeding.

So, as it stands, Di Grassi faces yesterday’s champion De Vries in the semifinals. Watch this space...

13:15 - Sam Bird is out of qualifying after a crash in turn two. Friday’s pole position winner Vandoorne ran a slow qualifying time on day two which led to him getting kicked out of the top four by Mahindra Racing’s Alexander Sims, and effectively throwing the Belgian driver to the back of the grid.

Rokit Venturi Racing’s Edoardo Mortara, who crashed out on Friday, is first in Group B and advances to the quarterfinals along with Envision Racing’s Robin Frijns and both DS Tcheetah’s Antonio Felix da Costa, and Jean-Eric Vergne. No jaguars will head-to-head in the duels.

13:00 - Both Andrettis out in the first run, with third on the grid yesterday Lucas di Grassi joining in on the first qualifying. Nick Cassidy won’t be taking part in qualifying, while second on the grid yesterday Jake Dennis gets a front row start.

Oliver Askew was quickest in the first sector over all other drivers, but the chance to be in top four didn’t last for the rookie as he got pushed out by TAG Heuer Porsche driver Pascal Wehrlein.

Rokit Venturi driver Lucas Di Grassi kicked out Andretti’s Dennis, the man who finished third in the race on Friday, who is not going to go forward to the duel stage, while first place podium winner Nyck de Vries, Di Grassi, Mahindra Racing’s Oliver Rowland and TAG Heuer Porsche’s Andre Lotterer advance. 

Topics: Diriyah E-Prix 2022 Diriyah Diriyah E-Prix Saudi Arabia Motorsport Formula E

Related

Update
Sport
AS IT HAPPENED: Joy for Mercedes and Nyck de Vries on Diriyah E-Prix 2022 day one
Sport
Nyck de Vries starts season 8 of Formula E with victory under the lights in Diriyah

Netflix signs US broadcast deal with FIFA for the Women’s World Cup in 2027 and 2031

Updated 21 December 2024
AP
Follow

Netflix signs US broadcast deal with FIFA for the Women’s World Cup in 2027 and 2031

  • The deal announced Friday is the most significant FIFA has signed with a streaming service for a major tournament
  • Netflix dipped into live sports last month with more than 60 million households watching a heavily hyped boxing match between retired heavyweight legend Mike Tyson and social media personality Jake Paul
Updated 21 December 2024
AP

GENEVA: Netflix has secured the US broadcasting rights to the Women’s World Cup in 2027 and 2031 as the streaming giant continues its push into live sports.

The deal announced Friday is the most significant FIFA has signed with a streaming service for a major tournament. The value was not given, though international competitions in women’s soccer have struggled to draw high-value offers.

“Bringing this iconic tournament to Netflix isn’t just about streaming matches,” its chief content officer Bela Bajaria said in a statement. “It’s also about celebrating the players, the culture and the passion driving the global rise of women’s sport.”

Netflix dipped into live sports last month with more than 60 million households watching a heavily hyped boxing match between retired heavyweight legend Mike Tyson and social media personality Jake Paul. Some viewers reported streaming problems, however.

Netflix also will broadcast two NFL games on Christmas Day: the Kansas City Chiefs at the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens at the Houston Texans. That’s part of a three-year deal announced in May.

World Cups are typically broadcast on free-to-air public networks to reach the biggest audiences, and the last women’s edition in 2023 earned FIFA less than 10 percent of the men’s 2022 World Cup.

FIFA President Gianni Infantino had publicly criticized public broadcasters, especially in Europe, for undervaluing offers to broadcast the 2023 tournament that was played in Australia and New Zealand. That tournament was broadcast by Fox in the US

“This agreement sends a strong message about the real value of the FIFA Women’s World Cup and the global women’s game,” Infantino said.

The World Cup rights mark another major step in Netflix’s push into live programming. It’s recipe that Netflix has cooked up to help sell more advertising, a top priority for the company since it introduced a low-priced version of its streaming service that includes commercials two years ago. The ad-supported version is now the fastest growing part of Netflix’s service, although most of its 283 million worldwide subscribers still pay for higher-priced options without commercial.

But Netflix is still trying to sell more ads to boost its revenue, which is expected to be about $30 billion. Netflix executives have predicted it might take two or three years before its ad sales become a major part of its revenue.

Netflix expects to spend about $17 billion on programming this year — a budget that the Los Gatos, California, company once funneled almost entirely into scripted TV series and movies. But Netflix is now allocating a significant chunk of that money to sports and live events, a shift that has made it a formidable competitor to traditional media bidding for the same rights.

FIFA will likely use the Netflix deal to drive talks with European broadcasters that likely will be hardball negotiations.

Soccer finance expert Kieran Maguire, a co-host of The Price of Football podcast, suggested the deal was “a bit of a gamble” for FIFA and “saber-rattling” by Infantino.

“(Netflix) get experience of football broadcasting, FIFA can say, ‘we are now partnering with a blue chip organization, so watch out you nasty Europeans,’” Maguire, an academic at the University of Liverpool, said in a telephone interview.

FIFA and Infantino also want to raise the price of broadcast deals to help fund increased prize money and close the gender pay gap on the men’s World Cup.

At the men’s 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the 32 team federations shared $440 million in prize money. For the women’s 2023 tournament, FIFA had a $152 million total fund for prize money, contributions to teams’ preparation costs and payments to players’ clubs.

In FIFA’s financial accounts for 2023, the soccer body reported total broadcasting revenue of $244 million. In the year of the men’s 2022 World Cup it was almost $2.9 billion.

The next Women’s World Cup will be a 32-team, 64-game tournament in 2027, played in Brazil from June 24-July 25. The US originally bid jointly with Mexico.

The 2031 host has not been decided, though the US likely will bid for a tournament which FIFA is expected to try to expand to 48 teams. That would match the size of the 104-game format of the men’s World Cup that debuts in 2026 in the US, Canada and Mexico.

Spain won the 2023 Women’s World Cup after the US won the two previous titles — in France in 2019 and Canada in 2015.

More than 25 million viewers in the US watched the 2015 World Cup final, a 5-2 win over Japan, played in Vancouver, Canada, in a time zone similarly favorable to Brazil.

FIFA tried to sign Apple+ to an exclusive global deal to broadcast the inaugural 32-team Club World Cup which is being played in 11 US cities next June and July.

Broadcast networks showed little interest in the FIFA club event that will now be broadcast for free on streaming service DAZN, which is building closer business ties to Saudi Arabia.

Ahead of the next Women’s World Cup, Netflix will “produce exclusive documentary series in the lead-up to both tournaments, spotlighting the world’s top players, their journeys and the global growth of women’s football,” FIFA said.

Topics: Women’s World Cup Netflix FIFA

Related

Lifestyle
Dubai-based Lindsay Lohan thanks fans for hit Netflix film
Sport
Netflix showcases Ittihad and Ahli episodes of new docuseries at exclusive Jeddah screening

Bayern Munich rout Leipzig on somber night in Germany

Updated 21 December 2024
AFP
Follow

Bayern Munich rout Leipzig on somber night in Germany

  • Ayern are now seven points clear of second place Bayer Leverkusen, who have the chance to close the gap back to four points when they host Freiburg in Saturday’s late game
  • The small ceremony that the Munich club traditionally offers its supporters before Christmas was cut short, reduced to a rendition of “Stille Nacht” (“Silent Night“), due to the events in Magdeburg
Updated 21 December 2024
AFP

BERLIN: Bayern Munich swept RB Leipzig aside 5-1 on Friday to extend their lead at the top of the Bundesliga on a somber night in Germany following a deadly car attack at a Christmas market in the eastern city of Magdeburg.

Bayern are now seven points clear of second place Bayer Leverkusen, who have the chance to close the gap back to four points when they host Freiburg in Saturday’s late game.

However, there was little mood for celebration after at least two people were killed and more than 60 injured when a vehicle barrelled through a crowd of revellers in Magdeburg at high speed, leaving a trail of bloody carnage.

“It’s almost impossible to talk about football, the people of Magdeburg are in our thoughts tonight,” said Bayern coach Vincent Kompany in a press conference reduced to a short statement.

“We won tonight, but I wish victories for peace next year.”

The small ceremony that the Munich club traditionally offers its supporters before Christmas was cut short, reduced to a rendition of “Stille Nacht” (“Silent Night“), due to the events in Magdeburg.

A minute’s silence was also observed in the Allianz Arena.

On the pitch, Jamal Musiala scored after just 30 seconds for Bayern.

Musiala steered the ball in from close range from Michael Olize’s cross after a sublime flick by Harry Kane, returning from an injury lay-off, had opened the door for Olize.

But Bayern’s lead lasted barely a minute. Lois Openda’s stepover left Kim Min-jae in his wake and the Belgian sent a perfect low cross for Benjamin Sesko to score with a first-time finish.

Both teams took a breather after an intense opening, but it wasn’t long before Bayern were back in front.

Konrad Laimer exchanged passed with the dangerous Olize, and the Austrian volleyed expertly past Peter Gulacsi in the Leipzig goal.

Bayern added a third courtesy of a Joshua Kimmich piledriver in the 36th minute. The midfielder, captaining the side in the absence of the injured Manuel Neuer, found some space 25 yards out and let fly with an unstoppable drive.

Leipzig, who have won twice their last three visits to the Allianz Arena, steadied the ship a little after the break but Bayern were in no mood to compromise and continued to produce some of their best football of the season.

They extended their lead in the 75th minute through Leroy Sane, who just managed to stay on side as he collected Alphonso Davies’ through pass, rolling the ball into the bottom corner.

Bayern were hungry for more though. Kimmich, a thorn in Leipzig’s side all night, found space on the right and whipped a cross in for Davies, who connected to score a rare headed goal and bring up Bayern’s fifth of the night.

Kane joined Kompany in offering his sympathy to the victims of the Magdeburg attack.

“Sometimes, there is a bigger picture than football. All the team and FC Bayern presents its condoleances to anyone who is affected by this,” said the England star.

Topics: Bayern Munich Germany

Related

Sport
Mainz hand Bayern first league loss under Kompany
Sport
Musiala strikes twice to help Bayern end mini-skid without the injured Kane

Guardiola confident of Haaland revival if Man City ‘play better’

Updated 21 December 2024
AFP
Follow

Guardiola confident of Haaland revival if Man City ‘play better’

  • Guardiola said he had no interest in reverting to the ‘false nine’ system that he has used to good effect in the past.
Updated 21 December 2024
AFP

LONDON: Pep Guardiola believes Erling Haaland will find his form so long as the rest of his Manchester City team-mates raise their game but has not ruled out January transfer window signings as he looks to revive the Premier League champions’ fortunes.
City are enduring a slump unlike any Guardiola has known in his celebrated managerial career, having lost eight and won just one of their last 11 games in all competitions.
The downturn has seen the usually prolific Haaland, a key figure while City were winning an unprecedented four successive Premier League titles, denied of service and chances while scoring just once in his last five appearances.
Guardiola, however, said he had no interest in reverting to the ‘false nine’ system that he has used to good effect in the past.
“I prefer to play with Erling,” said Guardiola ahead of Saturday’s Premier League trip to Aston Villa.
“I don’t think in the situation that I have that I don’t let Erling play — absolutely not. No, no, I didn’t think about that.
“Always I play false nines for the quality specifically of the players I have in that moment.
“In some games playing man to man, I love to play against false nines but I have an Erling, I have to adapt.”
The Catalan boss added: “I see him well, I see him fine. The reason why maybe he’s not so productive in this situation is for the way we are playing, that we don’t produce the amount of chances that we were able to do in the past.
“When he’s surrounded by two or three or four central defenders it’s not easy for him. We have to play better, to create the spaces for him.”
City have rarely ventured into the transfer market during the January window in Guardiola’s eight years in charge but he accepts that policy could change this time around.
“We’ll see,” he said. “I don’t know how many times in the last years we’ve gone into the winter (market) — maybe just Aymeric Laporte seven years ago.
“We’re not a big fan of that but the circumstances of this season have been special. We have to see if something is possible and if not we will wait until the summer time.”

Tiger in family golf event but has ‘long way’ before PGA return

Updated 21 December 2024
AFP
Follow

Tiger in family golf event but has ‘long way’ before PGA return

Updated 21 December 2024
AFP

MIAMI: Tiger Woods will play alongside his 15-year-old son Charlie in this week’s PNC Championship, but the 15-time major winner said Friday his PGA Tour return remains distant.
The 36-hole parent-child tournament at Ritz-Carlton Golf Club in Orlando will be the first quasi-competitive event for Woods since he underwent back surgery in September.
Back trouble and leg injuries from a 2021 car crash have limited Woods’ ability to play in the regular tournaments he once dominated.
“My leg is what it is. It’s still here,” said Woods, who turns 49 on December 30. “But this year I struggled a lot with my back and it’s a lot better, but I still have a long way to go.”
Woods was 60th at the Masters and missed the cut in the year’s other three majors, struggling to recover form between rounds. In his only other start this year, Woods withdrew after one round at the Genesis Invitational, the February event he hosts at Riviera.
“The recovery has gotten to be the hardest part,” Woods said. “But over the course of rounds, weeks, months, it gets harder.”
Even getting his surgically repaired body ready to compete is difficult.
“Preparing for competitive play is different. That takes months, weeks,” Woods said. “But it starts with each and every day. You just do the little things correctly and they add up.
“It’s frustrating. It’s hard. I have an amazing team, amazing support. But I have to do the little things on a daily basis and away from everybody. It’s hard.”
Woods has been impressed with top-ranked Scottie Scheffler, who won nine times this year including a second Masters and Paris Olympic gold. It’s a domination unseen since Woods in his heyday.
“How he has handled the pressure and the expectations for he and his family, I think he’s doing an unbelievable job,” Woods said. “He’s just coming into his own. This is the fun part of watching him develop. This is going to be the start of an unbelievable year.”
Woods said a commonality in their success styles is avoiding errors.
“It’s not making that many mistakes,” Woods said. “Over the course of big events, lots of play at an elite level, not making mistakes adds up.”


Woods, who shares the record of 82 PGA Tour wins with Sam Snead, has a new rival to challenge him in Charlie Woods, who recently defeated his dad over nine holes.
“He beat me for nine holes. He has yet to beat me for 18 holes,” Woods said. “That day is coming. I’m just prolonging it as long as I possibly can.
“We have so much fun out there. It’ll be a fun atmosphere tomorrow and we’re just going to have a blast.”
This week marks the fifth time the Woods duo has played in the event, with a runner-up finish in 2001 their best showing. They were fifth last year.
Woods hopes playing this week can be a step back to competing once more.
“I’m not competitive right now, but I just want to be able to have the experience again,” Woods said. “This has always been one of the bigger highlights of the year for us as a family.
“We want to win, but it’s about the bond. It’s about having the family. It’s about us having a father-son moment together.”
His next competition is planned for January’s launch of TGL, the six-team tech-golf league developed by Woods and Rory McIlroy. It features a specially built arena with video screens and rotating greens.
“It’s absolutely incredible. The rotating green blew me away,” Woods said. “I think it’s going to be a lot of fun for not just us but also the fan experience.”

Monika Staab steps down as technical director of women’s football in Saudi Arabia

Updated 21 December 2024
Arab News
Follow

Monika Staab steps down as technical director of women’s football in Saudi Arabia

  • A former player from Germany, she came to the Kingdom in August 2021 as the first head coach of the Saudi women’s national team
  • Appointed technical director in February 2023, she is credited with transforming the women’s game in the country and inspiring a new generation of players
Updated 21 December 2024
Arab News

RIYADH: The Saudi Arabian Football Federation announced on Friday the departure of Monika Staab, its technical director of women’s football, after more than three years with the organization.

She was credited with transforming the women’s game in the Kingdom during her tenure and for inspiring a new generation of players to take up the sport.

Staab, a former player from Germany, joined the federation in August 2021, initially as the first head coach of the Saudi women’s national team. The federation said her leadership and vision played a pivotal role in shaping its strategy for women’s football, driving growth both on and off the pitch. She was appointed technical director in February 2023.

She coached the women’s national team in their first-ever match, a landmark 2-0 victory over the Seychelles in February 2022. Under her guidance, the Kingdom launched its first regional league for women in 2021, followed by a national football championship in 2022.

Staab also spearheaded the introduction of under-17 and under-20 women’s national teams, laying the foundations for the development of future talent.

Staab leaves behind an extraordinary legacy of milestones that have shaped women’s football in Saudi Arabia, the federation said. (SAFF)

In March 2023, she helped the Saudi women’s national team secure its first-ever FIFA ranking, and this month they reached their highest-ever position, climbing eight places to 166th. The team is now about to begin its campaign to qualify for the 2026 AFC Women’s Asian Cup.

Staab leaves behind an extraordinary legacy of milestones that have shaped women’s football in Saudi Arabia, the federation said.

“We bid farewell to Monika and thank her for helping to transform women’s football across Saudi Arabia,” said Lamia Bahaian, the organization’s vice president, as she expressed her deep gratitude for Staab’s contributions.

“Her vision, passion and tenacity have inspired us all. There are young girls across Saudi Arabia now playing football at all levels thanks to the work she has done and the impact she’s had.

“Although her time with SAFF has drawn to a close, her legacy will continue for generations.”

Bayan Sadagah, the captain of the women’s national team, said: “Monika has inspired both myself and all my teammates to believe in ourselves and our team. Our journey as a team is inspiring so many girls across the country to play and follow football, and I know we all wish her the very best for the future.”

The federation said women’s football has become a cornerstone of its strategy to grow the sport at all levels and participation has surged, with more than 70,000 schoolgirls playing football across the country.

Topics: football soccer Saudi Arabia Monika Staab

Related

Sport
Staab appointed director of football; Lappi-Seppala takes over as coach of Saudi women’s team
photos
Sport
Monika Staab hails Saudi tournament as ‘hugely important’ for women's game in Kingdom

Latest updates

US authorizes military sales of more than $5 billion to Egypt
Government to form committee to negotiate with Imran Khan’s party ‘within days’ — adviser
Santa and Mrs. Claus use military transports to bring Christmas to an Alaska Native village
Pakistan to launch first women’s software technology park in Azad Kashmir next year
Nearly half of taxpayers worldwide don’t see their money being spent for public good — survey

Search form

Print Edition
Read pdf version Subscribe now
© 2024 SAUDI RESEARCH & PUBLISHING COMPANY, All Rights Reserved And subject to Terms of Use Agreement.