Doha: Dutch star Wesley Sneijder reached Doha late on Saturday night to
sign for QNB Stars League side Al Gharafa. The attacking midfielder was
received at the Hamad International Airport by Al Gharafa’s Football
Head Mahmoud al-Ghazal, Deputy Head and former player Saad al-Shammari,
Team Manager Fahad Ali and Media Officer Taha al-Muhaza.
Sneijder passed his medical at Qatar’s orthopaedic and sports medicine
hospital Aspetar yesterday. After signing the deal, he will be presented
by the club at a press conference today. Sneijder, a three-time World
Cupper and UEFA Champions League winner with Inter Milan in 2010, will
be the biggest star to descend on Doha in the current winter transfer
window. His arrival has delighted the Al Gharafa fans and their joy
knows no bounds.
Al Gharafa had recently handed the coaching reins to Turk Bulent Uygun,
replacing Frenchman Jean Fernandez. Sneijder represented Ajax Amsterdam
from 2002 to 2007 and Real Madrid from 2007 to 2009 before moving to
Inter Milan (2009 to 2013). He then had a stint with Turkish club
Galatasaray till early 2017 and moved to Nice before joining the Al
Gharafa ranks.
He played 133 times for the Netherlands, making him the country’s most
capped player. The 33-year-old’s first appearance may be on 12th January
when Al Gharafa, seventh in the standings with 11 points, travel to Al
Ahli in the QNB Stars League’s Week 12.
Al Sadd quartet returns to training
Al Sadd players Saad al-Dossari, Hassan al-Haydous, Musab Kheder and
Pedro Miguel, who did duty for Qatar at the recent Gulf Cup in Kuwait,
joined the team’s training on Saturday.
Al Sadd, second in the QNB Stars League standings with 27 points, host
promoted and bottom-placed side Al Markhiya in Week 12 on 13th January.
The players trained under Portuguese coach Jesualdo Ferreira without
Algerian striker Baghdad Bounedjah, who is still recuperating from an
injury.
