The selection of the captain on the field is a process requiring specific criteria, in which a specific player is appointed as the leader of a group of players.
The leader selection process is based on a strategy to achieve the desired goals set by the club management in consultation with the technical staff.
In the era of the development of football, the leader plays a technical and administrative role on the green carpet and even in the dressing room, especially since the dressing room began to directly affect the results of any team, and the relationship between the players among themselves and in their relationship with the technical staff should be the Maestro, who controls and leads him to pave the way for the success of the group as a whole.
It used to be that the oldest player wore the captain’s armband, but in the modern era the standards have changed, and the charisma, ability to influence and the player’s position in the hearts of teammates and the coaching staff clearly define the personality of a leader.
A large number of coaches depend on the team leader for the success of their technical plans or control in the dressing room, and he also plays the role of liaison between the club management and the rest of the team, including special criteria for choosing a captain.
Al-Madina met with a number of people of opinion and experience to get their perspective on how to choose a leader.
These are the standards
In the beginning, expert and media critic Khalaf Melfi said that team leadership largely depends on the system between management, coach and players to select the most suitable and deserving player to lead the team, and one of the most important criteria is the personality of the leader player.
He added, but in the Saudi league, with the presence of seven foreign professionals, we see professionals with a high level of experience, leadership and even enthusiasm that makes you feel like you were born into the club and such players deserve to wear the badge without discussion.
Also, some Saudi players are retiring from the lead due to his lack of experience or his transfer from a club other than the main one. We see in Al Hilal, for example, Salman Al-Faraj and Salem Al-Dosari, leading their colleagues for their being on the team for a long time, etc.
He concluded: This issue is not a problem as it is more about the overall interest of the team and ensuring the completion of the system within the team.
Not just an icon
Former Al Shabab international star Captain Saleh Al Daoud believes the badge is not just a piece of cloth to be worn on the shoulder of a player present at the draw and talking to the referee, but rather a great responsibility.
In his speech to Al-Madina, he added that the characteristics of leadership are instinctively found in some players, including recognition by all, whether management or players, but unfortunately in recent years these qualities have noticeably disappeared, and perhaps the presence of foreign players have loosened this issue and club management and officials should check for accuracy in this matter. The choice of players who wear the leader badge to facilitate the work of the team and be a link to convey the message of the players to the management, as well as activate the field on the field and how to respond to match events.
And continued, from my personal point of view, we need to move away from the process of choosing a team leader based on age criteria, because leading a team on the field is not a tribute, but a mandate to perform specific tasks, especially helping the team achieve a larger goal. And the number of Al-Dawud, for example, but not limited to, is the most prominent of those who well and deservedly wore the leadership badge in our stadiums, led by Saleh Al-Naima took the lead and there were players who were older than him, and this happened to Fouad Anwar, Muhammad Noor and Abdul Latif Al Ghannam and we need to cultivate a culture of leadership in our clubs to be a big advantage and not just a canvas that sometimes has up to five players in a match.
efficiency and effect
As for the former international player who had outstanding experience at Al Wahda club, passed through Al Hilal and finally at Al Ahly club Kamel Al Musa, he sees that leadership is basically reserved for the most large, but some trainers are changing this mindset and giving it the most interactive and effective interaction with colleagues in the field.
He said that the captain’s role is more than talking to the referee, as he is considered the first administrator in the club to solve the problem through him at the beginning, and the captain is the link and audible voice of the players from the demand and the problem, but lately we have not missing a real captain, I think the role of the president and the leadership of the club in training. Sending support to whoever you see as a leader is important to building a team leader.
