Judan Ali

Last updated

Judan Ali
Personal information
Place of birth Tower Hamlets, London
Youth career
Arsenal
Barcelona
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
Murcia [1]
*Club domestic league appearances and goals

Judan Ali is an English technical director of football, a former footballer, and coach. He went on to feature for clubs Arsenal, Barcelona and Murcia in his playing career. [2] [1]

Contents

Ali is the first BAME British National to hold a position of technical director for a FIFA Member Association. [3] [4]

Early life and career

Ali was born in Brick Lane, Tower Hamlets, London. He is of Indian origin [5] . He underwent several unfruitful trials at English clubs. [6] [7] He was taken on by Arsenal for a two-year stint at the club's academy. [8] He then had a spell at the La Masia Academy of Barcelona. His experiences there eventually influenced his coaching philosophy. [9] Ali went on to sign for Spanish outfit Murcia with whom he formed a professional career. [7] In 2019, his appointment as technical director for the Maldives Football Association made Ali the first and only BAME British national to hold a position of Technical Director for a FIFA Member Association. [3] [4]

Youth coaching

In the summer of 2011, Ali assembled a team of Asian players aged under-15, to compete in the Arsenal International Soccer Festival. [7] The team of 16, which was selected from 20,000 hopefuls, [9] won the under-15 category at Royal Holloway University. [7]

In March 2013, Ali was appointed Head of Elite Football Development in Taiwan. Ali and the Chinese Taipei Football Association say 'the aim is to implement a long-term structure to get all Taiwan's age groups to their respective world championships.' Ali says he intends to qualify all the Chinese Taipei age specific football teams to World Cup Finals. [10] [11]

In April 2015 Ali joined the coaching staff of Kitchee SC who play in the Hong Kong Premier League. [12] Ali runs a non-profit all-female football academy, a pre-sports school for young girls, based in London. Ambassadors and Co-founders are Ann-Katrin Berger, a German professional footballer who plays as a goalkeeper for both the English club Chelsea and the German national team and Jessica Carter who also plays for Chelsea as well as England's national team. [13] [14]

Professional career

FA – The COACH Bursary Scheme

Ali is currently partaking in the Football Association's COACH scheme aimed at professionals from under-represented groups. [15]

FCB La Masia

He was taken under the wing of his mentor, the late Johan Cruyff where he studied coaching of the youth teams at La Masia, FC Barcelona. [16] [17]

Eastern Sports Club

He also coached Eastern Sports Club later on in his career. They compete in the Hong Kong Premier League. [18]

Saint Kitts & Nevis Football Association

In April 2012, Ali was invited to train the St Kitts and Nevis men's, under-17 and under-20 national football teams. The teams were both training for their upcoming World Cup Qualifiers. [19]

Latvia Football Federation

In November 2012, Ali travelled to the Latvian Football Federation to oversee the UEFA A License course for Latvian national team coaches. [20]

IA Akranes Football Club Iceland

In November 2012 Ali visited the Volcanic Islands of Iceland to deliver his coaching sessions to Icelandic coaches. [21]

Blackburn Rovers F.C.

In season 2012-2013 English champions Blackburn Rovers FC who won the Premier League in 1995 appointed Judan Ali as their U23 and Academy coach after being invited as a 'guest' coach by the owners. [22]

Chinese Taipei National Football Team (Taiwan)

In March 2013, Ali was appointed head of elite football development in Taiwan. [10] [11]

Kitchee Sports Club

In April 2015 Ali joined the coaching staff of Kitchee SC youth team. [12]

Indonesia national football team

In March 2016, Judan Ali was appointed the manager and head coach for the Indonesian National Army Football Team which changed their name to Persikabo 1973 who compete in the Indonesian Super League. Ali was tasked with recruiting soldiers and training them from scratch and in their first season in competing they finished in 12th position generating crowd attendances of 23,000 at home games. [23]

Persela Lamongan Football Club

In June 2017 Judan Ali was appointed the technical director for Persela Lamongan Football Club who compete in the Indonesian Super League. [24]

The Football Association of Maldives (FAM)

In December 2019 Judan Ali was appointed as the technical director for the Football Association of Maldives on a 10-year contract taking him to 2029. [3] [4]

Grays Athletic FC

In May 2022 Judan was appointed as manager of the women's first team. [25]

FC Hegelmann

In August 2023 Judan Ali was appointed as the Technical Advisor of FC Hegelmann, women's Head Coach & first team manager. [26]

Other affiliations

Film

His attempts to forge a career in football were, in part, the inspiration for the 2007 Bollywood film Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal . [9] Ali was involved in casting for Bollywood movie. [7] [8] [9] [27]

Charity

In September 2007 Ali took part in Premier League All Stars football tournament for charity representing a Chelsea team alongside celebrities Ross Kemp and Omid Djalili. [9]

In September 2012 The UK's Anti-Racism Educational Charity Show Racism the Red Card held a charity match spearheaded by Hollywood star Tamer Hassan and Shane Richie in which Ali was involved. [28]

He has set up orphanages for the under privileged, which he runs successfully. As an orphan himself, Ali has a passion for taking players from disadvantaged backgrounds and honing them into standout footballers which he has successfully shown during his time so far in Asia. [29]

Professional Female Football Academy

The Judan Ali Football Academy was set up by Ali in 2019 with his co founders Jessica Carter and Ann-Katrin Berger. The academy aims to take girls from underprivileged backgrounds and turn them into elite professional footballers. [30]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Blaž Slišković</span> Bosnian football manager (born 1959)

Blaž "Baka" Slišković is a Bosnian professional football manager and former player. He is regarded as one of the most successful Bosnian football managers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Brian Kidd</span> English football player and manager

Brian Kidd is an English football coach and former player, who was most recently assistant coach of Manchester City, alongside manager Pep Guardiola.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Denny Landzaat</span> Dutch footballer (born 1976)

Denny Domingues Landzaat is a Dutch former footballer who mostly played as a central midfielder or defensive midfielder who was most recently the assistant manager of Ekstraklasa side Lech Poznań.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kitchee SC</span> Football club

Kitchee Sports Club is a Hong Kong professional football club based in Kowloon. It was founded in 1931 and currently competes in the Hong Kong Premier League.

Keith Jerome Kayamba Gumbs Tukijo is a Kittitian former professional footballer who played as a forward.

Terry Burton is an English football manager and coach, who was most recently assistant manager at Reading. Burton started his career at Arsenal and was the captain of Arsenal's FA Youth Cup winning team in 1971, before later beginning his coaching career at the club and going on to have further backroom spells at Wimbledon, Watford, Cardiff City and West Bromwich Albion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ricki Herbert</span> New Zealand footballer

Ricki Lloyd Herbert is a New Zealand former footballer and manager. He is the current director of football at Hamilton Wanderers AFC.

Christopher Mark Kiwomya is an English football manager and former professional footballer, who is the manager of British Virgin Islands national football team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Tim Sherwood</span> English association football player and manager

Timothy Alan Sherwood is an English former football player and manager.

Andrzej Edward Niedzwiecki is a Welsh-Polish football coach and former footballer who played as a goalkeeper.

Scott Sellars is an English football coach and former professional footballer who was most recently technical director at Wolverhampton Wanderers.

Kenneth James Brown is an English former professional footballer and current West Ham United academy manager. As a player, he played for Norwich City, Plymouth Argyle, West Ham United, Huddersfield Town, Reading, Southend United, Crystal Palace, Reading, Birmingham City, Millwall, Gillingham, Kingstonian, Portadown, Barry Town, Tilbury and FC Torrevieja. He has also managed Barry Town, CD Jávea, and Tooting & Mitcham United and been assistant manager with Grays Athletic and Chelmsford City. Following the departure of Dean Holdsworth as manager of Chelmsford in November 2013, Brown became their caretaker manager.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Persela Lamongan</span> Association football team in Indonesia

Persatuan Sepakbola Lamongan, or commonly known as Persela, is an Indonesian football club based in Lamongan, East Java. Currently the club plays in Liga 2, the second tier of football competition in the country.

Brian Patrick Carey is a former Irish international footballer who played in the Football League for Leicester City as well as Wrexham, whom he also served as manager. Since his playing retirement he has worked as the Assistant Manager at Doncaster Rovers, Wolverhampton Wanderers and Chesterfield. He was the Lead Professional Development a Coach at Blackburn Rovers until May 2015. He is a UEFA A Licence Coach, holds a BSc in Sport Coaching and Exercise Science and he has represented Republic of Ireland at Senior International Level.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Steve Holland (footballer)</span> English football coach (born 1970)

Stephen Anthony Holland is an English football coach who is the assistant manager to Gareth Southgate with the England national team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Eric Winstanley</span> English association football player (1944–2021)

Eric Winstanley was an English professional footballer who played as a centre-back in the Football League for Barnsley and Chesterfield.

Dejan Antonić is a Serbian football manager and former player. He is currently the head coach of China League One club Foshan Nanshi.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Andries Jonker</span> Dutch footballer and manager

Andries Jonker is the Netherlands women's national football team manager.

Dermot Drummy was an English football coach and professional player. He was the head coach of Crawley Town, a position he took up in April 2016 after serving three years as manager of the Chelsea reserves and two years as the youth team manager.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Josep Gombau</span> Spanish football manager

Josep Gombau Balague is a Spanish professional football manager. He is the current Head Coach of the Aston Villa U21s.

References

  1. 1 2 "Big soccer dreams". China Post.com.[ permanent dead link ]
  2. "Championship — Blackburn deny 'guest' coach Judan Ali set for job". Eurosport. 28 December 2012. Archived from the original on 31 December 2012. Retrieved 28 May 2013.
  3. 1 2 3 "judan-ali-now-technical-director-of-the-maldives-national-team/".
  4. 1 2 3 "ބާސެލޯނާ އެކެޑަމީގައި މަސައްކަތްކުރި ޖުޑާން".
  5. "From Bollywood to Ewood: Judan Ali in challenging new role". The Independent. 28 December 2012.
  6. Lucas, Giles (9 November 2009). "Arsenal to Accrington via a stopover in Bollywood". www.fulhamchronicle.co.uk. Retrieved 7 June 2013.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 "They Came, they Scored, they Conquered!". The Asian Today. 19 August 2011. Archived from the original on 16 June 2013. Retrieved 6 June 2013.
  8. 1 2 "Venky's sack Blackburn Rovers manager after 57 days in charge, turns to Judan Ali". The Indian Express. 28 December 2012. Retrieved 5 June 2013.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 Herbert, Ian (27 December 2012). "From Bollywood to Ewood: Judan Ali in challenging new role". The Independent. Retrieved 28 May 2013.
  10. 1 2 Pan, Jason (3 April 2013). "Taiwanese to train at Bayern Munich". Taipei Times. Retrieved 28 May 2013.
  11. 1 2 "Made in Taiwan..." Eastern Eye. 22 March 2013. Archived from the original on 25 March 2016. Retrieved 28 May 2013.(subscription required)
  12. 1 2 Offside goes grassroots: Kitchee Youth Team
  13. "Coach Ali wants to give local girls chance to play football". 8 August 2019. Archived from the original on 19 June 2021.
  14. "Interview with the Judan Ali Football Academy". Soccerphile. 6 June 2021.
  15. "Coach scheme helping under-represented coaches make headwav (sic)". Let's Kick Racism Out of Football. Kick It Out. Retrieved 28 May 2013.
  16. NEWS, GAFC. "NEW WOMEN'S TEAM MANAGER FOR THE BLUES".
  17. Kay, Oliver. "Venky's scheme at Blackburn Rovers offers a passage to Indian coach".
  18. "Wildeastfootball.net". 16 March 2018.
  19. "Coach Judan Ali visits St. Kitts". St Kitts Nevis Football Association. 18 April 2012. Retrieved 27 May 2013.
  20. "Latvijas Futbola federācija". lff.lv.
  21. Aresson, Fredrick (30 November 2012). "ÍA með efnilegan þjálfara í heimsókn". LP. Retrieved 30 November 2012.
  22. "BLACKBURN DENY 'GUEST' COACH JUDAN ALI SET FOR JOB".
  23. Kurniawati, Ely (20 March 2016). "Judan Ali: Pemain Sudah Disiplin Tapi Kurang Konsentrasi". Galamedianews. Retrieved 21 March 2016.[ permanent dead link ]
  24. "British coach in talks to push Indonesian soccer further".
  25. ""NEW WOMEN'S TEAM MANAGER FOR THE BLUES"" . Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  26. "Prie "Hegelmann" moterų komandos vairo stos specialistas iš Anglijos" . Retrieved 7 August 2023.
  27. DP, ARI (19 March 2016). "PS TNI Pakai Jasa Pelatih Asal Inggris di Piala Bhayangkara". TopSkor Indonesia. Archived from the original on 17 April 2016. Retrieved 5 April 2016.
  28. "Hollywood star Tamer Hassan and Shane Richie to appear in SRtRC charity match". Show Racism the Red Card. Archived from the original on 18 July 2014. Retrieved 28 May 2013.
  29. Rahman, Emdad (16 November 2017). "Judan Ali maps out Lings Elite under-18 progress after taking break from managing Indonesian National Army Football Team". East London Advertiser. Retrieved 24 January 2020.
  30. "JAFA - The Global Road Trip to the UEFA Women's Final". Soccerphile Blog. 31 July 2022. Retrieved 9 September 2022.