Technical Study Group heading to Jeddah for FIFA Club World Cup Saudi Arabia 2023™

The 2022 edition of the FIFA Club World Cup™ was held in Morocco and was won by tournament veterans Real Madrid after a hard-fought 5-3 victory over Saudi Arabia’s Al-Hilal. By contrast, this year’s competition will see three teams competing for the title for the first time in their histories. Perhaps the highest-profile of these clubs is Manchester City FC, winner of the UEFA Champions’ League. Given the standards they have set over recent years, it is no surprise that Pep Guardiola’s squad are highly motivated to add another trophy to their already impressive collection. Indeed, star midfielder Rodri has described winning the tournament as “the most unique and iconic thing I could achieve.” Copa Libertadores champions Fluminense and CONCACAF Champions League winners Club Léon are also making their tournament debuts. 

The three tournament rookies will have to be on their mettle to cope with some much more experienced opposition. AFC Champions League-holders Urawa Red Diamonds will be taking part for the third time, while CAF will be again be represented by Egyptian giants Al Ahly SC, who are yet to win this tournament in eight previous attempts. OFC Champions League winners Auckland City, meanwhile, will be appearing at a Club World Cup for the eleventh time. The six continental champions will be joined by Saudi Pro League winners Al Ittihad, who qualify automatically as hosts and previously played in the competition in 2005. 

The Technical Study Group (TSG) is led by FIFA’s Chief of Global Football Development, Arsène Wenger, and its members will be observing every game in Jeddah. Their tasks include analysing the technical, tactical and physical trends to emerge from the tournament, selecting the Player of the Match in each game, and nominating the winner of the adidas Golden Ball. 

Previous winners of the adidas Golden Ball at FIFA Club World Cups include Vinícius Júnior (Real Madrid, 2022); Thiago Silva (Chelsea, 2021); Robert Lewandowski (Bayern Munich, 2020) and Mohammed Salah (Liverpool, 2019). Lionel Messi is the only player to have won it twice (in 2009 and 2011, while playing for Barcelona).

Pascal Zuberbühler 

Pascal Zuberbühler is FIFA’s Senior Football and Goalkeeping Expert. He has been part of the TSG for every FIFA tournament across the men’s and women’s game for a number of years, and brings a wealth of experience to the group. 

As a player, “Zubi” spent seven years each at Swiss powerhouses Grasshopper Zürich and FC Basel before moving to Bayer Leverkusen in Germany. He also had spells with West Bromwich Albion and Fulham in England, and won 51 caps for Switzerland. He is looking forward to a fascinating tournament in Jeddah: 

“I think this will be a really interesting tournament and straight away I am looking forward to the game between Al Ahly and the winners of the match between Al Ittihad and Auckland City,” he said. “The game between Club Léon and Urawa Reds should also be fascinating because the winners meet Manchester City in the semi-final. And with Fluminense also coming in at the semi-final stage, I expect it to be very competitive. There will be big crowds at the games and of course great atmospheres, as football is booming in Saudi Arabia.

“Manchester City are the favourites and I have no doubt that Pep Guardiola will want to win this trophy, so it will be interesting to see how they approach their games with the tournament being in December. Fluminense also will be contenders, especially after their epic win over Boca Juniors in the Copa Libertadores final. I’m always interested in the different playing styles of the teams from the different confederations and I’m looking forward to seeing how it all unfolds,” he added. 

Christian Gross

Christian Gross is a Swiss football coach who first made his mark as a manager with Grasshopper Zürich, winning two Swiss championships and the Swiss Cup during a four-year stint at the club. After a spell at Tottenham, he returned home and surpassed his previous domestic success by winning four Swiss Championships and four Swiss cups with FC Basel, as well as taking them on an epic run in the 2002-03 UEFA Champions League which included wins against Juventus and Celtic and draws with Liverpool and Manchester United. 

In 2014, he moved to Saudi Arabia to take charge of Al-Ahli Saudi FC, and guided his side to the full set of domestic trophies, including the Saudi Professional League title in 2017. He knows the conditions the players will have to cope with, but he is confident they will be able to adjust to them:

“The conditions for this competition will be good, although the humidity can be quite high so this will be something the players will have to adjust to”, he said. “However, I expect the quality of the games to be high. Al Alhy are an ambitious team and Al Ittihad will be highly motivated as the host team. It’s Fluminense’s first time competing at the Club World Cup and South American teams always take this tournament very seriously, while Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City will be determined to win it.” 

Project Leads
Arsène Wenger – Chief of Global Football Development
Steven Martens – Director of Global Football Development
Tom Gardner – Lead of Football Performance Insights

Technical Experts
Pascal Zuberbühler – Senior Football Expert
Christian Gross - Technical Expert

Football Performance Insights
Harry Lowe - Team Lead Football Performance Analysis
Jeremy Chor - Football Performance Analyst

Football Content 
Arne Barez – Football Content Manager
Lisa Fallon – Football Content Tournament Lead 

The FIFA Club World Cup kicks off on Tuesday 12^th December when hosts Al Ittihad take on Auckland City at the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium .