A Season I Will Never Forget
Saad Alrumaidhi, Kuwait
In a season like no other, Goal Click and Bundesliga have collaborated to tell stories from the heart and soul of Bayer 04 Leverkusen’s global fan base. From Mexico and the USA to Kuwait and Leverkusen, five fans shared the highs and lows of their journeys, the anticipation of a title race, and the celebration of a first-ever Bundesliga title.
Saad Alrumaidhi founded the FC Kuwait City Academy and is one of just two Leverkusen fans living in Kuwait City.
My name is Saad Alrumaidhi, I am 28 years old and to put it simply, football is my life. I am originally from Kuwait and currently living in Kuwait City, however I lived in the United States for almost six years to study at the University of Tampa in Florida. My love of sports and social media led me to study marketing to learn more about how I could combine those two passions.
Inspiring The Youth
While attending university, I started my football coaching career in Tampa, Florida, volunteering with WOKE Inc. to manage the boys football team. A few months later, I was appointed as the head coach.
WOKE Inc. is a non-profit organization that supports refugees and people from low income areas with their studies and provides opportunities to play football. When I graduated and moved back to Kuwait, I brought that ambition with me. I was inspired to start my own academy called FC Kuwait City Academy at the end of 2020. We began with a senior team of players aged 18 and older, and expanded to include a youth program. In 2024, we have plans to bring the teams to a summer camp in Gabala, Azerbaijan.
In addition to my role at the Academy, I am currently working as a Sports Project Manager at VO KUWAIT, which is a non-profit organization aiming to support the Kuwaiti youth, and as a Managing Director of the Salmiya Football Club youth teams. I stopped coaching in early 2022 when I took the Managing Director role, and while I miss coaching, I do enjoy the strategy required of my new position.
High Energy Fan Culture
I started watching Bundesliga in 2005, when I was ten years old, because my uncle is an FC Bayern fan. Since then, I have never missed a season.
I fell in love with the Bundesliga due to its high-energy fan culture. Stadiums are always full and fans support their team even through the losses.
Clubs seem to listen to and respect the thoughts of their fans, taking this into consideration with certain decisions. To me, it is clear that fans are important to the Bundesliga clubs.
Leverkusen Loyal
My journey as a Leverkusen supporter began because I am a striker and I like attacking football. I learned that Leverkusen plays attractive football, always attacking their opponents and trying to score as many goals as possible.
My favorite player of all-time is Lars Bender because he always played like every match was the most important one of his career. He stayed composed under pressure and led the team on and off the pitch. I proudly have six of his jerseys!
When I became a fan of Leverkusen, I discovered that I was one of just two fans of the team in all of Kuwait. Ibrahim, the other fan, and I connected when he followed my Leverkusen social media account, Bayer4Arab, and then reached out.
In 2021, we met for the first time when he came to support my academy teams. Recently, Ibrahim and I have watched the matches together and I invited him to join me on my trip to Germany.
When I watch the team play, I prefer to watch alone with a cup of tea and snacks - preferably chocolate! If I do watch with anyone else, it would only be Ibrahim and we both agree that the television volume must be at 100.
Changing Perceptions
I created my Bayer Leverkusen social media channel @Bayer4Arab in 2012 because I was really upset when Bundesliga fans said that Leverkusen’s 7-1 loss to Barcelena was shameful to the league. I started the account to change the perception of the club both in Kuwait and among the wider Bundesliga fanbase.
Twelve years later, the account is still going strong - an accomplishment that I am very proud of. During the 2023/24 season alone, the account gained 5,000 new followers!
Looking ahead, it is my hope that the account continues to grow throughout the Middle East and North Africa region. I am already in contact with Leverkusen to start a long-term partnership to create a fanbase in the MENA region - watch this space!
Sports Corner
I also created and run an Arabic-speaking podcast called Sports Corner where I interview different guests within the sports industry for forty-five minutes. Together, we cover topics like finance in sports, sport law, social media, and sports marketing. Through the podcast, I try to provide more information on how players can go from part-time amateurs going to an office job during the day into full-time professional athletes. This topic is currently being discussed in our parliament alongside the recognition of clubs as companies.
My hope for the podcast is that it helps change the collective mindset here in Kuwait and demonstrate that we are professionals, not amateurs.
120 Years For A Title
I am absolutely speechless that Leverkusen has won the league. It proves that hard work always pays off!
Leverkusen management have done a great job over the past four years to create and lead this historic team. The club has been in existence for 120 years, and I am lucky enough to witness them winning their first-ever Bundesliga title.
I was so excited to travel to Germany and watch the final match of the season. It felt like a reward for all of these years of loyal support and I am extremely proud to be a Leverkusen supporter.
One day, I will be telling my children about this season and showing them these photos of their young happy father. It is a season I will never forget.
