Judan Ali

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

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

Early life and career

Ali was born in Brick Lane, Tower Hamlets, London. He is of Indian[5] origin and at first used "Jordan" instead of his own first name due to decision makers who were not inclusive at the time when he struggled to break through in football. He underwent several unfruitful trials at English clubs.[6][7] He was taken on by Arsenal, having a two-year stint at the club's academy.[8] He then had a spell at the La Masia Academy of Barcelona. His experiences whilst there were eventually added to 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 saw Ali as 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] unexpectedly 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 traveled 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 Volanic 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 entasked 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]

References
  1. "Big soccer dreams". China Post.com.
  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. "judan-ali-now-technical-director-of-the-maldives-national-team/".
  4. "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. "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. "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. Herbert, Ian (27 December 2012). "From Bollywood to Ewood: Judan Ali in challenging new role". The Independent. Retrieved 28 May 2013.
  10. Pan, Jason (3 April 2013). "Taiwanese to train at Bayern Munich". Taipei Times. Retrieved 28 May 2013.
  11. "Made in Taiwan..." Eastern Eye. 22 March 2013. Archived from the original on 25 March 2016. Retrieved 28 May 2013.(subscription required)
  12. 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.
  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. Retrieved 9 September 2022.
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