فريق العمل

The people behind the badge.

Coaches, founders and support staff who have worked in professional academies, senior football and international squads - now building the same standards in Dubai.

The squad → The academy →
11
Staff
UEFA
AFC & CAF licensed
05
Support disciplines
Leadership

The founders.

Rimal Al-Sahra was founded in 2025 by three people with careers in elite football, European media and design - and a shared view that this market had been promised more than it had been delivered.

Dirk Gerkens

Dirk Gerkens

Co-Founder & President

Dirk brings global business pedigree at the highest level, from building and running some of the biggest media companies in Europe to serving as President at Valenciennes FC in France. He remains a shareholder and board member of the Sport Republic investment group, which also owns Southampton FC, Goztepe SK, Valenciennes and Mali Coura - giving the club direct exposure to a multi-club ownership model and football operations at senior European level.

Based in Dubai and fluent in five languages, Dirk co-founded Rimal Al-Sahra with a genuine understanding of what it takes to build a high-level business structure inside a sport and community project. His experience in construction sits heavily within the club's roadmap for the coming years.

Sam White

Sam White

Co-Founder & Director

Sam brings genuine footballing pedigree to Rimal Al-Sahra. He spent over a decade at Southampton FC across a variety of roles, coaching and gaining first-hand insight from players who went on to become Premier League and international stars. After a spell at AFC Bournemouth as Youth Development Lead, Sam moved to the Middle East and has since created four clubs now competing in the UAE footballing pyramid.

As Co-Founder and Director, he combines experience of the standards and processes of the elite game with a passion for building sporting infrastructure in the business of sport.

Gratziela Gerkens

Gratziela Gerkens

Co-Founder

Gratziela is the passion. With an eye for detail, emotion and design, she shapes the processes and inner workings of how the club builds and grows.

Her career spans media, construction and design, and she is no stranger to large-scale company builds or to creating and managing deep relationships across stakeholders and communities.

UEFA, AFC & CAF licensed

Our staff.

Richard Peniket, First Team Manager

Richard Peniket

First Team Manager

Rich has a wealth of experience in the UK and the UAE, both as a professional player and as a head coach. His understanding of how to develop players and teams is considerable, but it is his grasp of how players actually learn that speaks to the club's long-term plans.

Transitioning players into first-team football is a clear pathway for our community - whether as a player, a supporter or part of the wider club.

Coaching careerPremier League and international level

Scott Miller

Assistant Manager

Scott joins the club with high-level coaching and performance experience from the very top of the game, at Premier League and international level, and an understanding of what it takes to develop players at every stage of their journey.

He works closely alongside the coaching department to support player development and to drive new standards across the club every day.

QualificationsUEFA A Licence — FA Advanced Youth Award

Jordan Ive

Head of Coaching

Jordan brings a wealth of experience at elite youth level in the UK, working within the academy structure at Premier League club AFC Bournemouth and developing some of the most exciting young talent in the country from an early age.

A UEFA A Licence holder with an FA Advanced Youth Award, Jordan oversees the development of the club's entire coaching provision while working directly with players in the Professional Development age groups, U17 to U19.

QualificationsUEFA B Licence — goalkeeping and outfield

Callum Stanton

Head of Football Development

Callum played professionally at AFC Bournemouth before continuing his career in the UAE. He holds UEFA B Licences in both goalkeeping and outfield coaching, giving him a well-rounded understanding of the game from every angle.

Now moving from playing into football administration and coaching, Callum leads the club's football development, bringing the standards and habits of a decade-plus professional career directly into how players are developed here.

Playing careerProfessional — Le Havre, Newcastle United

Wesley Ngo-Baheng

Player Welfare & Liaison

Wesley had a professional playing career with clubs including Le Havre in France and Newcastle United in England, and has built a strong, trusted network in the game.

As Player Welfare and Liaison lead he is the vital link between players, families and the club, making sure the wellbeing of every player - young and senior - stays at the heart of what we do. He also supports player pathways and recruitment.

Aron Davies

Club Coach

Aron is club captain at Rimal Al-Sahra, and came through the ranks at Fulham FC before moving across to play in his home country of Wales.

He is developing an impressive coaching career alongside his playing, with a genuine love of working with and developing players. His personable approach and leadership make him a natural role model for our young athletes.

Playing careerScholarship — Middlesbrough FC

Tylah Sanchez

Club Coach

Tylah is a current member of the men's first team. After time in the academy system in the UK he signed a scholarship with Championship club Middlesbrough FC, before moving to the UAE at the start of the 2025/26 season.

Highly energetic and technically excellent as both a footballer and a coach, his enjoyment of the sport helps players learn to love the game first and take control of everything else as it comes.

Playing careerProfessional — Brentford, Premier League

David Titov

Club Coach

David is a dual-nationality footballer with several years of experience in the professional game, having played at Premier League side Brentford before moving across Europe and eventually to the UAE.

He is a talented coach known for driving his players to higher standards and for being clear about what is needed if young athletes want to succeed. His disciplined approach motivates his teams to perform both on and away from the pitch.

Eight of the coaching staff — drag to see more
Around the squad

The support structure.

Around the coaching sits a multi-disciplinary team covering medical, strength and conditioning, coaching, education and player welfare.

01Performance

Player
analysis

Every player in the programme is reviewed on video. Matches and training are filmed and broken down by our analysis staff, then fed back individually and as a group so players can see the moments that decide games rather than being told about them. Clips are tied directly to our game model, so a player understands why a decision was right or wrong within the way we play.

Player analysis at Rimal Al-Sahra
02Physiotherapy

Medicalprovisions

Every player is supported by qualified physiotherapy from the first session through to return to play. Injuries are managed properly rather than rushed, with treatment, rehabilitation and load monitoring handled by staff who understand the demands of the professional game in this climate. A player who is looked after well is a player available for longer.

Medical provisions at Rimal Al-Sahra
03Strength & conditioning

Athletic
development

Our strength and conditioning coaches have worked with Premier League players and bring the same level of detail to every athlete here. Work is built around the individual rather than the group, planned to suit a player's age, position and stage of growth - so players are stronger, more robust and better prepared as they progress through the pathway.

Athletic development at Rimal Al-Sahra

Head of Coaching

It is so evident to me that one of the club's core values is accountability. Honesty and integrity are visible at all levels, within every decision we make.

— Jordan Ive, Head of Coaching

انضم إلينا

IN THE LOOP.

Fixtures, results, and the occasional honest word from inside the club.