Turki Al-Sheikh: Saudi royal court advisor, entertainer and owner of Almeria
- Published
Turki Al-Sheikh (right) with Real Madrid president Florentino Perez
On first glance, the Twitter profile of Turki Al-Sheikh is exactly what you would expect in the high-powered world of modern football.
But then it takes an unexpected turn, with the addition of 'poet and producer'.
The Saudi Arabian, who bought lowly Spanish side Almeria in 2019, is one of football's most interesting owners.
With his club heading to Barcelona on Saturday, we look at the story of the man whose 'day job' is head of the Saudi General Entertainment Authority.
Overshadowed by far bigger fellow Andalusian clubs like Malaga, Real Betis and Sevilla, it's fair to say that Almeria have never been a star turn in Spanish football.
The vast majority of their existence has been spent in the lower leagues, with a four-year stint in La Liga between 2007 and 2011 (including a club-best eighth-place finish under Unai Emery in 2008) being a rare exception.
That all changed in the summer of 2019 when Almeria - then loitering in the middle of the second division - were bought for €20m (£17.2m) by Turki, who immediately announced lofty ambitions.
Tony Brown, an Englishman who has been an Almeria season ticket holder for five years, told BBC Sport: "He arrived with a lot of promises of how he intended taking Almeria into La Liga and then European football. That made people take notice."
Those words were backed up by action as the new owner invested heavily in an unprecedented raft of expensive signings, including England youth international Arvin Appiah for £8m from Nottingham Forest and young, little-known Uruguayan striker Darwin Nunez.
The signings were matched by improvements in the club's infrastructure.
Brown said: "He brought in an entire management team to run the club and did a lot of work to modernise the stadium.
"The open sides have been sealed in so it looks like a proper stadium and it's much more comfortable."
Darwin Nunez scored 16 goals in 30 games during his one season in the Spanish second tier with Almeria
Any suspicions over Turki's motives were firmly quashed by the man he appointed to lead the club's daily running, Mohamed El Assy, who had previously worked with the Saudi owner at Egyptian club Pyramids FC.
El Assy is very clear that Turki's interest in Almeria has nothing to do with global power politics, telling Spanish newspaper El Pais: "If Saudi Arabia wanted to buy a club to project its image, they would buy Valencia, not Almeria. This is an individual project.
"If you imagine this project is like Manchester City or PSG, that's the joke of the year. If I was endorsed by the Saudi government, I would buy Manchester United, not waste my time in the Spanish second division in the hope of getting promoted. I'd buy a club for one billion, not 21 million!"
Turki's first season in charge was disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic, providing a test of El Assy's claim that the new owner wanted to make the club "the central element of the whole city, with everything revolving around it".
Brown said: "During the pandemic, Turki made substantial donations of medical equipment to the main local hospital and, through the club, he made contributions to food banks. So he won the hearts and minds of fans on and off the pitch."
Perhaps the only people not impressed by Turki's initial work at Almeria were the many managers he hired and fired: he went through five coaches in his first two seasons, including former Reading boss Jose Gomes and Real Madrid legend Guti, with the team narrowly missing out on promotion in both 2020 and 2021.
However, the appointment of former Espanyol and Real Betis boss Rubi prompted a more patient approach. Despite a few wobbles along the way, Almeria finished last season as Segunda Division champions, fulfilling the first part of Turki's pledge.
This campaign started slowly, including a run of four games without scoring a single goal following the sale of star striker Umar Sadiq to Real Sociedad. But Turki kept faith with Rubi and has been rewarded with a run of three consecutive home wins, lifting the team into 13th place before Saturday's trip to Barcelona.
Fan Tony Brown has been impressed by Turki's work with Almeria
Considering everything he has done for the club both on and off the pitch, it's no surprise that Turki is very popular with Almeria fans.
"People are seeing a man of his word, doing his best to achieve what he said he'd do," said Brown.
"He turns up for a lot of matches wearing an Almeria shirt. Whenever he comes out into the grandstand, he always gets a cheer and his name is chanted."
In recent weeks, Turki has devoted less time to Almeria because of his role as the head of Saudi Arabia's General Entertainment Authority.
That currently entails actively running 'Riyadh Season 2022' - a programme of vibrant cultural events in the Saudi capital, including concerts by English singer Anne-Marie and K-pop megastars Blackpink - which marks a significant break from the country's conservative, traditional image.
And Turki is far than just a figurehead in that role; he is a prolific songwriter and poet, attracting nearly six million followers on Twitter with his regular video clips of music and verse.
By pulling Almeria's football club and Saudi Arabia's cultural scene firmly into the 21st century, Turki is clearly a dynamic individual who isn't afraid to challenge preconceptions.
The club's short term looks promising as talented coach Rubi leads a young and hungry squad - this season is all about survival and consolidation - but beyond that, it's well worth keeping an eye on this fast-rising club.
Next stop, Europe?