Neom SC Director Kyriakos Dourekas granted prestigious award for services to football
Kyriakos Dourekas, sporting director of Saudi Arabian side Neom SC, has been
awarded the Mandela Award for Sport at the 2025 ceremony in Bari, recognizing
his influential career across Greece, England and the Middle East.
Dourekas spent more than 20 years in senior positions at Olympiacos, where he played a key
role in sustaining the club’s dominance in Greek football. In 2018 he joined
Nottingham Forest, becoming part of the leadership group that helped steer the
club back to the Premier League.
He took charge of Neom SC’s sporting operations in 2024,
overseeing the structure of the newly created club based in Saudi Arabia’s
flagship Red Sea development zone.
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While many Saudi clubs have made headlines with major
signings and heavy transfer spending, Neom has adopted a development-first
philosophy. Under Dourekas, the club has prioritised young players with
long-term upside, including promising French talents Nathan Zeze and Saimon
Bouabre. Recruitment has focused on prospects who can flourish within a
data-driven scouting setup and a modern academy system.
Neom exceeded expectations in its first full campaign and is
widely regarded as one of the league’s most coherently run projects.
Dourekas’ award comes as Saudi Arabia continues to broaden
its football ambitions, attracting coaches, executives and players from across
Europe.
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The 2025 Mandela Awards recognized figures from various
sectors, including photographer Richard Young, filmmaker Sixx King and Balmoral
Group CEO Dr. Ezekiel Adamu. Dourekas received the sporting honour from Joseph
Hammond and Taiwo Megoma, co-chairs of the Puglia Creative Economy Forum.
Though still in its infancy, Neom’s strategic approach under
Dourekas has distinguished it within a rapidly evolving league.
Source: The Sporting
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