AL RAYYAN
Eyeing a hat-trick of league crowns, Rayyan would be the team to beat. Having broken arch-rivals Al Arabi’s dominance in the domestic scenario, Rayyan would be keen to keep the momentum going. The eight-time champions are leaving no stone unturned in their efforts to grab a ninth one and the recruitment of high-profile Italian coach Daniele Bagnoli is a case in the point.
POLICE
It is high-time the cops came out of the perpetual bridesmaid tag. Having come agonisingly close to winning their maiden title last season, They should be hoping to break the shackles this time. French coach Jean-Michele Roche has it in him to bring the best out of his wards. A tendency to lose from winning positions is their bane.
EL JAISH
Quite often, the Armymen have wilted under big-match pressure, the most recent case being the loss to Al Arabi in the Federation Cup final. In former Arabi star Christian Pampel, the two-time Federation Cup champions have a man for all seasons. Serbian coach Ivan Joksimovic is a master tactician at work. Much will depend on the performance of senior players like Mohammed Al Bishri and Nabeel Abid.
AL ARABI
With a record 24 league crowns to their credit, Arabi are looking to regain the past glory. Being pushed to third and fourth position respectively in the last two seasons, Arabi are a wounded lot. The victory at the Federation Cup, where they dethroned two-time defending champions El Jaish in the final, has given them a much-needed morale booster at the start of the season.
AL AHLI
Barring the odd appearances in cup finals, Ahli have flattered to deceive most of the time. The best chance they had to win the title was in the
2012-13 season when they finished as runners-up after winning 17 of the 20 matches. After a promising start, they slipped to fifth last season. Ex-Arabi star Philippe Barca-Cysique has joined their ranks and he is likely to be the key player upfront.
QATAR SC
Qatar have never been able to recreate the form which saw them win back-to-back titles in 2003 and ’04. Outstanding one day, pretty ordinary the next day, that has been their case all the time. However, they have always managed to remain in the top four. They will be heavily relying on Algerian spiker Toufik Mahdjoubi to deliver the goods this time.
AL SADD
Sadd have been the perennial underachievers of the Qatar League for a while. Last season they could manage only a seventh-place finish and most of their victories came against low-profile teams. Brazilian Andre Ricardo is a welcome addition to the squad which has the talent, but often fails to show it on the court.
AL KHOR
Khor have to prove that they are not here just to make up the numbers. They improved from 10th to eighth last season, but challenging the top teams have always been a problem for them. Renato Martin who joined them from El Jaish at the beginning of the season is expected to bolster the attack.
AL WAKRAH
Finishing ninth among 11 teams in back-to-back seasons is an indicator of the stagnant growth of the club. Wakrah have always been defensive in their approach, waiting for things to happen rather than making it happen. Failure to win close contests have always spelt doom for the club and they would be keen to arrest the slide this time.
AL GHARAFA
They used to dominate in the erstwhile First Division, but are yet to come to terms with the top flight of Qatar League. Gharafa are yet to make a serious impact despite playing two full seasons in the revised format of the league. They have always struggled when it comes to bringing in top-notch professionals and early signs indicate that the trend will continue.
AL SHAMAL
From being the eternal whipping boys of the league, Shamal have come a long way. After bringing up the rear in the 2012-13 season where they failed to even win a set, forget about a match, Shamal showed tremendous progress last season. They may have finished last again, but two victories and playing many close five setters have given them the confidence to take on big teams.