Casteels: 'Last season was great, but Al Qadsiah want more' | OneFootball

As presumably all top internationals do, Koen Casteels isn’t prepared to rest on his laurels.

The Belgium No.1 enjoyed a superb debut season in the Roshn Saudi League, one that concluded with his Al Qadsiah side finishing fourth upon their return to the top flight.

Casteels was absolutely integral to that: with a league-leading 14 clean sheets, he was named the 2024-25 RSL Goalkeeper of the Year.

However, with the new campaign just under way – Al Qadsiah opened with a 3-1 home victory against new boys Al Najmah – Casteels is casting his focus forward, not back.

Crucially, to achieving even more in his follow-up season in the Kingdom.

“Well, it’s very nice to be recognised as the goalkeeper of the league last year, but this is the past and we are looking forward to the new season,” Casteels says in an interview with the Saudi Pro League.

OK, but not so fast. Just how did he settle so well in the RSL following his move last year from German Bundesliga side VfL Wolfsburg?

“I felt very welcome here, so I could perform at my best level,” Casteels explains. “And we are all very happy about it. That means also that my family feels very, very good here.

"If your family is finding it very difficult, maybe it also influences your performances at the pitch, and [them being happy] gives me the freedom to perform at my best level. Overall, [through] the whole season, we have been very stable, very good as a whole team - and I was also part of that.”

A huge part, to be fair. Casteels played all but one of Al Qadsiah’s 34 RSL matches, his 2,970 minutes bettered by only three other players across the entire division. That rang true, too, of his save percentage: his 73.4% through 2024-25 ranked Casteels fourth in the league.

“Let's hope we can do the same this year,” Casteels says. “It would be very nice to get the award again because that means the team also is doing very well, is defending well together with me.

“So, let's hope, and that's of course our goal for the season to do the same. It'll not be easy, but let's try to do it again. Obviously, we count on the defence [Real Madrid great Nacho is captain] to be there for us, and we will give everything on the pitch to try to win as many games as possible.

“And let's hope, with their support, we can have a great season like we had last year.”

A similarly successful year – Al Qadsiah also reached the King’s Cup final – but, it almost goes with saying, an even better one.

“Of course, we always want to improve,” Casteels says. “Like I said, the second season, it's not going to be easy, but we aim for the best and we want to improve every year, every week to win as many games as possible.

“Hopefully we can give the fans a great season again. There is a lot of motivation after one year where we did well but, for example, we didn't qualify for the [AFC] Champions League [Elite].

“So that means that we even have to be better, to work more in detail. And it's not that we won the [league] championship, so there are still a lot of goals to achieve for us as a club.”

Rather appropriately, Al Qadsiah will be provided early evidence of just much they have improved when the RSL returns this week after the international break.

On Saturday, they travel to Al Hilal, last season’s runners-up, in one of the standout fixtures of Matchweek 2. Not only will Casteels be up against a title rival, but a direct competitor for that Golden Glove: .