Al-Hilal beats Al-Ittihad 4-1 in final of the Saudi Super Cup

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Hilal's players celebrate with the trophy after winning the Saudi Super Cup final football match between Al-Ittihad and Al-Hilal at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on April 11, 2024. (AFP)

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Hilal's Brazilian forward Malcom dribbles past Ittihad's French midfielder N'Golo Kante during the Saudi Super Cup final football match between Al-Ittihad and Al-Hilal at the Mohammed bin Zayed Stadium in Abu Dhabi on April 11, 2024. (AFP)

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Updated 12 April 2024

April 12, 2024 02:17

Al-Hilal beats Al-Ittihad 4-1 in final of the Saudi Super Cup

“It was a difficult game and I am very happy to score two goals,” Malcom told Saudi television

Updated 12 April 2024

April 12, 2024 02:17

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates: Al-Hilal beat Al-Ittihad 4-1 in the final of the Saudi Super Cup on Thursday to stay on course for an unprecedented quadruple.
The trophy, lifted in Abu Dhabi’s Mohammed Bin Zayed Stadium, is the first of the season for the Riyadh giant but is unlikely to be the last as the team is also 12 points clear of Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr at the top of the Saudi Pro League with just seven games remaining.
Al-Hilal, also in the semifinal of the Asian Champions League and the Saudi King’s Cup, has also expanded its world record winning streak for top-tier teams to 34 consecutive games in all competitions.
Three days after defeating Al-Nassr in the semifinal, during which Ronaldo was sent off for elbowing Ali Al-Bulaihi, two goals from Brazilian winger Malcom did the damage for Al-Hilal. Salem Al-Dawsari and Nasser Al-Dawsari sealed the win with late goals.
“It was a difficult game and I am very happy to score two goals,” Malcom told Saudi television. “We are also happy to collect our first title of the season but we are chasing more trophies.”
Ittihad striker Karim Benzema, signed from Real Madrid last summer, was unable to find the target while colleague Abderrazak Hamdallah made up for missing a penalty by getting on the scoresheet.
The Moroccan forward featured in a controversial incident at the end of the match, however, as he seemed to get involved in an altercation with a fan standing close to the field. The supporter was led away by security personnel.
In 2023, the Super Cup was expanded from a single game between the league champion and King’s Cup winner to include the runners-up from both competitions. It was also moved to Abu Dhabi.
Al-Hilal returns to the United Arab Emirates on Tuesday to take on Al-Ain in the first leg of the Asian Champions League semifinals as it seeks a record fifth continental title.
The club’s potentially record-breaking season comes after it spent about 350 million euros ($380 million) on player transfers after being taken over by the Saudi sovereign wealth operation, the Public Investment Fund which is controlled by Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

Al-Ahli’s Ivan Toney looking to outscore Ronaldo in the SPL this season

Updated 30 October 2024

Arab News

October 30, 2024 20:24

Al-Ahli’s Ivan Toney looking to outscore Ronaldo in the SPL this season

England international all set for Jeddah derby against Al-Ittihad on Thursday night
Ivan Toney: We want to win the league, end of story

Updated 30 October 2024

Arab News

October 30, 2024 20:24

JEDDAH: Al-Ahli forward Ivan Toney is hoping to score more goals than Cristiano Ronaldo this season — starting by netting in a Derby Week victory over Jeddah rivals Al-Ittihad in the Roshn Saudi League on Thursday.

The England goalscorer, who joined Al-Ahli from Brentford in the summer, has netted three times in six Roshn Saudi League matches. Five-time Ballon d’Or winner Ronaldo has six goals from seven Roshn Saudi League games for Al-Nassr this season.

Toney hopes to improve that tally in the Sea Derby, which kicks off at 9 p.m. local time on Thursday as Al-Ahli travel to face their city rivals Al-Ittihad at King Abdullah Sports City. The big game is part of Roshn Saudi League’s innovative Derby Week, which is taking place in Matchweek 9 of the 2024/25 season.

The new Derby Week addition to the Saudi Arabian topflight also features Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr versus champions Al-Hilal, with Neymar at No. 10, at Al-Awwal Park in the Capital Derby on Friday. The Eastern Derby between Al-Ettifaq, managed by Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard, and Al-Qadsiah, who welcomed Real Madrid hero Nacho into their ranks in summer, is on Saturday.

Here are some of Toney’s views on a big few days ahead.

On the derby

“We know it’s going to be big. On a personal level, it is going to be my first one. I’m excited. I know derbies from my previous clubs, but I’m sure it’s nothing like being here, how much it means to everyone, and hopefully we can win.

“I think it’ll be similar (to other derbies), you know, there’ll be tackles flying in, but the fact is we’re fighting for what color we make Jeddah. Obviously, it’s special to everyone and special to the fans; obviously with them being so close, we want to make Jeddah green.”

On facing top Al-Ittihad talent

“You’ve got to do the work. It’s all well and good coming up against these players, but we’re not here to idolize these players, we’re here to beat them, and hopefully we can do that.”

Roshn Saudi League ambitions

“Obviously, we have to aim to win the league. If I was saying, ‘We’ll just try and get top three,’ what’s the point in playing the games? We want to win the league, end of story.”

Goalscoring

“I always set targets for myself and hopefully I can hit them. (Media) ask me what my target is, but it doesn’t come out. It only comes out when I’ve hit it come the end of the season! Hopefully I can keep playing well, score goals and help the team to win games.”

On scoring more or less than Cristiano Ronaldo

“Hopefully more! To be fair, I’m competing with myself really, I don’t watch what other people are doing. Obviously, Ronaldo is a top player, but I concentrate on myself and what I do best.”

Topics: SPL Al-Ahli

Karim Benzema happy at Al-Ittihad, head coach Laurent Blanc says

Updated 30 October 2024

Arab News

October 30, 2024 19:04

Karim Benzema happy at Al-Ittihad, head coach Laurent Blanc says

Team sits second in Saudi Pro League ahead of Thursday’s Sea Derby clash with Al-Ahli
‘It will be a very interesting game,’ Frenchman says

Updated 30 October 2024

Arab News

October 30, 2024 19:04

JEDDAH: Al-Ittihad manager Laurent Blanc says his star striker Karim Benzema is happy to be at the Jeddah club, as the French duo target victory over Al-Ahli on Thursday.

Al-Ittihad go into the Sea Derby in second place in the Roshn Saudi League, with their rivals back in 11th. Ahead of the match, Blanc, a World Cup winner with France as a player in 1998, has spoken about managing Al-Ittihad, 2022 Ballon d’Or winner Benzema, facing Ivan Toney and the big game itself.

The match, which kicks off at 9 p.m. at King Abdullah Sports City, is part of the league’s innovative Derby Week, which falls on Matchweek 9 of the 2024-25 season.

The new feature will also see Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr play champions Al-Hilal, with Neymar at No. 10, at Al Awwal Park in the Capital Derby in a mouthwatering match up on Friday. The Eastern Derby between Al-Ettifaq, managed by Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard, and Al-Qadsiah, who welcomed Real Madrid hero Nacho into their ranks in summer, is on Saturday.

Here are some of Blanc’s views on what promises to be a big weekend for Saudi football:

The Sea Derby

“It will be a hard game because it is a derby. But the game? I don’t know, I am not a magician. We hope we have the ball, because we want the ball in every game. Certainly, Al-Ahli will not agree with that. They are a good team with good players, so we need to be ready for a big game.

“It will be a very interesting game because on the pitch will be many good players. It will be a tough game, physically and technically. And there will be many people in the stadium to see it. I am impatient because this game is very interesting to play.

“I have been involved in a lot of derbies — in France, in England, in Spain, in Italy. It is the same way everywhere. In Saudi Arabia it is the same. You prepare for the game, you want to prepare to be ready, physically and technically. We are preparing well, I am sure. But Al-Ahli is also too. The only way is to win the game, but for now we don’t know the result. So it is the same everywhere guys, the most important thing is preparing to be ready physically and in my opinion in the derby, mentally. If you are ready mentally you can get a result, if you are not ready mentally it is very difficult.”

Benzema

“I think he is happy on the pitch and certainly off the pitch — this is very important for the player and he’s scored a lot. But this isn’t a surprise. Karim Benzema has played football for 20 years more or less and he scored a lot every year — 25, 27, 24 goals in a year. In Madrid, in Lyon and in Al-Ittihad it is the same.”

Facing Toney and Mahrez

“Everybody knows this player (Toney) is a very good player. He is a scorer too. He scored a lot of goals in England. But it’s not only Toney, they have Mahrez who we know a lot because he played in France and in England, he scored a lot. Technically he is a very, very good player. Al-Ahli is a good team. Everybody knows that.”

Building a successful team

“We need to adapt the squad to our objective. It is complicated, if you want to go to the top there is only one way and that is to win games. So the objective is big and we have to work a lot. The local players and the foreign players don’t have the same culture, so we have to work with the football but also in my opinion to be working with the human. I love to do that. Sometimes we have good results, sometimes we have bad results but we need to continue to work like this.”

Topics: SPL Al-ittihad

Sevilla FC and Future Falcons partner to develop young Saudi talent

Updated 29 October 2024

Arab News

October 29, 2024 11:57

Sevilla FC and Future Falcons partner to develop young Saudi talent

A delegation from the Saudi Arabian Football Federation initiative was received by the La Liga club’s president

Updated 29 October 2024

Arab News

October 29, 2024 11:57

SEVILLE: A collaboration agreement between Sevilla FC and the Saudi Arabian Football Federation’s Future Falcons project will develop young Saudi talent and grow the La Liga club’s brand in the region.

“Sevilla FC signs this agreement with Future Falcons because, as part of our strategic plan, one of our most important pillars is the internationalization of the Sevilla FC brand, making ourselves known to the world,” said the club president, Jose Maria del Nido Carrasco.

“Saudi Arabia is an emerging and increasingly influential market in the world of football, and for us, this is a very important strategic alliance.”

Romeo Jozak, technical director of Future Falcons, said European clubs with which the organization wanted to collaborate and work were carefully selected.

“Sevilla FC is undoubtedly one of them,” he said. “It’s not only a giant in Spanish football but also a global football powerhouse. We’re thrilled to be here today and to have received such a warm welcome from the club and its president. This exchange provides tremendous mutual benefit and the opportunity to collaborate in the best possible way. Future Falcons will gain significant advantages through this partnership with Sevilla FC.”

Future Falcons is an academy project, managed by the SAFF, which trains the most promising young Saudi footballers at a high-performance center in Salou. The agreement means Sevilla FC will take part in the organization’s prestigious youth tournament alongside some of Europe’s top youth academies, including Benfica, Juventus and Sporting CP.

“This is very positive,” Carrasco said. “We’re convinced that the training process they undertake, both in sports and personal development, is very similar to what we implement in our youth academy, which has been a cornerstone of our club’s history.

“Participating in their tournament with Sevilla’s youth players will provide a formative experience akin to what we’ve had in the past four seasons in the Youth League. It’s a tournament that features the best teams from different parts of the world, and this is highly beneficial in the players’ formative journey and for Sevilla FC.”

Jozak also emphasized the benefits of this tournament: “Within the Saudi Arabian national team, the majority of players have trained with Future Falcons and have played and competed in this tournament, where Sevilla will also be present.

“I think this will be mutually beneficial in the future due to the exchange of cultures, coaching methods, knowledge and experiences. Everyone knows Sevilla FC is a big club, having won seven Europa League titles and developed numerous players. This collaboration is a blessing for Future Falcons.”

Sevilla FC will actively participate in training talented players and Saudi coaches through its innovation center and some of its training initiatives. The club’s commitment to technological advancement in sports will also allow it to share knowledge and tools, focusing on talent development and recruitment.

Topics: football Sevilla SAFF Saudi Arabian Football Federation

Renard return should bring joy to Saudi national team and fans

Updated 27 October 2024

John Duerden

October 27, 2024 12:44

Renard return should bring joy to Saudi national team and fans

The Frenchman replaces Roberto Mancini and hopes to recreate the magic that saw the Green Falcons beat Argentina at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar

Updated 27 October 2024

John Duerden

October 27, 2024 12:44

LONDON: “I’m back.” And with those words on Saturday night, one of the biggest — though least surprising — homecomings in Asian football was complete.

Herve Renard is the new (and old) Saudia Arabian coach. It is a little over 18 months since the Frenchman left Riyadh to become head coach of the women’s national team in his homeland, and he has some work to do on his return.

Saudi football fans hope he brings him the joy that was felt during the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, when their nation beat eventual champions Argentina 2-1.

“I did not intend to leave but when your country knocks on your door, you have to respond,” Renard said in a video released by the Saudi Arabia Football Federation. “My connection with Saudi, the fans, the players and all the memories — I can never forget.”

Such words will be well-received by the fans, coming just two days after Roberto Mancini was dismissed following 14 months in the job. It was clear the federation already had their man in place and Renard’s return feels like a warm, comfortable embrace.

He’s back

pic.twitter.com/f45MAa51Jo
— Saudi National Team (@SaudiNT_EN) October 26, 2024

Qualification for the 2026 World Cup was not going well. Five points from the first four games, three of which were in Jeddah, was a disappointing start in Group C for the Saudi team. With only the top two sure of a place in North America, the Green Falcons were already resigned — or Mancini was, at least — to a battle.

The goalless home draw with Bahrain on Oct. 15 was the final straw. Bahrain are level with Saudi Arabia on five points, as are the Kingdom’s next opponents, Australia. Bosses wanted to make the change before the long journey to Melbourne.

That crucial match comes almost three years to the day since Renard took the team to Sydney for a 2022 World Cup qualifier. It was the fourth game of the third round. Saudi Arabia had won their first three and produced a fighting performance to draw 0-0, showing the spirit that would take them all the way to Qatar. In the end the team finished top of a tough group, above Japan and a massive eight points clear of Australia in third.

It is a stark contrast to the current situation. The national team are low on confidence, having scored just three goals in five games — two came from Hassan Kadesh headers in China, with midfielder Musab Al-Juwayr getting the other.

But it is not just about results on the pitch; the atmosphere around the national team has soured of late. This stems from the results, of course, but the sight of Mancini gesturing and seemingly shouting at fans at the end of the Bahrain game was also a cause for concern. The Italian was also visibly angry with Salem Al-Dawsari for missing his second penalty in four qualifiers.

Mancini may have won some big trophies as a coach, but repeated complaints about the lack of playing time given to his players did not go down well.

In contrast, Renard plays the game well off the pitch and seems to enjoy his job. There is none of Mancini’s spikiness. This is bound to improve the atmosphere around the team instantly.

They say you should never go back, but there was already an understanding in Riyadh when Reynard left for France. There were no acrimonious circumstances surrounding his departure.

After being in charge for almost four years, the 56-year-old knew his players well. And there will always be that unforgettable win against Argentina in 2022. Renard’s half-time team-talk has gone down in World Cup history, not just in Saudi Arabia but everywhere. His leadership and motivational qualities are on show for all to see.

Still, it is easily forgotten that there were a few rumblings before Renard left. Five of his last six games ended in defeat, albeit against the kind of international opposition the Kingdom does not face often.

Nobody cares about that now, however; now, it is about qualifying for the 2026 World Cup. Renard has a contract until 2025 with an option to extend to 2027, the duration of his last contract. This would also include the Asian Cup, which is set to take place on home soil.

As he left last year, he said: “I think I did the maximum with the team. I can’t reach another level so I prefer to be honest with everybody.”

There is no need for that other level right now. All everyone wants is a return to the old one. That the federation has turned to a familiar, friendly face is understandable. It will be a happier team that flies to Australia next month — for a game they can’t afford to lose.

Topics: Herve Renard 2024 World Cup qualifiers 2026 World Cup

‘He’s back’: Herve Renard returns as Saudi Arabia national team head coach

Updated 27 October 2024

Arab News

October 26, 2024 23:30

‘He’s back’: Herve Renard returns as Saudi Arabia national team head coach

It will be the second spell in charge of the Green Falcons for the Frenchman

Updated 27 October 2024

Arab News

October 26, 2024 23:30

RIYADH: Herve Renard has made a surprise return as coach of the Saudi Arabia national team, the Saudi Football Federation announced on Saturday.

“I’m back,” Renard said in a social media video posted by the Saudi Arabia Football Federation.

It will be the second spell in charge of the Green Falcons for the Frenchman.

Renard led the national team to a memorable 2-1 win over eventual champions Argentina at the 2022 World Cup but left in March last year to take over France’s women’s team.

The 56-year-old stepped down from the role in August following France’s quarter-final exit to Brazil at the Paris Olympics.

Italy’s Roberto Mancini took over from Renard as Saudi coach but his contract was ended by mutual agreement with the federation on Thursday after 14 months due to poor results.

“I did not intend to leave (Saudi). But when your country knocks on your door you have to respond,” Renard said in the video. “My connection with Saudi, the fans, the players and all the memories — I can never forget. I did not finish my story with Saudi.”

Renard’s contract will run until the end of 2025 with an option to extend until the 2027 Asian Cup, which will be hosted in Saudi Arabia for the first time.

Mancini was hired by Saudi Arabia in August 2023 having led Italy to victory at the 2021 European Championship. But the serial trophy winner was quickly under pressure after an underwhelming Asian Cup in January and an exit in the round of 16.

In Asia’s third round of World Cup qualifying that started in September, Saudi Arabia has collected just five points from four games. This month at home it lost to Japan 2-0 and drew with Bahrain 0-0.

It left Saudi Arabia third place in the six-team group. The top two qualify automatically for the 2026 World Cup while the third- and fourth-placed finishers progress to the fourth stage.

Renard’s first game back in charge is against Australia in Melbourne on Nov. 14.

(With AP)

Topics: football soccer Saudi Arabia Herve Renard

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Al-Hilal beats Al-Ittihad 4-1 in final of the Saudi Super Cup

Al-Hilal beats Al-Ittihad 4-1 in final of the Saudi Super Cup

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