SAUDI PRO LEAGUE
Benzema fever hits Jeddah ahead of Al-Ittihad presentation
Saudi champions Al-Ittihad sold more than 56,000 tickets for Karim Benzema’s presentation at Jeddah’s King Abdullah Sports City Stadium in only a few hours after sales were announced on Wednesday.
The France striker and Ballon d’Or winner signed a three-season contract with the Saudi Pro League club on Tuesday for a total of $165 million, according to local media.
Tickets for Thursday’s presentation of the former Real Madrid captain later at the 62,000-seat arena, known locally as ‘The Shining Jewel’, started from just nine riyals ($2.40).
A large number of supporters wearing the club’s yellow and black colours greeted Benzema upon his arrival in the city on Wednesday night and he is expected to hold a press conference on Thursday before being presented to the fans.
Benzema, 35, was Al-Ittihad’s first signing since winning the league title for the first time since 2009 with compatriot N’Golo Kante expected to join him from Chelsea soon.
Cristiano Ronaldo blazed the trail in the Saudi Pro League by signing a lucrative contract with Al-Nassr in December.
Saudi clubs are targeting other big names in the coming months with the likes of Sergio Busquets, Angel Di Maria, Jordi Alba and Sergio Ramos being linked with moves to the desert kingdom in local media.
A source close to Argentina captain Lionel Messi last month told Reuters that he had received a formal offer to join Al-Hilal but the 35-year-old World Cup winner decided to join Inter Miami in the United States instead.
-Reuters
Former Super Eagles’ coach, Jose Peseiro is on the line to coach Saudi Arabia Pro League first tier team, Al Riyadh.
Information from the oil rich country indicate that Peseiro who had previously coached the Saudi Arabia national team is one of the two being considered to replace Odair Hellmann at the Saudi club which placed 14th at the end of last season.
It is gathered that Peseiro has a competitor in Spanish cooach, Javier Pereira who is also lineup for the job.
Peseiro had previously managed Al Hilal in 2006 and later coached the Saudi national team during their 2010 World Cup qualifying campaign.
Al Nasr’s Cristiano Ronaldo capped his first full Saudi Pro League season in style as he broke the record for the most goals scored in one campaign on Monday.
The Portuguese 39-year-old scored a brace in his side’s 4-2 win over Al Ittihad on the final matchday to bring his league tally this season to 35 goals.
The previous record was held by former Al Nasr forward and Moroccan international Abderrazak Hamdallah, who scored 34 goals in 2018-19.
Ronaldo, who played for Sporting, Manchester United, Real Madrid and Juventus, joined Al Nasr in January 2023.
-Reuters
Undefeated Al-Hilal won a record-extending 19th Saudi Pro League title on Saturday with a 4-1 victory over Al-Hazem to reclaim the trophy from Al-Ittihad who won it last season.
Jorge Jesus’ side hold a 12-point advantage over Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr in second with three matches remaining.
Aleksandar Mitrovic gave Al-Hilal the lead from the penalty spot after 15 minutes but Faiz Selemani netted the equaliser for Al-Hazem in the 34th minute.
However, Jesus’s side took the lead again with an own goal from Ahmed Al-Juwaid in the 39th minute.
Mitrovic scored again in first-half stoppage time and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic scored three minutes later to make it 4-1.
Al-Hilal are chasing the treble having clinched the Saudi Super Cup title in April, and having reached the Saudi King’s Cup final where they will play Al-Nassr.
-Reuters
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