Al-Ittihad Club (Jeddah)

Al-Ittihad Saudi Arabian Club (Arabic: نادي الاتحاد العربي السعودي, romanizednādī al-Ittihad al-earabī as-saʿūdī, lit.'Saudi Arabian Union Club'), commonly known as Al-Ittihad, is a Saudi professional football club based in Jeddah. It was founded in 1927.[1] The club has spent its entire history in the top flight of football in Saudi Arabia, currently known as the Saudi Pro League.[3] Al-Ittihad has won 50 championships from which 35 are official championships.

Al-Ittihad
Full nameAl-Ittihad Saudi Arabian Club
Nickname(s)
  • Nadi Al-Sha'ab (The People's Club)
  • Nadi Al-Watan (The Nation's Club)
  • Amid Al-Andiyah (The Chief of Clubs)
Founded26 December 1927; 96 years ago (1927-12-26)[1]
GroundKing Abdullah Sports City
Capacity62,345
OwnerPublic Investment Fund (75%)
Al-Ittihad Non-Profit Foundation (25%)[2]
ChairmanBudzy Dorra
ManagerMarcelo Gallardo
LeaguePro League
2022–23Pro League, 1st of 16
WebsiteClub website
Current season
Al-Ittihad active departments

Football
(men's)

Football
(women's)

Al-Ittihad matches are played at Jeddah's main stadium King Abdullah Sports City, which is the second-largest stadium in Saudi Arabia, accommodating 62,345 spectators.[1] Al Ittihad has a long-standing rivalry with Al-Hilal, which is referred to as Saudi El Clasico, and is considered the most prominent and most watched annual match(es) in Saudi football.[4]

It is the oldest sports club still surviving in Saudi Arabia, as the club was founded in 1927.[4] The most successful period in the club history was the 1990s and the 2000s,[1] when the club achieved a large number of titles and achievements domestically, regionally, and even globally culminating in the club securing the 4th place in the 2005 FIFA Club World Championship in Japan.

Al-Ittihad is one of the most successful Asian club at domestic and continental level, as they have achieved the AFC Champions League title twice in a row (one of only three Asian teams to achieve this, and the first to do so), the Asian Cup Winners' Cup once, the GCC Champions League and the Arab Champions League title each once.[5] Domestically, Al-Ittihad is also the second most successful club in Saudi Arabia (behind Al-Hilal), having won nine league titles, nine King's Cup titles, eight Crown Prince Cup titles, three Saudi Federation Cup titles and one Saudi Super Cup.[4][5][6]

History edit

Creation (1927–1949) edit

The club was founded after a meeting of some of the notable football enthusiasts (Dean, Zahid, Shawn, and Jazza) of the city of Jeddah, on 26 December 1927.[1] They met in the offices of the radio broadcasting company and discussed the idea of forming a football club to compete with various traveling teams and be a source of entertainment for inhabitants and an outlet for the city youth to practice organised sport.[1] Everyone agreed that they should create the team that unites them and Ittihad Jeddah was born. The attendees were Hamza Fitaihi, Abdulrazag Ajlan, Abdullah Bin Zagor, Fahad Badkook, Abdulsamad Najeeb Alsaady, Ismail Zahran, Ali Yamani, Abdulaziz Jameel, Abdul Latif Jameel, Abdulateef Linjawi, Othman Banajah, Ahmad Abu Talib, Ali Sultan, Ahmed Almir and Saleh Salamah.

As long as we are here together, let's call it Al-Ittihad (Mazen Mohammed)

The name of club was quoted from this wisdom, Mazen Mohammed words which created the current club name. Club owners agrees with him to put the club name Al-Ittihad (United or Union, jointly) in Arabic.

Ismail Zahran team player who was working as in Radio Office in Jeddah to the possibility of electing the head of the works Mr. Sultan to be a President of the club, However, Ali Sultan became the first official president of the club. Al-Ittihad did not find at first a strong support, there wasn't an official clubs (communities) such as Al Riyadhi, because the presence of powerful culture in the city of Jeddah only. In their first meeting with Al-Riyadhi, Al-Ittihad make it victory with 3–0 won. The club has achieved a historic first tournament, which was called The Cup of Nishan Nazer, counted as an official tournament at the time, The cup have formed a popularity of Al-Ittihad, Because of a challenge between them in the final. Depending on the narrator, the winner can burn the Embassy wood's. The Championship attended by several of the clubs, communities, fought Al-Ittihad where several games to achieve access to the final. with Al-Mukhtalat. The weather was dust, did not complete the first half, the match was stopped about 10 minutes. the referee stopped the game to rest for 8 minutes, the weather was changed for the better with the second half, Al-Mukhtalat squad had led to fail, it was a low attacking level. The most prominent player in the game is the club's defender Safwan which was sacrificed for his team. the club won the championship by 3–0 against Al-Mukhtalat. The most important characteristic of this tournament is the first sporting event held in the reign of the founder King Abdul-Aziz Al-Saud The periods of 1940 to 1950 remained difficult, as the Football Association was not established until 1956.[7]

The Start of The Official Tournaments, The First League Title, The Treble (1950–1999) edit

In late 1950s, it is considered as the first club to achieve both the Crown Prince Cup and the King's Cup for two consecutive times. On 2 May 1960, Al-Ittihad faced their traditional rivals Al-Ahli in the King's Cup, which ended with a big 7–0 victory, which is the largest victory in the derby. The tournament ended and the club became champions for the third time in a row over Al-Wehda, which completed the 1958, 1959, and 1960 series. The club went through its worst period since its founding, after winning the King's Cup in 1967, with the exception of achieving the Saudi Association Cup in 1974, after defeating Al-Hilal on penalties. In the following decade, the Saudi Pro League and the First Division were merged due to the many matches of the national team in 1982, which Al-Ittihad won its first league title in its history, which is the first and only club to achieve it. After an absence for 21 years, the club won the King's Cup after defeating Al Ettifaq in 1988.

In mid 1990s, Which is considered as the beginning of the golden age of the club, where a numerous of titles were achieved. In 1996–97, the club delivered a cup treble, winning the Premier League, Crown Prince Cup, and Federation Cup. After two seasons, the club won the league title for the third time in its history after eliminating rivals Al-Hilal in the final 2–0. The first continental championship was also achieved after winning 3–2 over Jeonnam Dragons with a golden goal, scored by Ahmed Bahja. GCC Champions League was also achieved, as the season ended with winning four trophies.[8] In 1999, The club was a runner-up in the Asian Super Cup, after losing 2–3 on aggregate to Júbilo Iwata.

New Century, A Miracle, Two Champions League Titles (2000–2010) edit

With the beginning of the new century during the period of president Ahmed Masoud, which is considered one of the most successful periods, winning 8 titles within 3 years. The 1999–2000 league season was achieved at the beginning of the century, after a 3–1 win over Al-Ahli in the final, also, Hamza Idris scored an unprecedented 33 goals, a record in that period, which made him the league's top scorer, and the most scored in a single season.[9] In the following season - the club winning the League for fifth time, and Crown Prince Cup. In the 2001–02 season, on May 1, 2002, Al-Ittihad lost the league final to Al-Hilal, a cross from a corner kick went to Al Hasan Al-Yami, who hit it and the ball entered the goal clearly before Al Hilal's Mohammed Al-Nazhan took it out with his hand. A goal was not awarded by the referee, even as a penalty kick, which in turn ended with a loss 1–2, where the referee was suspended six months after the final - and later apologized, declaring, "I am innocent of your defeat, and God bears witness to that." The match created a great controversy at all levels, as it faced a lot of criticism, which was considered by many and critics as a "robbery".[10][11]

When Ahmed Masoud left the club, Mansour Al-Balawi became president, which is considered by many including the fans as the most prominent and successful period in the club's history. In the 2002–03 season, many players have been brought in, such as Tukar, Saud Kariri, Muhammad Al-Khilaiwi, and Tcheco; who is considered as one of the greatest deals in the club's history, while both the League and the Crown Prince Cup were achieved. Despite leading the league and ending it without a loss, Al-Ittihad lost the league final to Al-Shabab in the championship-playoff finals. In the 2004 AFC Champions League, Al-Ittihad finished the group in first place with only one loss. In quarter-finals, it was successfully passed with a 1–1 draw in Dalian, followed by a home 1–0 victory scored by Tukar, against Chinese Dalian Shide, of which led them to reach the semi-finals. Both matches ended in the last minutes, as Hamad Al-Montashari finished the first leg's 2–1, and Osama Al-Muwallad scored the deadly equalizer in the second leg, with a 4–3 aggregate over Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, as the club qualified for the final for the first time.[1][12] The final was out of the ordinary; Al-Ittihad were thrashed at home 1–3 by Korean side Seongnam in the first leg—leading to the sacking of Croatian coach Tomislav Ivić, as assistant coach Dragan Talajić was given the opportunity. Who, in turn, started the return match in Seongnam, Redha Tukar opened the scoring, rising to a ball from a corner kick to score the first goal, Idris scored the second late minute goal in the first half, Mohammed Noor scored the two decisive goals in the second half, before Abushgeer scored the fifth and the last goal.[13] Overcoming the 1–3 loss with a miraculous 5–0 victory, to achieve the first title,[13] Dragan Talajić achievement was unforgettable and almost impossible, this second leg match became one of the most surprising and unforgettable comebacks in AFC Champions League history, which was called "the miracle".[5][12][13][14] Recalling the tournament, Talajić said, "I was initially an assistant to the compatriots Tomislav Ivic, and I learned a lot from him, and I considered the opportunity to work with a great team as a wonderful thing, which is why I agreed to work with him, I was with the team eight months after we arrived at the beginning of the season, and I knew all about the players." and continued, "I was young at the time, and maybe I was crazy by playing with five strikers, I told everyone before the match that we would win, I always knew we would win, but I didn't know if the difference would be enough."[12][15]

Al-Ittihad achieved its first Arab championship, after defeating Tunisian Club Sportif Sfaxien in the final.[16] On 5 November 2005, Al-Ittihad won the Champions League for the second time in a row, after a 5–3 victory over Al-Ain. Mohammed Kallon, which loaned from AS Monaco, became the top scorer of the tournament with six goals; of which two were in the final—which helped to achieve the second title.[17] Mohammed Noor, was awarded the best player in the tournament. The club remaining as the only to win back-to-back AFC Champions League titles in its current edition.[1][5][6] The club qualified for the FIFA Club World Cup for the first time, in the edition that was held in Japan, after achieving the Champions League title—as it became the second Saudi team to qualify for the tournament. On December 11, 2005, Al-Ittihad defeated African champions Al-Ahly after Mohamed Noor's only goal, to qualify for the semi-finals. Al-Ittihad faced the CONMEBOL champion São Paulo, and it was ended by a 2–3 loss. Al-Ittihad played the match to determine the third place against the Costa Rican club Deportivo Saprissa and lost with a 2–3, were two goals scored by Mohamed Kallon and Joseph-Désiré Job—to end the Club World Cup in the 4th place. Former FIFA President Sepp Blatter expressed his admiration, saying, "In 25 years, I have not seen an Asian team this great."[18][19] Ittihad's success is not limited only to football, but also in basketball, water polo, table tennis, volleyball, and swimming, amongst others. In total, Ittihad has won 8,649 trophies. However, football remains the primary sport.

Rivalries edit

Jeddah Derby edit

The Jeddah derby between Al-Ittihad and Al-Ahli is known to be one of the most competitive games in the Saudi League. From the start of national competitions both clubs were seen as representatives of two rivals from the same city: Jeddah. This rivalry continued annually for more than 70 years, until Al-Ahli were relegated to the first division in 2022. The derby was back on October sixth 2023 with 1-0 Al-Ittihad loss.

Saudi Clasico edit

Saudi El Clasico, or simply the Clasico, is a long-running competitive match in Saudi football, between Al-Ittihad and Al-Hilal. The competition represents the largest and most important two clubs in the city of Jeddah and the capital, Riyadh, the largest and most culturally prominent cities in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The two clubs are considered the most successful at domestic and continental level. Al-Ittihad is the oldest sports club still surviving in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and is seen as the People's Club. While Al-Hilal represents the culture of the Capital Club, it is called by the masses the Leader. The two teams meet twice a year in the league, as they may also meet in the King's Cup or the Saudi Super Cup or the AFC Champions League. It is considered as the most prominent and most watched match in Saudi football.

The first meeting between the two teams was held on July 27, 1962, a friendly match, in the capital, Riyadh, and ended with a 2–0 victory for Al-Ittihad. The first official meeting between the two teams was on January 10, 1964, the King's Cup Final, which in turn also ended with a 3–0 victory for Al-Ittihad.

Al-Hilal has the largest number of wins in the official meetings that brought the two teams together. The two teams faced each other in 148 official meetings, Al-Hilal won 63, while Al-Ittihad won 50, and the tie occurred in 35 meetings. Together with Al-Nassr, they are the only 3 teams that have not been relegated to the Second Division since its founding.

Present-day edit

Al-Ittihad is based in Sahafa street, Mushrefa district, in southeastern Jeddah, where they have a large sports complex. Senior teams play official games at the King Abdullah Sports City, north of the city, while youth teams play at the club's headquarters.

Al-Ittihad qualified for the 2023 FIFA Club World Cup after winning the 2022-23 Saudi Pro League, but were eliminated in the second round by Al Ahly.

Fanbase edit

Al-Ittihad is the highest-attended club in Saudi Arabia. In the 2014-15 Saudi League, Al-Ittihad's attendance during 12 home games averaged 42,371 per match. In 2016, American website The Sportster ranked Al-Ittihad fans the 12th most influential football fans in the world.[20][21] Al-Ittihad has built a strong fan-base across Saudi Arabia, amongst the Arab League and in Asia. Since its opening on 1 May 2014, Al-Ittihad shares the King Abdullah Sports City Stadium with local rival Al-Ahli, while their previous home the Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium faced construction until it was renovated in 2022.

Sponsorship edit

Official sponsor edit

In a press conference on 9 January 2006, president of the club Mansour Albalawi announced that Sela Sport Co (which is the sponsor of Saudi National Team) will pay 350 million riyals to sponsor Al-Ittihad for 5 seasons. Al-Ittihad was later on sponsored by the Saudi Telecom Company, however the team has not renewed STC's contract.

PeriodKit manufacturerShirt sponsor
1999–03UmbroMultiple
2003–05LottoLingo
2006–07HattrickSTC
2007–08Nike
2008–10Lotto
2010–12Nike
2012–13One
2013–2014OneNone
2014–2015Errea
2015–2016AdidasBupa Arabia / Mobil 1
2016–2017Joma[22]Bridgestone / Unionaire / Almosafer / Mobil 1
2017–2018Bridgestone / Unionaire / Mobil 1
2018-2019Noon / faqih / Mobil 1
2019Stribes /S.TeamNoon / faqih / C. Hub / Al Wefaq Rent A Car / Ibrahim Al-Qurashi
2020Tamimfaqih / C. Hub / Al Wefaq Rent A Car / Ibrahim Al-Qurashi
2021ErreàYelo / Emkan
2022-2023Nike[23]Yelo / Emkan / DARCO / SAL / Tameeni / ALAMOUDI
2023-Nike[23]Roshn[24] / SRJ Sports Investments / Nua [note 1]

Honours and statistics edit

Honours edit

Al-Ittihad is one of the most of successful clubs in Saudi Arabia, it has 35 official honours, 30 of which are domestic. In addition to their continental successes, the club is one of the only three Asian clubs to have won the AFC Champions League twice in a row.

Al-Ittihad honours
TypeCompetitionTitlesSeasons
DomesticPro League91982, 1997, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2003, 2007, 2009, 2023
King Cup91958, 1959, 1960, 1963, 1967, 1988, 2010, 2013, 2018
Crown Prince Cup81958, 1959, 1960, 1963, 1991, 1997, 2001, 2004, 2017
Super Cup12022
Saudi Federation Cup31986, 1997, 1999
ContinentalAFC Champions League22004, 2005
Asian Cup Winners Cup11999
RegionalArab Champions League12005
GCC Champions League11999
Saudi-Egyptian Super Cup22001, 2003
  •   record

Records & statistics edit

Other records edit

SeasonDiv.Pos.Pl.WDLGSGAGDPDomestic cupsAsiaOther competitionsTop scorerManager
1998–99SPL12215344532+1348CPCPFCACWC,ASCGCC   Davidovic
1999–2000SPL12216336923+4651CPC  Hamzah Idris 33 Oscar
2000–01SPL12211563523+1238CPCEC — — Ardiles
2001–02SPL22215435925+3449CPC — — Oscar
2002–03SPL12215435324+2949CPCPFCSSCEC  Cleberson 8 Oscar, Khalid Al Koroni
2003–04SPL22217505715+4256CPCACL  Mohammed Noor 8 Tomislav Ivić, Talajić, Luka Peruzović
2004–05SPL32211565337+1638CPCACLARCL  Sérgio Ricardo Messias Neves 13 Iordănescu
2005–06SPL32211924728+1942CPCACLQuarter-finals  Mohamed Kallon 12 Metsu
2006–07SPL12215345225+2748CPCPFC  Alhassane Keita 21 Dimitri
2007–08SPL22214624016+2448CCACLGroup Stage Magno Alves14 Calderón
2008–09SPL12217415721+3655CCPFCACL Hicham Aboucherouane17 Calderón
2009–10ZPL22214354630+1645CCACLGroup Stage Abdelmalek Ziaya15 Calderón, Enzo Héctor
2010–11ZPL226131214923+2051CCACLSemi-finals  Naif Hazazi18 Manuel José, Toni, Dimitri
2011–12ZPL52610794935+1437CPCACLSemi-finals  Hazazi20 Kek, Raul Caneda
2012–13ZPL7268993636033CC  Fahad Al-Muwallad  9 Raul Caneda, Beñat
2013–14ALJ62688104546−132CCACLQuarter-finals  Mukhtar Fallatah 31 Beñat, Amro Anwar, Juan Verzeri, Khalid Al Koroni
2014–15ALJ42616464433+1152CC  Marquinho 13 Khalid Al Koroni, Victor Pițurcă
2015–16ALJ32615475437+1749CCCPCACLGroup Stage  Gelmin Rivas 24 László Bölöni, Amro Anwar, Victor Pițurcă
2016–17ALJ42617455737+2052 (-3)CPC  Kahraba 19 José Luis Sierra
2017–18SPL9268993441-733CC  Ahmed Akaïchi 10 José Luis Sierra
2018–19MBS103097144445-134CC  Fahad Al-Muwallad  11 Ramón Díaz, Slaven Bilić, José Luis Sierra
2019-20SPL113098134241+135  Romarinho 13 José Luis Sierra, Henk ten Cate, Fábio Carille
2020-21SPL330151144529+1656  Romarinho 16 Fábio Carille
2021-22SPL23020556229+3365  Romarinho 20 Fábio Carille, Cosmin Contra

League records edit

Performance in AFC competitions edit

SeasonStage
2001Quarter-finals
2002Second round
2003Did not qualify
2004Champions
2005Champions
2006Quarter-finals
2007Did not qualify
2008Group stage
2009Runner-up
2010Group stage
2011Semi-finals
2012Semi-finals
2013Did not qualify
2014Quarter-finals
2015Did not qualify
2016Group stage
2017Couldn't obtain AFC license due to financial issues
2018Couldn't obtain AFC license due to financial issues
2019Quarter-finals
2020Couldn't obtain AFC license due to financial issues
2021Couldn't obtain AFC license due to financial issues
2022Couldn't obtain AFC license due to financial issues

Top scorers in the AFC Champions League edit

RankingNationalityNameYearsGoals
1  Saudi ArabiaMohammed Noor1996–1319
2  Saudi ArabiaNaif Hazazi2006–1314
3  Saudi ArabiaHamzah Idris1997–079
4  Saudi ArabiaFahad Al-Muwallad2012–228
5  AlgeriaAbdelmalek Ziaya2009–117
 Saudi ArabiaMukhtar Fallatah2012–167
 BrazilRomarinho2018–7
8  Saudi ArabiaMarzouk Al-Otaibi2000–076
 Saudi ArabiaOsama Al-Muwallad2000–166
 Sierra LeoneMohammed Kallon2005–066
 MoroccoAhmed Bahja1996–996
12  MoroccoHicham Aboucherouane2008–105
 Saudi ArabiaRedha Tukar2003–135
 Saudi ArabiaManaf Abushgeer1999–125
15  Saudi ArabiaAbdulrahman Al-Ghamdi2013–214
 Saudi ArabiaSultan Al-Nemri2006–124
 MoroccoAbderrazak Hamdallah2023-4
 VenezuelaGelmin Rivas1999–124
 BrazilDimba20044
20  BrazilRenato Cajá20093
 BrazilTcheco2003–083
 MoroccoFaouzi Abdelghani2012–143
 Saudi ArabiaMohammed Abousaban2009–163
 Saudi ArabiaNasser Al-Shamrani2018-193
 Saudi ArabiaHamad Al-Montashari2001–163
 Saudi ArabiaSaleh Al-Saqri1999–123
 Saudi ArabiaSultan Al-Nemri2006–123
 TunisiaAmine Chermiti2009–103
 Saudi ArabiaZiyad Al-Sahafi2015–193
 Saudi ArabiaAbdulfattah Asiri2012–163
 Saudi ArabiaSaud Kariri2007–173
 PortugalNuno Assis2010-113
 BrazilWendel2011–123

AFC club rankings edit

Rankings are calculated by the AFC.[25][citation needed]

Last update: December 1, 2017

RankingClubAssociationCoefficient
4415 +29Persepolis Iran10.90202102657.902
2516 +9Gamba Osaka Japan13.52702951057.527
1417 -3Shandong Luneng Taishan China13.40981025.5056.909
1118 -7Pohang Steelers South Korea1827011056
1919 Al-Ittihad Saudi Arabia13.4823015051.48
2220 +2Al Sadd Qatar8.8681819.52250.368

Source: Global Football Ranks

Asian record edit

Players edit

As of January 2024[26]

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No.Pos. NationPlayer
1GK  KSAAbdullah Al-Mayouf
4DF  KSAOmar Hawsawi
5DF  ITALuiz Felipe
6MF  KSASultan Al-Farhan
7MF  FRAN'Golo Kanté
8MF  BRAFabinho
9FW  FRAKarim Benzema
11MF  PORJota
12DF  KSAZakaria Hawsawi
13DF  KSAMuhannad Al-Shanqeeti
14MF  KSAAwad Al-Nashri
15DF  KSAHassan Kadesh
16MF  KSAFaisal Al-Ghamdi
17MF  KSAMarwan Al-Sahafi
19DF  KSATurki Al-Jaadi
20DF  KSAAhmed Sharahili
21GK  KSAAbdullah Al-Jadaani
No.Pos. NationPlayer
25DF  KSASuwailem Al-Menhali
26DF  EGYAhmed Hegazi (captain)
27MF  KSAAhmed Al-Ghamdi (on loan from Al-Ettifaq)
28DF  KSAAhmed Bamsaud
29MF  KSAFarhah Al-Shammrani
30DF  KSASaad Al Mousa (on loan from Al-Ettifaq)
33DF  KSAMadallah Al-Olayan
35GK  KSAMohammed Al-Mahasneh
37DF  KSAFawaz Al-Sqoor
51GK  KSAFaisal Al-Eisa
52FW  KSATalal Haji
77MF  KSASaleh Al-Amri
80MF  KSAHamed Al-Ghamdi (on loan from Al-Ettifaq)
88GK  KSAOsama Al-Mermesh
90FW  BRARomarinho
99FW  MARAbderrazak Hamdallah

Unregistered players edit

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No.Pos. NationPlayer
34GK  BRAMarcelo Grohe
40MF  KSAAlbaraa Addawi
44MF  EGYNoureddine El Bahhar

Out on loan edit

Note: Flags indicate national team as defined under FIFA eligibility rules. Players may hold more than one non-FIFA nationality.

No.Pos. NationPlayer
GK  KSASaleh Al-Ohaymid (on loan to Al-Taawoun)
MF  KSAAbdulrahman Al-Aboud (on loan to Al-Ettifaq)
MF  KSAHussain Al-Eisa (on loan to Al-Kholood)
GK  KSARaghdan Matri (on loan to Al-Kholood)
FW  KSAHaroune Camara (on loan to Al-Ettifaq)
DF  KSAHassan Al-Asmari (on loan to Al-Batin)
DF  KSABasil Al-Hedaif (on loan to Jeddah)
No.Pos. NationPlayer
DF  KSAAbdulelah Al-Shehri (on loan to Mudhar)
MF  KSAAbdulaziz Al-Bishi (on loan to Damac)
MF  KSAOmar Al-Jadani (on loan to Al-Ain)
MF  KSAAbdulelah Hawsawi (on loan to Al-Khaleej)
MF  KSAAl Mutasim Seddiq (on loan to Al-Kholood)
FW  KSAAbdulaziz Al-Hassani (on loan to Al-Entesar)

Notable players edit

Players with senior international caps:

KSAASIAAFRICAUEFACONMEBOLCONCACAF

Personnel edit

Current technical staff edit

PositionStaff
Manager Marcelo Gallardo
Assistant manager Matías Biscay
First-team Coach Saud Al-Mukhaini
Goalkeeping coach Wael Al-Oqod
Fitness coach Mohamed Al-Bulaihi
Video Analyst Mansour Al-Ghanim
Sporting Director Fawzi Al-Khabrani
Physiotherapist Waleed Al-Hajj
Academy manager Yahya Al-Marzouq

Management edit

PresidentAnmar al-Ha'ili
Vice PresidentAhmed Kaaki
Chief Executive OfficerDomingo Suarez De Oliveira
Director of FootballHamed Al-Balawi
Director of Investments AreaLouai Ghalayini
board memberMohammed Qutub

Managerial history edit

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h "Al-Ittihad Club History". www.footballhistory.org. Archived from the original on 2020-08-09. Retrieved 2021-12-17.
  2. ^ "Saudi Arabia's PIF takes over Al-Ittihad, Al-Nassr, Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli". BBC Sport. 5 June 2023.
  3. ^ "Club | Saudi Professional League Association". spl.com.sa. Archived from the original on 2021-12-17. Retrieved 2021-12-17.
  4. ^ a b c "Saudi Arabia's Eternal Rivalry: Al Hilal v Al Ittihad". the-AFC. Archived from the original on 2021-12-17. Retrieved 2021-12-17.
  5. ^ a b c d "Tale of two winners: Al Hilal 2019 v Al Ittihad 2004-05". the-AFC. Archived from the original on 2021-12-17. Retrieved 2021-12-17.
  6. ^ a b "Al Ittihad Football Club recognised by Guinness World Records for back-to-back AFC Championship league wins". Guinness World Records. 2015-05-27. Archived from the original on 2021-09-24. Retrieved 2021-12-17.
  7. ^ "FIFA.com". 2007-06-13. Archived from the original on 13 June 2007. Retrieved 2021-12-29.
  8. ^ "Dimitri, and quadruple of the century". www.al-jazirah.com. Archived from the original on 2021-09-17. Retrieved 2022-01-01.
  9. ^ "Hamza Idris comments on Hamdallah breaking his historical record in the Saudi league | Goal.com". www.goal.com (in Arabic). Archived from the original on 2022-01-03. Retrieved 2022-01-03.
  10. ^ "Al-Nazhan Hand's | alriyadiah". 2022-01-01. Archived from the original on 2022-01-01. Retrieved 2022-01-03.
  11. ^ "The hand of Al-Nazhan, which gave Al-Hilal an expensive title | Goal.com". 2020-03-19. Archived from the original on 2020-03-19. Retrieved 2022-01-03.
  12. ^ a b c "Recalling Al-Ittihad's glory days | Arab News". 2020-11-20. Archived from the original on 2020-11-20. Retrieved 2022-01-03.
  13. ^ a b c "ACL Final: A look back at Al Ittihad's inspiring 2004 comeback win - Ghana Latest Football News, Live Scores, Results - GHANAsoccernet". 2022-01-01. Archived from the original on 1 January 2022. Retrieved 2022-01-03.
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External links edit

Achievements
Preceded by Champions of Asia
2004
Succeeded by
Holders
Preceded by
Holders
Champions of Asia
2005
Succeeded by
Preceded by Asian Cup Winners' Cup
Runner up: Chunnam Dragons

1999
Succeeded by