In February 2022, the interminable wait seemed to finally be over.
Al Ittihad sat 16 points clear at the top of the Saudi Pro League, on the cusp of a first top-flight title since 2009. Yet the campaign ended with the familiar pang of disappointment as Al Hilal pounced upon Al Ittihad’s stumbling.
Right until the end of the season, Al Ittihad’s indefatigable fans had roared the Tigers on. The following year, their admirable, unbridled passion was finally rewarded with the 2023 Saudi Pro League crown.
Here’s everything you need to know about the reigning champions of a division that has emphatically grabbed the attention of the world.
Al Ittihad’s recently-quenched thirst for silverware did not always exist. Between 2004 and 2005, the Tigers won back-to-back AFC Champions League titles – they are the only Saudi club to ever collect consecutive continental crowns and no side from any Asian association has achieved the feat since.
The Jeddah-based outfit were really at their peak at the turn of the century, laying claim to five top-flight league titles in seven seasons – which accounts for more than half of the club’s total haul.
Al Ittihad form the other half of the so-called ‘Saudi Classico’ against regional giants Al Hilal – which made the abdication of their crown in 2022 all the more painful.
Before a unified, national league was founded in 1976, the King’s Cup served as the ultimate prize on offer in Saudi Arabia. Al Ittihad won three of the first four iterations of the competition between 1957 and 1960. However, the Tigers have only claimed the domestic honour once in the last decade (2018).
Trophy
Times won
AFC Champions League
2
Asian Cup Winners’ Cup
1
Saudi Pro League
9
King’s Cup
9
Saudi Crown Prince’s Cup
8
Saudi Super Cup
1
Saudi Federation Cup
3
Arab Champions League
1
GCC Champions League
1
Saudi-Egyptian Super Cup
2
Who owns Al Ittihad?
Al Ittihad released a new documentary detailing the long and storied history of the club in April 2022 but a seismic chapter in the fabric of the establishment was written just 14 months later.
Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) launched its privatisation of the top flight by buying four clubs in June 2023 – one of which was the newly crowned champions Al Ittihad. President Anmar Al Haili retained his position on the board after PIF acquired a 75% stake in the club.
PIF are majority shareholders at Premier League side Newcastle United and harbour a murky connection to Chelsea co-owners Clearlake Capital.
Karim Benzema is still the reigning Ballon d’Or holder / -/GettyImages
Al Ittihad are no strangers to the allure of a big name. Years before the modern influx to the Pro League, Al Ittihad boasted the Italian international Roberto Donadoni. Within five years of winning the Champions League with AC Milan and reaching the World Cup final, Donadoni was lining up in yellow and black stripes.
Bebeto won the 1994 final at Donadoni’s expense and also – briefly – joined Al Ittihad during their golden era of success in the new millennium.
To keep up with the raft of starry acquisitions across the division, Al Ittihad have exploited the free agent market. Without the need for a transfer fee, Nuno Espirito Santo’s side have snapped up the reigning Ballon d’Or holder Karim Benzema and former World Cup winner N’Golo Kante. Celtic also accepted Al Ittihad’s £25m offer for their talismanic winger Jota this summer.
Benzema, technically the best player in the world, is thought to be on an obscene salary worth £172m each year – the same tier of income as Al Nassr’s Cristiano Ronaldo. Kante’s wage reportedly stretches into nine digits as well. However, a number of staff members at the club went three months without getting paid last season.
Furthermore, the title-winning bonuses that players were owed for ending the 14-year drought had not been fulfilled while Al Ittihad revelled in their A-list arrivals. While the future looks bright for the Ballon d’Or-boasting league champions at first glance, closer inspection suggests it might not be quite so rosy.
Player
Joined from
Fee
Karim Benzema
Real Madrid
Free
N’Golo Kante
Chelsea
Free
Jota
Celtic
£25m
READ MORE ON THE PLAYERS LINKED TO SAUDI ARABIA & THE MONEY ON OFFER
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