SEOUL: Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, and Karim Benzema, boasting a combined tally of 11 UEFA Champions League titles, will now spearhead the Saudi Arabian charge in the Asian edition, commencing from Monday.
Neymar, who recently surpassed Pele’s international goal record for Brazil, joined Al-Hilal in August and marked his league debut on Friday as the four-time Asian champion convincingly defeated Abha 6-1. Al-Hilal had previously lost the final to Japan’s Urawa Reds last May. Subsequently, Saudi Arabian clubs have invested approximately $950 million in securing some of the world’s most prominent stars. This financial influx is primarily driven by the kingdom’s sovereign wealth Public Investment Fund, which has acquired a majority ownership stake in four of the country’s premier clubs: Al-Hilal, Al-Ittihad, Al-Ahli, and Al-Nassr.
In addition to Neymar, Al-Hilal has secured talents from the English Premier League, including Ruben Neves, Kalidou Koulibaly, Aleksandar Mitrovic, Moroccan goalkeeper Yassine Bounou, Brazilian winger Malcom, and Serbian midfielder Sergej Milinkovic-Savic.
Mumbai City finds itself in the same group, eagerly anticipating the opportunity to face Al-Hilal, particularly Neymar. Mumbai’s coach, Des Buckingham, expressed his excitement, stating, “They’re bringing that level of caliber and quality of players to India, which is tremendously exciting for our club and for Indian fans.”
Among the 40 teams in the group stage, there are four representatives from Saudi Arabia, with the top ten group winners and the six best second-placed teams advancing to the next round.
Breaking away from years of games played in neutral venues between Saudi Arabia and Iran, Ronaldo will lead Al-Nassr to Tehran on Tuesday to compete against Persepolis, a club that has never claimed the Asian trophy. Persepolis has granted Al-Nassr full access to the Internet, a privilege not extended to the general public in the country.
Al-Ittihad, the reigning Saudi Arabian champion, has also bolstered its roster with past European champions such as N’Golo Kante from Chelsea and Fabinho from Liverpool. The two-time Asian champion will commence its journey against AGMK of Uzbekistan in Jeddah.
Completing the Saudi quartet is Al-Fayha, which, unlike the other three, is not owned by the Public Investment Fund and lacks similar star power. The team embarks on a challenging trip to Uzbekistan to face Pakhtakor.
The tournament extends beyond the Saudi Arabian teams, as it is divided into geographic zones until the final, ensuring representation from the eastern half of the continent next May. The current champion is Japan’s Urawa Reds, with South Korea’s Ulsan Hyundai Horang-i lifting the trophy in 2020.
Ulsan coach Hong Myong-bo acknowledged the strong competition from Saudi Arabian teams but emphasized the rising standards across Asia, stating, “We must first focus on performing to the best of our abilities.
Source: AP