“It Was Very Difficult to Leave” – Weeks After Being Appointed as CEO, Ex-Manchester City Executive Breaks Silence on Move to Al Hilal

Whoever thought the Saudi League powerhouses only eyed star players and managers was wrong. In a November 2023 move, Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal surprised the world by hiring former Manchester City’s chief commercial officer, Esteve Calzada. Now, Calzada has arrived in Riyadh to take charge of Al Hilal’s CEO. Leaving Manchester City after a glorious 12-year stint, the Spanish executive has confessed that Al Hilal’s ‘project’ is enterprising, and they had made him an offer ‘he could not refuse.’

Calzada is an executive with the Midas touch. Apart from his colorful years in Manchester, he had also been an integral part of Barcelona’s journey to success. Hence, Al Hilal seems to eye some serious amp-up with their new CEO.

Ex-Manchester City executive Calzada speaks his heart out after taking over as Al Hilal CEO

In an interview with Marca, Eseteve Calzada broke down his Al Hilal move. As per DeepL translation, “In sporting terms, we [Man City] had already achieved everything and in financial terms, we had been beating our record for three years, so when Al Hilal contacted me at the end of August and explained the project to me, I liked it more and more,” said Calzada. Soon, he spoke about bidding farewell to Pep Guardiola and Co. “I have to confess that it was very difficult to leave City. I thought that club was the best possible place, with a life already established, professionally and personally,” mentioned Calzada. 

Esteve Calzada had indeed achieved everything in Manchester City. In his last year, thanks to the club’s treble win, they registered their highest-ever revenue and profits. Therefore, despite his initial thoughts of staying in Manchester, the Spaniard decided to help another club achieve massive success of sorts. “I saw myself much longer in the English team, but when he explained to me the dimension that Saudi soccer was taking and the specific project of Al Hilal… I could not refuse,” he added. Soon, the 56-year-old gave his take on the right direction the Saudi Pro League is heading.

Calzada hails the Saudi League with certain reality checks

The soccer world took notice when Cristiano Ronaldo‘s move to Riyadh’s Al Nassr, and a remarkable lot followed suit. Since then, many fans and pundits have ridiculed the league, saying it is an embarrassment compared to the fame, frenzy, and competitiveness of various European leagues. However, Calzada begs to differ. He says the Saudi League need not be envious of its European counterparts, as an Al Nassr-Al Hilal match boasts the same frenzy as a clash of European powerhouses.

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Besides, he added that the Saudi League is not just signing players who have neared retirement. The signings of Ruben Neves, Mitrovic, and Sergei Milinkovic Savic prove that the Middle East is not a retirement destination. Now that Calzada has joined Al Hilal, we could perhaps expect the next soccer superpower to come from the ‘less competitive’ Saudi League.

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