After losing against Al Ettifaq earlier in the season, Al Nassr had the perfect revenge in the second meeting. Thanks to Cristiano Ronaldo, Alex Telles, and Marcelo Brozovic’s goals, Al Nassr out-muscled Al Ettifaq 3-1. While the Knights of Najd upheld their winning streak, the Commandos continued their downward trend. The away side’s lackluster outing pushed head coach, Steven Gerrard, to confess about the need to make the team more ‘competitive‘.

Al Hilal, Al Nassr, Al Ittihad, and Al Ahli made the most of the last transfer window, shaking the soccer market. Meanwhile, Al Ettifaq’s Jordan Henderson deal was the only one that stood out. Now, the loss against Cristiano Ronaldo and Co. seems to have given Gerrard a wake-up call to buckle up.

Gerrard spills out ‘important meeting’ news with the board after losing to Cristiano Ronaldo and Co.

After the match against Cristiano Ronaldo’s side, Steven Gerrard addressed the press. He hinted at how Al Ettifaq was going to tackle their diminishing form. “We held important meetings with the club management. And the message was conveyed that we must radically change the team and make it competitive,” he said. The Liverpool legend added that the Dammam-based club has got serious plans for the upcoming transfer window. As Steven Gerrard puts it, they will compete in the window for star signings, instead of just participating!

When Steven Gerrard spoke of being ‘participants,’ he might have referred to how the last transfer window had panned out for Al Ettifaq. Jordan Henderson and Georginio Wijnaldum were the only two-star signings the club could boast. A club like Al Nassr, on the other hand, flaunts a fleet of superstars who followed Cristiano Ronaldo’s path. Sadio Mane, Otavio, Marcelo Brozovic, and Alex Telles, among others, propelled Al Nassr’s fame as a home of star players. Likewise, Al Hilal, Al Ahli, and Al Ittihad also house soccer’s big names from around the world. At the heart of this disparity between Al Ettifaq and its rivals is financial backing.

Al Ettifaq’s struggle to keep up with the PIF-backed teams

In 2023, the Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia took over Al Nassr, Al Hilal, Al Ahli, and Al Ittihad. Thanks to the PIF backing, top-rated players joined these four clubs. This is reflected in their performances as well on the pitch. Al Hilal, Al Nassr, and Al Ahli form the Saudi League table’s top three. Meanwhile, Al Ettifaq is among the majority of clubs not owned by the PIF. This shortage of finances and subsequent absence of superstars have kept Steven Gerrard’s side as the eighth team in the league table.

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Moreover, the Dammam-based team does not feature in other elite competitions like the AFC Champions League. Therefore, as the ex-Liverpool captain pointed out, the Commandos must compete in the next transfer window, eyeing a drastic rebuild of their roster. What are your thoughts on the above? Let us know in the comments below.

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