Latest news with #Ittihad
Kuwait Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- Kuwait Times
Benzema leads Al-Ittihad to Saudi Cup win and domestic double
RIYADH: Ittihad's Club President Loay Mashabi (right) and his team's French forward Karim Benzema pose with the championship trophy next to Saudi Arabia's Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during the podium ceremony after the King's Cup final at the King Abdullah Sport City Stadium in Jeddah on May 30, 2025. - AFP RIYADH: Al-Ittihad's Karim Benzema scored twice to lead his side to a 3-1 victory over Al-Qadsiah in the Saudi Cup final on Friday as they completed the domestic double. Laurent Blanc's side dominated the game to win the cup for the 10th time, while Al-Qadsiah finished the game with 10 men after Ezequiel Fernandez was sent off in the 81st minute. Moussa Diaby nearly put Al-Ittihad ahead but missed a chance in the 21st minute. Al-Qadsiah's former Spain defender Nacho escaped conceding a penalty when the ball touched his hand, but the referee didn't award a spot kick despite a VAR check in the 32nd minute. Benzema opened the scoring for the Saudi Pro League champions, using his chest to convert Steven Bergwijn's precise cross 11 minutes before the interval. Houssem Aouar made it 2-0 in the 43rd minute by following up after Koen Casteels saved a header from Benzema. Al-Qadsiah's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang reduced the deficit from the penalty spot in first-half stoppage time. Benzema, who won the SPL Player of the Season, hit the bar after the break, but Al-Ittihad were more cautious as they looked to maintain their lead. Al-Ittihad keeper Predrag Rajkovic saved Aubameyang's shot in the 80th minute and Al-Qadsiah suffered a big blow when Ezequiel Fernandez received a second yellow card, forcing them to play with 10 men for the final minutes. Then 2022 Ballon d'Or winner Benzema scored his side's third goal, firing in Diaby's low cross in stoppage time, before Aubameyang's shot hit the woodwork. — Reuters
Saudi Gazette
3 days ago
- Sport
- Saudi Gazette
Al Ittihad end six-year wait to reclaim King's Cup crown
Saudi Gazette report JEDDAH — Al Ittihad brought the King's Cup back to their trophy cabinet for the first time since 2018 with a 3-1 win over Al Qadsiah on Friday night at King Abdullah Sports City in Jeddah, in front of a packed stadium led by Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, who presented the cup to team captain Karim Benzema. The victory secured Ittihad's 10th title in the competition's history, reaffirming their legacy in one of Saudi football's most prestigious tournaments. It marked a triumphant return to form for the Jeddah-based club, which had endured a six-year drought marked by managerial instability and fluctuating form. Founded in 1927, Ittihad has been intertwined with the history of the King's Cup, winning its first title in 1958. Through eras of dominance and reinvention, the club has consistently remained a powerhouse, from its golden run in the 1990s to this current resurgence under head coach Laurent year's campaign culminated in a powerful final performance, with the squad — featuring global stars like Karim Benzema, N'Golo Kanté, and Moussa Diaby — showing cohesion, composure, and who took over at the start of the season, crafted a balanced squad that blended veteran leadership with youthful atmosphere in Jeddah was electric as tens of thousands filled the stands, with Al Ittihad fans providing deafening support chants echoed as the team lifted the cup in a sea of black and yellow, marking a night to remember for the Tigers title follows Ittihad's Saudi Pro League triumph earlier in the season and sets the stage for another ambitious campaign — both domestically and on the continental stage — with the club eyeing further silverware and a return to its dominant best.
Saudi Gazette
5 days ago
- Sport
- Saudi Gazette
Laurent Blanc named Roshn Saudi League Coach of the Season
Saudi Gazette report JEDDAH — Laurent Blanc has been named the 2024–25 Roshn Saudi League Coach of the Season after guiding Al Ittihad to a dominant title win, capping off a successful debut campaign in Saudi football. The former France and Paris Saint-Germain manager led Al Ittihad to 83 points, finishing eight clear of their nearest challengers. Under his leadership, the team combined tactical discipline with consistent attacking output, securing the club's second league title in three years — and its 10th overall. Blanc's appointment last summer came with high expectations, but the Frenchman faced early-season pressure amid fan demands for immediate results. He responded by rebuilding the squad's structure, establishing a cohesive system that turned the Tigers into the most balanced and effective team in the Ittihad clinched the title with several games to spare, highlighting Blanc's impact and the team's steady rise under his watch. The club's consistent performances and resilience under pressure were hallmarks of their title-winning Saudi Pro League celebrated Blanc's achievement on Tuesday, calling him the "mastermind" of Al Ittihad's championship run and sharing a photo of the coach during the title marks a new personal milestone for Blanc, who now joins the ranks of managers to have won the league in their first season — following in the footsteps of Nuno Espírito Santo, who also claimed the title with Ittihad in the 2022–23 season.
Saudi Gazette
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Saudi Gazette
From boos to brilliance: Benzema leads Ittihad's title charge
Saudi Gazette report JEDDAH — Once at the center of widespread fan discontent, Karim Benzema has completed one of the most dramatic turnarounds in Saudi football, emerging as the undisputed leader of Al Ittihad's title-winning campaign in the 2024–25 Saudi Pro League season. After a turbulent start to his Ittihad tenure last year, marked by injuries, perceived lack of commitment, and strained relationships with staff and fans, the French striker faced intense criticism. Calls for his departure grew louder over the summer, culminating in his very public fallout with former coach Marcelo Gallardo. Club president Loay Nazer later confirmed in a press conference that Gallardo's dismissal was partly due to his demand to drop Benzema, calling it a "red line" that clashed with the club's vision. But it didn't end there. Benzema's influence reportedly extended into key summer decisions — from the appointment of head coach Laurent Blanc to the signings of Houssem Aouar, and Moussa some fans and insiders viewed his influence with skepticism, the pressure on the Ballon d'Or winner to deliver on and off the pitch became deliver he season, Benzema has led from the front with 21 goals and 9 assists in 28 league appearances, directly contributing to 30 goals and playing a pivotal role in Ittihad's 14th league title — their third in the professional late-game heroics and leadership on the pitch mirrored the strong hand he played off it, transforming early-season boos into roaring support from the was Benzema's all-around impact — scoring decisive goals, lifting teammates, and embodying resilience — that galvanized Ittihad's push for the being questioned as a liability to becoming a symbol of the club's revival, the Frenchman's evolution has not only secured silverware but restored the league title in hand and a King's Cup final against Al Qadsiah on May 30 still to come, Benzema's redemption arc is the heartbeat of Ittihad's unforgettable season.
Saudi Gazette
15-05-2025
- Sport
- Saudi Gazette
Al Ittihad's last-gasp legend: A title season written in stoppage time
Saudi Gazette report RIYADH — Al Ittihad's 14th Saudi Pro League title will not be remembered as just another championship win — it was a season defined by drama, resilience, and an unshakable will to fight until the very last whistle. Nicknamed by fans as 'Ittihad Time,' the Jeddah club earned a reputation for stunning late winners throughout their triumphant 2024-25 campaign — scoring 12 goals beyond the 90th minute, collecting a crucial 30 points from those dramatic finishes. Without them, the title could have easily slipped away. These final moments mirrored the famous 'Fergie Time' era of Sir Alex Ferguson's Manchester United, with Al Ittihad repeatedly flipping matches in stoppage time, including nine matches with match-winning goals and three matches salvaged by late equalizers. Algerian midfielder Houssem Aouar stood out as the king of the clutch, scoring five goals after the 90th minute, each directly securing victories. From the season opener against Al-Kholood to the pivotal late winner against Al Nassr on Matchday 30, Aouar was the face of Ittihad's Ittihad finished 31 rounds of the season with 72 goals, scored by 15 different players. Star striker Karim Benzema led the way with 21 goals, followed by Aouar with 12, Dutch winger Steven Bergwijn with 10, and Abdulrahman Al Aboud with six — his highest league tally since joining the title marked a shift in identity for Al Ittihad. While their 2022-23 title under Nuno Espírito Santo was built on defensive discipline and a league-record 19 clean sheets, the 2024-25 triumph under French tactician Laurent Blanc was driven by attacking flair and high Ittihad scored 12 more goals than the previous title-winning team and boasted a 59% average possession, compared to 51% under Santo. While the defense conceded 32 goals, more than twice as many as in their previous title season (13), their attacking edge proved defensive vulnerabilities, Blanc guided the team to eight clean sheets and engineered a system where possession and pressing delivered results — cementing his tactical shift from the previous defensive Ittihad eyes a potential domestic double with the King's Cup final against Al Qadsiah, this season will be remembered for more than just silverware. It will go down as the year when Al Ittihad built their championship legacy in the dying minutes — and rewrote the script of title-winning football in Saudi Arabia.
