Ajax midfielder Jordan Henderson has admitted that his decision to move to Saudi Arabia last summer was “a mistake”. Having faced a decline in his role at Liverpool, Henderson chose to transfer to Saudi Arabia to join forces with Reds legend Steven Gerrard. However, he received significant backlash for his choice to relocate to a country where homosexuality is outlawed.

Initially defending his move and expressing his dedication to aiding Saudi Arabia’s progress both on and off the field, Henderson ultimately terminated his contract in January and returned to Europe, signing with Ajax.

Speaking to Het Parool in an interview, Henderson acknowledged that the move to Saudi Arabia was not the right fit for him.

“I made a mistake, but I am happy with the Ajax project,” he stressed.

“Everyone has an opinion, some more intense than others. That’s fine and part of it. I’m used to something. But people don’t know the whole story. Only I know that.

“During those five months in Saudi Arabia I learned a lot about myself. What are my motivations? Why do I actually play football? Football is something that is in my blood, I now know. And the competition in Saudi Arabia is developing and will become bigger, but it does not suit me at the moment.

“I live for European nights like against Aston Villa. I want to create a big surprise with my teammates.”

After being jeered by supporters on his England national team debut earlier this season, Henderson is prepared for a harsh reception when he returns to the country on Thursday to play Villa in the second leg of the Europa Conference League last 16.

“When people whistle at me, it gives me extra motivation,” he stressed. “Proving critics wrong is a common thread in my career that has not worn out over the years. It’s my way of expressing emotions. A passion that belongs to me.”

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Former AS Roma manager Jose Mourinho has addressed recent reports linking him to a top club in Saudi Arabia, clarifying that he will not be joining Al-Shabab.

In an interview reported by renowned journalist Fabrizio Romano, Mourinho emphasized that he is waiting for the best opportunity that will motivate his return to coaching.

Since his departure from Roma, Mourinho has been the subject of speculation linking him with top clubs in Europe. However, as of now, there is no concrete information regarding the future plans of the former Chelsea and Manchester United manager.

During his time with Roma, Mourinho spent over two years in Serie A, achieving success with a victory in the European Conference League during the 2021/22 season and reaching the Europa League final in the 2022/23 season, though the team ultimately lost the final due to perceived poor officiating.

⛔️🇵🇹 José Mourinho has confirmed that he’s “not gonna become Al Shabab new head coach”, told @pedro_morata.

Despite reports this week, it was never deal close or advanced between José Mourinho and the Saudi side. pic.twitter.com/08XkLpK4zu

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 21, 2024

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FIFA president Gianni Infantino has announced Saudi Arabia will host the 2034 World Cup after being the only nation to finalize a bid.

Australia earlier said that they would not make a bid to host the event, with FIFA subsequently admitting that Saudi Arabia’s application was the only one on the table.

Infantino has now turned to social media to declare Saudi Arabia as the 2034 hosts.

“The bidding processes were approved by consensus via the FIFA Council – where all six confederations are represented – after constructive dialogue and extensive consultation,” he wrote. “Thank you to everyone who has participated in this positive exchange.

“Football unites the world like no other sport, and the FIFA World Cup is the perfect showcase for a message of unity and inclusion, as well as providing an important illustration of how different cultures can be together and can learn and better understand one another.

“As we live in an increasingly divided and aggressive world, we show once again that football, the leading global sport, unites like nothing else. We all need these occasions of unity and the upcoming FIFA World Cups provide a unique force for good in this respect.”

North America will host the tournament in 2026, with the United States, Canada, and Mexico splitting hosting responsibilities.

After four years, World Cup fans will likely see the most distinctive hosting in the tournament’s history. The event will be overseen by Morocco, Portugal, and Spain, although three championship games will take place in South America. Each of Uruguay, Paraguay, and Argentina will get one game.

“Three editions, five continents and ten countries involved in staging matches in the tournament – that’s making football truly global!” Infantino added.

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After joining Al Ittihad during the summer, Karim Benzema stated that he “always wanted” to live in Saudi Arabia.

The famous forward was widely anticipated to sign a one-year agreement with Real Madrid after the 2022–23 season, but he suddenly decided to join Saudi Pro League team Al Ittihad instead, agreeing to a deal for an astounding £172 million annually.

Benzema has made 11 appearances for his new teams so far, scoring six goals in those contests to help the defending champions climb the Saudi Pro League standings.

Speaking to the league’s official media outlets, Benzema spent time explaining why he chose to go to the Middle East, citing his faith as a major motivator.

“Well with everything I’ve made and gained with Real Madrid, I think it was for me the good moment to try a new challenge,” he said. “For a really long time, even before football, I always wanted to come here. Also, it’s a Muslim country. Straight away I felt this love for me. On and off the pitch I feel good.

“This country welcomed me with open arms. I feel the love of the people here so obviously that makes me happy.”

“I really want to help Saudi football grow. [Al Ittihad] was a project that was just starting to burst from everywhere so from my side I wanted to be part of the story. That’s the reason why I came here.”

Benzema also discussed how surprised he’s been by the standard of play in the Saudi Pro League. A huge number of top level players such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Sadio Mane and Riyad Mahrez have all made the move to the league over the last 12 months, greatly improving the product.

“I’m really surprised and pleased about the level of the game here,” he went on to explain. “Really surprised because in Europe we don’t watch much football from here. Nowadays we are watching more and more because of the big names they signed.”

"I really wanted to be part of the story and to help Saudi football grow" 🎙️@Benzema discusses his move and start to life in the RSL 🇫🇷#yallaRSL pic.twitter.com/67VysqGDMM

— Roshn Saudi League (@SPL_EN) October 11, 2023

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Saudi Arabia is still interested in Mohamed Salah, but Liverpool is adamant about keeping hold of their top player.

A verbal offer for Salah was rejected by Liverpool, according to The Athletic. Director Mike Gordon was on the phone when the offer was made, and it was rejected right away.

Salah is not for sale, according to the Reds, who are still adamant about keeping him at Anfield. According to The Telegraph, the deal was worth £100 million ($126 million) plus an additional £50 million ($63 million) in add-ons.

Salah has emerged as an obvious target for the Saudi Pro League, who are expected to keep an eye on him as their transfer window stays open until September 7. After signing a new three-year contract with Liverpool last summer, the attacker is under contract until 2025.

Manager Jurgen Klopp has frequently dismissed rumours that Salah could leave Liverpool during the current transfer window. Despite the continuing rumours, he assured reporters again on deadline day that his star forward is simply not for sale.

Salah and Liverpool will play Aston Villa at Anfield on Sunday in the Premier League.

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Former Italy national team manager Roberto Mancini has been appointed as the new head coach of the Saudi Arabia national team.

Mancini has been formally named as the new manager of the Saudi Arabia national team, less than two weeks after he announced his resignation as Italy’s head coach. According to Gazzetta dello Sport, the Italian will be introduced in front of supporters on Monday in Riyadh during a glamorous presentation ceremony.

“I am immensely honoured to be offered the position as Saudi Arabia national team manager,” Mancini said after being confirmed in his new role. “I believe this is a great opportunity for me, to experience football in a new country, especially with the growing popularity of football in Asia. I firmly believe that the passionate footballing culture of Saudi Arabia and the intrinsic quality of Saudi players are crucial ingredients for success. The presence of top players in the Saudi Pro League indicates the potential for growth in the national football scene.

“The whole world recognises the enormous potential of the Saudi Arabia national team during their outstanding performance at the World Cup. The scenes of the fans following that victory was immense. They left their mark on the global stage, filling Saudi Arabian football fans with immense pride and accelerating the nation’s footballing ambitions. We have the potential to improve further. The squad is strong with talented players. I believe we have what it takes to elevate our game if we work hard.”

https://twitter.com/SaudiNT/status/1695871660467830872?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1695871660467830872%7Ctwgr%5E8503e4610e62f868e57669a8ff4d2c53ef1dd20e%7Ctwcon%5Es1_c10&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.goal.com%2Fen-ng%2Fnews%2Froberto-mancini-new-saudi-arabia-manager-italy-resignation-first-game-st-james-park%2Fblt85f67a4652ae42b6

Mancini, who led Italy to a stunning victory at Euro 2020 two years ago, is expected to earn €25 million a year after agreeing to a four-year contract to lead Saudi Arabia. At Newcastle United’s home stadium, St. James’ Park, on September 8, he will oversee a friendly match against Costa Rica.

During the forthcoming international break, the Green Falcons are scheduled to play friendly matches against South Korea on September 12 and Costa Rica on September 8 respectively. At the 2026 World Cup qualifications, where Saudi Arabia will play either Cambodia or Pakistan in their opening group stage encounter, Mancini will face his first significant test.

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The Brazil international, a pivotal figure in Jurgen Klopp’s starting lineup during their memorable Champions League and Premier League triumphs, has now joined Nuno Espirito Santo’s squad. Al Ittihad has been bolstering its ranks this summer, also securing the signings of Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante, and Jota.

Initially, there were concerns that the transfer might encounter issues related to the proposed payment arrangement. However, the deadlock was swiftly resolved, and Fabinho underwent a medical examination.

اهلاً فابينهو في معقل النمور 🐅 #صيفية_العميد pic.twitter.com/YazXO62Gxq

— نادي الاتحاد السعودي (@ittihad) July 31, 2023

A statement from Liverpool expressed gratitude to Fabinho for his significant contributions to the club’s successes over the past five years.

Reads: “Everyone at Liverpool FC would like to thank Fabinho for all of his contributions to the club’s successes during the last five years.”

Fabinho is now the second midfielder from Liverpool to make a move to the Saudi Pro League, following in the footsteps of former club captain Jordan Henderson, who joined Al Ettifaq to reunite with his former teammate Steven Gerrard.

Since his arrival at Anfield in 2018, the former Monaco star has amassed 219 appearances for Liverpool and scored 11 goals. In the 2021/22 season, Fabinho achieved a remarkable feat, winning not only the Champions League and Premier League but also the FA Cup and the Carabao Cup.

As Liverpool faced challenges in their quest for Champions League qualification in the 2022–2023 season, Fabinho came under scrutiny and criticism.

Consequently, the Reds took steps to strengthen their central areas early in the summer transfer window, acquiring Alex Mac Allister and Dominik Szoboszlai from Brighton and RB Leipzig, respectively. Additionally, several long-time squad members, including James Milner, Naby Keita, Roberto Firmino, and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, have left the club.

.@_fabinhotavares has today completed a permanent transfer to Al-Ittihad after five years with the Reds.

We would like to thank Fabinho for all of his contributions to the club’s successes during the last five years 👏

— Liverpool FC (@LFC) July 31, 2023

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Riyad Mahrez has joined Saudi Pro League team Al Ahli, and Manchester City has officially announced his exit.

The winger arrived from Leicester City in 2018 and enjoyed an illustrious tenure at the Etihad Stadium, winning four Premier League titles and the Champions League trophy as part of the treble last season.

He managed 236 appearances in all competitions for City, scoring 78 goals and dishing out 59 assists for Pep Guardiola’s team.

Thank you, @Mahrez22! 💫🇩🇿 pic.twitter.com/omGQFqfkzl

— Manchester City (@ManCity) July 28, 2023

“To play for Manchester City has been an honour and privilege,” Mahrez told club media. “I came to City to win trophies and enjoy my football and I achieved all that and so much more.

“I have had five unforgettable years with this football club, working with unbelievable players, fantastic supporters, and the best manager in the world. I’ve made a lifetime of wonderful memories and the manner of our Premier League title wins and the battles we’ve had with Liverpool and, last year, Arsenal, underlined our collective desire and mentality to be the best.

“Manchester City will forever be a huge and happy part of my life.”

🩵 https://t.co/Fz9ikEh7BT

— Manchester City (@ManCity) July 28, 2023

Club director Txiki Begiristain added: “Riyad has been a major factor in our amazing successes over the past five years and his contribution will not be forgotten. He is a wonderful footballer to watch and leaves us with so many great memories.

“There are few wingers that possess his levels of skill and technique in world football, and he will be missed, but everyone will wish him all the best as he begins a new chapter in his career.”

Mahrez, who had previously shown Pep Guardiola his value in big games, was devastated by his exclusion from both the Champions League and FA Cup finals, as was previously mentioned. Instead, he was content to observe as City went on to win both of the finals and a famous treble by beating Arsenal to win the Premier League.

At Al Ahli, Mahrez will team up with Roberto Firmino and Edouard Mendy, while a transfer for Newcastle winger Allan Saint-Maximin is reportedly on the horizon.

.@Mahrez22 joins Al-Ahli Saudi Football Club 👇

— Manchester City (@ManCity) July 28, 2023

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According to Odion Ighalo, Cristiano Ronaldo relocated to Saudi Arabia not out of a love for the game but merely for financial gain.

Ighalo, who was a player for Al-Hilal, was the best scorer in the Saudi Pro League last season; however, he was dismissed at the conclusion of the season. He now thinks that Ronaldo, who joined Al-Nassr along with Benzema, is doing the same thing, having travelled to the country solely for a paycheck.

 Ighalo, 34, said to OmaSportsTV: “When you are young, yes, you play for passion. Back then, you don’t care about money. But at my age, I am in the final stretch of my career, I don’t know if it will be one, two years or when God will tell it to stop.

“I know it won’t be more than three years. I’ve played for passion all my life, now it’s for money. I’m not one of those players who come and say: ‘I play for passion’. Brother, it’s money. At the end of the day, it’s money.

“Is Ronaldo still playing out of passion? Ronaldo has earned 100 times more than I have in my entire life and yet he went to Saudi Arabia. Did he do that out of passion? It’s for money, bro.”

This summer, a number of players have relocated to Saudi Arabia, Jordan Henderson being the most recent. During this transfer window, players like Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante, Ruben Neves, and Roberto Firmino also arrived in the nation.

With Fabinho said to be moving to Ittihad, the Saudi Pro League influx doesn’t seem to be slowing down.

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PSG did not allow Mbappe to wind down his contract in the French capital, which has less than a year left, so they put him up for sale and excluded him from the pre-season tour of Japan. Mbappe has been a longtime Real Madrid target.

Mbappe has already stated that he won’t be activating the 12-month option to extend, which has prompted PSG to consider selling the 24-year-old this summer before he can go for nothing.

The Ligue 1 heavyweights were hoping to get Mbappe for around €200 million (£172 million), in the hopes that Real Madrid would make a move. However, a report on Monday that Saudi Arabia’s Al Hilal, one of four clubs supported by the Public Investment Fund (PIF) of the nation, had entered the race with a massive offer worth €300 million (£259 million).

Sources have now verified to us that PSG has accepted the offer for Mbappe, which makes sense given that the two parties’ relationships appear to be at an all-time low. He is now authorized to speak with Al Hilal about a prospective transfer to Saudi Arabia, which has already drawn Karim Benzema and Cristiano Ronaldo during the past seven months.

A whole host of other big name players – Roberto Firmino, Kalidou Koulibaly and Sergej Milinkovic-Savic among others – have already made the move to cash-rich Saudi this summer, with the enormous wages and bonuses on offer proving too good to turn down.

Despite a dramatic U-turn in which Mbappe turned down Real Madrid’s advances in favor of signing a new PSG contract in 2022, We understand that Mbappe’s camp has not yet responded to Al Hilal’s interest. However, the player had his heart set on joining Real Madrid in the past.

According to additional information, PSG’s agents are attempting to increase interest in Mbappe from other teams, despite the fact that no team would be able to match Al Hilal’s record-breaking offer, which is about €80 million (£69 million) higher than the current transfer record.

However, as they get ready to split ways with Mbappe, PSG wants to make sure they “leave no stone unturned.”

Since they can agree to sign Mbappe on a pre-contract deal in six months, Real Madrid has kept their cards close to their chest up to this point. They now have to observe as Al Hilal try to convince him that a move to Saudi Arabia, at least in the near term, is in his best interests.

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According to reports, Bayern Munich forward Sadio Mane has agreed a deal in principle to join Saudi Pro League side Al Nassr.

One of the more well-known players this transfer window who has been linked to a move to the Middle East is the former Liverpool player.

After a somewhat lacklustre 12 goals in 38 appearances across all competitions in his debut season with Bayern, Mane gained notoriety for his physical altercation with teammate Leroy Sane after a Champions League defeat.

Mane originally declined to negotiate a move to Saudi Arabia, but according to rumours in May, Bayern would consider bids for him.

Steven Gerrard sought to ramp up Saudi Pro League interest in Mane after taking over at Al Ettifaq, but 90min understands he has now quickly reached an agreement in principle on personal terms with Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr.

Mane emphasizes that he would not have even considered moving to Saudi Arabia a fortnight ago, thus the decision represents a significant U-turn.

Bayern expects to not be able to return the £35 million they spent to Liverpool to recruit Mane, but they will try to bring in a number that is as near to that amount as they can.

The Bundesliga champions are hopeful that the deal will move through quickly and that Mane will soon sign with Al Nassr.

Bayern Munich is still interested in getting Harry Kane from Tottenham Hotspur, according to sources who spoke to mp3bullet, but Spurs have reportedly continued to refuse to even set a price for their star striker.

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Following Lionel Messi’s transfer to Inter Miami, Cristiano Ronaldo asserts that the Saudi Pro League is superior to Major League Soccer and declares he would never play in Europe again.

After his contract with Manchester United expired in December of last year, Ronaldo made the unexpected move to Al-Nassr.

This summer, a number of well-known athletes have moved to Saudi Arabia, including Steven Gerrard, the former captain of Liverpool, Karim Benzema, N’Golo Kante, and Roberto Firmino.

After choosing to leave Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer earlier this summer, Messi decided to take a different route and was later presented as Inter Miami’s new signing on Sunday evening.

Ronaldo strongly ruled out a return to European football after Al-Nassr were defeated 5-0 by Celta Vigo on Monday night in a preseason friendly and believes several leagues have dropped in quality.

‘No, that door is completely closed,’ Ronaldo told Portuguese media when asked about a potential return to a European club.

‘I’m already 38-and-a-half years old and it’s not worth it.

‘In my way of seeing football, I think Europe has lost a lot of quality. The only league that for me has a lot of quality and is at a higher level than all the others is the Premier League.

‘The Spanish league does not have that great quality. The Portuguese league is a good league, but it is not a top, top league. The German league I think has also lost a lot. I’m sure I won’t play in Europe again. I want to play in Saudi Arabia.

Asked about a possible move to MLS, Ronaldo replied: ‘I think the Saudi league is much better than the United States. My team is Al-Nassr.’

Ronaldo, 38, also believes he has been the catalyst for several other players to make the move from Europe to Saudi Arabia this year.

‘100 per cent. It’s a fact,’ Ronaldo said.

‘It was going to take a year, but it was six months. I was wrong for six months.

‘But I knew this was going to happen because in the Italian league, when I went there, it was also dead and then rejuvenated.

‘Where Cristiano goes, it generates greater interest and I knew it was going to be like that. I’m sure that next season more stars will go there [to Saudi Arabia].’

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