When Steven Gerrard was sacked by Aston Villa last October after less than a year in the role, you would have got good odds on his next role being with Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq.
But, as the 43-year-old gets prepared for the next step of his coaching career, he has swapped the Midlands for the Middle East as he becomes the latest big name to move to Saudi Arabia to join a team few English fans had heard of until the interest arose.
Having originally distanced himself from taking the job last month, the 43-year-old has now accepted a lucrative offer from the Dammam-based club. Al-Ettifaq representatives were in London on Monday finalising Gerrard’s appointment ahead of the confirmation.
Gerrard agreed to the role following a renewed round of talks with the Saudi side, who are committing millions towards player recruitment to help their new boss build a team of global superstars.
But what do we know about the team who will become just the fifth club in the Liverpool legend’s playing and coaching career? Mail Sport provides the lowdown.
Steven Gerrard was appointed as manager of Saudi Pro League outfit Al-Ettifaq on Monday
It is his first coaching role since being sacked by Aston Villa last October after less than a year
Who are Al-Ettifaq?
Nicknamed The Commandos, Al-Ettifaq were established in 1945 after the merging of the three clubs in the city of Dammam – Al-Taawoun, Al-Sha’ab and Al-Shabab.
Officials decided upon the name Al-Ettifaq – which means ‘agreement’ in Arabic – and they settled on green and white colours, which have subsequently developed into green and red.
They are based in Dammam, a city in the east of Saudi Arabia which is about one hour away from Riyadh and two hours from Jeddah by plane.
Al-Ettifaq play at the Prince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium, named after a former long-serving governor of the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia.
It has a capacity of 25,000, but in the 2022-23 season they averaged an attendance of just 5,200 across their 15 home league games.
Al-Ettifaq (pictured in action against Al-Nassr’s Cristiano Ronaldo) are based in the city of Dammam – which is is in the east of Saudi Arabia – and were formed back in 1945
Who are their key players?
A quick look down Al-Ettifaq’s 26-man squad and it is hard to see many familiar names. Their team is mainly made up of Saudi players, although they had no members of Herve Renard’s World Cup squad last year.
Among their team, there are nine non-native players, but the most well-known of these are probably Swedish forward Robin Quaison – who has 13 goals in 47 international caps – and Germany international Amin Younes, although he hasn’t played for Hansi Flick’s international side since 2021.
Younes counts Ajax, Napoli and Eintracht Frankfurt among his former clubs, while captain Mohammed Al-Kuwaykibi has racked up more than 160 appearances for The Commandos over the past seven years.
Their record signing is Tunisian international Naim Sliti, who arrived for £4.2m from French side Dijon in 2019.
Al-Ettifaq’s squad doesn’t contain many familiar names and is mainly made up of Saudi players
What is their history?
Gerrard’s new side play in the Saudi Pro League and last season finished seventh in the 16-team division, 35 points behind champions Al-Ittihad – who have since strengthened by signing both N’Golo Kante and Karim Benzema.
They have been league champions on two occasions, but not for a long time, winning the title in 1982-83 and 1986-87.
The first of those triumphs completed what was an unbeaten season, as they became the first Saudi side to achieve such a feat.
They also won the King’s Cup – the equivalent of the FA Cup – in 1968 and 1985.
Similarly, they lifted the now defunct GCC Champions League (the Gulf Cup for Clubs) on three occasions in 1983, 1988 and 2006 and subsequently triumphed in the Arab Club Champions Cup in 1984 and 1988.
However, it is clear this golden period in the 1980s hasn’t quite been replicated in the following years and they returned to the Saudi top flight after winning the first division in 2015-16.
Brazilian keeper Paulo Victor is one of just nine non-Saudi players in Al-Ettifaq’s current squad
Who owns the club?
The Al-Dabal name is the strongest linked with the club, with the family having close ties to Al-Ettifaq across the past 50 years.
Abdullah Al-Dabal – a prominent former Saudi football official who held several roles within the kingdom’s federation – was their president during the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Similarly, Al-Dabal was part of the Asian Football Confederation and was widely credited for helping to grow the game on the continent, while he was also a FIFA Executive Member.
His son, Khalid, is the current president and has helped to rebuild the club over recent years following their relegation from the top flight in 2014.
Khalid is also a massive Gerrard fan, with the Al-Ettifaq chief calling him a ‘living giant’ in 2013, while he also said on Twitter at the time: ‘Gerrard may not have touched the (Premier League) title, but he touched many hearts.’
Al-Ettifaq’s official owner is Nawaf A Alosaimi, although there is limited information online about this individual.
Gerrard with club president Khalid Al-Dabal whose dad, Abdullah, previously ran the club
What is Gerrard likely to face in Saudi Arabia?
Firstly, Gerrard will be well remunerated in Saudi, with his salary reported to be around £8.1million-a-year – more than £150,000 per week.
He penned a two-year contract with the club, although the make-up of his backroom staff remains uncertain.
Former Scotland favourite Gary McAllister was Gerrard’s assistant throughout his time at both Rangers and Aston Villa, but there is so far a lack of clarity on whether he will join the 43-year-old.
Al-Ettifaq currently have two assistants in place – Tarik Makhnass and Antonio Cazorla. The latter spent time in temporary charge last season after Frenchman Patrice Carteron was dismissed in February.
Gerrard is expected to have significant funds to bring in stars, with Alvaro Morata a top target
He is also expected to target Jordan Henderson (left) and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (right)
Meanwhile, Saudi’s controversial sovereign Public Investment Fund (PIF) announced last month they were taking control of four of the Pro League’s biggest clubs Al-Nassr, Al-Hilal, Al-Ittihad, and Al-Ahli.
Al-Ettifaq, however, believe they can compete with the PIF-run clubs to challenge for the title next season and Gerrard is likely to have a hefty transfer budget to spend.
Within a day of his announcement, Philippe Coutinho – who Gerrard played with at Liverpool and signed for Aston Villa – was linked, while Jordan Henderson, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Alvaro Morata have also been linked with a move.
Mail Sport understands initial discussions over a move for Morata have taken place amid hope he can become one of Gerrard’s first signings, with Atletico Madrid open to a cut-price deal for the former Chelsea striker.
However, the Saudi side are likely to face competition from clubs in Italy.
It all promises to an intriguing watch from afar when the action gets underway on August 11.
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