Steven Gerrard, the former England and Liverpool midfielder, has been announced as the new manager of Saudi Arabian club Al-Ettifaq. Despite initially declining a potential offer in June, Gerrard has now signed a two-year contract with the team.
Khalid Al-Dabal, the chairman of Al-Ettifaq, expressed his excitement about Gerrard joining the club, stating that his presence would undoubtedly be a significant enhancement for the Saudi Pro League.
Al-Ettifaq finished seventh in the 16-team Saudi Pro League last season, quite far behind the champions Al-Ittihad with a 35-point gap.
Gerrard’s appointment comes after a summer of substantial investments by Pro League clubs, attracting several top European players to the Middle East. The likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema, Ruben Neves, N’Golo Kante, Kalidou Koulibaly, and Edouard Mendy have all made moves to Saudi Arabia. Even Inter Milan’s Marcelo Brozovic completed a transfer to Al-Nassr. However, Gerrard’s new club, Al-Ettifaq, is not among the four leading clubs taken over by Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, which owns Newcastle United.
After retiring from playing in 2016, Gerrard embarked on his managerial career with Scottish club Rangers in 2018. During his tenure, he guided Rangers to their first Scottish Premiership title in a decade during the 2020-21 season. Subsequently, he took on the role of Aston Villa boss in November 2021, but his time in charge ended with 13 wins from 40 games before parting ways. Now, the 43-year-old looks forward to leading Al-Ettifaq and making his mark in the Saudi Pro League.
