La relevancia a nivel internacional de la Liga saudí progresa adecuadamente. La competición ya se posiciona como una de las Ligas más televisadas del mundo con un total de 140 países que emiten la Saudi Pro League en directo (entre ellos España, a través de MARCA.com). “La calidad del producto crece día a día. El reto es no sólo enfocarnos en los grandes nombres, sino ir más allá, y elevar el nivel de todos los clubes, no sólo de los cuatro o cinco grandes”, declaraba uno de los jefes de la Saudi Pro League, Mohammed Basrawi, en una entrevista con MARCA la pasada semana.
El efecto Cristiano
Desde el fichaje de Cristiano Ronaldo por Al-Nassr en diciembre de 2022, la máxima categoría del fútbol árabe ha sufrido una evolución exponencial. Una Liga llena de estrellas que ya acumula un valor de mercado, entre todos sus jugadores, de más de mil millones de euros. Esta temporada, la Liga está en su recta final. Restan sólo ocho jornadas para su desenlace. Sus cinco grandes: Al-Nassr, Al-Hilal, Al-Ittihad, Al-Ahli y Al-Qadsiah se la juegan este fin de semana en auténticas finales para continuar su batalla por el título.
Cristiano Ronaldo con Al-Nassr
Tres derbis marcarán la jornada decisiva
Tres derbis marcan esta vigesimosexta jornada de la Saudi Pro League. AlNassr de Cristiano y Al Hilal (exequipo de Neymar) se verán las caras en uno de los platos fuertes de la jornada en el llamado ‘Derbi de la capital’. No será el único duelo entre vecinos. Al Qadsiah de Nacho y Aubameyang (dirigido por Míchel) se enfrentará en el ‘Derbi del Este’ a Al Ettifaq, un club histórico venido a menos ahora. Para finalizar esta tanda de derbis, la rivalidad más antigua del futbol saudí tendrá otro episodio este fin de semana. El líder Al Ittihad no se moverá de Yeda para enfrentar a Al Ahli.
Al Hilal (2º clasificado) vs Al Nassr (3º)
El ‘Derbi de la capital. Así se denomina a este auténtico Clásico del futbol saudí. Y es que el Kingdom Arena de Riad acogerá un duelo directo por el título este viernes a las 20:00 horas. Al-Hilal ocupa el segundo puesto de la clasificación con 57 puntos (seis por encima de Al-Nassr). Es conocido como el Clásico de las Superestrellas históricamente. Hristo Stoichkov (Al Nassr), Rivelino (Al Hilal) o Denilson (Al Nassr) han pasado por estos clubes en el pasado.
Este derbi enfrentará a los dos conjuntos más valiosos de la Liga, según los valores de mercado de transfermarkt. Al Hilal es primero con 180 millones de euros; y Al Nassr, segundo con 175 millones). Cristiano, Mané, John Durán, Bono, Mitrovic, Joao Cancelo, Malcom, Ruben Neves, Milinkovic-Savic, Lodi… una autentica constelación de figuras que se podrá presenciar en el ‘Derbi de las Superestrellas’.
Karim Benzema con Al-Ittihad
Al Ahli (5º) vs Al Ittihad (1º)
El cuatro veces campeón de la Liga, Al Ahli buscará arañar una victoria al líder, capitaneado por Karim Benzema, en el llamado ‘Derbi costero’. El galo comparte vestuario con jugones como su compatriota Kanté, Fabinho, Bergwijn y el recién fichado del Aston Villa Moussa Diaby. Los ‘Tigres’ acumulan 61 puntos y sólo han caído en dos encuentros en lo que va de Liga, en la que llevan ocho partidos consecutivos sin perder.
Este derbi es el decano de las rivalidades del fútbol saudí. Su primer enfrentamiento fue hace casi 90 años (en 1937) y acabó con tablas en el marcador. El ‘Derbi costero’ se ha disputado hasta en 176 ocasiones. 79 han caído del lado de Al Ahli, 47 para Al Ittihad y 50 han finalizado con empate. Al Ahli acumulan 48 puntos en Liga y buscarán ampliar este récord de victorias en el King Abdullah Sports City este sábado a las 20:00 horas.
Al Qadsiah (4º) vs Al Ettifaq (7º)
El ‘Spanish Al Qadsiah’, dirigido por Míchel, iguala a puntos (51) al Al Nassr, pero ocupa el cuarto lugar por la diferencia de goles. Con hasta cuatro jugadores de nacionalidad española (Nacho, Cameron Puertas, Iker Almena y Gastón Álvarez, que la comparte con la uruguaya), tratarán de acortar distancias en la clasificación con una victoria en el ‘Derbi del Este’.
El duelo será este sábado a las 16:05 horas en el Estadio Príncipe Mohamed bin Fahd de Damman. Los de Míchel son la revelación del campeonato, pero tendrán ante él a un histórico del fútbol saudí. Aunque Al-Ettifaq esté en una mala dinámica (despidió a Steven Gerard del banquillo en el mercado invernal), en los años 80 era una potencia del fútbol saudí, logrando dos títulos ligueros. Es el primer club del país que ha conseguido un título internacional (la Liga de Campeones Árabe), además de ser el único que ha conseguido la Liga sin perder un sólo partido. Fue un ‘Al Ettifaq invencible’.
A su vez, la batalla por el ‘pichichi’ de la competición está más disputada que nunca. Cristiano lidera la clasificación de goleadores con 19 dianas, seguido de cerca por Abderrazak Hamdallah (Al-Shabab) y Marcos Leonardo (Al-Hilal), ambos con 17 tantos.
This news was originally published on this post .
About the author
Phillies win the hard way — against themselves and the Nationals
PHILADELPHIA — He stood next to his locker with a gray towel around his neck, tugging at each end, as if he had just been through a 12-round fight and José Alvarado loved every moment of this. More and more reporters joined the scrum around him Tuesday night after a 7-6 Philadelphia Phillies win. Some teammates formed an audience. “That’s a big moment,” Alvarado said, retelling how he struck out the side after loading the bases in the eighth inning. Alvarado has a photo of Rocky Balboa tucked in the back of his locker this year.AdvertisementIt didn’t need to be this hard. That, so far, is the story of the 16-13 Phillies.“You see some new stuff every day in this game,” Alec Bohm said, and in this case, he was referring to the rock fight held between the teams that […]
Jayson Tatum leads Celtics to record-breaking victory over Magic
The Boston Celtics etched their name in NBA history during Game 5 of their first-round playoff series against the Orlando Magic on April 29 at TD Garden. Trailing at halftime, the Celtics roared back to secure a 120-88 victory, becoming the first team in NBA playoff history to win by 30+ points after being down at the break. "The @celtics are the first team in NBA playoff history to trail at halftime but end up winning by 30+ points," OptaSTATS announced on X, capturing the magnitude of the feat. Jayson Tatum led the charge, finishing with 35 points, eight rebounds, and 10 assists, per NBA.com, showcasing why he's a cornerstone of Boston's championship aspirations. The Celtics' second-half surge was fueled by a stifling defense, holding Orlando to just 40 points after the break while shooting 60% from the field themselves. […]
Arsenal na kolotoči. PSG si před vítězným gólem vyměnil rekordní počet přihrávek
„Těch šestadvacet přihrávek ukazuje na dynamiku a kreativitu, kterými disponujeme. Máme opravdu silný tým,“ rozplýval se portugalský záložník Vitinha, který byl vyhlášen mužem zápasu. Gólová akce začala v čase 02:07 rozehraným volným kopem u postranní čáry, balon si postupně vyměnili téměř všichni hráči PSG. Precizní dílo završil Dembélé.Hosté na Emirates vysloveně vtrhli, Arsenalu 25 minut téměř nepůjčili míč. V tento čas byl poměr držení míče 80 % ku 20 % v jejich prospěch. „Ukázali jsme velkou kvalitu. Snažili jsme se prosadit svojí hrou. Bylo skvělé, že jsme dali brzy gól. Jasně, pak jsme v průběhu utkání někdy trpěli, ale mohli jsme vstřelit klidně tři góly,“ uvedl trenér PSG Luis Enrique.26 - There were 26 passes in the build-up to Ousmane Dembélé’s winner for Paris SG, both the most for a goal for the French side and the most for a goal conceded by Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League on […]
Crystal Palace reap the rewards as Oliver Glasner’s patience starts to pay off
Oliver Glasner openly acknowledges he is not instinctively a patient man, but the Crystal Palace manager has been more forgiving than most of those players who have taken time to find their feet at the south London club.For Daichi Kamada, that might in part be born of familiarity from their time together at Eintracht Frankfurt. Yet Glasner had no prior connection with Ismaila Sarr nor Eddie Nketiah and all three, at certain points and to different extents, have found life taxing at Palace since arriving last summer.AdvertisementKamada, a high earner after his free transfer from Lazio, has only made a sporadic impact this season, operating mostly off the substitutes’ bench, before gradually delivering a more meaningful contribution over the past month or so. He came with a strong reputation; expectations were high.The story is similar for Nketiah, who joined from Arsenal […]
Giannis Antetokounmpo: Tyrese Haliburton’s dad ‘disrespectful’ in postgame run-in
<!--> Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton was so excited about Indiana's improbable overtime rally that he didn't realize what led to the postgame scuffle between his teammates and the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night.Then he got to the locker room, watched the replay and winced when he saw his father, John, on the court, confronting two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo."I had no idea it happened until I got back to the locker room and they showed me the video of my pops," the two-time All-Star said after he made the decisive layup with 1.3 seconds left to give Indiana a 119-118 victory and a 4-1 series win. "We had a little talk about it. I don't agree with what transpired there. I think basketball is basketball and let's keep it on the court. I think he just got excited."ADVERTISEMENT -->Antetokounmpo wasn't pleased, either, […]
Bill Belichick backlash over awkward interview? Tensions rise as Jordon Hudson sends clear message to the media
Bill Belichick, the iconic former head coach of the New England Patriots, is no stranger to being under scrutiny, whether for his performance on the field or his personal life. However, his recent appearance on CBS's Sunday Morning to promote his new book, The Art of Winning: Lessons from My Life in Football, has sparked fresh controversy, this time about his relationship with 24-year-old Jordon Hudson.During the interview with Tony Dokoupil, tensions escalated when Hudson intervened after Dokoupil broached the subject of how Belichick met his girlfriend. Hudson quickly shut down the question, asserting, "We're not talking about this." This blunt reaction set the tone for an awkward segment, reportedly leading Hudson to leave the set temporarily out of frustration. Fans are concerned! Bill Belichick girlfriend Jordon Hudson calls plays for Tar Heels in practiceAccording to TMZ, the interview was […]
Related
Phillies win the hard way — against themselves and the Nationals
PHILADELPHIA — He stood next to his locker with a gray towel around his neck, tugging at each end, as if he had just been through a 12-round fight and José Alvarado loved every moment of this. More and more reporters joined the scrum around him Tuesday night after a 7-6 Philadelphia Phillies win. Some teammates formed an audience. “That’s a big moment,” Alvarado said, retelling how he struck out the side after loading the bases in the eighth inning. Alvarado has a photo of Rocky Balboa tucked in the back of his locker this year.AdvertisementIt didn’t need to be this hard. That, so far, is the story of the 16-13 Phillies.“You see some new stuff every day in this game,” Alec Bohm said, and in this case, he was referring to the rock fight held between the teams that […]
Jayson Tatum leads Celtics to record-breaking victory over Magic
The Boston Celtics etched their name in NBA history during Game 5 of their first-round playoff series against the Orlando Magic on April 29 at TD Garden. Trailing at halftime, the Celtics roared back to secure a 120-88 victory, becoming the first team in NBA playoff history to win by 30+ points after being down at the break. "The @celtics are the first team in NBA playoff history to trail at halftime but end up winning by 30+ points," OptaSTATS announced on X, capturing the magnitude of the feat. Jayson Tatum led the charge, finishing with 35 points, eight rebounds, and 10 assists, per NBA.com, showcasing why he's a cornerstone of Boston's championship aspirations. The Celtics' second-half surge was fueled by a stifling defense, holding Orlando to just 40 points after the break while shooting 60% from the field themselves. […]
Arsenal na kolotoči. PSG si před vítězným gólem vyměnil rekordní počet přihrávek
„Těch šestadvacet přihrávek ukazuje na dynamiku a kreativitu, kterými disponujeme. Máme opravdu silný tým,“ rozplýval se portugalský záložník Vitinha, který byl vyhlášen mužem zápasu. Gólová akce začala v čase 02:07 rozehraným volným kopem u postranní čáry, balon si postupně vyměnili téměř všichni hráči PSG. Precizní dílo završil Dembélé.Hosté na Emirates vysloveně vtrhli, Arsenalu 25 minut téměř nepůjčili míč. V tento čas byl poměr držení míče 80 % ku 20 % v jejich prospěch. „Ukázali jsme velkou kvalitu. Snažili jsme se prosadit svojí hrou. Bylo skvělé, že jsme dali brzy gól. Jasně, pak jsme v průběhu utkání někdy trpěli, ale mohli jsme vstřelit klidně tři góly,“ uvedl trenér PSG Luis Enrique.26 - There were 26 passes in the build-up to Ousmane Dembélé’s winner for Paris SG, both the most for a goal for the French side and the most for a goal conceded by Arsenal in the UEFA Champions League on […]
Crystal Palace reap the rewards as Oliver Glasner’s patience starts to pay off
Oliver Glasner openly acknowledges he is not instinctively a patient man, but the Crystal Palace manager has been more forgiving than most of those players who have taken time to find their feet at the south London club.For Daichi Kamada, that might in part be born of familiarity from their time together at Eintracht Frankfurt. Yet Glasner had no prior connection with Ismaila Sarr nor Eddie Nketiah and all three, at certain points and to different extents, have found life taxing at Palace since arriving last summer.AdvertisementKamada, a high earner after his free transfer from Lazio, has only made a sporadic impact this season, operating mostly off the substitutes’ bench, before gradually delivering a more meaningful contribution over the past month or so. He came with a strong reputation; expectations were high.The story is similar for Nketiah, who joined from Arsenal […]
Giannis Antetokounmpo: Tyrese Haliburton’s dad ‘disrespectful’ in postgame run-in
<!--> Pacers guard Tyrese Haliburton was so excited about Indiana's improbable overtime rally that he didn't realize what led to the postgame scuffle between his teammates and the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday night.Then he got to the locker room, watched the replay and winced when he saw his father, John, on the court, confronting two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo."I had no idea it happened until I got back to the locker room and they showed me the video of my pops," the two-time All-Star said after he made the decisive layup with 1.3 seconds left to give Indiana a 119-118 victory and a 4-1 series win. "We had a little talk about it. I don't agree with what transpired there. I think basketball is basketball and let's keep it on the court. I think he just got excited."ADVERTISEMENT -->Antetokounmpo wasn't pleased, either, […]
Bill Belichick backlash over awkward interview? Tensions rise as Jordon Hudson sends clear message to the media
Bill Belichick, the iconic former head coach of the New England Patriots, is no stranger to being under scrutiny, whether for his performance on the field or his personal life. However, his recent appearance on CBS's Sunday Morning to promote his new book, The Art of Winning: Lessons from My Life in Football, has sparked fresh controversy, this time about his relationship with 24-year-old Jordon Hudson.During the interview with Tony Dokoupil, tensions escalated when Hudson intervened after Dokoupil broached the subject of how Belichick met his girlfriend. Hudson quickly shut down the question, asserting, "We're not talking about this." This blunt reaction set the tone for an awkward segment, reportedly leading Hudson to leave the set temporarily out of frustration. Fans are concerned! Bill Belichick girlfriend Jordon Hudson calls plays for Tar Heels in practiceAccording to TMZ, the interview was […]
Be the first to leave a comment