0
0
Al-Ettifaq Football Club and highly regarded manager Steven Gerrard have mutually agreed for the latter to leave the Saudi Pro League club, which marks the end of Gerrard’s reign with the club. This move follows strenuous deliberations and a commonly reached understanding between the two parties.
Steven Gerrard, the legendary footballer, signed for Al-Ettifaq in July 2023, bringing a wealth of experience from his illustrious playing career at Liverpool and managerial roles at Rangers and Aston Villa. His appointment was met with great enthusiasm, with club chairman Khalid Al-Dabal stating at the time, “Without a doubt, Gerrard’s presence will be an addition and a quantum leap to our league.”
In his time, Gerrard tried to raise the bar of the club and inject a competitive spirit into the team. In September 2024, he extended for two more years to commit himself to the club’s vision until 2027. At that moment, Gerrard sounded optimistic: “We knew at the beginning this was a big job and a challenging job. But a lot has been achieved.”
The season had a few challenges, especially the team did not manage to win more than eight consecutive games on the trot, meaning they are in this position in the league. Huge internal restructuring happened at the club in November 2024, which also saw many key names move out of the club, sporting director Mark Allen and assistant manager Dean Holden were a few, yet it just did not materialize.
Following intensive evaluations and discussions, both Gerrard and Al-Ettifaq Management came to the view that this separation would serve the best interest of the future of the Club. This decision also involves the departure of some members of Gerrard’s coaching staff.
Al-Ettifaq FC extends its sincere gratitude to Steven Gerrard and his team for their contributions and unwavering dedication during their tenure. The club acknowledges the efforts made towards building a competitive squad and the professionalism exhibited throughout.
Steven Gerrard said, “I am grateful to have had the opportunity to have managed Al-Ettifaq and immersed myself in such a rich football culture of Saudi Arabia. I don’t wish more than success in the future for the club and its supporters.”.
The club will immediately begin the process of searching for a new head coach to lead Al-Ettifaq into the future. Until then, all training sessions and match preparations are to be spearheaded by the assistant coaches to ensure continuity.
