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The Saudi minnows challenging CR7 & Benzema for the title

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11 months ago

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Meet Al-Taawoun! The Saudi Pro League minnows leaving Karim Benzema’s Al-Ittihad in the dust and challenging Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr for the title

An interesting story is brewing in the SPL – and it’s got nothing to do with the eye-watering transfer fees that put the competition on the map

The transfer market was irrevocably changed by the emergence of the Saudi Pro League as a realistic – and even attractive – destination for football’s biggest stars over the summer. Buoyed by state-backed buyouts, the country’s traditional big four: Al-Nassr, Al-Ittihad, Al-Ahli and Al-Hilal, led the way for the league’s eye-watering spending, bringing the likes of Karim Benzema, Neymar and Sadio Mane to the Middle East.

Even sides outside of this elite bubble ended up recruiting talent who would have viewed a move to Saudi Arabia as unthinkable just a few months earlier. Al-Ettifaq managed to tempt Liverpool captain Jordan Henderson to Dammam, and Al-Shabab snapped up big-contract enthusiast Yannick Carrasco from Atletico Madrid.

But for the minnows of the league, these types of signings were a rarity compared to the business conducted by the top four. As a result, the state-owned clubs were expected to leave all challengers in their wake this season – but that’s not quite how it’s played out so far.

While title favourites Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr currently make up the top two, there is a disruptive force creeping up on them in third ahead of the other big-four clubs: Al-Taawoun. They are no strangers to upsetting the odds, either…

Based in Buraidah, one of the smaller cities in the country, Taawoun have always faced an uphill battle for relevance in Saudi Arabia. The region is best-known for being home to the best sugary dates in the world, with the team’s nickname, Sukri Al-Qasim, inspired by the local delicacy.

Al-Taawoun don’t boast the same volume of support as the top four, but they are extremely popular in Buraidah and have few issues filling King Abdullah Sports City to a decent level. They share this 25,000-capacity stadium with Al-Raed, with whom they contest the Qassim derby.

Generally, in the decades following their formation in 1956, Al-Taawoun did little to leave their mark on Saudi Arabian football. The highlight was becoming the first second-division club to make it to the King’s Cup final in 1990. Unfortunately, they were eventually vanquished by Al-Nassr.

Those dizzy heights weren’t replicated until 2010, when Al-Taawoun earned promotion to the Saudi Pro League, where they have remained ever since.

They soon made an impact at the top level too, registering their highest-ever league finish of fourth in 2015-16 and progressing into the AFC Champions League as a result. They did not get through the group stages the following season and seemed to struggle to contend with the extra games domestically, ending up in mid-table the following campaign.

Supporters did not have to wait long for another taste of continental action, however, as Al-Taawoun finished third in 2018-19 and won the King’s Cup, largely thanks to the goals of Cameroonian sensation Leandre Tawamba.

It was a similar story the following season, though. Again, Al-Taawoun struggled in the Champions League, exiting in the last-16 to Al-Nassr, and finished even lower in the Pro League, only narrowly avoiding relegation.

Al-Taawoun’s current resurgence has been masterminded by Brazilian coach Pericles Chamusca. A veteran tactician who’s managed well over 30 clubs in a meandering career that’s taken him to every corner of his homeland as well as across the Middle East and Japan, he registered on the club’s recruitment radar in 2021.

At that time, he was in charge of Al-Faisaly, who he led to victory over Al-Taawoun in the King’s Cup final. This performance helped convince Sukri Al-Qasito to appoint Chamusca as their new manager when John van de Brom departed in summer 2022.

It has proved to be an inspired decision. In his first season at the helm, he guided Al-Taawoun to fifth, and things are going even better this year despite the competition getting far stronger.

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So, how has he done it? Key to Al-Taawoun’s recent success has been their superb defensive organisation and midfield control. Only table-toppers Al-Hilal have conceded fewer goals than them this season, while just four sides are allowing fewer shots on target per 90 minutes. This solidity stems from Brazilian goalkeeper Mailson, who boasts the best save percentage in the division, and the sense of assurance he provides permeates throughout the defence and beyond.

In midfield, another Brazilian, Flavio, ensures that the opposition never has an easy afternoon. The Trabzonspor loanee is not afraid to get stuck in, with just three Saudi Pro League players completing more tackles this season.

It’s not all about limiting the opposition’s effectiveness, though. Al-Taawoun also have a spate of highly-unpredictable creative and attacking players at their disposal. The Brazilian flavour continues with Mateus, who never stops trying, even when things aren’t going his way. Only Aleksandar Mitrovic and Cristiano Ronaldo have fired off more shots in the Saudi Pro League this campaign, but Al-Taawoun’s frontman has only scored twice.

He has at least chipped in with five assists – as has undisputed star Alvaro Medran. A Real Madrid youth-team graduate who also enjoyed a spell at Valencia, Medran acts as the team’s creative fulcrum and has been one of the standout midfielders in the division recently.

Mateus and Flavio were both picked up in the summer – and they were far from the only smart signings the club made while their rivals were chucking money at aging stars.

Their marquee arrival was Musa Barrow from Bologna. The Gambian had impressed in Serie A over the past few seasons without ever being overly prolific, and he’s got off to a solid start in Saudi Arabia, averaging a goal every other game in all competitions so far.

To further tighten the defence, Andrei Girotto – yet another Brazilian – was brought in from Nantes, for whom he was near ever-present for in Ligue 1 last season. As well as helping the team out defensively, Girotto has also increased Al-Taawoun’s threat from set-pieces. No team in the Saudi Pro League has been as effective from dead balls this campaign – another key weapon in Chamusca’s locker as his side aims to overcome the financial odds.

So, how high can they fly this season. In an interview withAl Arabiya, former Al-Taawoun president and lifelong fan Mohammed Al-Sarrah was effusive in his praise for the latest iteration of his beloved team.

“You can see there are no problems with the players, they play well and achieve good results so far. Coach Chamusca is increasingly considered one of the most distinguished coaches in Saudi football. He plays with a high tactical approach and is in tune with the capabilities of his players. They are defensively well-organised and control the midfield,” he said.

On Al-Taawoun continuing to challenge the state-owned clubs, he said: “With Al-Taawoun, we can see how a healthy environment, well-though out tactics and only a little money does not need to be a barrier to competition.”

Despite Al-Sarrah’s optimism, it’s going to be extremely difficult for Al-Taawoun to sustain this title challenge. They may have beaten Al-Nassr earlier in the season, as well as drawn against struggling defending champions Al-Ittihad more recently, but the top four are already gearing up for another huge recruitment drive in January.

However, with Karim Benzema and Co in particular struggling to find their groove, a top-four finish is a realistic ambition. Although they cannot compete in terms of star power, they have a settled squad who want to run for each other and are probably the best-organised outfit in the division.

If they can break up the big quartet’s dominance, it will be a pretty remarkable achievement which, once again, would prove that money is not everything in football.

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