JEDDAH: Ahead of its official launch on Nov. 21, Netflix gave an exclusive first look at its new documentary series, “Saudi Pro League: Kickoff,” on Tuesday night with two viewing events in Jeddah that showcased episodes covering the city’s two giant clubs.
The screenings were attended by club officials, members of the media, sports bloggers and Al-Ahli’s German coach Matthias Jaissle.
Al-Ittihad’s episode is titled, “The struggle to achieve glory,” while Al-Ahli’s is “Counterattack.”
Two more exclusive screening events will take place in Riyadh on Wednesday to unveil episodes on Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr.
Attendees at the Muvi theater in Jeddah were treated to storylines on Karim Benzema’s experiences during his first season at Al-Ittihad, and Jaissle’s leadership at Al-Ahli as the club battled to gain qualification to the AFC Champions League on their return to the Saudi Pro League after relegation two season earlier.
As well as shining a spotlight on Jeddah’s big-name players, the episodes also showcased emerging local talents from the two clubs, such as Al-Ahli’s forward Feras Al-Buraikan, and the 16-year-old striker Talal Hajji of Al-Ittihad.
Jaissle said that he was impressed with the first look at “Saudi Pro League: Kickoff,” and described Al-Ahli’s episode in three words: “Overwhelmed, emotional and authentic as well.”
“I really enjoyed the special documentary on Al-Ahli, and it offers an exclusive look into the world of Saudi league, showcasing Al-Ahli dynamics and individual player journeys,” he said.
Adnan Jastania, a renowned Saudi football analyst who watched Al-Ittihad’s episode, said: “It really shows the drama, excitement and passion for football in Saudi Arabia. I enjoyed the intra-history of Al-Ittihad and the culture of the oldest sports in Saudi.”
Set to launch on Thursday, the docuseries will have six episodes in total and will focus on the battle for the 2023-24 SPL title with focus on then-reigning champions Al-Ittihad, Al-Hilal, Al-Nassr, Al-Ahli and Al-Ettifaq.
Netflix showcases Ittihad and Ahli episodes of new docuseries at exclusive Jeddah screening
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Netflix showcases Ittihad and Ahli episodes of new docuseries at exclusive Jeddah screening
- Six-part “Saudi Pro League: Kickoff” will be available for streaming on the platform from Thursday
- Al-Ittihad’s episode is titled, “The struggle to achieve glory,” while Al-Ahli’s is “Counterattack”
Al-Qadsiah victory over Al-Khaleej tightens Saudi Pro League title race
- Brendan Rodgers’ side now sit fourth on 43 points, four behind league leaders Al-Hilal
- Points dropped by Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli on Monday blow the title race wide open
RIYADH: Matchday 20 of the Saudi Pro League concluded after what was arguably the most dramatic week of the season, both on and off the pitch.
Monday saw the winter transfer window come to a close with late twists — most notably the transfer of Karim Benzema from Al-Ittihad to Al-Hilal — alongside the highly anticipated clash between Al-Hilal and Al-Ahli. While all eyes were on that fixture, Al-Qadsiah quietly continued their unbeaten run with a 1-0 victory over Al-Khaleej, extending it to 10 matches.
With the campaign now beyond its halfway point, there is no telling who will become champion come end of the season. As things stand, Al-Hilal sit top with 47 points, followed by city rivals Al-Nassr on 46 points. In third place, Al-Ahli on 44 points, with Al-Qadsiah just behind on 43.
Al-Qadsiah’s win was anything but easy, however. Under Brendan Rodgers, one-goal victories had previously only come against against heavyweights such as Al-Nassr and Al-Ittihad. Games against Al-Riyadh, Al-Fayha, Al-Hazem and Al-Najma — all in the bottom half of the table — were won by two goals or more.
Giorgos Donis’ Al-Khaleej presented a different challenge. Finding themselves in the upper mid-table this season thanks to stellar performances from the likes of Giorgos Masouras, Joshua King and Kostas Fortounis, it was never going to be easy for Al-Qadsiah, even in the absence of Fortounis due to injury.
It seemed like the flurry of games finally took its toll on the Knight of the East, with stars Julian Quinones and Musab Al-Juwayr looking fatigued. In the 38 days since Rodgers took charge at Al-Qadsiah, the side have played 10 matches, with five more to come in the next 23 days.
Despite 18 attempts at goal, only one came to fruition. A through ball to Quinones in the 41st minute was squared to Mateo Retegui, who finished into an open net to score the only goal of the game.
Al-Qadsiah didn’t sit back for the remainder of the game, prompting Al-Khaleej to take advantage of the spaces in behind the wing-backs to launch their own offence. Saudi national team centre-back Jehad Thekri was repeatedly left exposed, but backup goalkeeper Ahmed Al-Kassar did his best to prevent Al-Khaleej from finding an equaliser.
Despite being the week which saw the title race tighten to just four points between first and fourth, this was the second-lowest scoring Saudi Pro League matchday in history, with just nine goals across the nine games. None of the 18 teams were able to score more than one goal, with half the sides going goalless this round.
Elsewhere, just minutes away at E’GO Stadium, Al-Ettifaq managed to secure a valuable 1-0 victory against this campaign’s surprise package Al-Taawoun, after a 71st minute strike from Georginio Wijnaldum.
Meanwhile, Al-Kholood ended their streak of 18 games without a draw by grabbing a point in a 0-0 draw against Damac. The point for both sides was enough to see them end the round outside the relegation zone; Al-Kholood in 14th with 16 points and Damac in 15th with 12.
Saudi Pro League action returns on Thursday, with Al-Ahli and Al-Hilal continuing their title charges against Al-Hazem and Al-Okhdood respectively. Friday will feature the game of the round, with Al-Nassr welcoming Al-Ittihad at Al-Awwal Park in Riyadh.
