‘I didn’t expect it’ – Steven Gerrard breaks silence on Al-Ettifaq exit departure defeat

Steven Gerrard is battling to keep his Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq in the top flight amidst a gruelling season, which has not been helped by the exit of midfielder Seko Fofana

Steven Gerrard has finally broken his silence on the departure of Al-Ettifaq’s star player after the side suffered yet another defeat, saying: “I didn’t expect it”.

The Liverpool legend, 44, has endured a difficult time since taking charge of the Saudi Pro League club in July 2023. After only mustering up a sixth-place finish in his first season, Al-Ettifaq have not managed to build any momentum under the Englishman.

Gerrard’s side are currently languishing in 11th place after securing just four victories from 14 matches. That means they sit three points clear of the relegation zone.

The difficulty in keeping Al-Ettifaq afloat has been compounded by the loss of midfielder Seko Fofana at the start of this year, who returned to France to sign permanently with Rennes after being on loan from Al-Nassr.

A club statement confirmed: “Ettifaq announces the termination of the loan agreement of the player Seko Fofana, who was loaned from Al-Nassr FC during the last summer transfer window, by mutual consent between both parties.

“The club extends its sincere thanks to the player for his time with the team, wishing him the best of luck in his next challenge. Ettifaq also expresses its gratitude and appreciation of the board of directors and the executives of Al-Nassr FC for their continued and professional cooperation.”

Gerrard opened up about the team’s issues following Al-Ettifaq’s narrow 3-2 home defeat to Al-Kholood on Friday night, saying: “The team’s performance was poor and it’s hard to defend anyone, especially when we concede three goals like that. [Abdulelah] Almalki couldn’t participate in the match, yet he gave it his all. Wijnaldum was sick in the last 48 hours before the game.

“Similarly, Medran suffered a minor injury before the match and I hope he’ll be ready for the next game. I chose the best attacking players, but the result didn’t go our way. We were stronger in terms of squad depth before the break, and I don’t have an answer regarding signing a new defensive midfielder.”

He then briefly addressed Fofana’s departure, saying: “I didn’t expect Fofana to leave, it happened suddenly.”

Fofana’s £17million (€20million) move to Rennes on a four-year deal made him the most expensive sale in the history of the Saudi pro League. The Ivory Coast international made his debut in the 3-2 away defeat to Nice last Friday.

Gerrard himself has faced calls for his dismissal as manager after a continued run of poor form. Two of his staff, assistant coach Dean Holden and sporting director Mark Allen, were sacked this season, however, with Al-Ettifaq’s board acknowledging “unsatisfactory results” in a statement confirming their departures.

Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.