Steven Gerrard left his role as El-Ettifaq’s manager in the Saudi Pro League this week after a turbulent tenure which saw Jordan Henderson abandon the project and key personnel sacked
Steven Gerrard’s dismal 18-month spell in Saudi Arabia came to an end this week as he and Al-Ettifaq parted ways.
The manager’s decision to leave was announced in a lengthy statement on Thursday after rumours emerged about his position being under threat. “Ettifaq Football Club and Steven Gerrard have today mutually agreed to part company. The decision follows an amicable conclusion to the relationship with the manager,” it read.
Gerrard was appointed Al-Ettifaq’s manager in the summer of 2023 amid the Saudi Pro League’s push for big names across European football with the allure of mammoth wages. But his time in the Middle-East immediately got off to a rocky start, with several cracks appearing in his first season where he only managed a sixth-placed finish.
Despite starting his second season with three straight wins, The Knights sank down the table as the goals dried up, with Gerrard even being booed by his own fans. The Liverpool legend now leaves Al-Ettifaq at the midway point of the season with the side only five points above the relegation zone and 16 points adrift of the top four.
“I want to express my gratitude to the club, the players, the fans, and everyone involved for the opportunity and the support during my time here,” Gerrard said on Thursday as his departure was confirmed.
“From the first day I was warmly welcomed and I have enjoyed the chance to work in a new country with a different culture. So overall I have learnt a lot and it’s been a positive experience personally and for my family as well. But football is unpredictable and sometimes things don’t go the way we want.”
While Gerrard’s Saudi adventure appears to have come to an end, the Anfield hero has come away from a turbulent stint considerably wealthier. Various reports claimed that Gerrard signed a £15million-a-year deal when he joined Al-Ettifaq in the summer of 2023.
While that would have made him one of the highest-earning managers in the world, GiveMeSport clarified in January 2024, after Gerrard’s new extension that the Englishman’s initial salary had been closer to £5m.
They claimed that, according to Saudi sources, Gerrard’s new deal last year saw him receive a 25 per cent pay-rise to earn around £6.5m-per-year, with bonuses on top based on the team’s success.
Gerrard had said after landing his huge salary: “This is very pleasing for myself and my family and feels like recognition for a lot of hard work and commitment.”
Part of Gerrard’s effort to make Al-Ettifaq a serious outfit had included bringing in established Premier League stars, such as his fellow former Liverpool midfielders Gini Wijnaldum and Jordan Henderson. Former Reds skipper Henderson especially was viewed as a marquee signing when he arrived in July 2023 on a three-year contract worth a reported £700,000-per-week.
But in a major blow to Gerrard’s project, Henderson wanted out within just six months. Al-Ettifaq agreed to terminate his contract to facilitate his move to Ajax in January 2024, with reports stating the split was amicable.
On Henderson’s departure, Gerrard told The Telegraph: “I respected his decision because I love him as a guy, I love him as a player and I have nothing but ultimate respect for him. I was disappointed. Any manager who loses his captain during the season is not ideal and I told Jordan that. But if someone is not settled.
“If someone has some family things that are affecting him. If someone has got different outside goals or opportunities, like England for example, then I have to respect that and understand it. And I do. But was I disappointed? Of course, I was.”
He added: “I did [try to convince him to stay] but I didn’t overdo that because it had to be Jordan’s decision. He’s a big boy and I didn’t want to be someone – for example, if I had convinced him to stay and he felt further down [the line] that it was the wrong decision then I didn’t want to be that person who he was told: ‘Why did you convince me to stay?’ It had to be Jordan’s decision. He needed his own time. He needed to go through his own processes. The advice I gave to Jordan was: ‘Do what’s right for your family’.”
Henderson made his return to European football and the club were boosted by not having to pay his huge wages, but Gerrard lost a key leader in the dressing room. Perhaps more poignantly, it was an indication that financial incentives offered by Saudi alone were not enough for some players, further undermining Gerrard’s project.
Gerrard, after a turbulent start to his second season, was met with more bad news. While his own place would remain secure for another two months, the club sacked sporting director Mark Allen and assistant coach Dean Holden.
After being dumped out of the King Cup, Al-Ettifaq bosses made structural changes in Dammam and appointed Michael Beale as his assistant. Gerrard remained calm on the surface but alarm bells would have been ringing as he said: “The decision was made to bring Michael Beale in who is a super coach, we spent years together previously and it’s great to have him back with me.”
Before joining Al-Ettifaq in 2023, Allen was sporting director at Swansea City. He was promoted in 2021 after spending eight months as the club’s academy manager, having also worked at Rangers and Manchester City.
Holden, meanwhile, was manager of Charlton before making the switch to Al-Ettifaq in 2024. The 45-year-old has also spent time with Oldham, Bristol and Stoke.
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