Al-Ittihad fans stage a protest against injustice in the Saudi league, after defeat against Al-Hilal

In the sights of the protesters, in addition to Jorge Jesus and Neymar’s club, also Al-Nassr and the vice-president of the tournament

After suffering their second consecutive defeat against Al-Hilal this season, Al-Ittihad fans began a protest against inequality in Saudi football. The fans of the club, which has players such as Kanté, Benzema and Fabinho, intend to demonstrate with fake tickets, which target Neymar and Jorge Jesus’ club and Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr, current leader and vice leader of championship.

Fans of Al-Ittihad, considered Saudi Arabia’s most popular club, made fake ballot papers, calling the SPL the “Tom and Jerry League”, using the characters’ faces. The cartoon would be a reference to the two clubs that lead the championship, with the cat Tom wearing an Al-Hilal shirt and the mouse Jerry wearing an Al-Nassr shirt. The note reads: “Comedy football destroys passion. There is no justice” and “100% hypocrisy”.

Another target of Ittihad fans is the vice-president of the league, Saad Allazeez, who is said to be one of those responsible for dividing the competition’s budget. Another ballot paper was produced, but this time with the leader’s face. The protest with the banknotes is expected in the match between Al-Ittihad and Al-Hilal, quarter-finals of the Asian Champions League, next Tuesday (12).

The reason for the protest is that Ittihad lost their second match this season against Hilal, 2-0, in the first leg of the Asian Champions League. The team led by Jorge Jesus won the other match of the national championship 3-1.

Al-Ittihad, led by Marcelo Gallardo, is the current Saudi champion, but has had a bad season this season, being in fifth place, with 37 points, 25 less than Al-Hilal, who leads.

The curious thing is that Al-Ittihad is also one of the four teams controlled by a public investment fund of the Saudi government. In addition to him, Al-Ahli, Al-Hilal and Al-Nassr are counting on the injection of money for purchases and salaries, allowing them to hire names such as Neymar, Cristiano Ronaldo and Benzema.

Benzema’s signing for Al-Ittihad shocked the football world, as the Frenchman had won the Ballon d’Or after a successful year with Real Madrid. In addition to him, other athletes such as Kanté, Fabinho and Jota were also signed.

Source: Terra

Rose

Rose James is a Gossipify movie and series reviewer known for her in-depth analysis and unique perspective on the latest releases. With a background in film studies, she provides engaging and informative reviews, and keeps readers up to date with industry trends and emerging talents.