Antoine Griezmann dilaporkan telah menunda transfernya yang sangat dinantikan ke klub MLS Orlando City untuk tetap bertahan di Atletico Madrid untuk saat ini. Didorong oleh keinginan untuk mengakhiri kekeringan trofi pribadinya bersama raksasa Spanyol tersebut, penyerang Prancis itu memilih untuk tetap di Madrid untuk final Copa del Rey mendatang, menunda mimpinya untuk bermain di Amerika hingga jendela transfer musim panas.
Musim Barcelona telah diguncang oleh dua pukulan telak di lini pertahanan setelah laga semifinal Copa del Rey leg kedua yang sengit melawan Atletico Madrid. Raksasa Catalan tersebut telah mengonfirmasi bahwa baik Jules Kounde maupun Alejandro Balde harus absen untuk sementara waktu setelah mengalami cedera otot paha selama pertandingan pada Selasa malam. Dalam ironis yang kejam, Balde adalah pemain yang dimasukkan untuk menggantikan Kounde yang cedera, namun akhirnya ia pun harus bergabung dengan rekan setimnya di ruang perawatan sebelum peluit akhir berbunyi di Camp Nou.
Musim Barcelona telah diguncang oleh pukulan ganda cedera yang menghancurkan setelah mereka tersingkir dari Copa del Rey. Meskipun meraih kemenangan 3-0 atas Atletico Madrid di leg kedua semifinal, tim Catalan tersingkir dengan agregat 4-3 dan, yang lebih penting, kehilangan dua pemain kunci di lini belakang mereka. Klub telah mengonfirmasi bahwa baik Alejandro Balde maupun Jules Kounde mengalami cedera otot paha yang serius selama pertandingan krusial tersebut, meninggalkan manajer Hansi Flick dengan dilema pemilihan pemain yang besar menjelang laga babak 16 besar Liga Champions melawan Newcastle.
Diego Simeone telah memberi isyarat bahwa ia tidak yakin apakah Antoine Griezmann akan tetap di Atletico Madrid cukup lama untuk berkompetisi di final Copa del Rey mendatang. Meskipun penampilan gemilang Griezmann untuk Atleti musim ini, rumor tentang kepindahannya ke klub MLS Orlando City telah menaungi masa depannya. Dengan sang penyerang belum mengonfirmasi rencananya, Atletico Madrid menghadapi prospek suram kehilangan pemain andalannya pada saat yang paling kritis di musim ini.
Meskipun Barcelona mengalami kekalahan dramatis di Copa del Rey, penampilan gemilang Pedri di Spotify Camp Nou meninggalkan kesan mendalam bagi para pesaingnya. Kapten Atletico Madrid, Koke, memberikan pujian yang tinggi kepada maestro berusia 21 tahun itu, menyebutnya sebagai salah satu pemain terbaik di dunia dan sebagai "masa kini dan masa depan" sepak bola Spanyol.
Antoine Griezmann tak bisa menahan diri untuk melontarkan sindiran tajam kepada mantan klubnya. Meskipun mengalami malam yang menegangkan di Camp Nou, Atletico Madrid secara resmi lolos ke final Copa del Rey, dan bintang Prancis itu segera memastikan para pendukung Barcelona merasakan setiap detik kekecewaan dengan postingannya yang pedas di media sosial. Malam itu dipenuhi drama di Catalonia saat tim Hansi Flick mencoba comeback yang luar biasa, namun pada akhirnya gagal mewujudkan keajaiban yang dibutuhkan untuk membalikkan defisit besar di leg pertama.
Al-Hilal are the most successful Saudi Pro League side ever, having won an astonishing 19 league titles. Their first-ever league title came at the end of the 1976-77 campaign. Currently, they are also the defending champions, having gone all the way in the 2023-24 season.
How many teams are in the Saudi Pro League?
Currently, there are 18 teams in the Saudi Pro League. In the first season ever, which took place in 1976-77, there were just eight teams. The number increased to 10 in the following season. Ahead of the 1981-82, Saudi Premier League and Saudi First Division merged to form one single league for the 1982 FIFA World Cup qualification process. However, from the 1984-85 season, the number teams reverted to 12.
Who has made the most Saudi Pro League appearances ever?
Legendary Saudi Arabian goalkeeper Mohamed Al-Deayea holds the record for most appearances in the Saudi Pro League. Al-Deayea played for Al-Taee and Al-Hilal and managed 406 appearances inthe league.
Who is the all-time top scorer of the Saudi Pro League?
Majed Abdullah, also known as the Arabian Pele, is the league's all-time leading topscorer with 189 goals in 194 league games, all of them coming with Al-Nassr in a 21-year span. He is Al-Nassr's record goalscorer, with 259 goals in just 266 games.
Who has the most assists in the history of the Saudi Pro League?
Former Syrian midfielder Jehad Al-Hussain has registered the most assists in Saudi Pro League history, setting up 50 goals for his teammates in 208 games.
Who is the oldest player ever in the Saudi Pro League and how old was he?
Former Egyptian goalkeeper Essam El Hadary is the oldest player to ever feature in Saudi Pro League. El Hadary was 45 years and 81 days old when he featured for Al-Taawoun in April 2018.
Who is the youngest player ever in the Saudi Pro League and how old was he?
Teenage sensation Talal Haji, who plays for Al-Ittihad, is the youngest player to ever play in Saudi Pro League. Haji achieved this feat at the age of 16 years and five days when he came on as a substitute for Romarinho in Al-Ittihad's 2-1 win over Al-Fateh in September 2023.
Which famous players have played in the Saudi Pro League?
Cristiano Ronaldo, Riyad Mahrez, Karim Benzema, Roberto Firmino, N'Golo Kante, Sadio Mane, Yassine Bounou, Nacho, Aymeric Laporte, and Fabinho are among the most famous players to have played in the Saudi Pro League.
Which famous managers have managed in the Saudi Pro League?
Steven Gerrard, Laurent Blanc, and Stefano Pioli are some of Saudi Pro League's most prominent managers in history.
What is the biggest stadium in the Saudi Pro League?
The King Fahd International Stadium in Riyadh, which is home to Al-Shabab and Al-Riyadh, is the biggest stadium in Saudi Pro League. It has a capacity of 68,752.
Who is the most expensive player in the history of the Saudi Pro League?
Neymar is the most expensive player in Saudi Pro League history, costing a whopping £77.6 million when Al-Hilal bought him from Paris Saint-Germain in 2023.