Saad Al Shehri: Al Ettifaq's Midas man poised for stirring second act | OneFootball

To fully appreciate what Saad Al Shehri achieved in turning around Al Ettifaq’s fortunes last season, it’s worth placing it in a broader context.

Since the start of the 2017-18 Roshn Saudi League season, 10 different managers - including caretakers - have manned the dugout for Al Ettifaq. And who has the best winning percentage and points-per-game ratio? Al Shehri. At No.1 and No.2, across both his spells in charge.

The first came during his initial tenure at the Dammam-based club in 2017-18, when the highly respected Saudi Arabian replaced Miodrag Jesic just before the halfway mark of the campaign. He answered a crucial call: Al Ettifaq were staring down relegation, with only three wins to that point.

Al Shehri came in and steadied the ship, triumphing in seven of the team’s final 15 games for a winning percentage of 46.67% and a points-per-game ratio of 1.67. His stock very much on the rise, he was promptly seconded by the national-team setup to serve as Saudi's Under-23 coach.

In truth, no one since has really come close to matching that level of performance - save for another local coach, Khaled Al Atwi in the 2020-21 season, when he guided Al Ettifaq to fifth with the same winning percentage but a lower points-per-game, at 1.57.

However, returning for his second stint last season, replacing Liverpool legend Steven Gerrard, Al Shehri has even managed to outdo himself.

In the final 17 games of the 2024-25 campaign, he guided Al Ettifaq from the threat of relegation to a top-seven finish, with nine wins and four draws. It equated to a winning percentage of 52.9% and a points-per-game ratio of 1.82. That represents the best of any manager in recent history at Al Ettifaq.

It’s little surprise, therefore, that the club’s management were quick to tie down Al Shehri to a new contract almost as soon as last season concluded. They lost him once before; they weren’t about to let him slip again.

The work required to turn around Al Ettifaq last term shouldn’t be understated. When Al Shehri arrived at the end of January, the team had won two of their previous 14 games after beginning the season with three straight victories.

By the time Al Shehri was installed, Al Ettifaq sat 12th in the table, five points above the relegation zone. To put that into further context, they finished sixth the previous season.

But, underlining his aptitude and application, Al Shehri never shied from the challenge or the hard work. And the results are clear to see.

The first noticeable change came in his side’s formation. While during Gerrard's tenure the team stuck rigidly to a 4-3-3, Al Shehri preferred a 4-2-3-1. Thus, it allowed captain Georginio Wijnaldum to push further forward to better utilise his strengths.

With fellow former Liverpool star Gerrard, the Dutchman had tended to sit deeper, but it left Al Ettifaq lacking a multi-faceted attacking threat. Or, more accurately, a goalscoring one.

In the first half of last season, Al Ettifaq ranked towards the bottom for both shots on target and shot conversion. Their total number of shots put them in the top half, but they lacked the ability to convert the chances they created.

The tweaks made by Al Shehri had the desired effect; particularly when it came to Wijnaldum. In the second half of 2024-25, their offensive output improved dramatically.

While Al Ettifaq had roughly the same number of shots in the first 17 games compared to the final 17 (158 with Gerrard, 166 with Al Shehri), their goal tally markedly increased.

In terms of the latter, Al Ettifaq scored 25 goals, compared to the 19 of Gerrard’s side. As such, their conversion rose from 12% to 15%, placing them on par with title-chasing Al Nassr. That also manifested in more shots on target (80 to 69), improving their shot accuracy from 43.7% to 48.2%.

While these may seem small increases, the difference on the pitch was significant. Hence, it was clear to see in someone like Wijnaldum.

You could sense the joy return to the Dutch international as he began to have a greater impact on games, the broad smile beaming on his face. Ten of his 14 RSL goals and three of his four assists for the season came after Al Shehri’s appointment.

The match that perhaps best typified Al Ettifaq’s new approach was their come-from-behind triumph at Al Nassr a few weeks into Al Shehri’s second reign.

Down 2-1 with less than 10 minutes remaining, Wijnaldum inspired his side with a near-faultless second-half performance. He scored a brace, including the winner two minutes from time to cap off a memorable night in the capital.

But it wasn’t only Wijnaldum. Moving him further forward meant more opportunities for players such as Alvaro Medran, Vitinho and promising Saudi Mukhtar Ali, making Al Ettifaq more balanced and more dangerous overall, especially in the continued absence of injured striker Moussa Dembele.

Undeniably, it’s laid the foundation for the 2025-26 campaign, which kicks off later this month. Now, with Al Shehri getting his first opportunity from the start of a season, it augurs well for both Al Ettifaq and their fans.

Not to forget those upcoming Saudi coaches who no doubt derive inspiration from Al Shehri, their pre-eminent peer.