LONDON: There has been no resting on laurels at Al-Hilal this summer.
The Boss annexed a 15th Saudi Pro League title but the fact it was secured on the final day of the season and by a solitary point was a bit too close for comfort. The shock King’s Cup exit at the quarterfinal stage and the failure to get out of the AFC Champions League group did not sit well with anyone at the King Fahd Stadium.
A new coach was required to breathe new life into the project, to reaffirm Al-Hilal’s domestic dominance and mount a continental challenge, and the man charged with finding him was Sami Al-Jaber.
Al-Jaber, who played at four World Cups for the Green Falcons from 1994 to 2006, took presidential control at Al-Hilal earlier this year, encouraged by sporting and political authorities in the country who are looking to develop the league into one of the best in the world.
His first task was to find someone to replace Ramon Diaz, who was fired in February. It was a big job, one that could define his presidency, and there were no shortage of candidates. Quique Sanchez Flores and Paulo Fonseca were approached but after weeks of speculation and headlines, Al-Jaber plumped for Jorge Jesus. He comes with a fine pedigree. The Portuguese boss led Benfica to three Primera Liga titles from 2010 to 2015 as well as the quarter-finals of the 2011-12 Uefa Champions League.
“This is a big club and you need someone with character and experience,” Al-Jaber told Arab News. “And Jorge is a big coach, a big name in Portugal. He is 63 and has led big teams there.”
Days before the deal was done, rumors surfaced in Spain that Real Madrid was sniffing around. It confirmed Al-Jaber’s belief that he has got the right man.
“He is one of the best coaches in Portugal’s history,” said the striker who made almost 150 appearances for Ƶ. “He didn’t leave Portugal because he never wanted to.”
That meant that the ex-Sporting Lisbon boss is not as famous overseas as some of his less successful compatriots.
“If he had left earlier then he would now be known by everyone as one of the best in Europe. I was lucky — Al Hilal was lucky — and we reached a good agreement.”
For Al-Jaber, Jesus has the temperament, experience and character to handle the demands of one of the biggest clubs in Asia.
“We have 11 international players and an international standing, this is not just a Saudi club, it is a representative of the country. It is not a job for just anyone They have to understand our history and our status and what we mean.”
The Blues trainings for today Friday
— AlHilal Saudi Club (@Alhilal_EN)
That status has to include Asian success. Al-Hilal are desperate for that. Al-Jaber was banging in the goals when the Crescent won the 2000 Asian Club Championship, the second continental title for the club. That competition was replaced by the AFC Champions League in 2003 and Al-Hilal’s name has yet to be inscribed on that trophy.
There have been two close and heartbreaking calls against Western Sydney Wanderers in 2014 and Urawa Reds in 2017, finals the Saudi giants should have won only to fall just short.
“We are always in Asia and have been in two finals in four years.,” said Al-Jaber. “We were unlucky but it means that we have not won the new version of the competition and that is a long time for our fans.
“We have the quality to do it and we are one of the best Asian clubs in history. We need to go to the right level and work hard to keep up with the clubs in Japan, China and South Korea. They are working with a long strategy and we have to move fast.”
There are signs of acceleration. Al-Jaber was given the job with the support of the government and the General Sports Authority. It is all part of a plan to get experienced football people involved in positions of influence.
“We want to change the idea of Saudi football,” said Al-Jaber. “Past presidents all worked hard and were good but the strategy has to change because the world of sport has changed. If you want to change and to make football more professional, then you have to have people there who understand the game of football.
“We want to change the strategy here. I am working with the support of ministers and we need to take the club to the level we want to be at.”
Nobody wants it more than Al-Jaber. “My relationship with the club has been there for 30 years and that is a long time. I know exactly what we can do inside the club. I was there as a young player of 15. I grew up in the academy, I played for first team and then was the technical director, then the coach and now the president.”
This could be his most difficult position yet, surely tougher than banging in the goals, something he made look so easy.
“In your life you have to upgrade yourself and challenge yourself and I know there is a lot of hard work to do but if we all work together we can do it,” he said. “But beside all that, Al Hilal is my love. I have spent my whole life here. I love this club.”
