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LONDON: While scanning Herve Renard’s first squad list since his return as boss of the Saudi national team, three names stand out immediately. Twenty-four of the 27 players play their club football in the Kingdom; the exceptions are Saud Abdulhamid, who is at Roma, and Faisal Al-Ghamdi and Marwan Al-Sahafi, both currently on loan at Belgian side Beerschot.

Saudi players plying their trade in Europe are not the norm; only a handful have previously made the switch from the Kingdom. And even they — from Sami Al-Jaber at Wolves to Salem Al-Dawsari at Villarreal — only featured sparingly before returning to their homeland.

But at Beerschot, 23-year-old Al-Ghamdi and 20-year-old Al-Sahafi have been thrust immediately into first-team action and have produced influential performances for the team, which is fighting to stay in the Belgian Pro League.

“It was not difficult to make the switch for us,” Al-Ghamdi told Arab News in an exclusive interview from Beerschot’s training ground. “We had goals and dreams of reaching the highest levels in Europe.

“Some things are definitely different from playing in Saudi — like the environment and climate — but we’ve adapted to these differences quite well, and things are going smoothly. It has been a good experience for both of us. Really, we benefited a lot. Every time you move to a different place you learn new things and develop yourself naturally.”

He added: “In terms of the future we hope to get more results, we want to reach higher levels in Europe and develop our skills.”

While both players, who are on loan from Al-Ittihad for the 2024-25 season, have quickly settled into life in Belgium, it is Al-Sahafi who has made the biggest impact so far.

After scoring both goals in a 2-1 win against Belgian giants Anderlecht in September, he netted another brace ahead of this week’s FIFA World Cup qualifiers. The winger’s double salvo helped Beerschot fight back from two goals down to draw 2-2 with Club Brugge, who are playing in this season’s UEFA Champions League.

“Against Anderlecht, we had the resolve to win and God blessed me with the two goals,” Al-Sahafi said. “It was superb, and an amazing feeling throughout the game. It was one of my best performances by far and I will remember this for a long, long time. [I think] we’ve acclimated to the different situation well and it wasn’t difficult even though there are not many players from the Kingdom who have played in Europe.”

For Al-Ghamdi, too, seeing Al-Sahafi among Beerschot’s goal scorers has been special.

“I’m extremely proud of him and it is a joy seeing him score,” Al-Ghamdi said. “I have very high hopes for him and I hope we will both [continue] to have better performances in the future, with more goals and more wins.”

The Saudi duo’s coach at Beerschot is former Liverpool forward Dirk Kuyt. He became a cult hero during his six years at Anfield, aided by scoring a match-winning hat-trick against Manchester United in 2011. With 104 caps for the Netherlands under his belt, Kuyt’s experiences as a player have helped him transition into an effective coach.

“He’s a little bit before our time but we do remember watching clips and videos of him in his career,” Al-Ghamdi said. “As a coach we try to benefit as much as possible from having him, he’s a great influence both on and off the pitch, well-rounded. He’s responsive with the players, he is engaging as a person, very warm. He gets close to the players and offers his best advice — whether in training, in matches, or even off the pitch.”

Al-Sahafi has also felt the benefit of Kuyt’s guidance: “He’s close to us and really tries to facilitate the best conditions and prepare us before the game. He takes care of us and he has a big personality and character — on and off the pitch. He is very impactful.”

At international level, too, Al-Sahafi and Al-Ghamdi are set to play under a hugely popular coach. Herve Renard returned to coach the Green Falcons last month, replacing Roberto Mancini.

It was under Renard that Al-Ghamdi made his international debut against Yemen in January 2023 and, after struggling for game time while Mancini was at the helm, the midfielder is optimistic about the future of the national team.

“He is a huge coach and we had very good results with him,” Al-Ghamdi said. “We are so happy to have him back and we hope to get amazing results with him. Inshallah, we will qualify for the World Cup with him, that is our primary objective.”

Al-Sahafi’s international bow only came in June this year, and he was handed his first start for the Green Falcons in last month’s 0-0 draw with Bahrain in Jeddah — a game that proved to be Mancini’s last.

“This will be my first experience with the new coach and I want to prove myself,” Al-Sahafi told Arab News. “I believe there is a clear reason why he chose me and I want to make him proud. Our goal is to reach the World Cup.”

So by the time the 2026 tournament begins in the United States, Mexico and Canada, could there be more Saudi players making their mark in European football?

“There have definitely been many players in the Saudi national camp who have asked us about playing in Europe,” Al-Ghamdi said. “We explained what has happened and how we have developed. We told them it has been exciting and they were quite curious.”

Al-Sahafi also hopes to convince some of his Green Falcons’ teammates to join the duo in testing themselves on a different continent and in a different football culture.

“A lot of people outside and within the Saudi national team have asked me questions and I told them it has been a tremendously valuable experience. And very fun too,” he said.

“I hope this time in Belgium helps us develop to be the best players for the Kingdom and to improve. We want to give the best we have to offer for ��������Ƶ and I hope soon we will see many players go abroad to improve themselves further.”

PARIS: A five-goal blitz in the space of 12 minutes sent Barcelona on their way to a 7-0 romp over St. Poelten in the Women’s Champions League on Tuesday, while Manchester City stayed top of Group D with a win.
Arsenal beat Juventus 4-0 in Italy but remain second in Group C after Bayern Munich extended their 100 percent record with a 3-0 victory over Valerenga.
For Barcelona, Ewa Pajor, Francisca Nazareth, Aitana Bonmati, Keira Walsh and Claudia Pina all scored between the 32nd and 45th minutes, before Pina and Caroline Graham Hansen added goals in the second half.
Despite scoring 16 goals and conceding none in their last two European outings, holders Barca sit second in Group D after they lost their opening fixture at Manchester City.
“Objective met — yes, absolutely,” Barca coach Pere Romeu said after his side’s second emphatic victory in three games.
“Even when we couldn’t score in the first half an hour, we were getting in behind them. And I knew once we got the first goal, more would follow.”
Austria’s St. Poelten stay bottom of the group with three losses from three.
The floodgates opened at the Johan Cruyff Stadium shortly after the half-hour when Pajor slid onto full-back Ona Batlle’s cross at the near post and directed the ball into the far corner.
Stand-in captain Marta Torrejon nearly doubled the score soon after she rose highest from a set-piece, but her looping header clipped the top of the crossbar.
Fresh from picking up her second Ballon d’Or last month, Aitana Bonmati nearly caught Carina Schlueter out with a chip but the goalkeeper just managed to claw out the ball.
Barca were all over the Austrians. When Bonmati got in behind the defense on the right, her cross was parried to Nazareth who made no mistake on 38 minutes.
Bonmati opened her account in the Champions League this season two minutes later, before Walsh fizzed home a side-footed strike from outside the box in the 42nd minute.
On the stroke of half-time, Pina flitted in at the back post to guide home an outside-of-the-foot volley as Barca ran riot.
The Spanish forward then completed her brace from 12 yards seven minutes after the interval following a foul on the rampaging Batlle.
Substitute Graham added a seventh in the 87th minute.
Man City stayed three points ahead of Barca after second-half goals by Laura Brown and Aoba Fujino overcame Sweden’s Hammarby 2-0.
Goals by Frida Maanum, Stina Blackstenius, Mariona Caldentey and Caitlin Foord handed Arsenal a 4-0 win in Piedmont against Juventus.
The Gunners are second in Group C on six points while Juve sit third with one win and two losses.
A superb team passing move unlocked the Italians’ defense with Maanum deftly applying the finish on 38 minutes.
Blackstenius, Caldentey and Foord stuck inside the final quarter of an hour to make the game safe for Renee Slegers’ side.
“We are happy with the win, but in a few days we will face Juventus again and we will have to start from scratch. We have to think about that game and not look at the table, because it is still early and there are many difficult challenges ahead of us,” Arsenal interim manager Slegers said.
Group C leaders Bayern Munich increased their tally to nine points with a 3-0 win at home to Norway’s Valerenga.
Pernille Harder put the German champions into the lead on 10 minutes, before Giulia Gwinn added a second from the spot seven minutes later.
Sarah Zadrazil powered home a third two minutes into stoppage time.
On Wednesday, eight-time Champions League winners Lyon visit Roma and Galatasaray host two-time victors Wolfsburg in Group A.
In Group B, Real Madrid play Dutch side Twente and Chelsea travel to Scotland to take on Celtic.