The Saudi Al -Ittihad club began its preparations for the new season with a heavy loss against Fenerbahce, Turkish by four, without a response, in the first friendly matches in the preparatory team camp, which brought about shock among the fans of the “Dean”, which was awaiting a strong start worthy of the aspirations of next season.
The harsh defeat raised early questions about the team’s readiness to preserve the gains that were achieved last season, when Al -Ittihad culminated in the Saudi Roshen and King’s Cup titles, in a season that has been considered the most successful club seasons in recent years.
However, in the world of football, preparations are not measured by the results of the friendly matches, but rather the team’s ability to learn from errors and stabilize the feet before the start of the real battle, this rule was proven by the Saudi Al -Ittihad club with distinction last season, when he opened his friendship with a loss, then the season ended with two titles that brought the “dean” to the podiums of the widest doors.
📸 | From the friendly meeting ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/tpr6Apj5yk
– Saudi Al -Ittihad Club (@ittihad) July 23, 2025
A shocking start in front of Elche
In July 2024, Al-Ittihad entered an external camp in preparation for the 2024-2025 season, and its first friendly matches were against the Spanish team Elche, which had recently fell from the Spanish Premier League.
At that time, the “dean” lost the meeting with two goals without a response, in a match that revealed some defensive gaps and the absence of harmony between the lines, especially with the new contracts at the time.
The defeat opened the doors of criticism, and many fear the ability of the French coach Laurent Blanc to lead the team, especially since the loss came to an incomparable discount of high caliber, but what appeared to be a negative indicator, later turned out to be a corrective start.
Early lessons
After that loss, Laurent Blanc began to reset the team’s rhythm, as he took advantage of the rest of the camp in experimenting with various play plans, and granting various minutes to the new and old players, as well as the physical condition of the players gradually improved, and with the passage of time harmony began to appear on the performance of the federation, especially in the back line and midfield.
The club administration was also quietly moved to complete the deficiencies in the squad, which gave the team an additional momentum before the start of the official competitions.
An exceptional season .. historical duo
Al -Ittihad entered the new season with a clear and clear design, and the friendly loss turned into a faded memory. The team defeated Al -Taie in the first rounds of the Roshen League, then continued to win the points steadily until the features of the competition began to become clear.
Under the leadership of Blanc, the federation was characterized by a balance between defense and attack, and a number of players emerged with a remarkable performance, including Karim Benzema, with strict tactics and group figure.
The dean’s success did not stop there, but also managed to extract the title of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Cup, to bring together the local duo for the first time in years, and return the sparkle to the slogan “Tigers” after a long absence.
Between the loss of the past and the aspiration of the future
Today, in July 2025, the federation repeats the same scene with a heavy loss against Fenerbahce in the first valleys, but if the experience of last season is a reference, the fans of the federation have enough confidence in the ability of its team to rise again and turn the defeated start to a happy end, as the dean proved that the lesson is not a start, but how it ends, and between the defeat of Elchi and the celebrations And work, not with noise and fears.
