“Last year, we won the Champions League and we will have to use all the things we did then to be successful this time, too. What could be Cristiano Ronaldo’s last chance to win a first Asian Champions League title for his Saudi club will get underway next week. Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr is one of five Saudi Pro League teams in the tournament. We are building year after year.”
Combined, they’ve spent more than $2 billion on foreign players since 2023, with Al-Ahli lifting the continental trophy in each of the last two seasons. Al-Ahli captain and goalkeeper Edouard Mendy is hoping to make it three in a row in the 32-team tournament.
“This is the biggest club in Saudi Arabia and Asia and we will do everything to win,” Mendy, who signed from English Premier League club Chelsea in 2023, told The Associated Press.
Riyadh rival Al-Hilal has won a record four Asian titles. Clubs from Japan have lost the last two finals to Al-Ahli. “We want to win the league, the cup and the Champions League – everything. We don’t play to dream – we play to win. The Saudi teams have avoided Iran’s two representatives – Esteghlal of Tehran and Tractor – in the group stage. And Japan, like Saudi Arabia, has five representatives in the tournament.
The tournament is divided into two geographic zones until the playoffs, with the top eight teams from each progressing to the Round of 16. After spending more than $200 million in the summer on English Premier League stars and three internationals – Ollie Watkins of England, Brazil’s Gabriel Martinelli and Crysencio Summerville of the Netherlands – Hilal will be dealing with high expectations. Of them, only Gamba Osaka and Kashima Antlers have lifted the trophy before, in 2008 and 2018 respectively.
“We have a really good squad, a deep squad, our goal is to win every competition we can,” Felix told AP.
