Saudi Giant Ittihad Moves to Lock Down Al-Aboud’s Future
18 October 2025
Background and Renewal Talks
Al-Ittihad’s management has begun taking concrete steps to decide the futures of key players who form the backbone of the team. With a new coach, Portuguese Sergio Conceicao replacing Frenchman Laurent Blanc, the club is intent on improving its path and has turned to negotiating renewals with several stars.
According to the Saudi daily Okaz, the club is seeking to extend Abdulrahman Al-Aboud’s contract, which runs out at the end of the current season, placing him in a January free-agent window that would allow him to sign elsewhere if an agreement is not reached.
The report added that Al-Aboud does not oppose a renewal, and discussions cover personal terms and financial details of the new deal.
Al-Aboud had recently left the Saudi national team camp in Jeddah after an injury, as the green squad prepared for the Asia playoff for the World Cup. The national medical staff and the club’s medical team coordinated to monitor his condition and plan the appropriate treatment.
It’s worth noting that Al-Aboud renewed his contract with Al-Ittihad in October 2022.
Season Struggles and Managerial Shake-Up
“Recurring hitches” has often described a difficult spell for the team this season across domestic and continental competitions. Egyptian pundit Mido weighed in with a dose of blunt realism after a stumble against Al-Fayha.
The 1-1 draw at Al Majmaah Stadium in round five left Ittihad with questions about form and momentum. Mido argued that the team produced a poor performance with little tempo or urgency, and that a missed late penalty was emblematic of the night’s misfortune.
He conceded that the goalie of chances and a clear plan by the opponent showed how the defeat could have been avoided, but he doubted the team’s ability to win the league this season. Sergio Conceicao, he said, is a good coach who will try to develop the squad, yet lifting the title remains a very tall order.
Meanwhile, the club’s campaign has been marked by a rough ride in the Saudi Super Cup, where they bowed out in the semi-finals to Al-Nassr. Their hopes of completing a domestic treble were dashed as they missed out on returning to the pinnacle this year.
In the AFC Champions League, Ittihad opened the group stage with two losses to UAE opponents Al Wahda and Shabab Al-Ahli Dubai, complicating their path to the knockout rounds. In the league, after an initially bright start of three straight wins, a 0-2 defeat at Al-Nassr followed by a 1-1 with Al-Fayha widened the gap at the top of the table.
The setback prompted an early decision to part ways with the French coach Laurent Blanc and install Sergio Conceicao in his place, making Ittihad the first Saudi side to remake its technical staff at such an early stage of the season.
Conceicao’s first test ended in a 1-1 draw with Al-Fayha, with the team trailing at times and facing a few close calls that could have gone either way.
The talk of the season included a familiar wager from Mido: his bet that Ittihad would not clinch the league title. As in the past, he claimed Leicester City would not win the English Premier League in 2015-16, despite leading the table, and even pledged to shave his head live if they did.
Leicester, of course, shocked the world by winning the title under manager Claudio Ranieri, with stars like Riyad Mahrez, N’Golo Kanté, and Jamie Vardy starring. True to form, Mido eventually kept his word and shaved his head on a live TV moment.
Punchline 1: If football contracts were dating apps, Al-Ittihad would be swiping right forever on Al-Aboud.
Punchline 2: And if things go wrong, they’ll blame the midfield—because obviously, the wifi in the locker room is as flaky as a late penalty in stoppage time.
