Petrodollars convince Marcelo Gallardo: the Doll will perform in Saudi Arabia

Marcelo Gallardo joins the list of major figures in world football who have succumbed to million-dollar offers from Saudi Arabia. The coach, who had not coached since leaving the River Plate bench, is leaving behind his sabbatical period to take on the technical direction of Al Ittihad, one of the most popular clubs in the country.

According to Argentinian website TyC Sports, El Muñeco has reached an agreement to join the Aurinegro team for the next 18 months, renewable for another similar period. He will lead a team full of stars and a challenge as tempting as it is demanding: the Club World Cup.}

The former Millionaires symbol will take office this weekend, after winning the election against another leading candidate: Spaniard Julen Lopetegui.

At least you won’t have any problems assembling the equipment. The flagship of the sporting project is the French Karim Benzema who left Real Madrid to get involved in a tournament with decisive government support and whose objective was to position Saudi Arabia as a candidate to host the 2034 World Cup, an objective that she finally reached.

There are more powerful names in the team. At the star level, there is also N’Golo Kanté world champion with France in 2018 and the Brazilian Fabinho arrived from Liverpool.

The complement also has a hierarchy: Gallardo will meet Marcelo Grohe , a 36-year-old Brazilian goalkeeper who played for Gremio until 2019 and was US champion in 2017; with the defender Luis Felipe , also Brazilian, 26, who played for Lazio and Betis; and with the front Romarinho 32 years old, who played for Corinthians.

Al Ittihad will be the third team managed by Gallardo, in a career marked by his link with River Plate . The former midfielder began his career as a coach in National, from Uruguay in which he had played at the end of his football career.

After his brilliant management within the blood gang squad, in which he won the Copa Libertadores twice , his name was associated with European clubs. Today, it is believed that the transition to Arab football is only an intermediate step towards a leap which, inevitably, must take place. And that Gallardo himself had declined on previous occasions, such as when he was preparing to coach Alexis Sánchez at Olympique de Marseille.

Actually, Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund’s relationship with clubs such as Chelsea and Newcastle is a factor in why Gallardo’s move into Asian football is just the prelude to his entry into the big leagues. .