Yasser Al-Qahtani drops a bombshell: multi-million-riyal signings with no benefit at Al-Ittihad and Al-Ahli
Explosive statements from a Saudi Arabia legend
Yasser Al-Qahtani has reignited the debate over transfer policy at Roshn League clubs. Speaking on the "Thmanyah" network, the former Saudi football star criticised how a number of foreign signings have been handled, players brought in to add technical quality yet never given their chance.
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His first target was the situation of Frenchman Georges Elyenihina at Al-Ittihad. Al-Qahtani questioned why the Frenchman gets so little regular involvement when the club signed him to benefit from his abilities. Then he asked who should answer for it: "Who bears responsibility for this administrative chaos?"
The former Al-Hilal star turned his criticism on Al-Ahli too, citing Brazilian Ricardo Matias. He never got a chance to feature with the team, moved to Al-Shabab on loan and produced striking performances that put the spotlight straight back on the decision to sign him in the first place.
For Al-Qahtani, such cases raise questions about the criteria for selecting foreign players. How much do management and technical staff actually coordinate before completing deals, especially when players end up out of the reckoning despite proving they can perform for other teams?
The scale of investment makes all this matter even more. Saudi clubs are pumping vast sums into the transfer market, so management cannot simply complete the signing and stop there. They must choose the right players for the team's needs and the coach's plans, squeezing maximum technical benefit from every deal.
So Al-Qahtani's words leave Al-Ittihad and Al-Ahli facing hard questions about the value of some of their signings. Names who shone elsewhere never got their chance before departing or heading out on loan. It leaves the biggest question of all unanswered: why spend millions on players who never find their way into the starting line-up?
