Breaking down Al Nassr charge to Saudi Professional League success

HAMDALLAH THE HERO

Football is a team sport, but – to paraphrase George Orwell – some footballers do far more than others.

The €6 million paid to Al Rayyan last August for centre forward Abderazzak Hamdallah represents one of the smartest decisions in the Saudi game’s history.

Goals were expected from someone who had netted with abandon in his native Morocco, Norway, China and Qatar. But the 28-year-old did better than merely meet expectations; he shattered them.

The committed centre forward’s unmatched tally of 34 strikes in 26 matches broke the all-time record for a single SPL campaign – held by Al Ittihad icon Hamzah Idris. It had stood for 19 years.

This figure was a colossal 13 greater than Hilal’s celebrated ex-France marksman Bafetimbi Gomis and Al Taawoun’s Cameroon sensation Leandre Tawamba.

Saudi Arabia persona non grata Mohammad Al Sahlawi netted just 10 times when the club limped home a distant third in 2017/18.

Furthermore, Hamdallah’s nine assists set the division’s benchmark along with club and country colleague Nordin Amrabat. In total, he accounted for 29.7 per cent of Nasr’s goals for the SPL season.

Remarkably, only two efforts came in his first nine top-flight fixtures.

December 8’s critical equaliser in a 2-2 draw with Hilal would then spark a staggering run – for club and player – of 32 in 18.

Responsibility down the stretch was not shirked. His final five matches contained two hat-tricks and three braces, the last of which in Thursday’s 2-1 triumph against relegated Al Batin sealed a first SPL title since 2014/15.

Hamdallah’s influence was vast, even beyond the score sheet.

Humble and understated off the pitch, bullish and with the gait of a light-heavyweight boxer when on it. He is, truly, a striker of rare renown.

BETTER IN ALL RESPECTS

A frustrating and perplexing few seasons for the Nassr faithful have met a glorious end.

The King Fahd Stadium-outfit had, frankly, been a shambles for far too long.

Jorge Da Silva was ungratefully dismissed in the October after 2014/15’s title triumph. A further seven coaches were chewed up and spat out on the way to 2017/18’s third-placed result, 12 points off champions Hilal.

Mountains of debt, accrued through a reckless transfer churn, had also seen a licence denied for the 2018 AFC Champions league.

Then came last summer’s paradigm-shifting, overnight $340m infusion of cash into the SPL from the General Sports Authority, Saudi Arabia Football Federation and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz Al Saud.

Nassr spent big and, largely, spent wisely.

Tenacious Brazilian midfielder Petros became of a symbol of Nassr’s new values. For a €5m investment from Sao Paulo, 85 tackles were added – the SPL’s seventh most.

Right-back Sultan Al-Ghannam cost €1.4m from Al Faisaly. His five assists was the second-most for any SPL defender.

Feyenoord goalkeeper Brad Jones was a steadying influence, while Fenerbahce creator Giuliano notched eight goals and five assists in 30 SPL matches.

Galatasaray loanee Maicon added gravitas at the back, in the wake of his mid-season arrival.

The travails of Nigeria forward Ahmed Musa – for whom Leicester City’s £14.5m fee witnessed a return of just seven goals in 24 SPL run-outs – would have sunk them in other seasons. This time, one malfunctioning part could not destabilise the whole.

IN SAFE HANDS

Last summer’s doubling of the foreign quota to eight had a profound impact on the SPL’s goalkeeping ranks.

Long-term Australia back-up Jones was one of a flood of non-Saudi shot stoppers snapped up.

His purchase from then Eredivisie champions Feyenoord was astute. Behind the division’s meanest defence, a joint-high 11 clean sheets came from 25 SPL matches.

The ex-Liverpool No2 was well protected by Nassr. He only had to make the 13^th most saves (49) and conceded the 15^th most goals from inside his penalty box (18).

But he was also proactive, making the division’s joint-third most run-outs (nine) and high claims (14).

Last term’s No1 Waleed Abdullah ranked 17^th and ninth, respectively.

THE BIG MOMENTS

There was precious little to separate competing heavyweights who splashed more than €40m each last summer.

The destination of the 2018/19 trophy would, then, be decided in a few decisive moments. In the double header against Hilal, an iron will would ensure they all went Nassr’s way.

None held greater significance than Brazil centre-back Bruno Uvini’s 97^th-minute header on March 29 that looped over Oman icon Ali Al Habsi and secured an epic 3-2 victory.

This goal both increased a tailspin for the sorry Zoran Mamic with the Crescent, plus sent Nassr into the lead.

December’s opening bout would also be packed with drama.

At a tinderbox King Saud University Stadium, Nassr walked out under the control of Portuguese caretaker Helder Cristovao – in place since November’s capricious call to dump Jose Daniel Carreno – and found themselves 2-0 down by 18 minutes. Lesser sides would have crumpled, especially with the pressure of a potential six-point deficit mounting.

Instead, athletic headers from Brazil playmaker Giuliano and Hamdallah in five indefatigable second-half minutes spelled out this squad’s desire.

Nassr’s form down the final straight under ex-Benfica tactician Rui Vitoria was almost flawless. They dropped only three points from their final 36.

Hilal, alone, in their last eight run-outs slipped up four times. This month’s 2-0 consequential defeat against Al Taawoun handed Nassr a lifeline after they slipped up against improving Al Ittihad.

Other standouts for The Global in this decisive period included three unanswered goals from the 70-minute mark to prevail 3-2 at Ettifaq, plus Hamdallah’s gritty first-half penalty to grind out a 1-0 win against relegation-threatened Al Fayha.

STRIKING IT RICH WITH RUI

It was an enormous gamble – but one that Nassr’s trophy cabinet now proves was worth taking.

November’s decision to dismiss Carreno seemed, at best, reckless at the time. From nine SPL matches at the helm, an average of 2.44 points per game had been registered.

Caretaker Cristovao did a sterling job, until unforeseen opportunity arose. Within a week of Benfica’s ruthless culling of Vitoria in January after six trophies in four years, he was at the King Fahd.

Vitoria’s dogged, disciplined approach gelled perfectly with workmanlike talents like Petros, Amrabat and Hamdallah in the second half of 2018/19. His system also provided space for the likes of Giuliano and overlapping Al Ghannam to excel.

The contrast in succession management to Hilal was stark – and telling. The Crescent soon imploded once fellow Portuguese Jorge Jesus would not commit to a second season in January and the unfortunate Mamic came in.

Nassr, however, blossomed under Vitoria’s care.