Al Ittihad’s capture of Sulley Muntari was, understandably, labelled a coup.
Interest from the likes of Schalke, Everton and Major League Soccer was headed off in July 2015 when the two-time AFC Champions League victors landed a combative winner of the 2009/10 UEFA edition at Inter Milan.
Yet within a year, this union would descend amid acrimony, jibes about conditioning and a costly dispute on a two-year deal, reputedly, worth a gargantuan €14 million that would eventually cause punishment by FIFA.
Here is how the 84-times-capped Ghana midfield battler’s brief stint in Jeddah played out and the enduring lessons – as touched upon in this month’s revealing interview by president Anmar Al Haili – that were not heeded by a stumbling Saudi Professional League giant.
A “NEW CHAPTER”
Summer 2015 promised a fresh start for Muntari.
Former AC Milan team-mate Filippo Inzaghi’s promotion to head coach had witnessed him fall out of favour in 2014/15 and a decision made by mutual consent to “dissolve the player’s contract” with one year remaining.
The tenacious then 30-year-old, however, remained coveted. No wonder after 375 appearances at various Premier League and Serie A outfits where he’d performed a pivotal role during Portsmouth’s shock run to the 2007/08 FA Cup and was a reliable foot soldier at Jose Mourinho’s all-conquering Inter.
A reunion with close friend Kevin-Prince Boateng – the pair were sent home from Ghana’s fractious World Cup 2014 camp in disgrace after separate incidents – at Schalke came to nothing. Overtures about an English return went ignored.
The Kingdom would, instead, beckon.
“Moving to Ittihad is a new chapter,” he told GHANAsoccernet in July 2015. “It’s a new, let’s say it’s not a fight, but a new challenge for me.
“Especially coming to Saudi Arabia and Jeddah to play for Ittihad. I just cannot wait to be there.
“I want to come there, not for holidays but to work really hard for Ittihad to be able to win trophies. We want everyone to come to the stadium this year, so it’s always full and they help us win trophies to make them happy.
“Inshallah, we want to win a lot.”
Sulley Muntari (c) attempts an acrobatic volley versus Najran in August 2015 (EPA).
International faces were not unfamiliar to one of Asia’s storied clubs.
Majestic Italy and AC Milan midfielder Roberto Donadoni wound down his celebrated career there with the 1999/2000 title and Brazil’s sixth all-time leading scorer Bebeto hung up his boots at Ittihad in 2002. Muntari’s fellow Inter alumnus Mohamed Kallon performed an inspiration role in 2005’s ACL triumph.
Portugal superstar Luis Figo – another man with Nerazzurri ties – posed with a Tigers shirt in January 2007 after an agreement was reached on what was described by then chairman Mansour Al Balawi as “one of the biggest deals ever in the Middle East”. This attachment eventually fell through.
A tangled move for ‘KPB’ also disintegrated in August 2015, amid conflicting reports about medicals. This left a foreign quartet for 2015/16 that also contained Australia schemer James Troisi, pugnacious Venezuela striker Gelmin Rivas and Romania playmaker Lucian Sanmartean for the previous campaign’s fourth-placed finishers.
The Ittihad that Muntari joined, though, had won their last of eight SPL crowns in 2008/09 and underwent a painful divorce in 2013 – plus, subsequent return – from club hero Mohammed Noor to Al Nassr because of administrative problems.
Romania great Laszlo Boloni was also fresh in the dugout. An 11th head coach since May 2010 would only last until October 2015, with the King Abdullah Sports City revolving door beckoning Victor Piturca back four months since departing.
A DREAM DISINTEGRATES
So, what exactly went wrong?
Punchy claim and counter-claim – led by former president Ibrahim Al Balawi – has clouded the issue of where blame lies for July 2016’s decision by Muntari to unilaterally cancel his contract after a no-show at training. What cannot be disputed, however, is FIFA’s decision in September 2017 to order a $5m payment (20m riyals) from Ittihad for salary arrears, an amount Arriyadiyah newspaper states was deposited in July 2018.
A hashtag mocked Muntari’s fleshy appearance during pre-season, according to Eurosport Arabia. Reviews of his performances among the Ittihad faithful were not much kinder, even though two goals in 18 SPL run-outs helped them to third – a highest finish since 2010/11.
Respected statisticians Wyscout ranked him as the 16th-best defensive midfielder in the 2015/16 edition. Only 15 teams took part.
This was, also, long before May 2018’s $340m cash infusion from the General Sports Authority raised the level of competition, at a stroke, via an enviable collection of global stars.
Only Muntari will be able to authoritatively comment on how much the, reported, off-field issues impacted on his underwhelming on-field displays.
Rumours about an “unsettled” Muntari angling for a switch to the Chinese Super League’s Beijing Guoan were carried in January 2016 by the well-connected GHANAsoccernet. A month prior he’d climbed into the King Abdullah stands to apologise for “a verbal exchange” with a disgruntled fan during a 2-1 victory against Al Shabab, according to Arriyadiyah.
There were some happy moments for Sulley Muntari, as this picture from August 2015 at Al Raed shows (EPA).
There was, of course, March’s trademark pile driver into the top corner in a 1-1 ACL draw versus Uzbekistan’s Lokomotiv Tashkent. He also started both games as Ittihad did the domestic double against eventual runners-up Al Hilal.
Muntari came off at half-time in the 3-1 King’s Cup semi-final defeat to Al Nassr on April 30, 2016. His final sighting in an Ittihad match-day squad was registered four days later when he was an unused substitute in the 2-0 ACL victory against Iran’s Sepahan that could not prevent elimination from Group A.
Arriyadiyah claimed by June 2016 that Ittihad were “not satisfied with his [Muntari’s] technical level”. Within weeks, he’d contentiously depart.
“I received some of my salaries, but I did not get all of my money, and I suffered a lot from delaying my salaries, but I did not cause problems, although I could leave the team after three months because I did not receive my salaries,” Muntari explained to Al Arabiya in an explosive interview during March 2017.
These arguments were rejected by Ittihad. They would, though, prove persuasive to FIFA.
HAS THIS LESSON BEEN HEDED?
Muntari was not well scouted.
Waning powers had caused him to make more than 20 top-flight appearances once since 2009/10’s glorious campaign at Inter.
He’d go on to be relegated at Serie A’s Pescara (2016/17) and La Liga’s Deportivo La Coruna (2017/18). A six-month period followed out of the game, prior to January 2019’s arrival at Segunda Division promotion-chasers Albacete.
This systemic issue with recruitment has ravaged their accounts.
A debt of $82m, at the time of the GSA’s aforementioned largesse two years ago, was the biggest of any Saudi club, according to Arab News.
Unpaid wages and transfer fees caused Ittihad to be denied an AFC club licence to compete in the 2017 and 2018 ACLs, plus incur a three-point penalty in the 2016/17 SPL. This latter-mentioned punishment cost them top spot.
Sulley Muntari’s (l) final run-out for Ittihad against Al Nassr in April 2016 (EPA).
“We are delighted by the generous initiative of His Royal Highness [Mohammed bin Salman bin Abdulaziz al Saud],” a relieved, then, president Nawaf Al Muqairn said in an official statement in reaction to May 2018’s development.
“This contributes to creating solid ground for all clubs to move toward achieving their goals.”
This lifeline, however, was not used effectively.
Ittihad have registered 36 incomings and 50 outgoings, plus hired five head coaches, since the start of 2018/19. They’ve battled a first relegation in their 92-year history during both, worrisome, campaigns.
When the 2019/20 SPL resumes, August 15 has been proposed, they will find themselves one place and four points from oblivion.
Livewire Brazilian forward Romarinho and consummate Morocco defensive midfielder Karim El Ahmadi stand as rare successes. Left-back Thiago Carleto, Internacional loanee Valdivia, Australia centre-back Matthew Jurman, aged Chile playmaker Luis Jimenez and expensive Cape Verde winger Garry Rodrigues are just some of the, many, contemporary failures.
WHAT NEXT?
Frank revelations from Al Haili – who reclaimed control in June 2019 – to MBC FM’s excellent ‘Open Heart’ programme included a startling claim about the impact these failed transfers have had.
He said: “There was support from the Ministry of Sports for the club during the winter transfers last season, and I don’t know how it was dealt with by the previous board of directors, as I took over the functions on June 28, 2019, then we discovered that multiple financial files were not closed. These increased the size of the debt to more than 200m riyals.”
He continued: “We are working to reduce the huge number, we have dealt with four issues through settlements that will reduce the debt later and provided support from the current administration of up to 32m riyals, as the revenues do not cover the monthly salaries of the players.”
Other positive steps have been taken.
A modest January transfer window included cut-price deals for industrious Argentine midfielder Leonardo Gil from Rosario Central – scorer of an excellent leveller at Al Raed – and Tunisia forward Anice Badri from Esperance de Tunis. Former Al Nassr centre-back Bruno Uvini and ex-Manchester City striker Wilfried Bony arrived on frees.
Mixed results has been experienced by this quartet, Crucially, however, none significantly added to Ittihad’s liabilities.
Arriyadiyah, further, reported that management have handed coach Fabio Carille responsibility to decide the fates of players coming off contract. This is reflective of the Brazilian’s talents, plus esteemed background as a multiple champions at Corinthians.
Sulley Muntari competing with Najran’s Sultan Mandash in January 2016.
February’s 5-1 mauling of Al Shabab showcased what could be achieved under the 46-year-old, who has only been at the helm for four top-flight fixtures.
There is still much to admire about Ittihad. They reflect Jeddah’s rich history, boast a passionate fan base and their King Abdullah stadium – shared with neighbours Al Ahli – is one of Asia’s finest.
Muntari, though, heads a long list of damaging deals.
Being burned once in such public fashion should be enough for any club to adapt. Ittihad, belatedly, now appear on this redemptive path.
