Former Liverpool forward is the most experienced in defending Qatari champions’ recent transfer spree.
Brazilian forward Roberto Firmino has completed a move to Al Sadd, becoming the latest signing in a flurry of foreigners joining the Qatar Stars League side.
The 33-year-old penned a two-year deal, Al Sadd announced on Wednesday, leaving Al Ahli of the Saudi Pro League.
“I’m very happy to be here,” Firmino said in a video address to the fans. “Looking forward to the league’s start and to playing with the team.”
He leaves Al Ahli with 21 goals and 17 assists in 65 appearances after joining the club in 2023 from Liverpool, where he made more than 250 appearances.
That makes Firmino the most experienced of Al Sadd’s signings so far in the summer window, in a pack consisting of the young midfield duo of Uruguay’s Agustin Soria and Pau Prim of Spain.
The defending league champions already boast the likes of talismanic Akram Afif and last season’s joint-top scorer for the club, Rafa Mujica, as regulars in the frontline.
Firmino will be expected to bring a blend of big-game experience and versatility to the pack, with fellow Brazilian Giovani Henrique and Yusuf Abdurisag also in contention for the third spot.
The ex-Liverpool star arrives in the Qatari league following some complicated months at Al Ahli.
Firmino was dropped from the Saudi Pro League squad in February and had only played at the AFC Champions League Elite ever since.
New signing and fellow Brazilian Galeno replaced him to comply with the league’s rule of allowing up to 10 foreigners in the squad, head coach Matthias Jaissle had said.
“It was a difficult decision for the club and based on the rules,” Jaissle had said. “We appreciate him, and he dealt with it professionally. He’s still one of our leaders.”
Amidst rumours of reported interests from clubs abroad, Firmino decided to continue at the club, playing a decisive role in Al Ahlu’s triumphant ACL Elite campaign. He was adjudged the Most Valuable Player for his six goals and seven assists.
Two of those assists came in the finale against Kawasaki Frontale as the Saudi side lifted their first-ever continental title.
“This means so much to me than a trophy; it means fulfilling here what I came to do,” Firmino had written on his Instagram, after looking visibly moved following his two assists that earned him the Player of the Match in the decider.
Firmino, however, is not a stranger to Al Sadd’s Jassim bin Hamad Stadium as he bagged a goal and an assist in Al Ahli’s 3-1 win, handing Al Sadd their maiden defeat in ACL Elite group stages.
A centre-forward known for his creativity and in-game tactical knowledge, Firmino has scored 17 times for Brazil in 55 appearances.
He rose to prominence after signing for Liverpool from German outlet Hoffenheim in 2015 and went on to become a key linchpin in Liverpool’s dynamic attacking trio under Jurgen Klopp, partnered with Egyptian winger Mohammed Salah and Senegal’s Sadio Mane.
In addition to winning the 2018/19 UEFA Champions League, they went on to secure Liverpool’s first-ever Premier League title in the following season.
His addition will be a plus for Al Sadd’s aim of rendering domestic success into a continental one, aided by the Qatar Football Association’s recent changes to the foreign player quota.
Qatari top-division sides can now register up to 10 foreign players on their 28-player roster. The move is understood to be aimed at bolstering the Qatari side’s chances in Asia amidst the Saudi Arabian investment surge.
Sanchez’s side crashed out of Asia last season following a quarter-final defeat against eventual finalists Kawasaki Frontale.
In the Qatar Stars League, Al Sadd will begin their title defence against Qatar SC on August 16 at home.
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