The contradiction between the financial situation of Al-Taawoun Club and the results of its football team has become a prominent feature of its current crisis, after the announced financial statements for the 2025-2026 sports season revealed a surplus exceeding 35 million riyals, at a time when the team fell to the penultimate place in the Saudi Professional League standings, despite the management’s contract with 11 foreign players over two seasons, and the departure of five local players to other clubs. This opens the door to questions about the efficiency of technical and administrative decisions and their ability to preserve the club’s gains.
The financial statements of the cooperation showed revenues amounting to 250 million, 285 thousand and 427 riyals, compared to expenses amounting to 214 million, 747 thousand and 452 riyals, with a financial surplus amounting to 35 million, 537 thousand and 975 riyals. These are numbers that reflect a positive financial result, but in return they raise questions about the extent to which resource management reflects on the team’s performance, especially since the financial surplus does not necessarily mean that the entire amount was available to spend on Contracts or strengthening ranks.
Attention is turning to the policy of foreign contracts, after the administration attracted 11 players during the past and current seasons, without these moves being reflected in the team’s results in the desired way. Last season's roster included four players: Fulgini, Bale, Hugo, and Zambrano, before the management made extensive changes this season.
The new season’s contracts included seven players, namely: Abdel Razzaq Hamdallah, Zinedine Belaid, Younes El Bahraoui, Oscar Durley, Parfait, Nadim Bayrami, and Jair Colahou, in an attempt to reshape the team and enhance its technical capabilities. However, the current results have raised questions about the technical value added by these deals, and the extent of their compatibility with the team’s needs and positions, which required qualitative support.
The experience of last season, which witnessed the signing of four players who did not make the expected addition before replacing others with them, imposed a more careful review of the selection mechanism, instead of entering into a new round of contracts without achieving the required improvement, especially since the success of the transfer market is not measured by the number of attracted names, but rather by their ability to make a difference and improve results.
The transformations were not limited to foreign players; The team witnessed the departure of five local players, after Walid Al-Ahmad moved to Al-Qadisiyah, Saad Al-Nasser to Al-Nasr, Sultan Mandash and Muhammad Mahzri to Al-Hilal, and Abdel-Fattah Adam to Al-Ula. These transfers put the policy of preserving and replacing influential local elements under the microscope.
Although selling player contracts represents one of the legitimate sources of revenue for clubs, the success of this policy is linked to the management’s ability to provide alternatives that maintain technical balance, so that the financial gains resulting from transfers do not turn into sporting losses that affect the team’s strength and ability to compete.
The current decline comes after years that witnessed an advanced presence of cooperation in the league. It ended the 2022 season in fifth place, then advanced to fourth place in 2023, before falling to eighth place in 2024, and returning to sixth place in 2025, a result that reflects the team’s ability during that period to compete in the advanced positions, compared to its current position in the penultimate position.
Brazilian Angelo, a player for Al-Nasr team, who won the best player award against Neftchi in the elite AFC Champions League competitions, confirmed that his team’s ambitions do not stop at achieving one victory, stressing that the victory mentality is based on competition and the search for victory in all matches, regardless of the identity of the competitor or the nature of the tournament.
Angelo said, during the press conference that followed the confrontation: “We are Al-Nasr, and when we enter the field, our goal is always to achieve victory.”
The Brazilian player admitted that his team did not perform at the level hoped for during its first match in the Asian Championship, stressing the importance of benefiting from mistakes and working to develop performance in the upcoming confrontations.
He added: “We did not provide the required level in our first match in the AFC Champions League for the elite, and as I said before, we are Al-Nasr and we enter every match with the aim of winning, and we always strive to provide the best and achieve the results that our fans aspire to.”
Regarding the difference in his position on the field compared to last season, Angelo explained that the change is related to the technical vision of the coaching staff, pointing to his ability to adapt to the roles that are required of him, whether on the right or left side.
He said in response to a question about the position he prefers to play in: “For me, I play in the same position, but the coaches’ ideas and technical vision differ. I started the season on the right side, and now I play on the left side, because the coach believes that I perform better in this position.”
Angelo pointed out that tactical flexibility represents one of the important aspects of Al-Nasr’s performance, explaining that the method of play changes according to the nature of the opponent and the requirements of each confrontation, in addition to the roles that the players perform on the field.
He added: “The playing style and method of performance differ according to the opponent, and playing alongside distinguished players such as Al-Khibari and Costa is positive for the team. Each match has its own requirements and method according to the nature of the opponent.”
In a message addressed to Al-Nasr fans, the Brazilian player stressed the importance of continued public support, stressing that the stands standing behind the team represents a great motivation for the players, especially in light of the competition for more than one championship.
He said: “We always need our fans and their support for us, as they did last season when they stood behind us and we won the league title.”
The Al-Koloud team is witnessing a noticeable decline in performance and results, after losing the momentum that accompanied its start in the competitions of the current season of the Saudi Professional League. He started his career steadily, and succeeded in embarrassing a number of big clubs, before faltering in the last rounds, affected by a series of negative results that stopped his progress in the rankings.
Al-Khuloud had begun his career with remarkable results that reflected his ambitions and good preparation for the season, after imposing a positive 1-1 draw against Al-Ittihad in the opening round, then achieving an exciting victory over Al-Taawoun with a score of 3-2, before tying with Al-Diriyah with a goal for the same.
The team's strong performances continued by achieving a valuable victory over Al-Ahly by three goals to one, before drawing with Al-Fayhaa with a score of 2-2, then defeating Al-Shabab 2-1, to confirm its ability to compete with the big clubs and achieve positive results against them.
However, signs of decline began to appear before the break, when the team lost to Al-Riyadh by two goals to nothing, before its suffering worsened after the resumption of competitions, by suffering a heavy loss at home to Al-Qadisiyah by five goals without a response, in a result that raised questions about the team’s defensive system and its ability to regain its previous levels.
After these stumbles, Al-Khuloud settled in eighth place with 12 points, declining from the distinctive image it appeared in during the first rounds of the season.
In the wake of the heavy loss to Al-Qadisiyah, English coach Des Buckingham, Al-Khuloud’s coach, tried to explain the reasons for the stumble, pointing to the technical differences between the two teams, in addition to the absences that affected the back line.
Buckingham said during the press conference after the match: “We faced a distinguished team that succeeded in creating many chances, and we played the match in the absence of three players from the defense line.”
Speaking about the technical differences between the two teams, he added: “If we look at the names of the players on paper, we will find a big difference between the two teams. Al-Qadisiyah has international names, and it is one of the teams competing for the league title.”
The recent results put the Al-Khuloud administration and its technical staff facing increasing challenges to rearrange the cards and correct the course, especially after the defensive decline that appeared clearly against Al-Qadisiyah, and raised questions about the team’s ability to restore the balance that characterized its start.
Al-Koloud fans are looking forward to the return of the absent elements, led by Ramzi Solan, Petkus and Shaquille Benas, hoping that their return will contribute to strengthening the technical options and restoring balance to the back line, in addition to restoring the fighting spirit that distinguished the team during the first rounds.
Between the promising start and the recent setbacks, the most prominent challenge facing Buckingham and his players remains to overcome the effects of the heavy loss to Al-Qadisiyah, and to find technical solutions that will return the team to the path of positive results, and avoid further decline in the ranking table.
