Al-Ittihad turn Tijjani Reijnders’ £52m Al Qadsiah debut into a playful taunt

Al-Ittihad used Tijjani Reijnders’ underwhelming debut for Al Qadsiah as an opportunity for some fierce online banter after securing a 1-0 victory in the second round of the Roshn Saudi League.

Reijnders, who joined Al Qadsiah from Manchester City only a few days ago in a deal worth about 61m euros (£52m), made his first appearance for the club as a second-half substitute. The Netherlands international came on in the 57th minute, with Al Qadsiah hoping his arrival would provide the attacking spark needed to change the match.

Instead, it was Al-Ittihad who held on for victory, despite playing with 10 men for a significant period of the game.

Al Qadsiah enjoyed the greater share of possession and applied sustained pressure, particularly after Reijnders entered the field. However, Al-Ittihad’s defence resisted until the final whistle to preserve their clean sheet and claim all three points.

The result gave Al-Ittihad’s official account the chance to poke fun at their opponents’ latest major signing. On X, the club posted an edited video showing Reijnders climbing a staircase, apparently attempting to get away from the “Tigers” – the nickname commonly associated with Al-Ittihad.

The post was accompanied by the caption: “The Dutch artist in the presence of the Tigers”, alongside shrugging and artist-palette emojis.

The message was a clear reference to Al-Ittihad’s satisfaction at winning the match and to Reijnders’ first appearance for Al Qadsiah. The club’s social-media post turned a highly anticipated debut, and one of the most expensive deals in the league, into a subject of ridicule.

Reijnders came on when Al Qadsiah had a numerical advantage, increasing expectations that he could exploit the spaces available and help his side maintain pressure on Al-Ittihad. Despite those circumstances, the visitors were unable to find a way through the organised defence.

Al-Ittihad’s victory was particularly significant because it came under difficult conditions, with the side forced to cope with a spell of the match with only 10 players. Their ability to protect the lead sent a strong message to Al Qadsiah, while Reijnders’ first outing produced the opposite of the impact his new club had hoped for.

The Dutch midfielder will now be watched closely in the matches ahead. His first appearance may prove to have been an initial step requiring more time to adapt to his new team, or Al Qadsiah may soon need him to demonstrate why the club paid such a substantial fee to secure his services.

For now, the focus belongs to Al-Ittihad, whose victory not only delivered an important league result but also provided the club with a memorable opportunity to tease one of their rivals’ biggest signings.