Al-Hilal backed to return to the top as Roshn Saudi League season gets under way

Al-Hilal have been widely tipped to win the new Roshn Saudi League season, with former players Mohammed Al-Deayea and Nasser Al-Shamrani among those predicting the Riyadh club will claim the title. Their view has also been shared by Fahad Al-Herifi, a former star of Al-Hilal’s traditional rivals Al-Nassr.

The new Saudi top-flight campaign begins on Thursday with three matches: Abha against Al-Hazem, Al-Shabab against Al-Qadsiah and Al-Ahli against Al-Diriyah.

With the opening fixtures only hours away, several prominent figures in Saudi football have assessed the title race. Al-Herifi believes Al-Hilal’s stability gives them a clear advantage over Al-Ahli, Al-Nassr and Al-Ittihad, all of whom have experienced changes in their circumstances.

“It will be difficult for Al-Hilal not to win the Saudi league title for three consecutive seasons, after losing it in the previous two seasons,” Al-Herifi said on the Saudi TV programme Dawrina Ghir.

“With the stability Al-Hilal are experiencing, compared with the changes that have taken place at Al-Ahli, Al-Nassr and Al-Ittihad, Al-Hilal will be the leading candidate.”

He added: “Every indication confirms that Al-Hilal are the best, the strongest, the most prepared, the most complete and the most stable. With these incentives, the fans must support the team in order to help make the league a success.”

Al-Shamrani, another former Al-Hilal player, also described the club as the natural favourite whenever it enters a competition.

“Al-Hilal are always candidates for any tournament they take part in, and that is a fact,” he said. “But it is also about the circumstances, because we have to be realistic in football, and Al-Hilal are going through a period of stability.”

Former goalkeeper Al-Deayea offered a more cautious assessment of the team’s prospects because of the presence of Italian manager Simone Inzaghi. He nevertheless said he hoped Inzaghi would correct the mistakes he made last season after being reviewed by the club’s owner, Prince Alwaleed bin Talal.

“Inzaghi must avoid the mistakes he made last season, and that will only happen through holding meetings with him,” Al-Deayea said. “That did not happen last season, when the Italian manager was number one at the club.”

Despite his reservations about Inzaghi, Al-Deayea still predicts that Al-Hilal will win the championship. He expects Al-Nassr to finish second, followed by Al-Qadsiah and Al-Ahli, while he does not believe Al-Ittihad will be able to challenge for the title.

“I expect the league champion to be Al-Hilal, followed by Al-Nassr, Al-Qadsiah and Al-Ahli, then Al-Ittihad, who will not be able to compete,” he said.

The predictions come as the Roshn Saudi League prepares to begin a new season, with the first three fixtures offering the opening test for the clubs competing in the campaign.