Tijjani Reijnders revives a familiar celebration in Al-Qadsiah’s win over Neom

Tijjani Reijnders used his first goal for Al-Qadsiah to send a sarcastic message to those who mocked his previous “series” celebration at Manchester City.

The Netherlands international scored as Al-Qadsiah beat Neom 2-0 on Monday in the third round of the Roshn Saudi League. Reijnders joined the Saudi club recently after leaving Manchester City following only one season with the Premier League side.

After finding the net, Reijnders shared a message on his official Instagram account which read: “It seemed that the series was cancelled, but surprise… it moved to another channel. Season two, episode one.”

The post was a clear reference to his departure from Manchester City and his decision to continue his career with Al-Qadsiah in Saudi Arabia.

Reijnders had introduced the idea of his football career as a television series last season, when he scored his first goal for Manchester City against Wolverhampton Wanderers in the opening round of the Premier League campaign.

His celebration on that occasion carried the message: “Season one… episode one,” signalling the start of his time at Manchester City and the beginning of a new stage in his career.

However, that chapter ended sooner than the Dutch midfielder might have expected. Reijnders left Manchester City after just one season and moved to Al-Qadsiah, where he began a new challenge in the Saudi league.

Some supporters subsequently poked fun at his earlier “Season one… episode one” message, particularly after his spell at Manchester City came to an end after only one campaign.

His goal against Neom gave him the opportunity to respond in his own style. By referring to a second season and a different channel, Reijnders appeared to acknowledge the criticism while also making clear that his career had not stopped when he left Manchester City.

The celebration combined humour with confidence. Rather than abandoning the concept he had used in England, Reijnders adapted it to reflect his move to Saudi Arabia and presented his time at Al-Qadsiah as the continuation of the same story.

The 2-0 victory over Neom therefore provided more than three points for Al-Qadsiah. Reijnders’ goal also marked the first episode of what he described as the “second season” of his career narrative, with a new club, a new league and a new setting.

By changing the channel but keeping the central idea intact, the Dutchman turned his transfer from Manchester City to Al-Qadsiah into another instalment of his footballing “series” this time with the opening episode written on the scoresheet.