Steven Gerrard has been appointed as the new manager of Saudi Arabian club Al Ettifaq.
Gerrard takes over for Antonio Cazorla, the Spaniard who had been appointed as interim manager at the Prince Mohamed bin Fahd Stadium in February after the departure of Frenchman Patrice Carteron.
The Liverpool great was seen earlier this summer in the Middle East for negotiations that broke down, leading him to say that he was not at the time interested in the opportunity to return to the dugout.
The contract has now been verified by Ettifaq, who had claimed that Gerrard would be moving there in a number of stories on Monday.
During England’s recent Euro 2024 qualifying matches, Gerrard commented while serving as a commentator for Channel 4: “I was called over there to look at a potential opportunity, which I did.
But as things are now, I won’t be accepting that offer.
Gerrard, 43, has been jobless since October after being fired by Aston Villa after just 11 months in charge due to a dismal Premier League start. His only other senior management position was at Rangers, where he won the Scottish Premiership in 2021.
Ettifaq was not one of the four teams recently taken over by the government’s Public Investment Fund, which led to a significant investment in the transfer market. Ettifaq finished seventh in the 16-team Saudi Pro League last season.
