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Riyad Mahrez Leaves Manchester City for Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ahli

Manchester City's Riyad Mahrez applauds the fans after the end of the English FA Cup semifinal between Manchester City and Sheffield United at Wembley Stadium in London, Saturday, April 22, 2023. (AP)
Manchester City's Riyad Mahrez applauds the fans after the end of the English FA Cup semifinal between Manchester City and Sheffield United at Wembley Stadium in London, Saturday, April 22, 2023. (AP)
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Riyad Mahrez Leaves Manchester City for Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ahli

Manchester City's Riyad Mahrez applauds the fans after the end of the English FA Cup semifinal between Manchester City and Sheffield United at Wembley Stadium in London, Saturday, April 22, 2023. (AP)
Manchester City's Riyad Mahrez applauds the fans after the end of the English FA Cup semifinal between Manchester City and Sheffield United at Wembley Stadium in London, Saturday, April 22, 2023. (AP)

Riyad Mahrez is the latest Premier League player to head to Saudi Arabia after signing with Al-Ahli.

The Algeria international was a key player in Leicester's shocking title win in 2016 and then won the league four more times with Manchester City. He leaves after a season in which City won the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League.

“I’ve made a lifetime of wonderful memories and the manner of our Premier League title wins and the battles we’ve had with Liverpool and, last year, Arsenal, underlined our collective desire and mentality to be the best,” Mahrez said in a statement on City's website.

Mahrez scored 15 goals in 47 games in his final season with City but didn't start in some of the biggest matches. He was an unused substitute in both the Champions League and FA Cup finals, and he only made one substitute appearance from the Champions League quarterfinals onward.

At Al-Ahli, he will join Roberto Firmino, who was formerly with Liverpool, and former Chelsea goalkeeper Edouard Mendy. Al-Ahli, from the Saudi port city of Jeddah, said the 32-year-old Mahrez signed a contract through the end of the 2026-27 season.

Born in the Paris suburbs, Mahrez came through the French lower leagues before joining Leicester in the English second tier in January 2014. The club was promoted to the Premier League in his first season and Mahrez was crucial to its sensational title win in 2016 with his 17 goals.

Mahrez's heroics at Leicester led to him being named African Player of the Year for 2016. At international level, he captained Algeria to the 2019 African Cup of Nations title.

Al-Ahli is also set to sign one of Europe's highest-rated young coaches in Matthias Jaissle, Austrian club Salzburg said in a statement confirming the 35-year-old German had been released from his duties.

Salzburg said Jaissle asked for a move two days before the new Austrian league season starts, and that talks between the club and Al-Ahli were under way.

Jaissle was praised for reaching the knockout stages of the Champions League with Salzburg in his first season in charge in 2021-22.

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Hamburg Fires Steffen Baumgart as Coach after Five Games without a Win

08 November 2024, Lower Saxony, Brunswick: Hamburg coach Steffen Baumgart gives an interview before the German Bundesliga 2 soccer match between Eintracht Braunschweig and Hamburger SV. (dpa)
08 November 2024, Lower Saxony, Brunswick: Hamburg coach Steffen Baumgart gives an interview before the German Bundesliga 2 soccer match between Eintracht Braunschweig and Hamburger SV. (dpa)
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Hamburg Fires Steffen Baumgart as Coach after Five Games without a Win

08 November 2024, Lower Saxony, Brunswick: Hamburg coach Steffen Baumgart gives an interview before the German Bundesliga 2 soccer match between Eintracht Braunschweig and Hamburger SV. (dpa)
08 November 2024, Lower Saxony, Brunswick: Hamburg coach Steffen Baumgart gives an interview before the German Bundesliga 2 soccer match between Eintracht Braunschweig and Hamburger SV. (dpa)

Former Bundesliga heavyweight Hamburger SV has fired Steffen Baumgart as coach after five games without a win across all competitions.

The second-division club said Sunday it was letting Baumgart go because of a “crisis of performances and results” after the team’s 2-2 draw at home with Schalke on Saturday.

That left Hamburg eighth in the 18-team division, four points behind early leader Paderborn after 13 rounds.

“Steffen gave everything with great passion, energy and commitment right up to the end for HSV. However, our analysis of the current situation and yesterday’s game has once again made it clear that we believe a new impetus is necessary,” Hamburg sporting director Stefan Kuntz said.

The club said Baumgart, who was a Hamburg fan as a child, took the news “calmly” on Sunday morning.

“It was an exciting and very intense time,” the former Cologne coach said. “I remain connected to the club and hope that HSV achieves its goals.”

Hamburg has been bidding to return to the Bundesliga since its demotion from the top flight in 2018. It had been the only ever-present team in the league since it was founded in 1963, earning the nickname “der Dino.”

But every season since relegation has ended in disappointment. Hamburg rival St. Pauli was promoted last season to add to Hamburg fans’ woes.

Baumgart, a former Hansa Rostock and Union Berlin forward, took over as Hamburg coach in February, when the team was third, but ultimately it was unable to improve and finished fourth – one place behind Fortuna Düsseldorf in the promotion playoff spot.

Hamburg said Baumgart’s assistants Rene Wagner and Kevin McKenna were also let go, and that assistant coach Merlin Polzin will prepare the team for its next game at Karlsruher SC.

There was no mention of a permanent successor.