The curtain has officially fallen on Spanish coach Imanol Alguacil's with Saudi Al-Shabab. His brief stint, however, left a significant financial impact on the club. Just six months after taking the helm, the relationship between the two parties ended with a dismissal following a string of disappointing results, a move that proved extremely costly for the Riyadh-based club.
Details of the massive financial settlement
According to Spanish media reports, specifically from Estadio Deportivo , the termination of Alguacil's contract with Al-Shabab was not financially straightforward. It was agreed that the Basque coach would receive €8 million (approximately 44 million Saudi Riyals ) as compensation for the early termination.
Although the original contract extended for two seasons with an annual salary exceeding 10 million euros, the settlement granted the coach about 50% to 60% of the total dues for the remaining period of his contract, making it a financially profitable exit for the coach despite the technical failure.
Reasons for dismissal and artistic context
The dismissal of Al-Ghawsil did not come out of nowhere, but was the result of a series of technical shortcomings that culminated in the recent match between Al-Shabab and Al-Ahli, which ended in a crushing 2-5 defeat. This result hastened the administration's decision to make a change, especially since the team was beginning to approach the relegation zone in the Saudi Professional League , a situation unbecoming of the club's history and stature.
This short experience (6 months) is a great paradox in the career of Alguacil, who was known for his technical stability, as he spent 7 successful years with the Spanish club Real Sociedad, during which he led them to win the Spanish King’s Cup title and participate in the Champions League, which made the ceiling of expectations very high when he came to Riyadh.
Comparing salaries with the world's top coaches
The figures included in Alguacil's contract with Al Shabab placed him among the highest-paid coaches in the world. Earning over €10 million annually, Alguacil ranked second on the salary list behind Arsenal's Mikel Arteta (€10.7 million), and ahead of illustrious names like Unai Emery (€9.6 million) and Xabi Alonso (between €8 and €9 million). This massive investment reflected Al Shabab's management's strong desire to elevate the team to a higher level, but the results ultimately fell short of the project's goals.
The impact of the decision and the future of the team
Despite his short tenure, Alguacil described his experience in the Kingdom as "enriching both professionally and personally," bidding farewell to the club and its fans with a thank-you message. Now, Al-Shabab faces a dual challenge: the first is financial, requiring the settlement of his contractual obligations, and the second is technical, involving the search for a replacement capable of rescuing the team from its slump and restoring its competitive edge in a league experiencing unprecedented development and competitiveness, featuring a host of world-class players.
