Liverpool legend makes STRONG statement amid intense Saudi Arabia criticism

The Saudi Pro League has become home to many faces familiar to those who follow Liverpool.

Club legend Steven Gerrard is currently the manager of Al-Ettifaq, although he is experiencing significant difficulties at present.

READ MORE: Mo Salah bombshell as Liverpool contract talks FAIL

He was joined at the club by Jordan Henderson and Gini Wijnaldum with former captain Henderson opting to cut his spell in the Middle East short and return to Ajax earlier this year.

Sadio Mane is a teammate of Cristiano Ronaldo at Al-Nassr and has undergone a mini career renaissance this season.

Fabinho, meanwhile, continues to ply his trade for Al-Ittihad while current Reds such as Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Alisson Becker have been linked with lucrative moves to the SPL.

Firmino's Saudi struggles

Another player who moved to the Kingdom on a free transfer in 2023 was Roberto Firmino, a firm Anfield favourite and a winner of the Champions League, Premier League and Club World Cup among other honours for Liverpool.

He is a striker for Al-Ahli and also club captain but he too has been experiencing a difficult spell in Jeddah.

He had been on an eight-match goalless streak, losing his striking berth to new signing Ivan Toney, and recently faced calls from a club legend to be replaced as skipper.

Al-Ahli are having a rough season in league competition, currently ninth, and Firmino seems to be bearing the responsibility of the team’s misfortunes.

Firmino drops 9.9 MASTERCLASS

He needed a statement performance in Monday’s AFC Asian Champions League group stage match against Iraq’s Al-Shorta and the Brazilian delivered.

Managed by former Hoffenheim teammate Matthias Jaissle, Firmino was named in a hybrid left-wing role for Al-Ahli in the game and did not disappoint. Fighting back against recent criticism,

Firmino scored TWICE and added another assist in a landmark 5-1 victory, earning a near-perfect 9.9 rating on Sofascore.

The 33-year-old scored the first and second goals of the encounter and unlocked the defence for the other three, two of which were scored by Riyad Mahrez.

Al-Ahli’s continental form remains in stark contrast to their domestic campaign, where they have 12 points out of 12, winning every one of of their first four matches.

Firmino fighting back

Having been dropped out of the lineup recently to accommodate Toney, Firmino roared back with his first continental goals for the club with the former Brentford man relegated to the bench as he struggles to adapt to life in Saudi Arabia.

These were Firmino’s first goals since September 20, when he scored against Damac in the league.

“In the league, we went through a lot of setbacks that contributed to our decline, unlike the Asian Championship, where we started well and continued to achieve positive results," Firmino told the press conference after.

READ MORE: Liverpool's £83m transfer plan under Saudi THREAT