André Carrillo He is having a good time in Saudi Arabia’s second division. After his notable departure from Al Hilal before the start of the 2023/24 Saudi Pro League, the Peruvian national team midfielder is the undisputed starter at Al-Qadisiyah. In three games played, the Al-Khobar team has won everything and “La Culebra” already has a goal and an assist in its personal record. However, Carrillo is not the only star with a recognized international career who has joined in a bid to achieve the long-awaited promotion to the top flight.
Who are the reinforcements that came to Al-Qadisiyah with André Carrillo?
Al-Qadisiyah, a team owned by the multi-million dollar oil company Saudi Aramco, has made a significant investment to recruit first division players with experience in Europe in a bid to become champions. Besides André Carrillo, Luciano Vietto was the most notable newcomer. The Argentine played alongside “La Culebra” in Al Hilal, finished second in the Club World Cup and was voted Bronze Ball after the final defeat against Real Madrid.
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Vietto has played for renowned teams such as Atlético Madrid, Valencia and Sevilla. The other foreign reinforcements also have an important CV. Mbaye Diagne, Senegal’s ‘9’, has played in the Champions League and Europa League and spent several seasons in Turkey. Álvaro González, a Spanish central defender with extensive experience in the Spanish league, arrived after starting at Al-Nassr. The other defender Max Power is a German with more than 130 Bundesliga appearances.
André Carrillo and Luciano Vietto played a lot of time together at Al Hilal. Photo: Al-Qadisiyah
As for the homegrown players, striker Mohammed Al-Saiari arrived from Al-Ittihad, where he had no place along with Karim Benzema and Abderrazak Hamdallah. He assisted Carrillo on his first goal with Al-Qadisiyah. Ibrahim Mahnashi, winner of the U-23 Asian Cup last year, arrived from Al-Ettifaq. Finally, Max Power (Wigan), goalkeeper Joel Robles (Leeds) and Ayman Al-Khulaif (Al-Fateh) should also be mentioned.
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When is André Carrillo’s next game against Al-Qadisiyah?
Al-Qadisiyah will face Al-Ain FC on the fourth matchday of the Saudi Arabian Second League. The game will be played next Saturday, September 2nd, starting at 11:10 a.m