The start of a new football season moves a lot closer this week as the King Salman Club Cup, also known as the Arab Club Champions Cup, kicks off in the Saudi city of Abha on Thursday.
This year’s event is perhaps the most eagerly awaited in the tournament’s history, as it will give fans across the region a first look at some very famous international players in competitive action.
The group stage features four groups of four teams, with the top two from each progressing to the knockout phase. Among the 16 teams gathering in the southwest of the Kingdom are three that have been busy recently strengthening their squads and making headlines.
On the opening day, the eyes of many will be on Saudi champions Al-Ittihad, who won this tournament in 2005, when they were all-conquering in Asia, and reached the final in 2020.