‘Ready for any challenge’: how Rami El-Hassan embraced being first Palestinian to coach in Saudi top flight

AMSTERDAM: If you have ever wondered what happened to your favorite big name, bigger personality football manager, chances are they are now on the touchlines of the Saudi Pro League. 

Fatih Terim, Stefano Pioli, Laurent Blanc, and Jorge Jesus are just some of the famous tacticians currently managing in the Kingdom. 

While the big names grab most of the headlines, the league is now producing younger first-time managers from the region who are also making a name for themselves.

Former Palestine international Rami El-Hassan took the reins, albeit briefly, of the Buraidah-based side Al-Raed on March 9, replacing ex-Santos manager Odair Hellmann.

His appointment made history as El-Hassan became the first Palestinian to manage in the Saudi top flight. The 45-year-old’s time with the team spans seven years, six different managers, and a whopping 220 games. 

A long-awaited managerial debut finally arrived on March 13, but ended with Al-Raed losing 3-1 to relegation rivals El-Fateh. 

In spite of the setback, the former midfielder was positive. “It was a (good) experience and a big step in my career, and I feel ready for any challenge in the future,” El-Hassan told Arab News in an exclusive interview earlier this week.

Resiliency has been a hallmark of El-Hassan’s footballing journey. He was born in the Nahr El Bared refugee camp in Lebanon to a Palestinian family from Saffuriya, and his life has rarely been straightforward. 

In spite of hardships off the pitch, El-Hassan has had a knack of being in the right place at the right time. A debut in the Lebanese top-flight in 1996 came at barely 17 years of age with one of Lebanon’s oldest clubs, Tripoli-based Riada Wal Adab. 

“My school was playing a match on their training