From our football correspondent
Crisis
Match7 Dec 2030
No end in sight to Hajer 's wait for a win
13 matches now without a victory, and the excuses have worn thinner than the patience. Somebody at Hajer has to find a result from somewhere.
Match7 Dec 2030
A hiding for Hajer
Beaten 1-4 by Al-Qadisiyah , and beaten everywhere it matters. The inquest starts on the training pitch on Monday morning.
Squad9 Dec 2030
“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.
Squad9 Dec 2030
“The easiest signature of my career.” Nawaf Al-Habashi and Hajer agree another 2 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.
Boardroom9 Dec 2030
Inquest at Hajer
The manager kept them in and said what needed saying. A response is expected on Saturday, and if it does not come the questions move upstairs.
Squad9 Dec 2030
A season average of 7.20 with 7 goals behind it. Opponents have started planning around him, which is the sincerest compliment football pays.
Back issues
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Match16 Nov 2030
No end in sight to Hajer 's wait for a win
10 matches now without a victory, and the excuses have worn thinner than the patience. Somebody at Hajer has to find a result from somewhere.
Match13 Nov 2030
The cup run ends for Hajer
0-4 against Al-Shabab , and the road stops here. Cup exits are quick deaths — no second leg, no next week, just the league from now until May.
Squad18 Nov 2030
There were 6 saves in it, and at least three that had no business being saves at all. The ten outfield players owe him a drink and they know it.
Squad18 Nov 2030
David Kaiki gets it from the manager“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Boardroom18 Nov 2030
Nobody left the Hajer dressing room in a hurry
The door stayed shut a long time after the final whistle. What was said in there is between them; whether it worked is between them and Saturday.
Match16 Nov 2030
Hajer and Al-Ahli take a point apieceIt finished 1-1, and it somehow always looked like it would. One of those afternoons where the table moves less than the tempers.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Squad14 Oct 2030
There were 12 saves in it, and at least three that had no business being saves at all. The ten outfield players owe him a drink and they know it.
Market14 Oct 2030
“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.
Squad14 Oct 2030
“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.
Match12 Oct 2030
No end in sight to Hajer 's wait for a win
4 matches now without a victory, and the excuses have worn thinner than the patience. Somebody at Hajer has to find a result from somewhere.
Squad14 Oct 2030
The manager makes an example of Rodrigo Pollero
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Match12 Oct 2030
Beaten 0-2, and beaten fairly. The manager kept his words short afterwards, which was probably wise.
From our football correspondent
Steady
Squad9 Sep 2030
There were 6 saves in it, and at least three that had no business being saves at all. The ten outfield players owe him a drink and they know it.
Squad9 Sep 2030
“I never wanted to be anywhere else. There is unfinished business here.” Faisal Al-Ghamdi commits to Hajer for another 4 years.
Match7 Sep 2030
Three points for Hajer , 3-1 the final word against Al-Qadisiyah in a contest settled by the finer margins.
Squad9 Sep 2030
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Squad9 Sep 2030
Nawaf Al-Aqidi joins up with his country. Hajer lose him for the window and would like him back in one piece.
Market9 Sep 2030
Baggio placed on the listHajer have made Baggio available for transfer. A career at this club is over in all but paperwork.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Boardroom15 Jul 2030
Pressure builds in the Hajer boardroom
The directors have stopped offering the manager public warmth. In football that is usually the stage before the short statement.
Squad15 Jul 2030
“The easiest signature of my career.” Ehsan Shojaei and Hajer agree another 3 years, and the manager can plan around him rather than about him.
Market15 Jul 2030
1 months left and the two sides are nowhere near each other. Every week this drags on takes money off what Hajer could get for him.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Match19 Jan 2030
8 matches without a win for Hajer
The run now stands at 8, and the questions being asked around Hajer are no longer polite ones.
Squad21 Jan 2030
There were 8 saves in it, and at least three that had no business being saves at all. The ten outfield players owe him a drink and they know it.
Market21 Jan 2030
“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.
Squad21 Jan 2030
“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.
Market21 Jan 2030
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Hajer is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
Squad21 Jan 2030
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Match19 Jan 2030
Beaten 0-1, and beaten fairly. The manager kept his words short afterwards, which was probably wise.
Squad21 Jan 2030
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Hajer , and both men came out saying it was fine.
Market21 Jan 2030
4 months left and the two sides are nowhere near each other. Every week this drags on takes money off what Hajer could get for him.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Boardroom7 Jan 2030
The board have said in public what they had been saying in private. Results between now and the next meeting decide it, and everybody in the building knows the arithmetic.
Market7 Jan 2030
“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.
Squad7 Jan 2030
There were 7 saves in it, and at least three that had no business being saves at all. The ten outfield players owe him a drink and they know it.
Match5 Jan 2030
6 matches without a win for Hajer
The run now stands at 6, and the questions being asked around Hajer are no longer polite ones.
Squad7 Jan 2030
“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.
Squad7 Jan 2030
“I never wanted to be anywhere else. There is unfinished business here.” Nawaf Al-Aqidi commits to Hajer for another 4 years.
Match5 Jan 2030
Al-Ahli left with the points after a 0-2 defeat that will take some explaining on the terraces.
Squad7 Jan 2030
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Market7 Jan 2030
Hajer and Franco Caro are talking past each other“There is a gap, and pretending there is not helps nobody.” Neither side has moved, and the calendar is working for exactly one of them.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Squad31 Dec 2029
Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 10 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.
Boardroom31 Dec 2029
The silence upstairs is getting loud at Hajer
Nobody on the board has said anything against the manager, which is the point — they have stopped saying anything for him either.
Match29 Dec 2029
5 matches without a win for Hajer
The run now stands at 5, and the questions being asked around Hajer are no longer polite ones.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Squad10 Dec 2029
“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.
Market10 Dec 2029
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Hajer can pretend not to have heard.
Squad10 Dec 2029
8 goals and a season average of 7.33. Form like that gets noticed well beyond this town.
Jerry Orozco Jerry Orozco says Hajer went back on their word
Squad10 Dec 2029
The manager makes an example of Motiejus Burba
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Squad10 Dec 2029
Ehsan Shojaei lets one through his handsA defender's mistake gets tidied up by somebody else; a goalkeeper's ends up in the net. He knew before the ball crossed the line, and so did everybody in the ground.
Match8 Dec 2029
It finished 2-2, and it somehow always looked like it would. One of those afternoons where the table moves less than the tempers.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Squad19 Nov 2029
Caleb Omondi is the hero from the spotA shoot-out is remembered by its ending, and this one ends with Caleb Omondi : 2 kept out, and a set of supporters who will describe every one of them for the next twenty years.
Match14 Nov 2029
Hajer out of the cupAl-Taawoun ended it 3-3. The season narrows to the league now, and everyone in the ground knew it before the final whistle.
Squad19 Nov 2029
Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 8 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.
Match19 Nov 2029
Hajer sink to position 1213 points, and a fixture list that is running out. The mathematics are not yet cruel, but they are no longer kind.
Market19 Nov 2029
“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.
Market19 Nov 2029
The clubs have agreed terms, and what remains is formality: a medical, a photograph, a signature. Nobody at Hajer is pretending he will be back in the shirt.
Match17 Nov 2029
5 matches without a win for Hajer
The run now stands at 5, and the questions being asked around Hajer are no longer polite ones.
Match17 Nov 2029
Al-Hilal left with the points after a 2-3 defeat that will take some explaining on the terraces.
Squad19 Nov 2029
The manager makes an example of Sultan Al-Anzi
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
From our football correspondent
Crisis
Squad12 Nov 2029
There were 9 saves in it, and at least three that had no business being saves at all. The ten outfield players owe him a drink and they know it.
Squad12 Nov 2029
14 days, the medical staff say, and medical staff are optimists by profession. The team sheet will look wrong without him.
Match10 Nov 2029
Al-Ittihad left with the points after a 0-2 defeat that will take some explaining on the terraces.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Squad29 Oct 2029
The medical room confirms 90 days on the sidelines for Nawaf Al-Aqidi , and a plan built around him now has to be rebuilt.
Squad29 Oct 2029
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Match27 Oct 2029
2-2, and both dressing rooms will call it two points lost. A draw that asked plenty of questions and answered none of them.
From our football correspondent
Upbeat
Squad22 Oct 2029
Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 7 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.
Match20 Oct 2029
Al-Taawoun made Hajer work for it, but the scoreboard read 3-2 at the end and the table does not ask how.
Squad22 Oct 2029
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Squad22 Oct 2029
“It had gone on long enough. I would rather have it out than leave it sitting there.” Ten minutes behind a closed door at Hajer , and both men came out saying it was fine.
Market22 Oct 2029
Another week, another link, another denial nobody quite believes. Hajer know the market decides these things, not the back pages — but the back pages are louder.
Squad22 Oct 2029
Wadhah Zaidi has company in his positionThe competition arrived without a word said to him about it. Wadhah Zaidi keeps the shirt for now, at Hajer 's convenience rather than his own.
From our football correspondent
Upbeat
Squad15 Oct 2029
Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 8 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.
Squad15 Oct 2029
“I was told what my role would be, and I signed on that basis. It has not happened.” A grievance with a date attached is the hardest kind to settle.
Squad15 Oct 2029
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Match13 Oct 2029
A 1-0 win over Al-Fateh , earned rather than given, and the sort of afternoon that sends everyone home talking about next week instead of this one.
The terraces15 Oct 2029
Every touch is being weighed now, in print and everywhere else. Some players grow into that and some are quietly ruined by it, and nobody knows which in advance.
Market15 Oct 2029
The name of Nawaf Al-Aqidi keeps appearing in other people's back pages. Hajer say nothing, which says plenty.
From our football correspondent
Uneasy
Squad10 Sep 2029
Some afternoons a goalkeeper is the team. 13 saves, several of them the sort nobody expects to see stopped, and a scoreline that flatters everybody in front of him.
Match8 Sep 2029
5 matches without a win for Hajer
The run now stands at 5, and the questions being asked around Hajer are no longer polite ones.
Squad10 Sep 2029
“If you cannot run for the shirt, somebody else will wear it.” No name was used and none was needed; every player in that room knew who it was for.
Match8 Sep 2029
2-2, and both dressing rooms will call it two points lost. A draw that asked plenty of questions and answered none of them.
Squad10 Sep 2029
A window away with the national side, and a shirt at Hajer that briefly doubles as an advertisement. A call-up flatters the player and the club that built him in the same breath.
Market10 Sep 2029
A season-long audition: Al-Hilal still own him, but the shirt and the minutes are Hajer 's to give. A loan is a bet both clubs believe they are winning.
From our football correspondent
Upbeat
Boardroom6 Aug 2029
The board have said in public what they had been saying in private. Results between now and the next meeting decide it, and everybody in the building knows the arithmetic.
Market6 Aug 2029
“I have nothing bad to say about this place. I just need to be somewhere else.” It is in writing now, which changes what Hajer can pretend not to have heard.
Market6 Aug 2029
Terms are settled between the clubs and the rest is paperwork and a photograph. Around Hajer they have already started talking about him in the past tense.
Squad6 Aug 2029
“I never wanted to be anywhere else. There is unfinished business here.” Juan Pablo Abarzúa commits to Hajer for another 2 years.
Squad6 Aug 2029
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Boardroom6 Aug 2029
Hajer pull $2.1M back off the tableThe money that was there in the summer is not there now. Nobody upstairs calls this a change of ambition, and everybody downstairs reads it as one.
Market6 Aug 2029
“There is a gap, and pretending there is not helps nobody.” Neither side has moved, and the calendar is working for exactly one of them.
Squad6 Aug 2029
A new face in his position, and Faisal Al-Ghamdi suddenly has to win back what he thought he owned. Hajer have promised nothing — clubs rarely do at this stage.
Market6 Aug 2029
The best deals are the ones the accountants never notice. Tohir Qudratov arrives at Hajer with his wages the only cost and something to prove the only clause.
From our football correspondent
Upbeat
Boardroom25 Jun 2029
Pressure builds in the Hajer boardroom
The directors have stopped offering the manager public warmth. In football that is usually the stage before the short statement.
Market25 Jun 2029
“I have given everything here and I need a new challenge.” The request is formal, and the relationship will never be quite the same again.
Market25 Jun 2029
Ohod are about to pick up the phoneA conversation is coming this week. Hajer will put a number on him, and from there it stops being football and becomes arithmetic.
Squad25 Jun 2029
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Squad25 Jun 2029
Jerry Orozco asks for a word with the manager“I would rather say it to his face than read about it.” The meeting was requested by the player, which tells you most of what you need to know.
Market25 Jun 2029
3 months remain and no agreement is close. Every week without a signature costs Hajer money.
From our football correspondent
Upbeat
Squad23 Apr 2029
The medical room confirms 65 days on the sidelines for Iván Benítez , and a plan built around him now has to be rebuilt.
Squad23 Apr 2029
“Nobody here is above being told.” It was not said with a name attached, but the dressing room can count, and so can everybody who was listening.
Market23 Apr 2029
1 months remain and no agreement is close. Every week without a signature costs Hajer money.