André Carrillo: Is it a good decision to leave Al Hilal for an Arab club that plays in the Second Division?

1. What is known about André Carrillo’s new club?

Al Qadsiah or Al-Qadisiyah or ادي القادسي -in Arabic- and is one of the most powerful clubs in the Dammam region, the third largest in Arabia. He wears a maroon colored shirt with a golden yellow stripe that goes down from the neck to the waist. His coach is called Robbie Fowler and he already has a former Al Hilal, the Argentine 10 Luciano Vietto. Up to three sources consulted for this article agree that it is a “multi-million dollar project”, sponsored by the oil company Aramco, which follows the line of what happened, according to the newspaper El Mundo of Spain, after the signing of Cristiano by the Al Nassr: A powerful league converted almost entirely to clubs, joint stock companies. In fact, it is predicted that by 2030, the Arab League will cost some 4 billion dollars.

The particularity of this team, Al Qadisiyah, is that it already had a Peruvian, Juanchi Cominges, in 2009. André Carrillo arrives after a quick negotiation and for an unofficial amount of 6 million dollars a year. Impossible to say no.

The Second Division of Saudi Arabia has not started yet. Last season, he finished 11th, far from promotion, and in 2021-22 he was seventh. For the upcoming campaign bet big.

2. What did the soccer player prioritize to make the decision?

The only thing that should not be negotiable: the tranquility of your family. André Carrillo is the father of the twins Samira and Cedric, he is happily married to the Spanish model and TV host Suhaila Jad and has a very close relationship with his parents. He has found in Saudi Arabia a lifestyle incomparable with any other country, an environment that has allowed him to play comfortably after 30 and, most importantly, economic security: from 2017 to today, he must be the Peruvian player with the most face in each transfer -about 7 million euros average, according to Transfermarkt-. It is not in his plans to return to Peru, not even to South America and that, although a reason for criticism for a demanding handful of detractors, is a decision.

3. Is it good news for the Peruvian team?

It’s good news that he plays. May you always have a club. Thinking of Peru’s debut in the Qualifiers, the situation is critical: Christian Cueva is overweight, Gianluca Lapadula is in a cast, Raúl Ruidíaz has just returned to MLS and Paolo Guerrero is 39 years old. Only Edison Flores, today in the ‘U’ seems with enough continuity to be in the attack against Paraguay on September 7. In the last season in Al-Hilal, despite playing 30 times for the League, he had his lowest goalscoring record: only one goal. You need to play, regain confidence and, above all, feel comfortable. Today he was no longer.

4. Have you been a more or less influential footballer for the Blanquirroja since you left for Saudi Arabia?

Serve this data as an argument in his defense: since he arrived in the Arab League -so questioned by Ricardo Gareca- he has scored 9 goals. Before that, he had only scored 2. The response of a questioned footballer is always his influence on the result, not fashion or coiffure. In the national team he added 7 assists in the Qualifiers against Russia, four of the most important goals in the process came from his feet -Venezuela, Paraguay, Uruguay and Bolivia- and in the World Cup, each dangerous option went through his sprint . Is he influential? No, it is decisive. Without Paolo or Jefferson, the team’s offensive flag is called André Carrillo.

5. Is it true that he is the winningest Peruvian at the club level, after Pizarro?

Absolutely. If this Saturday (1 pm) they defeat Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al Nassr, they will have added their tenth title in the Arabian League. Pizarro is 21. That exaggerated comparison exempts me from further details.

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