Koulibaly aware RSL rivals gunning for Al Hilal

Al Hilal begin their Roshn Saudi League title defence tonight at new boys Al Kholood, with the champions bidding for another season of sustained success.

Jorge Jesus’ men were record-breakers in 2023-24, going unbeaten through the whole RSL campaign and setting new marks for points (96), win rate (91 percent), goals-per-match average (2.97), consecutive victories (24), longest home winning streak (16), and the longest consecutive scoring streak (36 matches).

Also, their 14-point title-winning margin represented the widest in RSL history, too.

So, with that in mind, just how do they go about having an even better campaign?

We sat down with defender Kalidou Koulibaly to chat about improving – somehow – on last season, the objectives for 2024-25, how to handle both fans’ expectation and having that target on their back in this season’s RSL, and Neymar’s long-awaited return.

How are you approaching this season after last year’s title?

“We approach it with a lot of apprehension; this season is going to be very difficult. We know that last year Al Hilal was the team to beat. It was a very challenging championship in which we managed to remain unbeaten.

“I think that this year, all the teams will be determined to beat Al Hilal. But we have prepared well; we know that this championship will be very tough. All the teams have strengthened themselves, and they will be motivated to perform well against us.

“However, we want to make our supporters, our families, our friends, and especially the people of the club happy. We know that Al Hilal will be expected to perform well on all fronts, but we will be ready to win new titles.”

What message did the manager convey during the final pre-season training camp?

“The coach's message has been the same as what I mentioned earlier: it's going to be a very challenging championship. We need to be even more focused, as we will be under even greater scrutiny.

“The teams now know us; they studied us throughout last season. I think they will come with more confidence this year. But we also have our strengths, and we will try to have a great championship. We know that to win a championship, we need to be strong defensively, so we will focus on solid defence, knowing that we can score at any moment with the stars we have.

“The coach is very satisfied with the preparation we've had; he knows it will be a tough championship, with teams wanting to beat Al Hilal. But we want to retain our title and also prepare well for [next summer’s expanded FIFA] Club World Cup at the end of this championship.”

Will your defensive partnership with Ali Bulayhi continue to be a challenge for all strikers?

“We know that we will also be under scrutiny. We had a good season last year; we didn’t concede many goals [23 in the RSL, a league best], but I believe we could have done even better. There is always room for improvement in football, which is what makes it beautiful; we’re never perfect, and we know we can do better.

“So, I hope that this year we will concede fewer goals than last year. We will try to be even more solid with Yassine [Bono] in goal and [Mohammed] Al Owais as our second goalkeeper. We know that all the defenders are working for the team, working for the collective.

“We are determined to be the best defence in the league and one of the best in Asia, and even in the world. Now we have to prove it on the global stage with the [2025 FIFA] Club World Cup. This starts with a good season. We know that we are capable of achieving great things in Asia, so we will first aim to be the best defence in this league, and then we’ll see on a global level.

“It’s going to be very exciting. I can’t wait to start the season and show everyone that we are one of the best defences in the world.”

How excited are you about Neymar’s return from injury, which we all hope will be very soon?

“Neymar’s return is highly anticipated, especially by us, the players. We’re excited to play with him and eager for him to showcase his talent on the global stage. We’ll need to build his confidence and create the best conditions for him to express his football.

“We know it will be challenging because every player wants to face Neymar. There will often be plans against him because he’s a magician, and with the ball at his feet, he can produce moments of magic at any time. We’ll put him in the best possible conditions; we know he needs a bit more time to recover from his injury.

“But people will see a great Neymar. I hope everyone will be thrilled to see him on the field. We can see his motivation in training; he has been training alone for over two months, but his drive remains strong. When we see him train, it’s clear he wants to deliver great performances on the field.

“He knows there’s also the [2025 FIFA] Club World Cup, and he understands the expectations. Al Hilal will be “Neymar’s team”. We will do everything to ensure he’s in the best conditions and can express his football and help us win trophies.”