Former Liverpool star Fabinho was presented with a Rolex following his impressive debut for Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad. The 29-year-old completed a $49 million move from the Reds this season. He didn’t take much time.
A video recently circulated all over the internet where Fabinho was seen receiving an expensive watch from one of his fans and journalist Ibrahim Al Faryan as a token of appreciation for his performance in his debut game. The Brazilian midfielder had quite a good performance in his debut match against Al-Raed, which they won 3-0. Following the match.
While leaving the stadium after the match, he was stopped by Al Faryan, who gifted him a Rolex. However, the former Liverpool star was seen dropping the watch at first while he was putting it on. But he was then seen to immediately pick it up and indicate to the fan that no serious damage had been done. The watch was reportedly pretty expensive, although the exact model or price was not disclosed by any of the parties.
Fabinho was gifted a Rolex by a fan because he played well… A FAN.
Na we can’t compete with Saudi 😂😂 pic.twitter.com/VgDWduDeEB
— The Kop Watch (@TheKopWatch) August 14, 2023
Fabinho’s move to Al Ittihad was one of the shock transfers of this summer, as not many expected the 29-year-old to leave Anfield, especially after Liverpool already lost one of his key midfielders, Jordon Henderson, earlier in the transfer window. The English midfielder agreed to join Steven Gerrard’s side, Al Ettifaq.
Fabinho has already played 11 matches for his new club and has assisted once while clocking 1,006 minutes on the field. Manager Nuno Espirito Santo will hope to get the most out of the defensive midfielder at Al Ittihad, as the player has proven his qualities of being a top star on many occasions under Jurgen Klopp during his time at Anfield.
Fabinho talks about his debut at Al Ittihad as his team thrashed rivals Al-Raed to a 3-0 victory
Brazilian midfielder Fabinho talked about his debut for the Saudi outfit Al-Ittihad in their match against rivals Al-Raed. The former Liverpool star had quite a decent performance and was appreciated by the fans following the match.
In an interview after the match, Fabinho opened up about his thoughts on his first performance for the club. He said, “While we didn’t create numerous chances, we were clearly dominant in the second half, scoring three goals. We could have scored more, but what mattered most was our control and rhythm throughout the match. We capitalized on Al-Raed’s defensive disorganization, positioned ourselves effectively, and witnessed a stronger overall performance”.
The 29-year-old star then added, “This marks my first match with the team, and there’s much more to come. Having played five years at Liverpool, I was among the top players in my position. Yet, there’s room for improvement. I’m still a young player, and I aspire to develop further and contribute significantly to the team’s success”.
Fabinho’s Al Ittihad has had a decent start to the league so far. They are currently in the fourth position in the Saudi Premier League table with 19 points from nine games. The team has won six matches, drawn one, and lost two games. The club hierarchy would hope that new summer signings like Fabinho would give their all and work extremely hard if they were looking for trophies this season.