Brazilian attacker and former Liverpool star Roberto Firmino scored a hat-trick in his Saudi Pro League debut on Friday, as Al- Ahli defeated Al-Hazem 3-1.
The 31-year-old captain scored in the sixth, tenth, and 72nd minutes for the promoted club, which also included new arrivals Riyad Mahrez, Allain Saint Maximin, Frank Kessie, and goalkeeper Edouard Mendy.
Firmino left Liverpool in the summer after eight seasons at the club, during which he scored 111 goals in 362 games and won the Premier League, Champions League, and Club World Cup.
Al-Ahli, Al-Hilal, and defending champions Al-Ittihad are all considered title contenders.
The Saudi Pro League, backed by the nation’s sovereign wealth fund, has enticed famous stars from the main European leagues with the prospect of massive salaries.
Since Cristiano Ronaldo’s January relocation to Al-Nassr, Karim Benzema and N’Golo Kante have all moved to the Gulf state.
Former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has also taken up as coach at Al-Ettifaq.
