Strangers in a Foreign Land: Nikolai Pisarev Reflects on His Brief Stint in Saudi Arabia

The head coach of the Russian national team, **[Nikolai Pisarev](https://www.championat.com/tags/4518-nikolaj-pisarev/)**, reflected on his brief stint at the Saudi Arabian club Al-Ittihad in 1999.

**“You also had a stint in Saudi Arabia.”**
**“You know everything. That was towards the end of my career, in 1999 — I was invited to Al-Ittihad. However, I didn’t even get the chance to play for the club because I left after three months. It was really difficult for me there.”**

**“Why?”**
**“Due to Sharia Law, there was no tourism at that time. It was not the Saudi Arabia of today. I flew with a layover in London and arrived in Jeddah. They took me to a hotel where I was the only European, surrounded by weary American pilots and women in burqas. The only other foreign player on our team was Donadoni. I struggled a lot to adapt to the local laws. During training sessions, there would be prayers, and you just had to stand there and wait for the local players to finish. My contract was for three months, which was odd as well. The league was unfamiliar to me, with matches scheduled only after sunset.”**

**“What led you there?”**
**“Brankini, Shalimov’s agent, offered me the opportunity, and the pay was good. After a couple of months, I realized that this league wasn’t suitable for me,”** Pisarev shared in an exclusive interview with **Championat** reporters Grigory Telingater and Andrey Pankov.