The Damac FC first team successfully returned to winning ways, bringing an end to a difficult 72-day period of negative results. This strong comeback came after a valuable and well-deserved 2-1 victory against their hosts, Al-Taawoun, in a fiery encounter at King Abdullah Sport City Stadium in Buraidah, as part of the Saudi Professional League.

A perfect start for Brazilian Fabio Carille

The match marked the debut of veteran Brazilian coach Fabio Carille at the helm of Damac FC. Carille, an expert on Saudi football, proved his ability to make an immediate impact, reorganizing the team's tactics and instilling a fighting spirit in the players, securing a perfect record in his first test. This victory reinforces the confidence in the management's decision to appoint him to salvage the team's season and get back on track after a series of setbacks.

Details of the suffering before returning

Damac's path to this victory was far from easy; it came after a difficult period and a long series of setbacks that placed the team under immense psychological and fan pressure. Prior to this match, the "Knights of the South" had gone nine consecutive league games without a win, managing only three draws and suffering six defeats, leading to a worrying decline in the team's standings and sparking concern among its supporters.

The end of the Evangelista era and a course correction

Damac FC's last victory came on December 30, 2025, when they defeated Al-Akhdoud 1-0 under the guidance of former Portuguese coach Armando Evangelista. However, things took a turn for the worse after that, as the Portuguese coach failed to maintain the team's stability and couldn't secure a win in recent matches. This prompted the club's management to dismiss him in search of a positive turnaround, which proved successful with the arrival of Carille.

The importance and impact of winning

This victory is doubly important as it came away from home against a tough opponent like Al-Taawoun, who are considered one of the strongest teams on their home ground and in front of their fans. This win represents a pivotal turning point for Damac, giving the players a tremendous morale boost to continue their league campaign with renewed vigor and moving the team a significant step away from the relegation zone. It also confirms that the coaching change was a pressing necessity to restore the team's prestige and identity on the pitch.

From the heart of the historic Diriyah desert to the modern shores of Jeddah, Saudi Arabia has written a new chapter in the world of motorsports. Hosting Formula E was more than just a fleeting sporting event; it was a living embodiment of the harmony between rich heritage and cutting-edge technology, and a platform from which the Kingdom's ambitions to become a leading global destination for sustainable sports were launched.

The historical beginning in Diriyah

The excitement began in 2018 when Diriyah opened its doors to host the inaugural round, marking the first time electric car racing has been held in the Middle East. This event further solidified the Kingdom's position as a global sporting hub that champions clean energy. In that historic moment, Portuguese António Félix da Costa of the BMW e Andretti team ascended the podium, becoming the first Formula E champion to win the title on Saudi Arabian soil.

In 2019, the circuit turned into a stage for a fierce double competition; the first round saw the crowning of Briton Sam Bird, driver of "Envision Racing", while the "BMW e Andretti" team redeemed itself in the second round with the victory of its British driver Alexander Sims , which confirmed the intensity of the competition and the closeness of the levels.

The return of the lights and night races

After a forced hiatus in 2020 due to the global COVID-19 pandemic, the championship returned in 2021 with a more dazzling look, featuring the first-ever all-night race in its history, utilizing sustainable lighting technology. Dutchman Nyck de Vries, driving a Mercedes EQ, stole the show by winning the first round, while veteran Sam Bird (this time with Jaguar Racing) returned to claim victory in the second round.

The rivalry continued in 2022, with Nyck de Vries his brilliance by taking first place in the opening round, while Swiss driver Edoardo Mortara of "Rocket Venturi" snatched the title of the second round, amidst a high tactical struggle between the drivers.

The dominance and final farewell to Diriyah

2023 was an exceptional year by all accounts, as German driver Pascal Wehrlein , driving a TAG Heuer Porsche, dominated the event, winning both rounds and becoming the first driver to achieve this feat in Saudi Arabia. The year 2024 saw the conclusion of the sixth edition of the Diriyah Racing Series, with Briton Jake Dennis (Andretti) winning the first round and New Zealander Nick Cassidy (Jaguar TCS) winning the second.

A new era on Jeddah's Corniche

As 2025 dawned, the excitement shifted to Jeddah, the Bride of the Red Sea, ushering in a new era at the high-speed Jeddah Corniche Circuit. The anticipation reached its peak when German driver Maximilian Günther (DS Penske) won the first race (the third round of the season), while British Oliver Rowland (Nissan) secured the lead in the fourth round.

This significant leap forward comes as part of the Kingdom's Vision 2030, which aims to enhance quality of life and support sports tourism, with a focus on the environmental sustainability embodied by Formula E cars. Now, fans eagerly await the 2026 competition, the twelfth edition of the championship, anticipating the emergence of new champions who will etch their names in the annals of history on the Red Sea coast.

There is concern within the corridors of Real Madrid, after the absence of star French striker Kylian Mbappe from the team's group training for the second day in a row, on Thursday, which raises big questions about the possibility of his participation in the upcoming match against Real Sociedad next Saturday in the Spanish Football League.

Sources within Real Madrid confirmed to AFP that the team's top scorer was unable to join his teammates and only performed "individual work indoors" on Wednesday and Thursday, without providing precise medical details about the severity of the injury. However, the coaching staff, led by Carlo Ancelotti, is waiting for the final training session on Friday to determine the player's final status.

Concerns about recurring injuries and the impact of absences

Spanish press reports indicate that Mbappe is suffering from persistent pain in his left knee, the same knee in which he suffered a sprain in late 2015. The French national team captain had pushed himself and rushed his return to the field to support his team in important matches, which may have caused the current pain to recur.

Real Madrid's concern is not limited to the absence of Mbappe alone, but the team is facing a real crisis in its ranks, as the potential absence of the player who scored 38 goals in 31 matches in various competitions will join a long list of injured players that includes key pillars such as the English star Jude Bellingham, and the Brazilians Rodrygo and Eder Militao, which puts the coach in a tactical predicament before facing a tough opponent like Real Sociedad.

The heated battle for the top spot with Barcelona

The upcoming match is of paramount importance in the La Liga title race this season, with Real Madrid currently in second place with 57 points, just one point behind their arch-rivals Barcelona, ​​who lead the table with 58 points. Los Blancos will be hoping for a victory on Saturday to temporarily claim the top spot and put pressure on the Catalan giants, but their task will be far from easy against Real Sociedad, who sit in eighth place and are looking to climb the standings.

The absence of a player of Mbappe's stature and influence is a major blow to Real Madrid's attacking power, especially given his record-breaking achievements as the top scorer in La Liga and the Champions League, making it extremely difficult to replace him in such crucial matches that require individual and collective solutions to unlock the opponents' defenses.