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Fan Whips Player After Soccer Game in Saudi Arabia

Dan Gartland

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A player for Saudi soccer club Al-Ittihad was whipped by a spectator after his team lost the Saudi Super Cup final in Abu Dhabi on Thursday.

Video posted to social media shows Abderrazak Hamdallah, a 33-year-old Moroccan striker, walking toward the stands after the conclusion of the match and throwing water on a man who was yelling at him. The man in the stands then proceeds to strike Hamdallah with a whip before bystanders rush in to separate the two.

The club has not commented on the incident.

Al-Ittihad lost the game to league leader Al-Hilal, 4–1. Hamdallah scored his team’s only goal of the match before Al-Hilal scored three unanswered goals to win it. Hamdallah has played in Saudi Arabia since 2018, having previously played in Qatar, China, Norway and his native Morocco. He led Al-Ittihad with 25 goals last season as the club won its first championship since 2009. The club added several high-profile transfers before this season, including Karim Benzema, N'Golo Kanté and Fabinho. The club is currently fourth in the Saudi Pro League table.

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Dan Gartland
DAN GARTLAND

Dan Gartland is the writer and editor of Sports Illustrated’s flagship daily newsletter, SI:AM, covering everything an educated sports fan needs to know. He joined the SI staff in 2014, having previously been published on Deadspin and Slate. Gartland, a graduate of Fordham University, is a former Sports Jeopardy! champion (Season 1, Episode 5).

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