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PSG reunion looms as Marco Verratti signs for new club

Marco Verratti has joined Al-Duhail SC in a move that brings him closer to familiar ground in an unfamiliar setting.

The Italian midfielder arrives just over two years after leaving PSG, having spent his last two seasons at Qatari rivals Al-Arabi following a €45m [$53m] transfer in 2023.

The deal was officially confirmed Monday (July 7) after news first surfaced on June 12.

Al-Duhail finished second in the Qatar Stars League last season and are now being rebuilt under Djamel Belmadi.

The new head coach was once a PSG academy product and played a single senior match for the club in 1996.

Verratti becomes part of a squad that has recently welcomed several players from Europe as the club sets its sights on winning the domestic title.

The Italian played 40 matches at Al Arabi, finishing with four goals and 12 assists and while his individual numbers were solid, the team underperformed and ended the season in ninth place.

They also failed to get past the group stage in the Gulf Club Champions League and while in contrast, Al-Duhail came within two points of champions Al-Sadd and are now pushing for their first league title since 2023.

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Verratti first joined PSG in 2012 as a teenager from Serie B club Pescara.

Over eleven seasons in Paris, he became one of the club’s most dependable players, where he made 416 appearances and won a total of 30 trophies, including nine Ligue 1 titles.

During his time in France, he played under several managers, including Christophe Galtier, who briefly coached Al-Duhail last season before leaving for NEOM SC in Saudi Arabia.

The length of Verratti’s contract at Al-Duhail has not been announced, but many believe this could be his final stop before returning to Pescara, the club where his professional journey began.

 

Sabaly joins Al-Duhail as familiar PSG ties return in Qatar

Verratti will not be the only former PSG player in the Al-Duhail squad this season.

Right-back Youssouf Sabaly has also signed for the club after a steady four-year spell with Real Betis in Spain.

The 32-year-old came through PSG’s youth system but never played a senior game for the French giants.

He later built his career across Ligue 1 with stints at Evian, Nantes and Bordeaux before moving to La Liga.

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