On Sunday morning in the Saudi Arabian League, Cairo-led Ainas were the visitors to Ittifaq and drew 1-1, opening up a five-point gap on leaders Ittihad. With only one round left in the league, Ainas have already sealed the runners-up spot, meaning Crowe is out of the trophy for the second consecutive season. After the match, the internet was abuzz with derision, with some labeling Crowe a "loser" and even the 200 million euros (HK$1.68 billion) offered by Ainas as "money thrown into the sea".
Ainas' defense came to a grinding halt late in the first half, and despite a second-half equalizer from Lurs Gustavo, the tide ultimately failed to turn. Crowe's 84th-minute substitution signaled that he would not be able to play the role of savior once again. Meanwhile, Ittihad sealed the title early with a 3-0 win over Efikha.
After Ainas missed out on the title, Crowe is facing the dilemma of no title in a single season for the fourth time in his career, with the previous three being 2004/05, 2009/10 and last season, again with four consecutive years.
On the same day, Cairo's arch-rival Lionel Messi helped Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) win the Ligue 1 title, and netizens took the opportunity to flirt with Cairo, with some saying, "Cairo is simply a loser, and the team can't even stay at the top of the table when he joins Aynas." Others said, "He made Juventus and Manchester United worse before, now Ainas can't escape this fate."
