Al-Ettifaq’s first team football team crushed Spanish side Costa City 8-0 in their first friendly match of their ongoing preseason camp in Spain, preparing for the new sports season. The match marked the debut of Australian coach Arthur Papas, who used the game to assess players’ abilities, gauge their technical and physical readiness, and evaluate their grasp of the approach he aims to implement in the upcoming phase. Papas gave opportunities to many players over both halves, relying on rotation to raise fitness levels, increase cohesion, and evaluate available options before entering the final stage of preparations. Goals for Al-Ettifaq were scored by Mukhtar Ali, Portuguese Joao Costa, French Moussa Dembele (two goals), Radi Al-Otaibi (two goals), Abdullah Al-Bishi, and Ziyad Al-Ghamdi. The eastern team continues its preparatory program in Spain, which includes technical and fitness training, along with several friendly matches, ahead of the start of the new season's competitions.