Tue, 30 Nov, -0001
How they qualified: Runners-up - Saudi League 2011
Established 1929
Nickname The Tigers
Home stadium Prince Abdullah Al Faisal Stadium (21,482)
Website www.alittihad.com.sa
Club Honours
AFC Champions League winners 2 - 2004, 05
Asian Cup Winners' Cup winners 1 - 1999
Saudi league champions 8 - 1982, 97, 99, 2000, 01, 03, 07, 09
Crown Prince Cup winners 7 - 1958, 59, 63, 91, 97, 2001, 04
King Cup of Champions 1 - 2010
Previous ACL appearances
2004 - Champions
2005 - Champions
2006 - Quarter-finals
2008 - Group stage
2009 - Runners-up
2010 - Group stage
2011 - Semi-finals
The only club to win the AFC Champions League twice - with back-to-back titles in 2004 and 2005, Al Ittihad made another strong run at the title last year.
They disposed of Saudi league rivals Al Hilal with a 3-1 win in the round of 16 and then eliminated Korean champions FC Seoul in the quarter-finals to reach the last four. However, their hopes of becoming Asian champions for a third time were ended in the semi-finals when they were beaten 5-3 on aggregate by Korea's Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors.
But while the club could look back with some pride on another good performance in the competition, the reality is that the clash against Jeonbuk showed clear signs that the team that has enjoyed so much glory over the past decade are on the wane.
That has been underlined by Al Ittihad's performances in the Saudi League over the past two seasons. While they were runners-up in the league last year, they ended up a massive 13 points behind champions Al Hilal.
And things have only gotten worse this year with the club sliding into mid-table and set to finish outside the top-four for the first time in 14 years after a dreadful run of results that followed the departure of long-time captain Mohammed Noor to Qatari side Al Jaish in December.
Expectations
Mired in mid-table and likely to finish the season empty-handed, Al Ittihad do not have the look of legitimate contenders for the AFC Champions League. But with the continental competition offering a path of redemption and glory for the beleaguered side after a difficult season, they could yet turn on the style that has brought them so much success in previous editions of the tournament. At the very least, they should be able to progress from a group that is lacking in strong opponents.
Coach
Raul Caneda
Little-known Spanish coach Raul Caneda took charge of Al Ittihad in February after Slovenian coach Matjaz Kek was dismissed following a dreadful run of results for the Jeddah side. The 43-year-old has served previously as an assistant coach with Mexican side Dorados de Sinaloa and Spanish clubs Real Sociedad and UC Almeria and has no record as a head coach.
Did you know?
Al Ittihad were the first team to go through an AFC Champions League campaign unbeaten when they won the title in 2006 with four wins and two draws. Having won the tournament a year earlier, they were given direct entry into the quarter-finals as defending champions but proved their class by plundering a total of 20 goals in only six games.
Key Player
Naif Hazazi
A product of the Al Ittihad academy, striker Naif Hazazi is considered one of the best young strikers in the Middle East and has played for the Saudi national team since the age of 19. Strong in the air, the 23-year-old is a proven goalscorer who netted twice against Jeonbuk Motors in the first leg of the AFC Champions League semi-finals last year. However, his performance against the Korean club was blighted by the red card that he received for retaliation early on in the second leg of the tie.