Soccer-'Au revoir Bafe': Asian champions Al Hilal bid farewell to Gomis

FILE PHOTO: Soccer Football - Club World Cup - Third-Place Play-off - Monterrey v Al-Hilal - Khalifa International Stadium, Doha, Qatar - December 21, 2019 Al Hilal's Bafetimbi Gomis REUTERS/Corinna Kern

(Reuters) - Saudi Arabia's Al Hilal have announced the departure of former France international Bafetimbi Gomis, the star striker who led them to two Asian Champions League titles in three years.

Gomis, who joined from Galatasaray in 2018, helped the Riyadh-based side win the AFC Champions League in 2019 and again last year, making Al Hilal Asia's most successful club with four continental titles.

"Au revoir Bafe," Al Hilal said in a post on Twitter on Tuesday. "Thank you for everything we achieved together."

The former Swansea City and Lyon striker was the Asian Champions League's leading scorer with 11 goals in 14 games when Al Hilal ended a 19-year title drought in 2019 with victory over Japan's Urawa Reds in the final.

He was instrumental again in the club claiming the trophy last year, scoring six times as the Leonardo Jardim-coached club went on to defeat South Korea's Pohang Steelers in the decider in Riyadh.

Gomis was also part of the Al Hilal side that won back-to-back Saudi Professional League titles in 2020 and 2021.

The 36-year-old has been linked with a move to Qatari club Al Rayyan as well as with a return to Galatasaray.

(Reporting by Michael Church in Hong Kong; Editing by Peter Graff)

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