Croatian coach Slaven Bilic, manager of Al-Fateh FC, expressed his strong dissatisfaction with the refereeing performance during his team's match against Al-Ettifaq, which ended in a 2-0 defeat for Al-Fateh. The match took place at Prince Mohammed bin Fahd Stadium in Dammam, as part of the 23rd round of the Saudi Professional League.
In the post-match press conference, Bilic strongly criticized what he considered deliberate time-wasting by Al-Ettifaq players, blaming the refereeing team for failing to deal firmly with the issue. He stated, “We completely controlled the second half, but we faced a team that deliberately wasted time, and the referee didn’t protect the game.” He added that the added time was completely insufficient to compensate for the wasted minutes, which directly impacted his team’s attempts to get back into the game.
Background of the match and its importance in the league standings
Both teams entered the match looking to improve their positions in the Roshan League standings. Al-Ettifaq, led by English coach Steven Gerrard, aimed for a victory that would solidify their position in the mid-table and bring them closer to the top spots. Meanwhile, Al-Fateh hoped for a positive result to continue their pursuit of a top position that would qualify them for continental competitions. The match carried a special competitive edge as it pitted two teams from the Eastern Province against each other, adding further excitement to the encounter.
The impact of the result and the ongoing refereeing controversy
With this loss, Al-Fateh's points tally remains at 31, while Al-Ettifaq's rises to 34, strengthening their position in the standings. Bilic's comments have reignited the debate surrounding the standard of refereeing in the Saudi League this season, a topic that has drawn repeated criticism from several coaches and players. With increased investment and the influx of international stars, refereeing errors have come under even greater scrutiny from the media and fans, as a single decision can alter the course of an entire match and impact the future of teams in the fierce competition for the title and top positions. These statements are expected to spark a wider discussion within sporting circles about the necessity of developing the refereeing system to keep pace with the significant advancements in the Saudi League.
