The English manager of Al-Kholoud team, Des Buckingham, expressed his extreme dissatisfaction with the refereeing decisions witnessed in his team’s match against Al-Ahli Club, which ended with Al-Kholoud losing by one goal to nil, in the match that brought them together on Saturday evening as part of the competitions of the sixteenth round of the Saudi Professional League.
The post-match press conference featured fiery remarks from the English manager, who launched a scathing attack on the refereeing team, questioning the effectiveness of modern technology if it doesn't contribute to achieving fairness. Buckingham said: "I don't usually like to comment on refereeing performances, and I understand that referees are human and can make mistakes sometimes, but with VAR, assistant referees, and the possibility of replaying the footage multiple times from different angles, why do mistakes still happen?".
The Al-Kholoud coach continued his speech in an angry tone, questioning what the video assistant referee saw to make the decision to cancel the goal scored by his team, which could have changed the course of the match and the result of the encounter, pointing out that such decisions directly affect the team’s efforts and the hard work that the players put in throughout the week.
These statements come amidst the fiercely competitive Saudi Professional League this season, where newly promoted clubs and those struggling in the middle of the table, such as Al-Kholoud, are striving to snatch any possible points, especially when facing top clubs like the star-studded Al-Ahli. Matches against Al-Ahli are always a major challenge due to the difference in skill, making any controversial refereeing decision a subject of intense media scrutiny.
On the other hand, Buckingham was keen to raise the morale of his players despite the loss, as he stressed his great confidence in his player Romero, describing him as a good and important player for the group, considering that his lack of success in this match does not diminish his technical value, and that the team needs everyone to join forces in the upcoming rounds.
This loss casts a shadow over Al-Kholoud's position in the standings, leaving them stuck on 12 points in 13th place. This precarious position puts the team in danger of relegation, requiring a significant effort in the upcoming rounds to distance themselves from the drop zone and secure their place in the top flight. The Saudi league is witnessing considerable development and increasingly close competition between mid-table and bottom-ranked teams, making any dropped points extremely costly as the second half of the season approaches.
