Al-Ittihad's Portuguese coach, Sergio Conceição, expressed his immense satisfaction with his team's valuable victory over Neom in their match on Wednesday evening, part of the twelfth round of the Saudi Professional League. The coach's comments came during the post-match press conference, where he highlighted the technical and physical factors that secured the win for Al-Ittihad.
Technical analysis of the tough match
Conceição emphasized that the match was far from easy for Al-Ittihad, praising the level of performance displayed by NEOM. The Portuguese coach explained that the difficulty of the encounter lay in the high quality of the opponent, both in terms of their coaching staff and their outstanding players on the pitch. He pointed out that mental and physical preparation was the key to victory, saying, “We prepared the players for the match exceptionally well, both physically and tactically, and this made the real difference during the game, enabling us to control the flow of play at crucial moments.”.
Al-Ittihad fans... a force to be reckoned with in Tabuk
In a gesture of appreciation, Conceição dedicated part of his remarks to praising the Al-Ittihad fans who traveled to Tabuk to support the team. The coach emphasized that his gratitude to the fans was not merely a courtesy for the victory, but a recognition of their significant role, adding, "They cheered in a unique and passionate way, even though we were playing away from home. They deserve all our thanks and appreciation." This statement reflects the close relationship between the Al-Ittihad fans and their team. The Al-Ittihad supporters are known as one of the most influential fan bases in Saudi and Arab stadiums, and their presence is often a decisive factor in tipping the scales in the team's favor, especially in away matches.
The importance of winning the league race
This 3-1 victory strengthens Al-Ittihad's position in the Roshan League standings, amidst the fierce competition this season. These three points are doubly important as they were secured against an ambitious team like NEOM, one of the Kingdom's most promising sports projects. This win confirms Al-Ittihad's readiness to compete for titles, benefiting from the technical and tactical stability that coach Conceição has been working to establish since taking over. There are high expectations from the sporting community for the team's strong return to the podium.
