Portuguese coach Sergio Conceição, manager of Al-Ittihad's first football team, expressed his happiness mixed with some regret after his team's valuable victory over Al-Taawoun in the thirteenth round of the Saudi Professional League. The coach's comments reflected his constant desire to achieve footballing perfection, despite securing the three crucial points in the championship race.
Conceição's statements regarding the Dean's performance
In the post-match press conference, Conceição emphasized that the game was a crucial and highly positive milestone in the team's season, especially considering it came against a tough and well-organized opponent with a solid defense. The Portuguese coach stated, "We played an important and positive match against a league rival, and we managed to create numerous scoring opportunities. Had we been more clinical, we could have achieved a much larger, perhaps even historic, result. But ultimately, the most important thing is securing the victory and earning the points.".
The problem of wasted opportunities and "recklessness"
The Al-Ittihad coach addressed a crucial technical issue that has been troubling him in recent matches: the squandering of easy scoring opportunities. He explained, "In every match, we miss numerous chances. I'm very pleased that my team is capable of creating these opportunities and reaching the opponent's goal; this demonstrates the quality of our tactical work. However, the attacks aren't completed with a proper finish due to poor final touches." He indicated that work will continue to address this aspect to ensure we secure victories early in the upcoming rounds.
The importance of winning in the context of competition
Conceição concluded by emphasizing his team's deserved victory, saying, "We completely dominated the match, and today's win was well-earned. We can certainly improve our performance and result in the future." This match holds particular significance given the fierce competition in the Saudi Professional League this season. A victory against a top team like Al-Taawoun is considered a "six-point win," as it disrupts a direct rival and strengthens Al-Ittihad's chances of competing for the title. This victory confirms the team's technical stability and its ability to impose its style of play, which sends positive signals to Al-Ittihad fans regarding the team's ability to remain in the title race amidst the intense competition from other top clubs.
