Al-Ittihad's Portuguese coach, Sergio Conceição, expressed his dissatisfaction with his team's result against Al-Qadisiyah, which ended in a loss for Al-Ittihad in the 17th round of the Saudi Professional League. The Portuguese coach's comments came during the post-match press conference, where he highlighted the course of the match and the refereeing decisions that accompanied it.
Conceição told the media that the final score did not reflect the true performance on the pitch, noting that his team played a great match and dominated for long periods. The Portuguese coach stated clearly, "The result wasn't fair considering what we did. We played a great game and deserved a positive result. A penalty that was disallowed for us could have changed the course of the match," implying that the referee's decisions had a significant impact on the final outcome.
Respect for the opponent and the strength of the competition in the Roshan League
Despite the bitterness of the loss, the Al-Ittihad coach displayed remarkable sportsmanship and professionalism in his assessment of the opponent. He clarified that his comments about the unfairness of the result in no way diminished Al-Qadisiyah's capabilities. He added, "My words don't imply any doubt about Al-Qadisiyah's potential; they are a distinguished team with a group of prominent stars capable of making a difference." This statement reflects the significant development witnessed in the Saudi Professional League, where matches are no longer predetermined for the big teams, especially with the strong reinforcements made by clubs like Al-Qadisiyah, which has heightened the competitiveness and made every round feel like an early final.
Winter contracts file and Walid Al-Ahmad
In another development, journalists tried to elicit a response from the Portuguese coach regarding the club's plans for the upcoming winter transfer window, specifically concerning rumors about Al-Ittihad's interest in signing Waleed Al-Ahmad. However, Conceição preferred to remain silent on the matter, refusing to discuss any details regarding future signings at this crucial stage of the season. He preferred to focus entirely on improving the current squad's performance and addressing weaknesses to get the team back on track in the upcoming matches.
The impact of the loss and the future of the competition
This loss is particularly significant given Al-Ittihad's position in the league standings and the high hopes of its fans for a title challenge or at least a spot in Asian competitions. With the league title race fiercely contested with Al-Hilal, Al-Nassr, and Al-Ahli, dropping points is a costly mistake that could complicate matters for the team in the final stretch of the season. This result places additional pressure on the coaching staff and players to quickly return to winning ways, ensuring they remain in contention and satisfying the Al-Ittihad supporters who demand nothing less than a championship victory.
