Portuguese coach Jorge Jesus confirmed in a press conference that his team will continue to fight fiercely for the Saudi Professional League title, emphasizing that the team's ambition will not be diminished despite the challenges posed by the winter transfer window and the congested fixture schedule. This came during the press conference held by the manager to discuss his team's preparations for their upcoming match against Al-Qadisiyah in the fourteenth round of the competition.
Winter transfer window challenges and title ambitions
These statements come at a time when the Saudi League is witnessing significant activity and fierce competition among the clubs, with each team striving to bolster its ranks with top international stars. In this context, Jesus said, “Every coach in the world looks to strengthen his team with new players during the winter transfer window to ensure continuity at the same level, and I also hope for that. However, reality presents us with significant challenges that we must address intelligently.” He added, explaining his strategy for the upcoming period, “If the circumstances are not favorable for signing new players this season, we will not stand idly by. We will continue to rely fully on our current high-quality players, and we will work hard to compete for the title until the very end.”.
Facing Al-Qadisiyah... the gateway to return
The head coach addressed the difficulty of the upcoming match against Al-Qadisiyah, noting that the opponent is not an easy team to beat, especially given the significant development Saudi clubs have recently witnessed, supported by the national sports strategy. He explained, "Al-Qadisiyah is a team with great potential and must be respected. We have prepared for this match much better than previous ones, as the schedule allowed us to dedicate three full days to tactical and physical training, something we lacked in the recent past due to the tight schedule.".
Simakan's readiness and the anticipated Riyadh derby
Regarding the medical and physical condition of his player, Mohammed Simakan, Jesus reassured the fans, saying: “The player participated in training and is 100% medically fit, but he just needs to improve his physical fitness to ensure the injury doesn't recur. He showed very positive signs during the last few training sessions, and if we don't risk him against Al-Qadisiyah, he will certainly be ready and at full strength for the crucial derby match against Al-Hilal.” The Al-Hilal match is of paramount importance as it could determine the winter champion and directly impact the league standings.
Scheduling crisis and refusal to postpone
In a related context, Jesus expressed his deep dissatisfaction with the Competitions Committee and league officials' refusal to postpone the Al-Nassr and Al-Ahli matches, pointing out that the congested fixture schedule negatively impacts the quality of play and harms the players' well-being. He said, with a tone of bewilderment, "I couldn't understand the real reason behind rejecting the request for even a one-day postponement, despite the clubs' continuous efforts. We simply received no response.".
He concluded his remarks on an optimistic note despite temporarily losing the lead to their traditional rival, saying: “The Al-Ahli match is now in the past, and we have great confidence in the team's system to return to the top. Al-Hilal was chasing us, and with Al-Nassr's stumble, they managed to climb to the top now, but the league is still long. I am confident that the competition will continue until the last round, and Al-Nassr has a different character this season, and we will strive to regain our rightful place at the top.”.
