Sérgio Conceição at Al Ittihad: “At 50, I could still play” | OneFootball

The heavy defeat of Al Ittihad by 2-4 against Al Duhail, in Doha, in the Asian Champions League, sparked the indignation of Sérgio Conceição this Monday, who was dissatisfied with the team's attitude.

“We only had names on the field, not a team. This is the first time I’ve experienced this situation. I’m 50 years old and I could still play at the pace the team showed. I had a specific idea, but the players didn’t execute it,” said the coach at a press conference, not holding back his criticism.

“Our players’ reaction in the defensive third left much to be desired. We only showed an offensive response with the aim of drawing and winning, but it’s also essential to defend our goal efficiently. I congratulate our opponent and hope our fans accept our apologies for what happened. I have nothing more to add,” concluded Sérgio Conceição, before leaving the press room.

The Portuguese coach, formerly of FC Porto, has had a difficult start in Saudi Arabia at the helm of Al Ittihad, which includes the Portuguese players Danilo Pereira, European champion in 2016, and Roger Fernandes, U21 international and former Sporting de Braga player.

In six matches played, there have been three wins, one draw, and two losses, results that have penalized the team in various competitions.

In the league, Al Ittihad, Saudi champions in 2022/23, are in 7th place with 14 points, 13 behind leaders Al Nassr, of Cristiano Ronaldo, João Félix, and Jorge Jesus, after nine rounds.

In the Asian Champions League, the club, which hasn’t won the competition since 2005, continues to disappoint and is in 7th place with 6 points. Al Hilal, with João Cancelo and Rúben Neves, leads the West zone with 12 points and plays at home this Tuesday against Al Shorta, from Iraq.

The next commitment will be in the quarter-finals of the Saudi King’s Cup: Al Ittihad hosts Al Shabab on Saturday, after eliminating Al Nassr in the previous round – this match is the last before the long break in Saudi football until mid-December.

As for the future of Sérgio Conceição, his departure from FC Porto at the end of 2023/24 has been followed by difficulties in establishing himself internationally. Last season he spent a few months at AC Milan: he won the Super Cup, curiously on Saudi soil, but did not achieve the defined objectives and was replaced by Massimiliano Allegri.

In the Saudi context, if results do not improve, the coach’s position may be at risk – recall that Laurent Blanc was dismissed despite having been champion.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇵🇹 here.