Al-Hazm player Mohammed Amin bin Hamida confirmed, in an exclusive statement to Asharq Al-Awsat, that achieving the three points was the most important goal in light of the pressure and succession of the matches, after their victory over Al-Taawoun 1-0 in the sixth round of the Saudi Professional League.
Bin Hamida said: “Thank God for the victory. It was a difficult match against a stubborn and big team like Al-Taawoun, and the most important thing for us today is achieving the three points. “In light of the format and sequence of matches, the importance of winning has taken precedence over performance, and it is natural for the players to feel fatigue.”
Bin Hamida added: “We are one team, our goal is one, and we are all working to achieve it. The Saudi League is known for its strength and ferocity, and the competition in it is very great, and this helps the players to develop quickly from one match to the next.”
The Al-Hazm player concluded his speech by saying: “As a team, we have a clear goal, and God willing, we will reach it at the end of this season.”
Zarko Lazetic, Al-Taawoun coach, confirmed that his team was the better side during the match against Al-Hazm despite the loss, pointing out that the results do not reflect what the team is presenting on the field, calling for a reconsideration of the group and a deeper analysis of the reasons for the decline in results.
Lazic said during the press conference: “We congratulate Al-Hazm for the victory, and it is difficult to explain the circumstances of the match. I think that the better team lost, and this matter is repeated with us unfortunately, and we must reconsider the group.”
He added: “I did not mention that we are bad, but I said that it is difficult to explain aspects of the match. Because we were the best, and the statistics show that the opponent had no chances, and we played with all our might to equalize, and when you do not score, the players become somewhat frustrated.”
The coach touched on the statements of Al Hilal coach Simone Inzaghi, saying: “I heard Al Hilal coach Inzaghi saying that he did not sleep after the last match, and I think that I could not sleep for a long time, and for more than one round.”
In turn, Jalal Qadri, Al-Hazm coach, confirmed that his team played a difficult match against Al-Taawoun, noting that the opponent appeared strong even though his results did not reflect what he presented on the field.
Qadri said in the press conference: “It was a difficult match against a fierce competitor, and Al-Taawoun’s results do not reflect what it offers, but we knew how to advance the result, and we put Al-Taawoun under pressure, and we succeeded defensively, and what worries us most is injuries.”
He added: “In the second half, Al-Taawoun dominated, but without any danger, and we got chances and were able to finish the match, but the most important thing is that we got the points even though we did not play our usual football.”
Australian Arthur Pappas, coach of Al-Ettifaq, said that his team gave a strong performance against Al-Faisaly, despite the scoreless draw, pointing out that the problem is the failure to translate control and opportunities into goals.
Pappas stressed, during the press conference after the match: “I cannot put more pressure on my team’s players, as they gave a strong performance, and we reached Al-Faisaly’s goal about 25 times, while the opponent reached our goal on only 3 occasions.”
Regarding the draw, which was described as disappointing for the two teams, and what the team can offer against Al-Qadisiyah, on Friday, Pappas answered Al-Sharq Al-Awsat’s question: “We do not have time to make many changes before the next confrontation, and we must correct what can be corrected. It is important that we activate our attacking position, and turn our control and access to the opponents’ goal into tangible results through scoring.”
In turn, Italian Giovanni Solinas, coach of Al-Faisaly, confirmed that the high temperature affected the level of his team’s confrontation with Al-Ettifaq, praising, at the same time, the fighting spirit that his players showed throughout the match.
Giovanni said in the press conference: “The temperature affected the state of the match, but my players fought until the end, and I salute them for what they did, and therefore the result of a draw in this match can be accepted.”
The Al-Faisaly coach responded to Asharq Al-Awsat’s question about the team’s failure to perform at the desired levels and results during the past rounds, stressing that evaluating the team in this way is “unfair,” noting that Al-Faisaly presented distinguished matches and matches against a number of competitors. Among them are “Al-Hilal” and “Al-Qadisiyah”.
Giovanni explained that the technical staff works according to the available capabilities, saying: “I agree that Al-Faisaly does not have players at a level comparable to some clubs, and we have not concluded major deals, and these are our financial conditions and capabilities, and we work according to the allocated budget, but I must protect my team’s players, defend them, and praise them, not belittle them.”
