Italian Simone Inzaghi, coach of Al Hilal, praised the performance of his players after the victory over Al-Ittihad 3-2 in El Clásico, stressing that his team deserved the victory, while rejecting what was raised about the team’s decline in rhythm after advancing in the score.
Inzaghi said in the press conference after the match: “It was a confrontation against a great and respected opponent, and we deserved to win, and I thank the players for their performance.”
Regarding the arbitration cases, he said: “The referees tried to give their best, and mistakes are part of the game.”
Regarding the leadership armband and yellow card that Portuguese Ruben Neves received due to the protest, Inzaghi explained that the leadership armband in Al Hilal is given to Saudi players, noting that the team captain is the one who is supposed to speak with the referee.
In response to Asharq Al-Awsat’s question about Al-Hilal’s decline in rhythm after advancing in the score, which gives the opponent an opportunity to apply pressure and repeat this situation in the team’s matches, Inzaghi said: “I do not agree with what you mentioned. Our level was great throughout the two halves of the match, and what you mentioned did not happen in this confrontation, and it may have happened in previous matches.”
The Al Hilal coach praised Watkins’ level, saying: “He presented a wonderful level, and he is improving day after day. He did not join the group during the camp preparations, but he integrated with his colleagues, and I applaud him for his performance.”
Inzaghi concluded his speech: We were supposed to leave the match when we had scored more than three goals, and I believe that the penalty kick awarded against us was incorrect.
Al-Ittihad coach Jens Vissing confirmed that the mistakes committed by his team contributed to its loss to Al-Hilal, 3-2, in the confrontation that brought them together at the “Kingdom Arena”, within the Saudi Professional League competitions, indicating that his team was able to recover the result.
Vissing said during the press conference: “It was a painful defeat, and we faced one of the best teams. We were two goals behind, and we succeeded in scoring the second goal, and we were able to come back, but we were not lucky, and we also made some mistakes that helped Al Hilal score.”
He added: “The loss was not due to tactical aspects, but rather Al Hilal took advantage of some mistakes and scored its goals. We will take the positive aspects of the match and overcome the negatives, and I am happy with the mentality of the players.”
Regarding the next stage, Al-Ittihad coach said: “We will turn the page on this confrontation, and fight in the upcoming matches, starting with facing Shabab Al-Ahly on Tuesday in the AFC Champions League.”
Vissing touched on George’s non-participation, saying: “He is a great player, and I love him, but the system only allows me to register 8 foreign players in each match, and all the players who participated gave their best.”
The coach praised Ahmed Al-Ghamdi’s performance, saying: “He played a great match, and in my opinion, he was the best player in the match.”
Regarding Ahmed Al-Julaidan’s non-participation, he explained: “He was injured throughout the last period, and in a match like the match against Al-Hilal, I must include the ready player, and Muhannad Al-Shanqeeti gave his best.”
The story of Portuguese Cristiano Ronaldo, captain of Al-Nasr, not receiving the best player award in his team’s match against Diriyah in the eighth round of the Saudi Professional League, sparked widespread controversy in the sports street, while Asharq Al-Awsat sources revealed that Portuguese Ronaldo went to the locker room immediately after the end of the match, to undergo a treatment, massage and recovery session, which caused his absence from receiving the best player in the match award, as part of his physical program to recover after the effort he made during the match, and to prepare for the benefits. Coming.
Ronaldo's return to scoring coincided with Al-Nasr's 3-0 victory over Al-Diriyah, in the confrontation that brought them together at Al-Awal Park Stadium in Riyadh, in a match that carried remarkable artistic and public dimensions, the most notable of which was the support that the team captain received after the controversy that accompanied his departure from the Portuguese national team camp, in addition to the debut of young defender Awad Aman, and the return of Frenchman Kingsley Coman to participate and score.
Ronaldo's crisis with his country's national team entered a new turn, after the Portuguese Football Federation announced, on Saturday, the opening of official disciplinary procedures against the team's captain and the Saudi Al-Nasr striker, and imposed a precautionary suspension on him, against the backdrop of his departure from the national team's camp following a dispute with coach Jorge Jesus.
All eyes were on Ronaldo to monitor the reaction of the Nassar fans to the events that accompanied his departure from the Portuguese national team camp during the international break, and the stands carried a strong message of support for the Portuguese star, through chants and support that reflected his continued standing among the club’s supporters.
The interaction extended to social media platforms, where fans shared footage of Ronaldo interacting with a fan who presented him with a victory shawl after the match, so that the player could wear it, in a scene that was widely spread. The audience also interacted with Ronaldo’s message through his accounts, in which he wrote: “The mission was accomplished... until the next match,” amid interest in his goal statistics and his approaching the barrier of a thousand goals in his football career.
According to the circulating statistics, the Portuguese star’s tally reached 980 goals, bringing him an additional step closer to the number he seeks to reach, at a time when he continues his scoring presence with Al-Nasr.
On the field, Ronaldo opened the scoring for Al-Nasr, after he followed a ball that bounced off the Diriyah goalkeeper following a Koeman shot, giving his team the lead, before Samu Costa added the second goal before the end of the first half. In the second half, Koeman returned to complete the hat-trick, stressing the importance of his return to the competition after a period of absence due to injury.
The victory represented a moral boost for Al-Nasr, which succeeded in ending the confrontation with three unanswered goals, benefiting from its offensive effectiveness and ability to invest opportunities, at a time when the match witnessed other notable milestones in the level of participation of young elements and the recovery of injured players’ readiness.
The match witnessed the first participation of Awad Aman in the starting lineup for the first team in the left-back position, in an important opportunity for the young defender to prove his abilities within the options of the technical staff.
Aman’s participation comes within the framework of benefiting from the young elements, and giving them more space to participate alongside the experienced names, especially with the succession of local and continental merits and the need for multiple options in various centers.
The return of Frenchman Kingsley Coman from injury constituted one of Al-Nasr’s most notable technical gains, after he participated in the match and succeeded in scoring the third goal, giving the technical staff a positive indication of his regaining his presence in the offensive line before the next Asian tournament.
The return of the French winger is gaining importance in light of Al-Nasr’s need for various offensive options during the next stage, especially with the crowded match schedule between local and continental competitions. His success in scoring after his return gives the team an additional boost, at a time when the technical staff is looking forward to the completion of the readiness of its influential elements.
In the press conference that followed the match, the importance of the confrontation focused on achieving victory and continuing positive results, in addition to benefiting from the return of injured players and giving opportunities to young players. Al-Nasr looks forward to building on the result before moving on to its preparations for the next continental tournament, while taking advantage of the multiple options in different lines.
