The Greek Donis, coach of the Saudi national team, criticized the news circulating about his future with Al-Akhdar, stressing that the rumors related to his dismissal or the appointment of other coaches do not affect him personally, but they reflect negatively on the atmosphere of the locker room, stressing that he feels that he is part of Saudi Arabia, and not just a coach in charge of a technical task.
The Greek coach revealed that the postponement of the Asian Cup raised questions about his contractual future, explaining that he informed the members of his technical staff that their contracts expire before the new date of the tournament.
He added: “After the postponement of the Asian Cup, I informed my technical staff that our contract would expire before the new date of the tournament, and then some began circulating the names of senior coaches, and these are completely useless rumors.”
Donis recalled one of the incidents in which he faced the news of his dismissal, saying: “Even after my return from Jeddah, a Greek friend in NEOM told me about the news of my dismissal after the Gulf Cup, and here I am today continuing with the national team.”
Denis stressed that the problem is not related to the impact of this news on him as much as it has repercussions on the team, adding: “The rumors do not affect me personally, but they harm the locker room, and those around us are aware of the extent of our work, and what is being raised is not fair to us.”
On the technical level, Denis expressed his satisfaction with the performance presented by the Saudi national team players against South Korea, noting that the team appeared in a distinguished manner during most of the match, despite the difficulties it faced in the last minutes.
He said: “The performance today was excellent for 75 minutes, and we faced difficulty at the end of the match, but we pressed as much as possible and presented a performance full of confidence.”
He explained that summoning 30 players to the current camp came as part of his plan to prepare for the Asian Cup, and to provide the largest number of players with the opportunity to demonstrate their abilities.
He added: “I decided to select 30 players in order to prepare for the Asian Cup, and to give all the players the opportunity to show their potential, and I am happy with what I saw from them. They showed great combat, whether they participated for 10 minutes or played the entire match.”
Donis pointed out that the technical work does not start from the field alone, but from the atmosphere that precedes the match, the most important of which is enhancing confidence between the players and raising the level of focus and communication.
He said: “The real beginning always comes from the locker room, by giving the players full confidence, and promoting high concentration and communication between everyone.”
He praised his players' commitment to technical instructions, stressing that they showed great respect for the opponent, in addition to discipline in carrying out the required tactical duties.
Regarding the future of the Saudi national team, Denis revealed that he has a technical plan for the next stage that extends until participation in CONCACAF, and includes strengthening communication with clubs and paying attention to young talents.
He said: “I have a plan ready and constantly preparing for the next stage, all the way to CONCACAF, and it includes holding meetings with clubs, and focusing on young talents under 23 years of age to continue growth and development.”
He stressed that the Saudi national team has a new generation that needs a long-term vision, pointing out that the development of these players should not be linked to the continuity of a specific coach.
He added: “Saudi football has a new generation that needs a clear future strategy. Even if I am not the technical director leading this team, I will always remain the first supporter of the Greens.”
He explained that the technical program he presented covers the next stage until the international break in March, which includes holding friendly matches, before moving on to the preparation stage for participation in the Gold Cup tournament.
Qatari Nasser Al-Attiyah, a competitor in the Toyota Jeddah Baja Rally, confirmed his satisfaction with the level he presented in the first stage of the competition, pointing out that the nature of the tracks and the diversity of their terrain posed a challenge to the competitors, in light of the strength of the competition and the high requirements for concentration and navigation.
Al-Attiyah said in an exclusive interview with Asharq Al-Awsat: “We are in the second round of the Kingdom’s Championship in Jeddah, and thank God we succeeded in the Hail stage, and today we also lead the Kingdom’s Championship. My impression of the rally is that it is very beautiful, but it includes difficult terrain, some of which are rocky and mountainous, while the second section is characterized by a sandy desert nature.”
He added: “We are participating with the French rear-wheel drive MD Optima car, and tomorrow we have a stage extending for 82 kilometers, and we look forward to continuing the positive results and achieving victory in the round.”
Regarding the most prominent challenges he faced during the competitions, Al-Attiyah explained that the nature of desert rallies imposes various difficulties. He said: “The rally always carries challenges, and this competition consists of two stages with a total of approximately 182 kilometers. There was a fast stage that required high concentration, and the competition was very strong.”
For his part, Emirati racer Mohammed Al Balushi, participating in the motorcycle category, confirmed that his choice to compete in the Baja Jeddah Rally came despite the option of participating in Portugal, preferring to come to Jeddah.
Al-Balushi said in an exclusive interview with Asharq Al-Awsat: “I preferred the Jeddah race to Portugal because it is between my family and my quarter, and thank God for everyone’s safety. The first stage was very difficult in terms of navigation, and everyone faced difficulties, but God honored us and we were able to finish it without mistakes.”
He added: “We are at the forefront of the rally, and we are ready for the final stage tomorrow, and we look forward to continuing the good performance and ending the competitions in the best possible way.”
