Conceição denies questioning Saudi players’ quality, says Al-Ittihad stint broadened his perspective

Former Al-Ittihad coach Sergio Conceição has denied ever questioning the quality of Saudi players or describing them as "bad," clarifying that his recent remarks were misinterpreted as criticism of Saudi football. He emphasized his respect for the Kingdom, which welcomed him and his family.

In a statement posted on his official Instagram account, Conceição explained that his comments were made during an interview on the Italian newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport’s podcast "La Tripletta," in response to two questions about his experience in Saudi Arabia.

The Portuguese coach said he did not intend any disrespect toward Saudi players or the Kingdom, stressing that he holds both the country and its people in high esteem, a point he reiterated during the interview.

Conceição underlined that he has never doubted the quality of Saudi players or called them "bad," explaining that his aim was to highlight the significant differences between the football culture and player approach in Saudi Arabia and Europe.

The former Al-Ittihad coach noted that he spoke about the challenges of adapting to certain aspects of the football environment in the Kingdom, given his own understanding of a coach’s role. However, he described the experience as valuable, as it allowed him to learn and develop a different perspective, both in understanding athletes and in dealing with their approach to football.

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