Saudi analyst Saud Al-Sarami: Player quality, not management, holding back national team

Sports analyst Saud Al-Sarami has said that the Saudi national team's problems are not due to the Saudi Football Federation's management, but rather the quality and performance of its players. He noted that the team will not progress under Badr Al-Raziza, even though he described him as an excellent administrator.

Speaking in an interview with Al Arabiya FM, Al-Sarami said he was satisfied with the work done by Yasser Al-Misehal during his tenure as president of the Saudi Football Federation, adding that the administration fulfilled its duties, while the players failed to deliver the required level on the pitch.

He added: "My issue is with the players, not the management," pointing out that the national team receives all necessary resources, including training camps, equipment, and bonuses, but ultimately it is the players who are responsible for scoring goals and achieving results.

Al-Sarami cited the match against Cape Verde, stressing that the team needed just one goal to advance to the next round but failed to do so, asking: "Do you expect Al-Misehal to score the goal himself?"

He emphasized that player quality is the most important factor in football, referencing Al-Qadsiah Club's rapid rise from the First Division to competing for the league title after improving its squad.

Al-Sarami also noted that the Argentina national team benefited from having exceptional players like Lionel Messi, which enabled them to reach World Cup finals and achieve major successes, stressing that a drop in player quality directly affects national teams' performance.

Regarding Badr Al-Raziza, Al-Sarami said he does not believe the team will progress under his leadership in the Asian Cup or Gulf Cup, clarifying that this is not due to Al-Raziza's administrative abilities, but rather because the main issue lies in the players' capabilities.

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Al-Sarami concluded by saying that if the Saudi national team loses in the Gulf Cup in Jeddah or the Asian Cup hosted by Saudi Arabia, he will call for the dismissal of the football federation, even though he maintains that the root cause is the lack of player quality.