Conceição: My critical remarks were misinterpreted
Amman3 min read
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The former Portuguese coach of the Saudi Al-Ittihad football club, Sérgio Conceição, clarified his critical remarks regarding the discipline of Saudi players, asserting that his words were "misinterpreted."
Conceição (51) found himself facing a wave of public and media backlash following an interview with the "La Tripleta" podcast, affiliated with the newspaper "La Gazzetta dello Sport," where he pointed to a lack of "a real culture of high standards, hard work, and commitment" in Saudi football, and also stated that local players are "not bad," but "not demanding."
Conceição turned to his Instagram account to clarify following criticism of his statements, writing, "I would like to clarify that I never intended to show any disrespect to Saudi players, nor to Saudi Arabia itself, a country that welcomed me and my family, and for which I have a lot of appreciation and respect."
He added, "I never questioned the quality of Saudi players, and I never said at all that Saudi players are 'bad.' My goal was to highlight the differences in how football is lived and how the meaning of being a football player is approached in Saudi Arabia versus Europe."
Conceição, whose relationship with Al-Ittihad ended in June 2026 less than a year after he was hired, said in the interview, "Local players are not demanding. Not because they are bad or because they don't want to, but because they don't have this mentality, and that makes management difficult."
He continued, "Sometimes, some players don't show up or don't even appear for training. Football is still not considered a real profession," adding that the Saudi player "always finds an excuse."
The former Italian AC Milan coach continued, "There are big differences, and I explained how difficult it is to adapt to some aspects of this environment, based on my own understanding of the coach's role. At the same time, it was an important experience that gave me the opportunity to learn and form a different perspective, as well as develop the way I understand athletes and their view of football."
Saudi football star Sami Al-Jaber responded to Conceição, saying in television statements, "It is part of professional ethics not to disparage any place where you have worked."
He added, "This is what I have been talking about for a long time; the drafting of contracts in any club, for players and coaches. Anyone who insults must be held accountable."
Under Conceição's supervision, Al-Ittihad played 41 matches, winning 21 of them, with seven draws and 13 losses.
The team finished the season with him in fifth place in the league, while they were eliminated from the semi-finals of the King's Cup and the quarter-finals of the AFC Champions League Elite.
