In the first round of the Asian qualifiers for the World Cup held in the early morning of September 6, the Saudi team was held to a 1-1 draw by the Indonesian team at home. After the game, Roberto Mancini, the Italian manager of the Saudi team, vented his frustration during the press conference, particularly mentioning a disheartening fact: most of his players are sitting on the bench at their respective clubs.
Mancini pointed out that 20 of the players selected for this national team are substitutes at their clubs. He said helplessly that this situation directly affects the players’ match fitness, making the team somewhat lackluster in attack. “The first game is never easy, especially when the opponent, Indonesia, has a group of players who have been honed in European leagues and cannot be underestimated,” Mancini remarked.
Regarding the team’s repeated squandering of scoring opportunities during the game, Mancini stated, “We seem to have developed a ‘goal-scoring difficulty,’ but we won’t measure everything solely by results.”
Mancini continued, “Our players need more playing time at their clubs. On my list, 20 players are substitutes at their clubs, so it seems we need to improve their fitness through more training.”
Despite facing various difficulties, Mancini still expressed, “No matter what, our national team has its own style of play.”
Additionally, Mancini explained the situation with left-back Mutab Al-Harbi, who was substituted in the 33rd minute, causing much speculation. “Don’t worry, Mutab isn’t injured. It’s probably the recent pressure affecting his performance, so we decided to let him rest early,” Mancini explained.
Mancini: Saudi Players Can Only Sit on the Bench in Domestic Leagues, Many Indonesian Players Play in Europe. Author：Sports UEFA.Please indicate the source when reproduced：https://www.sportsuefa.com/football-world/34766.html
