Portuguese head coach Jorge Jesus praised his team’s players after winning the deal with two clean goals in the 21st round of the Saudi Professional League.
Jesus told the press conference following the meeting that his team had succeeded in sizing up the strength of the al-ettifaq attack, while stressing that the al-ettifaq was a strong team supported by players who had professionalized in major European leagues, but that the crescent would seek to continue the victories in the league, the AFC Champions League and the rest of the leagues.
Jesus said that despite the al-hilal missing the efforts of a major star such as Neymar due to injury, the team was not shaken, and he was pleased to move the Saudi league games in Portugal.
In the absence of Serbian goalscorer Aleksandar Mitrovic from the upcoming confrontation due to the accumulation of yellow cards, Jesus said: “We know the value and impact of Mitrovic, but we have a strong weft in the team that can make up for any absence. We are going on with back-to-back wins.
As for the pressures that the team could be under with successive victories, Jesus said that this was an incentive for him and his players to continue strongly and reach a world record.
Jesus concluded his remarks by saying: “The Saudi League has become a global follower, and all the work that is done by bringing in stars of players and coaches in the coming period will contribute to increased follow-up. The work is great here, and many coaches and players aspire to exist in Saudi Arabia.”
On the other side, England’s Steven Gerrard, the agreement coach, mourned the loss of his team to Al-Hilal and said he had lost to a strong rival, expressing his heartbreak at not taking advantage of the opportunities his team had to score.
In response to the “Middle East” question about the evolution of his team’s performance and Jesus’ praise for the al-ettifaq, Gerrard said: “In the first round we faced the al-hilal, and the technical difference between us was great, today our team evolved and we had chances that we didn’t take any of them, and the crescent is one of the strong teams that should be used for any opportunity.”
Gerrard concluded his remarks by saying: “We need more time for the team to harmonize after the last reinforcements, and I cannot say that the crescent is competing with global teams for different patrols and competition, but the crescent is certainly very strong and has a great trainer.”
