Dutch winger Steven Bergwijn of Al-Ittihad expressed his strong dissatisfaction with being repeatedly excluded from the team's matches since Portuguese coach Sergio Conceição took over as the head coach of the club.

Bergwijn continued to be absent from the Ittihad lineup in the recent Jeddah derby against Al-Ahli, which ended in a 1-0 defeat for the team, as part of the eighth round of the Saudi Pro League.

The Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper reported that Bergwijn's position within the team has become complicated due to his limited participation despite being fully fit, as Conceição relies on different tactical options in the starting lineup.

The newspaper confirmed that the Dutch player expressed his frustration to the coach over being repeatedly excluded, asking for a chance to participate after his full commitment in training and his desire to help the team return to winning ways.

Bergwijn has played ten matches this season across various competitions, during which he managed to score six goals and provide one assist, before being excluded from the squad lists in the last three rounds against Al-Hilal, Al-Khaleej, and Al-Ahli Jeddah.

Bergwijn hopes that the current break will help him reassess his position within the team, especially given the federation's need to diversify their attacking solutions and improve their results in the upcoming phase of the season.